How I Clean My Brushes | Two Simple Ways!

A little while a go I shared with you guys a handful of my favourite face and eye brushes to apply my makeup with. In order to get a good application it is important that your brushes are clean otherwise your makeup wont blend well and you'll be left with lasts weeks product on your face which is especially not good.

Makeup brushes harbour bacteria so you don't want to be putting that on your face otherwise it'll lead to breakouts or even infections. There isn't an amount of time set in stone on when you should clean your brushes, in an ideal world we would after every use but that's just not possible for most. So for this post, I thought i'd share with you a couple of ways I clean mine.

As I said, I for one do not have enough time to wash my brushes on a daily basis. However, if I find my brushes aren't blending my makeup as they usually would and I don't have enough time to wash and wait a long time for them to dry, I will do a spot clean. This consists of my makeup remover and a cotton pad, it's pretty simple.

I'll simply take the Garnier Micellar Water and put a bit on a cotton pad that I've split in half. I'll use one half for cleaning and the other half to dry. I tend to swirl my brush around on the cotton pad until the majority of the makeup has come off, next I'll take the dry cotton pad and do the same to dry the brush. I'll do this the night before or an hour or so before so that they can dry properly.

Now for the deep clean. I've heard lots of people say that they hate cleaning their brushes but personally I don't mind, I actually quite enjoy it. I used to just take a little baby shampoo on my palm and dampen the brush under the tap and swirl until the water runs clear. 

However, when reading a blog I saw that they were using a silicone oven mitt, I know it seems a little odd at first. They said they got the idea as they're a similar, cheaper alternative to the Sigma Brush Cleaner. The bristles get in between the little ridges on the mitt that actually clean them really well, I was so impressed at how clean my brushes looked and how soft they felt once I had tried it.

I will do the same process as I mentioned earlier, just with the mitt. First I will take some baby shampoo on the mitt, I will then dampen the brush under the tap and swirl on the glove til the water runs clear. To rid the brush of shampoo I will rinse it under the luke warm tap then either pop it bristles facing downwards in a brush stand or lay them to dry on a towel over night. Though, its better to stand the brushes with bristles facing downwards as the water will run away and prevent the glue from dissolving.

For sponges, its a little different. I must admit my sponge is on its way out, its starting to crack a bit and is really stained. I tend to do the same process for brushes but instead I use this Body Shop Tea Tree Cleanser as Tea Tree kills bacteria, therefore I know although my sponge is stained, I am hopefully killing the bacteria. I will the leave it to dry on the towel with the rest of my brushes.

And there you have it, a couple of simple ways to cleanse your brushes. Nothing too hard, time consuming or expensive! I'd love to know whether you have any techniques or tricks on how you clean yours, let me know!

HOW DO YOU CLEAN YOUR BRUSHES?

♥   ♥   ♥

Most Used Eye Brushes | Real Techniques, ELF and eBay sets!

As promised I said i'd follow up my previous post on my most used face brushes, but before I go into that I thought i'd let you know that I've done a guest post over on Erin's blog, here. Erin has recently just started blogging again and decided to add a new feature to a blog where every now and then people she know's from online or through blogging write something, whatever they'd like. I wrote 5 Things Things That Make Me Happy, so please go check that out and the rest of Erin's blog!

Anyway, here I am again talking about my most used eye brushes, although I have a lot more eye brushes than face brushes there are a select few I reach for every time I do my eye makeup. 

1. Lydia Professional Pink Flat Brush.

As you can see this is a small flat brush and I use this to pack on the base of my eye shadow. This holds the eye shadow well and i'm able to apply it with no fall out, however that could just be down to the eye shadow i'm using- who knows! I picked this brush up in a set from Amazon, here and they're so pretty- I've not had any problems with them so far, plus they come with a pink case that is very handy for travelling!

2. Large Pencil Brush.

Again, this was part of a set of 4 from eBay, here. I cant fault the brushes that came in this set, despite them being a little bigger than I thought they're such great quality and the bristles are so soft. It's perfect for applying eye shadow in the crease as it fits in nicely and if you keep working at the eye shadow it blends in nicely.

3. ELF Blending Brush.

I had heard good things about the ELF brushes and I really needed a blending brush so I picked up this to try. At first I was a bit disappointed with the quality, the bristles fell out easily and especially when washed. I stopped using it for a while and decided to try it again and I've not had that problem, perhaps there were a few odd bristles that just wasn't glued in properly? It's holding up well now and blends my eye shadow well, it's also really soft so it's perfect for blending! If this one isn't clean, i'll use one of the blending brushes from the eBay set I mentioned previously- although it's a bit big, it does the job!

4. Real Techniques Detailer Brush.

I've just realised that the majority of these brushes are from a set, however most of the sets are so affordable from eBay or Amazon. This brush is from the Real Techniques Core Collection and I use it for applying eye shadow to the lower lash line as it's so small and fits perfectly under the lashes!

5. Spooley Brush.

This isn't really a brush, well it sort of is as it has tiny bristles. This again was part of a set from eBay, here. The quality of this brush isn't that great but the rest of the brushes are so I can't fault them, plus I use this every day so it's had quite a lot of use, therefore it was worth it! I comb through my eyebrows with this before and after applying my brow pencil, it tidies them up when I've just rolled out of bed and after applying brow product to ensure it's spread evenly. 

And there you have it,  a quick run through of my favourite eye brushes. Each of these brushes/sets are great however if you're on a tighter budget then i'm sure you can find similar with all of these types of brushes in.


What are your favourite makeup brushes?
Please let me know in the comments!

♥   ♥   ♥

Most Used Face Brushes | Real Techniques and Bare Minerals Dupe!

I tend to talk a lot about makeup here on my blog but I never seem to talk about how I apply the products mentioned. Today I thought i'd run through my most used face brushes, there will also be a post to follow on my most used eye brushes- watch this space.

First of all i'll start with my base. Now I've never really got on with those flat foundation brushes as I felt like I was painting on my makeup and they left streaks, certainly not the look I go for on an everyday basis or ever. Instead I like to use a buffing brush, I started off with the Real Techniques Buffing Brush which I loved for about a year until unfortunately the bristles weren't as soft or the best for applying foundation. When reading Makeup Savvy, I discovered there was a dupe(here) for the Bare Minerals Perfecting Face Brush, you know that buffing brush with the dent in the centre to disperse foundation? Yeah, that one and I couldn't not purchase the dupe and give it a whirl, in a few words- I love it and it was less than £2, steal!

I also love using the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge (This wasn't the most 'photogenic' so see the first picture) on a day-to-day basis as it's so quick to blend out foundation to give a natural finish to the skin. I recommend running this under the tap and squeezing it out so that the sponge doesn't absorb and waste your foundation.

Base complete, I'll go onto the brushes I use to finish my face. Another Real Techniques brush(I promise, this isn't sponsored), I use the Duo-Fibre Contour Brush for as the name suggests- contouring. I'm a newbie to contouring so I needed something to apply the product lightly so that I could progressively build it up. This brush is perfect for just that and is flat and tapered to fit perfectly into the hollows of your cheeks.

Left- Duo-Fibre Contour Brush, used to contour
Right- Contour Brush used to apply blush

Another Real Techniques Contour Brush that I don't use for contouring but blush instead. I find this is the perfect size to apply blush to the apples of my cheeks and the bristles are super soft so they pick up product well. However, sometimes I over-do it on the blush so I advise you use this with a light hand to avoid looking like Coco the Clown.

And last but certainly not least is the Real Techniques Duo-Fibre Face Brush which I've recently started to use for all over powder. I've never really needed to powder before, primers seemed to keep my makeup in place as I wasn't overly oily, though that has recently changed. I'm not sure whether it's to do with the weather and becoming a hot mess during the summer months- who knows. But what I do know this brush has been great for applying powder lightly throughout the day to combat the shine and without making my face look cakey. 

That's a wrap on my most-used face brushes, I know there's a lot of Real Techniques brushes but they just seem to work for me and they're not overly expensive which my purse is thankful for.

Have you got any makeup brush recommendations? 

Please leave them below, I'd love to know!

  ♥   ♥   ♥

What's In My Makeup Bag? | Travel Edition

Hello!
As you can tell from the title of this post, today i'll be giving you an insight to my makeup bag and in particular what i'll be taking away with me, or rather what I've taken away with me- depending on when this goes up! I'll let you know now, I don't have the most luxurious high end makeup although I would love some- it's just not within budget at the moment and I feel the drugstore offers great quality products at more affordable prices so here we go..

Again, I don't have the nicest of makeup bags that are on offer to me, but this is handy as it fits everything in nicely without the need to leave the bag half unzipped! This is just a pink mesh bag that came with a gift from The Body Shop- handy!

First up is foundations, notice the plural? I was using the L'Oreal True Match foundation for a while on it's own, although it's great on it's own I wasn't too keen on the finish for summer as I prefer a dewier finish. I had the Rimmel 25 hour foundation lying around as I wasn't using it as I picked up the darker shade on accident.Now I know it looks really dark in comparison but just a little mixed in with the L'Oreal foundation creates the perfect finish and colour for my skin in the summer, so that's why I'll be taking a 2nd!

Next of course I couldn't go without concealer so in there I've thrown in my trusty Collection Lasting Perfection 16 hour concealer, perfect for the job and it's small, so perfect for travelling!

To then add some colour to my face I have a blush, this isn't a Barry M blush I just had to re-pot as it had shattered everywhere from the previous pan. If you can't tell already I love this blush which is why it had to be re-potted, it's a little hassle to use but I just tap a little into the lid and swirl my brush and it's fine! This is just a natural pink colour to give a flush on the cheeks with a little shimmer in. Usually I wouldn't be keen on shimmer but it's ever so slight and gives a glow to the cheeks also! No need to pack a highlight, great!

Moving on to eyes, mascara! I couldn't leave the house without a quick flick of mascara as quite frankly I look dead! Mascara just opens my eyes and makes me look more awake, so I've packed 2- again none in particular just ones I had lying in my stash to use up! I don't really notice the difference in mascaras as they all seem to have the same effect on my eyelashes, so I've packed both Rimmel mascaras, the Scandal Eyes for my top lashes and the Extra WOW lash for the bottom!

I could go without eye shadow each day but I love creating subtle looks to make my face look more made up and like I've made an effort! So in I've put the MUA Heaven and Earth palette which are a range of natural slightly shimmery shades to create subtle or more dramatic looks as each of the shades are so versatile! Also I forgot to mention, there are 12 different eye shadows in this tiny compact palette so again, perfect for travelling!

For my brows I sweep through the Maybelline Brow Drama brow mascara in Medium Brown- this matches my brow colour perfectly and makes them look fuller and more put together!

Last but not least, moving on to lips! I love applying lipstick last as I feel it just pulls the look together, providing you choose the correct shade not to clash with your blush or even eye makeup! Of course, i'm not the expert but I've included a range of 4 shades that are practically fool proof for the looks I tend to create on a daily basis. From left to right, MUA in shade 14 Bare, Natural Collection in Rose Bud, No7 in Vanity(bare in mind this is old, passed onto me by my Auntie who's quite the makeup hoarder) and lastly another MUA lipstick in the shade Nectar.

Bare- the perfect nude colour liptick- I think this could work for a range of skin tones too!
Rose Bud- a lovely pink colour that almost matches my actual lip colour so it's great for natural days!
Vanity- don't be fooled by the bullet like I was, this comes out as a natural brighter pink on my lips, I love it for a pop of colour!
Nectar- this is a lovely bright coral colour which looks amazing and so summery on a brighter day!

Last in the terms of actual makeup products is again another lip product, or eye for that matter! The Beverly Hills lip and eye primer, again passed down from my wonderful Auntie to make my lipstick and eye makeup last a lot longer on those warmer days!

Of course i'm taking makeup brushes to apply the makeup, these all fit in so nicely without squeezing them in and ever so slightly bending the bristles like I have done in the past! I'll list these like the lipsticks and explain what I use them for..
Eyelash Curlers
Real Techniques Buffing brush- buffing in foundation and concealer.
Real Techniques Pointed Foundation brush- applying foundation and concealer.
Real Techniques Contour brush- to apply blush.
Lydia eye shadow applicator- to apply the base shadow.
ELF Blending brush- to blend all eye makeup.
Real Techniques Detail brush- to apply a darker shade to the crease and outer corner.
Lydia Brow brush/comb- to brush through my brows and comb through my lashes.

And that's all for my travel makeup bag! For me this is just the right amount, admittedly I don't need to take 2 foundations, 2 mascaras and 4 lipsticks but if you've got the room- why not!? Let me know what's in your travel makeup bag or what would be if you were travelling this summer!

Until next time,

Amy X

Favourites this May.

Hello!

So today is Bank Holiday Monday, as I've got a day to myself I thought i'd get a post up! This is going to be a small-ish roundup of my favourites this May 2014, as the title suggests! Now I have a week off and although I have a lot of things to get done this week as I am finishing my first year at college soon, I am hoping to get some blogging done! So lets just get straight into it.

Collection Lasting Perfection concealer- £4.19

The first two of my favourites come together as one really, first is the much loved Collection Lasting Perfection concealer, I have this in shade 1 Fair. Now I purchased this a few months ago, I used it for a while and I wasn't overly impressed but it did the job within budget, for some reason I went off this concealer and forgot about it. Recently I picked this out and thought i'd give it a whirl again and I'm loving it, perfect for covering the spots that have been breaking out recently, although I am still looking for the perfect under-eye concealer- this is well worth it for under £5!

Real Techniques Pointed Foundation brush(from core collection)- £21.99

As I said the next links to the concealer, its the Real Techniques Pointed Foundation brush. Now I know the name doesn't suggest this but I just feel the brush is too small for foundation. I've been using this for my concealer, under my eyes and to cover blemishes- this brush is so quick to blend and doesn't leave the streaky brush marks you sometimes get!

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water- usually £4.99

I've been trying to get my hands on the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water but every time I went into my local Boots, it was sold out and double the price in Superdrug! I made a trip down to another boots a little further away and got it! I've been using this to take off my makeup when I get in late for work and really can't be bothered to do the full cleansing routine. Yes I know that sounds disgusting but this takes off the makeup and cleanses at the same time without the need for a deep clean wash afterwards! Amazing!

MUA Heaven and Earth Eye shadow Palette- £4.00

I don't think I've said enough about this palette but I love it! It's the MUA Heaven and Earth palette. I must admit i'm not the best at applying eye shadow but i'm learning and I've found a way that works for me. This is the perfect neutral palette, with beautiful gold, bronze and champagne shimmers that are subtle enough for day to day looks! I'm hoping to do a more in depth review once I feel more confident with eye shadow!

Topshop 'High Vamp Skaters'- £20

And the final pictured here is my Topshop Skater style shoes. I cannot begin to explain how much I've been loving these this month- so much to the point that I've worn them nearly every day and they're still in good nick! I saw a few Youtuber's with these and instantly fell in love! At £20 I just couldn't let them go, now I've seen the pink and white pair and am lusting over them both! Watch this space to see if I *accidentally* get my hands on them, haha!

Finally the last things that I've been loving this month aren't pictured but i'd thought i'd tell you another few.
1. The weather. I live in Wales and i'd be lying if I said its been amazing all month, but there have been the odd days like today where the weather has been so lovely, so warm and summery! It's also been a tad stormy this month too, I must admit I love it when its like this! Just feeling all cozy inside listening to the rain and thunder. Its been the perfect mix this month haha!

2. Doing things. Well that's way too vague, but my confidence isn't the greatest, i'm working on it but it will take a while. This month I've been able to voice my opinions and not be afraid what people will think, especially at college. I'm so glad to say I've stuck at college for the whole year- In September I panicked and cried every morning and nearly didn't end up stepping foot back inside the building. It took time but I got over that and have near completed my first year at college!
I also attended an interview last week and for the first time it went well! I was actually able to form sentences while in there, it resulted in getting invited back for a trial day which is tomorrow! After much thinking, I decided it's something I don't want but I am going to attend to say I've done it.

And that's it for my favourites this May! This month has well and truly flown by! I can't even believe that next month we will be half way through the year of 2014 already, whaaat!

Comment below what you've been loving this month and maybe some suggestions of under eye concealers that won't crease!? Also let me know what you'd like to see on my blog!

Talk soon,

Amy X