MakeUp Brushes are KEY...

MakeUp Brushes are one of thee most fundamental items, a MakeUp Artist or a MakeUp enthusiast can have in their Kits/Bags!!

There are so many MakeUp Brushes now available, it's hard to decipher which ones do the best for each job!

With many MakeUp Brush tried and tested, varying brands, and a few years of application of MakeUp under my belt, I regard myself quite knowledgable, meaning I am able to hopefully enlighten some of my readers, and steer them in the direction of quality rather than brand name when choosing which MakeUp Brush to buy...

Now I apply my MakeUp Eyes first...so we will start with the Eye Brushes!

Every kit needs a shadow application brush, a blending brush or 4, an eyeliner brush, a smudger, and an eyebrow brush/comb!

Within my kit I have a variety of brands, I specifically use Crown Brushes, MAC Brushes, and ELF Brushes, as I mentioned previously, I have tried and tested a few brands and these are my 3 faves, when it comes to Brush Manufacture!

Shadow application brush, this needs to be a relatively small brush, that fits comfortably in the space of the eyelid, now of course everybody's eyelid shape is different, so I recommend getting a smaller shadow applicator so that you can cater for most eye shapes and sizes! Or have more than one...Like me :)

In my Kit I have these two which I use regularly, one is from ELF and the other is from MAC, the one from ELF is slightly fluffier but allows a nice all over application of shadow, it does create a little drop of the shadow but nothing you can't easily clean up...hence doing the eyes first to ensure you don't ruin your face makeup! ThisELF brush is also only £1.50...Can't complain!

 

Now the other shadow brush I use regularly is a MAC brush, its a small flat shader (231), which allows you to place the shadow, this is an extremely useful technique if your trying to get a more prominent colour, it gives a denser colour, in comparison to the fluffy brush which disperses the pigment, making it not as sharp colour application wise!

Once you have applied your shadow with either of the above brushes, you need a blending brush to blend out the edges, ensuring there is no definitive line of shadow (unless that is what your trying to achieve) but we do not want any sharp edges present...seamless flawless application is what we are aiming for! 

Blending brushes, need to be soft and fluffy and of good quality!

My favourite blending brushes are by mac (217, 224) of which I have 3 of each...Essential :) These are extremely versatile brushes that have many uses hence my need for more than one! You can apply any cream based or powder product with these, and because they are small it will give you precise application of say, concealer or a highlighting powder!

I have recently bought myself some Crown Blending brushes and have found them to be just as good, but for a fraction of the price! They are soft and fluffy, providing you with a tool that will blend shadow into the desired shape you want without creating a lot of shadow fall :) always a plus! 

Eyeliner Brushes for me have to be thin, to enable you to get close to the lash root, and it also ensures neat and precise application! The ones that I have recently found to be brilliant are the Crown Brush ones...They come in a variety of sizes but the three smallest ones are great for applying gel eyeliner! If you make a slight mistake it is easily fixed using one of these teeny things! (C250 -0,1,2) 

Brows remember need to be perfectly groomed, so to aid with this you need an eyeshadow comb/brush! If you use pencil then this is also fine, but it is advised to recieve optimum lift on your brows, you need to have a comb. Comb the eyebrow in an upwards motion and then apply your medium of choice, shadow, pencil, gel etc!

Your eyebrow Brush needs to be rather stiff, but then not to stiff to enable product movement.

I have tried a few eyebrow brushes out but my favourite one is a MAC 266 Eyebrow Brush, it came in a set I got for Christmas, and it's been great! It's an angled brush, and the bristles are quite soft, but still tough enough to enable precise application of the shadow! Make sure you have enough product on your brushes when applying! :)

An eyebrow comb/wand can be purchased from any brush manufacturer, due to them not containing bristles, the quality of them isn't essential! This is a good one from ELF does the job for an exceptionally low price. The only thing to be weary of with these is the handles, just don't be too heavy handed with them, otherwise you may be having to spend another £1.50!!!  

The final eye brush I'm going to talk about is a smudger, I decided to include this as I have just bought thisINCREDIBLE one from Crown, it is so small, and it was such a bargain that I couldn't not tell you about it, it would have been so selfish of me! This brush is a versatile brush, but I mostly use it to smudge, this may be gel liner, pencil liner, you could even use it how I did recently on my sugar skull, to blend my cheek bone interest, it can also be used to create ombre lips (blog to follow soon) Using this small smudger will allow you to blend out the colours on your lips creating that exciting look that is very in at present, and penultimately it will enable you to create real smoulder around your eyes, when lined on top or the bottom or both! This brush is a true, tiny gem, and when you order yourselves one (which you must) you will see what I mean by tiny :) Enjoyyy 

Now onto the face, Each kit should contain a foundation brush (Stipple brush is my preference) a concealer brush, and a powder brush (contouring brush)

I used to buy all my brushes from MAC, without fail, but now having attending MakeUp School, and Beauty events, it has opened my eyes to other brands that are available, that the professionals use every day! 

For example foundation wise, depending on how you like to apply your foundation whether it be with a flat brush, a stipple brush, or maybe even a sponge, there are lots of suppliers out there, catering for your needs and budget!

I used to apply my foundation on myself and clients with MAC's large stipple foundation brush, I now still apply my foundation with the same brush, just made by a different manufacturer...Crown Brushes. The stipple brush provides the client/you with an all over, natural looking flawless coverage! It really is a must have brush. With the flat brush I find you get brush marks on the face and then have to buff the foundation in with either your stipple brush or a buffing brush. So why not cut out a step and just purchase the stippler :) 

For your concealer I couldn't recommend a better brush than this one, ELF's Flawless Concealer Brush...this brush I use for almost everything...blending shadow, applying concealer, buffing foundation, softening eyebrows, contouring..the list is endless! If there was one brush I could truly say you must have it is this one, and for £3.75 why are you still reading this... :) 

For your powder, I would also recommend an ELF brush...I did have the large MAC powder brush, but the hairs continually fell out :( slightly disappointing...

But this ELF complexion brush is another steal for again £3.75, it's part of their studio brush collection and I think I'm going to have to buy the entire collection and dedicate a blog to just ELF brushes alone, as they really are great value for money, with exceptional quality!

Other brushes that I think would be a great asset to your kit, is a lip brush! I have just bought two lip brushes from Crown, they provide precision on the lip line, and also allow you to then fill in the remainder of the lip, the hairs are soft but compact ensuring definitive application! 

 

As I said at the beginning of this blog, your tools are key to your application. This is one of the few times I disagree with the saying 'you get what you pay for' as I truly believe that some of the brushes mentioned in this blog today, match and most of them even outdo the competition for the more expensive brands!

When choosing your tools do shop around, and do read blogs like these, as they will provide you with some insightful tips! I hope you have found this blog useful, please comment, and get in touch if you have any question regards this blog or any others!

Lots of Love

Alex

xXx

Sugar Skulls :)

Yesterday at Aqua Rosa, Media MakeUp School we did Sugar Skulls...It was AMAZING

This blog will give you helpful (I hope) information on how to re-create this artistic look! Sugar skulls originate from Mexico, they were created out of sugar to celebrate the deceased on a day titled 'the day of the dead' Now modern day people, artists, MakeUp Artists have got their hands on them and have turned them into a look that can be sported throughout the year (fancy dress mostly) but they are typically done around the halloween period! 

For my sugar skull, I used a variety of mediums...Paints, and shadows mostly!!

Firstly you need to create a white base, leaving space around the eyes, this ensures that the colour you put around the eyes doesn't mix in with the white base, say for example you put red over white, it will most likely turn pink! So where you are thinking of putting other colours over the white, to create interest leave blank :)

Once you have your blank white canvas, which I suggest applying with a sponge (car sponge works well, cut up) and then take a foundation brush and feather the paint, to ensure it is well blended!!

I worked from the top of the face down, forehead to chin, to ensure that I didn't smudge any of the paint I applied (similiar to painting a picture) To create the cobweb on the forehead, I used an eyeliner first and faintly drew on my design, once the design I wanted was achieved, I then took a fine eyeliner brush, with a nice point on it, and applied black facepaint over my initial lines! Make sure you have enough product on your brush to ensure continual movement of medium on the face!

I then focused on the eyes...applying a blue and green paint to the lid of the eye to create a teal colour! You can just use my design and change the colours? or you can just use the techniques I describe to create your own sugar skull :) Once the paint was applied to the eye, I added depth to the colour using a blue eyeshadow, blending with a brush! I then took a black shadow and focused on the lining of the eye smudging it out into the blue colour on the lid, so that there was no definitive edge! Keep applying the black until you are satisified with it!

Define the cheek bones of the skull like I did, joining the eyebrow detail to the mouth, which follows the line of the cheekbone! Blend the colour of choice down to create definition!

Add some interest to the nose using black eyeliner to create your shape again, and then go over with the black paint! I chose a spade for my interest on the nose! But you can choose any shape or design you want! Be creative! :) There really are no boundaries with Sugar Skulls!

For the Teeth/Lips, Using your eyeliner again, make sure your lips are closed, and draw a line from top to bottom, making sure they join in the middle, the outer lines are to be longer getting shorter towards the middle of the lip! Add depth to the lines by going over the liner with the black face paint!

Finally I added sequins around the eyes, to add more interest, and it looked quite pretty :)! It also looks very effective..you can use anything, sequins, glitter, anything! Its an opportunity to let your imagination run away with you! :)

All I will say is...take your time, do not rush this, because if you do take your time then you will really get it right, and it will look fab!! It will be worth the patience :)

Any questions please feel free to ask, for more details etc Get in touch!

Look forward to hearing from you all!

Lots of Love

Alex

xXx 

Happy Halloween :)

Creating this look was extremely fun and rewarding, this blog will take you step by step through on how to re create this look!

Things you will need, you can always improvise and take what I used as guidance.

White Facepaint

Grey Facpaint

Brown Facepaint
Black Facepaint

Red Facepaint

Black Shadow

Brown Shadow

Red Lip Liner

Fake Blood

Eye Liner

Sponge

Stippling Brush

So to begin with I prepped the face with white face paint, covering the entire even the lips and eyelids, blending the paint down onto the chest and arms and any other areas that may have been exposed. This will give you a blank canvas to work on, and with us trying to re create the dead look, then the paler the better :)

Once you have your white base, you want to start contouring, taking your brown and grey face paint, focus on the cheek bones, the eye sockets, and the jaw line. Using a stippling brush apply the brown and grey paints, to the hollow in your cheek underneath the cheek bone, into the socket area of your eye and along the jaw line, making the face look gaunt and skeletal.

The contouring can be revisited and built up as you build the rest of the face makeup. I then focused on the eye socket, taking different shades of brown shadows and really building up the depth of colour on the eye. Taking it under the eye and following the natural tired line on the face, some its more prominent on than others, but its basically the area in which you usually get bags that we want to darken!

Once the eyes were suitably dark, I took a red lip liner and lined the eye, in the water line and around, taking a small smudge brush or any eye shadow brush, I blended the liner down underneath the eye  with a brown/burgundy shadow to add extra smoulder to the look. I then took the red lip liner and lined the inside of the nostrils and taking the same smudge brush and blending the liner down and around the nostril, to create that sense of pain and soreness, that I associate with zombies and corpses.

Revisiting the contouring, darken the cheek bones and the jaw line, using the same shadows that you used to darken the eye socket. I also took the contouring into the clavicles on the chest, enhancing the gaunt skeletal look that comes with the reputation of being dead.

Using the stippling brush again, I wanted to create some bruises on the skin, you can pick any place on the skin, and all you need to do is take a red face paint, blotting it on your hand first as you dont want to much paint residue on your hand, and stipple onto the skin, then taking a brown shadow, blend over the top, using the same stippling application, and it will form a purple colour that we associate with a bruise. You can also take some powder and dust over the top, this will give the bruise a yellow tinge, all adding to the look.

For the lips, I lined with black lip liner and filled with the red lip liner, I blended the two together, and then buffed them out using a brown shadow, this looked extremely effective!

And although we are going for the zombie/dead look I still made sure my zombie had groomed eyebrows, if you want you can add some design to them, comb them up, over exaggerate the hair, etc, just make sure they are a few shades darker/black. Using a gel to set the brows in place.

Take your fake blood, and the end of your stippling brush and proceed to flick the fake blood over your face/models face, and body. Do not touch, let the blood take its natural place on the skin  where it falls! Looks very realistic!

For the hair I used olive oil and combed it through the models hair, to make it look greasy, unclean and dirty! I then ran some of the blood through it to make it look matted and DISGUSTING!

Finally if you have contacts then do put them in, but make sure you are careful when doing so!

If you are performing this look on somebody else, than remember that hygiene is important, only use clean sterilised brushes on them, and wipe and liner used before applying, deposit some on your hand and use a brush! :)

If you have any further questions then please do not hesitate to ask/comment! I hope your enjoy creating this look and I hope you have a Happy Halloween Weekend!

Lots of Love

Alex

xXx

October's Glossybox!x

I have recently subscribed to Glossybox, I thought this was the perfect opportunity to add more items to my kit (obsession) and to explore the beauty world in greater depths. It also gives me the opportunity to be a 'beauty blogger' bringing my wisdom of makeup, hair and beauty products to my readers :)

Every box I recieve I will be doing a montlhy blog on, which will include my personal review on each item within the box, recommending where I feel appt! I hope you enjoy the read and maybe find yourselves purchasing some of the items I recommend :)

Items within this months GlossyBox...

Harmony moisturiser 

This product wasn't suited to my skin, I have normal skin, and this specifies that it is for combination skin, at the time of use aswell I had quite dry skin as I had just got back from holiday!...holiday blues :( Having said this, once I applied quite alot my skin did feel extremely smooth, and it was great under my makeup! Although it is quite expensive to be using excessive amounts to achieve what you can with a normal moisturiser. It smelt lovely, very fresh, it smelt good for your skin! I think if I had oily combination skin it would be a good purchase, but i think for the time being I will be sticking with my Garnier Rose Essentials <3 

Monu Illuminating Primer 

This product was a lot more suited to my skin, it was a creamy product that went onto the skin nicely, and sat very naturally under my makeup! It was light but did the job, although with it containing SPF I wouldn't recommend especially if you were intending on having photographs taken, as the SPF contains light reflective minerals that will make you look paler than you are! Not ideal...But for during the day its a perfect product! It gives a nice, dewy glow and youthful appearance. I wouldn't hesitate recommending! 

MeMeMe Cheek/Lip Tint

I have never been a fan of the cheek/lip tint. You instantly loose that ability to blend the products, which ultimately gives you that flawless look! Once applied to the skin you dont have much working time, to move the product around if any at all, as it stains the skin you put it on! I know this is given away in the name of it 'tint' but Im not sure its a beneficial trait for a makeup product to have, when the idea of makeup is to look seamless on a persons face. I wouldnt completely rule it out, as you could attempt mixing the tint with one of your cream based products, either a lipstick, or a blusher to intensify the colour, as the pigmentation of this product is second to none. Mixing with your lipstick or cream blusher will add depth to your chosen medium, but for now I feel this product won't be making its way into my kit :( Sorryyyy MeMeMe

Vita Liberata Skin Finish (latte)

For me, now that my tan has faded and I have regained my 'English rose' complexion, this just didn't suit my skin type! For those of you with the desired olive complexion I'm sure this would make a fine addition to your makeup kit! It felt extremely smooth when testing it on my hand, providing a light/medium coverage, I think it would be perfect applied over your daily/night time foundation! 

Killer Queen, Katy Perry, Perfume

This was a pleasant surprise, as I expected it to be another one of these scents released by popstars to rob small children blind of their pocket money! But this is actually quite a nice scent, I wouldnt choose to wear it myself, but I think for teenagers making that transition from the lower end of the teens, say 13 ish to the mid teen stage of about 16 then this is a definite one to try and maybe pop on your christmas list :) I hope this has been insightful, and let me tell you I cannot wait for my next glossy box arrival, in the mean time keep if you have a blog topic you would like me to cover, feel free to get in touch or leave your comment below!! 

Lots of Love

Alex

xXx