Blush brushes are a great investment. The brushes that come with blushes often is of cheap quality and does not work. You should use a narrow brush if you have small face and smaller cheekbones. You might find a broad brush more useful if you have a larger face and use only one blush colour. However, I personally like to use a narrow blush brush though I have a big chubby face. The reason is that I also contour and highlight my cheeks – I apply the blush in between them so a narrow brush works great for me.

Blush Brushes left to right: MAC188, MAC129SE, MAC168SE, Posh Angle Blush Brush

I absolutely love MAC188 as a blush brush (first from left). I swirl it on my powder brush and then swipe it couple of times on my cheeks – and that is it. I start from the apple of my cheeks (I little bit behind it actually) and finish close to my ears. It picks up small amount if you want a light coverage and it picks up more if you keep swirling it. It is the baby version of MAC187.  Which means the black hair is goat hair and the site is synthetic hair. So this brush is great for people who apply cream blushes. This brush can be used to apply foundation as well. I also highlight my cheeks with this brush sometimes.

A traditional blush brush is like MAC129 (second brush from left). You swipe it from the apple of the cheeks and finish in front of the ears. I personally don’t like it. I tend to apply too much blush while using this brush. I tend to look older since the blush makes my cheeks look like it is sagging.

Another traditional blush brush is MAC168 (third from left). It is quite dense – picks up more colour and I tend to avoid it. It is very good for contouring the cheekbones though. If you use a bronzer with this brush and apply it on the hollow under your cheekbones, it gets a nice lift and makes your face look slimmer.

Posh Angle Blush brush (last brush from the left) looks similar to MAC168. It’s dense but softer and fluffier than MAC168. So this brush is not so good for contouring but a great brush for blush. If I ever lose my MAC188 (God forbids!) I will use this brush till I get a new MAC188.
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Concealer brushes are something that I wouldn’t consider absolute necessity. I feel concealer can be applied with fingers pretty well. But I do like concealer brushes and use them all the time. They are great for precise application of concealer.

Concealer brushes. Left to Right: non name brand 18a, MAC194SE, Posh Concealer brush (big), Posh Conceal Brush (Small)

My favourite concealer for under eye area is a non name brand. It’s the first brush from the left that says conceal-18a. It is just the right size for under eye area. It’s soft and firm at the same time. I can pat on concealer with it. The tip is fine enough to get close to the corner of the eyes. I also like this brush for the 2 dark patches I have on both of my temporal bones. I also like this brush to cover the redness around my nose and on the cheeks.

My favourite brush to conceal blemishes is MAC194 (second from left). It is the right size to conceal a blemish and the area around it.

Posh makes a pack of 2 concealer brushes. They are very soft and very good buy for the price. The big Posh brush (third from left) is my alternative brush to conceal under eye circles, dark spot and redness on my face. The small Posh Brush (Last from left) is my alternative brush to conceal blemishes.

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The foundation brushes I am going to review are MAC187, MAC190 and MAC181. I don’t have the full size brushes. I only own the special edition short handled brushes that I am posting pictures of.

Foundation Brushes. Left to Right: MAC187SE, MAC190SE, MAC 181SE

My favourite foundation brush is MAC187. This brush is best to use with lightweight foundation. It’s a stippling brush. It has duo fibre. The black fibres are goat hair and the white hairs on top are synthetic hair. It is best for lightweight application. It doesn’t pick up too much product so foundation application is not cakey. If you apply foundation and starts blending – you won’t benefit from this brush, you would rather use a dense brush instead.

To get the most out of this brush I stipple the foundation on my face. I use it with my Makeup For Ever HD Foundation. I pump 1 pump on the back of my hands. I dip this brush on the foundation and only get half the product on the tips of the white fibre (very lightly). Then I use a quick stipple motion on my right side of the face. I keep stippling till the foundation blends in (I don’t swirl). Then I pick up the rest for my left side of the face.  It gives a flawless application.

MAC187  has a narrow version MAC188. MAC 188 can be used the same way – the advantage is that it can be reached to places like sides of the nose, close to eyes and above the brows.

My next favourite brush is MAC190. This is a traditional foundation brush. It is great for foundations with thicker formula such as Revlon ColorStay or MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation. You pick up the foundation onto the brush from the back of your hand. Then apply it on your face with a downward stroke. It works since the tiny facial hairs also go downwards. If you move the brush upward the hairs will stand up. Keep blending the foundation in as you apply it.

Another brush that you can apply liquid foundation with is a kabuki brush like MAC181.  If is designed to apply powder foundation but it works great with liquid foundation. The only con is that it can be hard to get to narrow places like the sides of the nose.

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So not everyone can afford the best makeup and you don’t need to buy expensive makeup exclusively. Only some staple products in your makeup vanity should be enough. So the products I think are the most important and thus I would invest money in are:

1. Foundation: Foundation is the base for all your other makeup. It is totally worth it to spend some money towards it. Even if you don’t have a face primer, even if you have a cheap concealer, a great foundation will make you look fabulous nonetheless.

2. Brushes: Brushes are very important. Yes, foundation can be applied with hand, but you apply more, waste product and it goes on cakey. Yes eyeshadow can be applied with a sponge tip applicator, but colours won’t blend and won’t last long. Brushes achieve the details needed for a complete look.

3. Eye primer: Eye primer will enhance the colour of your eyeshadow, prevent eyeshadow from creasing and will make it last longer. An eye primer will increase the value of your eyeshadows even if you have budget friendly eyeshadows.

4. Waterproof eyeliner and mascara: Most women have eyeliner and mascara anyways. When you run out of them and make your next purchase, consider getting waterprood liquid and pencil eyeliner and waterproof mascara. It will prevent smudging.

5. Clear Lipliner: You don’t need to waste money getting every coloured lipliner for every lipstick that you own. Get a clear one – I recommend Revlon ColorStay Lipliner in Clear. It will go with every lipstick/lipstain/lipgloss. Line the edges of lips and then fill your lips in with it. It will prevent lipcolour form bleeding and will make it last longer.

That’s all I remember right now. I will edit this post if I find something new. You don’t have to get all these in one day. I call these investments because they are worth a bunch of money. Get one product per paycheck and you will have all the staples within a year or so. Enjoy the weekend.

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Applying makeup with hands when doing simple makeup at home for none to see is fine. It is possible to use hands to apply concealer and foundation, to use sponge tip applicators for eyeshadows, and to use lipstick directly. However special occasion makeup deserves more. Attention to details makes a look from simple to gorgeous. And brushes are the tools to get there. Brushes are so important in my opinion that I think every woman should invest in them (after foundation) – they help tremendously even if you have only low end/ drug store makeup.

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Urban decay 24/7 Glide-On eye pencils are great creamy eye pencils. They are very easily applied. They are waterproof and stay on upper and lower lash line for a long time. They come in 19 shades. Overall, it’s a great buy. Women usually love these eye pencils. But it’s not my personal favourite. Because I don’t normally wear coloured eye pencils, I almost always wear black. Urban Decay’s black eye pencil in Zero doesn’t do it for me. It is not dark enough for my medium dark skin (my skin colour is MAC NC42 foundation). I only use it for natural looks, not dramatic looks. If you have fair skin you won’t have any problem though. My favourite is the purple colour is Lust and teal colour in Covet. Something to keep in mind is that they don’t stay on waterline for even a minute.

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils applied. Left to right: Lucky, Lust, Electric, Covet, Zero

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils rubbed to observe smudgeproofness. Left to right: Lucky, Lust, Electric, Covet, Zero

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If you can have only one type of eyeliner, I say buy pencil eyeliners because they are versatile. It can be applied on the upper lash line (the skin right above upper lashes), lower lash line (the skin right below lower lash line) and your water line (the inside of the eyes- the wet part). Pencil eyeliners are also easiest to apply. Just hold it like a pencil and rim your water line. Stay close to the lash line when lining the upper lash line. If you line your lower lash line, it can look harsh. Smudge it with a pencil brush (a brush with an elongated and firm tip) for a smoky effect. Use a sponge tip applicator or Q-tip if you don’t have any brush. I mostly use Black eye pencils. So my reviews from today are going to be about black eye pencils.

I have medium dark skin (MAC NC42 Foundation). These are the eyeliners I am reviewing today. From right to left:

• MAC Technakohl Eyeliner in GraphBlack,
• MAC Eye Pencil in Black Funk,
• Rimmel Extreme Definition Two-tone Eye Definer in 003 (Trend Settler),
• Rimmel Soft Kohl Kajal Eye Pencil in 061 (Jet Black),
• Urban decay 24/7 Eyeliner in Zero,
• Makeup For Ever Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil,
• Almay Amazing Lasting 16 Hour Eye Pencil in Precise Black,
• NYX Eye/eyebrow pencil in 901 Black
• Elizabeth Arden Eye Pencil in Smoky Black
• Maybelline Unstoppable Eyeliner in Onyx
• Maybelline Expert Eyes in Velvel Black

Black Pencil Eyeliners applied on Medium Dark Skin (MAC42 Foundation)

After I rubbed and tried to mess them up, lol!

Best pencil eyeliner for Top or bottom lash line (on skin):

MAC Technakohl Eyeliner in GraphBlack is the best for top or bottom lash line. It’s true black. It is creamy – easily glides on skin. It is long lasting. It’s mechanical and the packaging is sleek – easy to travel with. GraphBlack is my absolute favourite.

Almay Amazing Lasting 16 Hour Eye Pencil in Precise Black. Very long lasting for top and bottom lash lines. It’s less creamy than MAC Technakohl, but still easily applied. It comes with a sharpener at the back.

Maybelline Unstoppable Eyeliner in Onyx. Easily applied and long lasting. It’s mechanical, but not as good as MAC Technakohl and Almay pencils

Makeup For Ever Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil. It is long lasting – not too long. It’s also not very creamy.

Best Pencil Eyeliner for waterline:

First of all, have I found an eye pencil yet that stays on waterline for more than 2 hours? NO, I always have to touch up my waterline eyeliner. One trick is to powder waterline with a black eyeshadow – but my eyes are too sensitive for that.

MAC Eye Pencil in Black Funk. It is SUPER creamy. It glides on waterline. It’s true black. It’s discontinued –an alternative would be MAC Ebony eye pencil. However, since it’s so creamy and almost wet – it’s not long lasting.

Elizabeth Arden Eye Pencil in Smoky Black. It’s creamy enough for waterline. Again – not long lasting.

Rimmel Soft Kohl Kajal Eye Pencil in 061 (Jet Black). It’s creamy – so easily applied on waterline. But it’s not half as creamy as MAC Black Funk.

Rimmel Extreme Definition Two-tone Eye Definer in 003 (Trend Settler). It has a black eye pencil in one end and a white one in another end. It gives the same result as Rimmel Soft Kohl.

TIP: To make your eyes look bigger, line your waterline with a white eye pencil. If you are dark, then use a peach colour.

Okay eye Pencil for Both Water line and Top and bottom Lashlines:

Urban decay 24/7 Eyeliner in Zero. Lots of people love this – but it didn’t work for me. It stays put on skin okay (top and bottom lash line). It glides on waterline – but you have to touch up. What bothers me is that I medium dark skin tone and this eyeliner is not Black enough for me. If you have fair skin, this eyeliner may work great for you. But I only use for natural looks – not black enough for dramatic looks (for dark skin tones). For the price- I say it’s not worth it.

NYX Eye/eyebrow pencil in 901 Black. It’s not long lasting on skin and not very creamy either for waterline.

BAD eye pencil:

Maybelline Expert Eyes in Velvel Black. It’s not black – it’s grey. It is SO hard; I struggled to put it on my top lash line. I can’t imagine someone trying to put this on their waterline – it’s going to poke the eyes out. Stay away from it.

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Eyeliners are great to give the eyes some definition. Many women with busy lifestyle have a makeup routine that consists of just eyeliner and lipstick. Because these 2 products are take the least amount of time to apply. There are various kinds of eyeliners: Pencil, liquid, cream and gel eyeliners are main types.

Pencil eyeliners are very versatile. It can be applied on the upper lash line (the skin right above upper lashes), lower lash line (the skin right below lower lash line) and your water line (the inside of the eyes). Pencil eyeliners are also easiest to apply. Just hold it like a pencil and rim your water line. Stay close to the lash line when lining the upper lash line. If you line your lower lash line, it can look harsh. Smudge it with a pencil brush (a brush with a elongated and firm tip) for a smoky effect. Use a sponge tip applicator or Q-tip if you don’t have any brush.

Gel eyeliners also can be applied anywhere. They are very creamy –ideal for waterline. You have to apply it with an eyeliner brush (a brush with small, thin and sharp tip). Apply it normally on your upper lash line and smudge it on your bottom lash line.

Liquid eyeliners are used for a “done” look. It only can be applied on upper lash line. It looks way too harsh on lower lash line. It cannot be applied on water line at all.

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So you put on all the makeup and look fabulous throughout the day and get nice compliments – great. It’s time to sleep and you don’t take off the makeup – NOT great. Leaving makeup on all night can cause nasty breakouts. Next morning you wake up – all the makeup in the world is not going to make you look beautiful. It is VERY important to take off all makeup at night. You should also clean and moisturize your face afterwards.

TIP: If you are extremely tired and don’t feel like taking off makeup, wash face, put on moisturizer – use Baby Wipes for sensitive skin. It will get most makeup out of your face. Just don’t make this a daily routine.

Great makeup removers:

Whatever makeup remover you use, remember to be very gentle around the eyes to avoid premature wrinkles. I have extremely sensitive eyes. I have tried a lot of makeup removers and most of them sting my eye (though they do the job of removing makeup). Best makeup remover ever is L’oreal Dermo-Expertise Gentle Waterproof Eye and Lip Makeup Remover. It comes in a 125 ml bottle. It has 2 phases – one darker which has soft oils and another clear phase. Before each use you have shake it up, so they mix to a homogenous colour. Apply it with cotton pads or balls. If you are wearing long lasting foundation, lip colour, waterproof eyeliner or mascara – this will get everything off.  It is one of the few makeup removers that don’t sting my eyes. It’s about $10 CDN (depending on where you buy it from).

Lancome Bi-facil Double Action Eye Makeup Remover also comes in 125 ml bottle and has the same consistency and gives the exact results as the L’oreal one. But its $32.50 CDN. Though I don’t know difference between them, but I see no point spending 3X money on this when L’oreal Dermo-Expertise has the same outcome.

Okay Makeup Removers (for most people):

L’oreal Refreshening Eye Makeup Remover Oil-Free comes in a 125 ml bottle. It does not remove waterproof makeup. It stings my eyes badly. If you have sensitive eyes- stay away from it.

Neutrogena oil-free Eye Makeup remover. It removes makeup but stings my eyes.

Rimmel London Gentle Eye Makeup Remover Oil Free. It removes waterproof makeup but once again stings my eyes.

Clinique Take the day Off Makeup remover. It removes waterproof makeup but stings my eyes.

Elizabeth Arden All Gone Eye and Lip Makeup Remover. It removes waterproof makeup remover but stings my eyes.

Bad Makeup Removers:

Olay mascara + Makeup Remover claims to removes waterproof mascara. It doesn’t remove all of the waterproof mascara. It stings my eyes.

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Eyeshadows can look great if applied correctly. Eye shape is very important when doing an eye look. If you have droopy eyes, then winged eyeshadow in the outer corner is a great trick to give it a lift. If you have no crease, then doing an overall colour makes it more apparent that you don’t have a crease. If you have hooded eyes, doing light shimmery lids is the way to go. There are tons of different brands and tons of different textures of eyeshadows to choose from. I am going to start doing eyeshdaow reviews by brands soon.

Basic eyeshadow application can be very difficult to explain on a blog. So I will try to take pictures in the future. For today I will choose brown colours from MAC.  I recommend brushes, but sponge tip applicators are fine if you are just beginning.

Step 1. Apply an eye primer with your fingers. Eye primer prevents any creasing of the eyeshadow, enhances the eyeshadow colour and makes it last longer. Urban Decay Primer Potion or Too faced Shadow Insurance (Both found at Sephora) are both GREAT eye primers.

Step 2. Apply a shimmery colour on the eyelid. When you close your eyes, everything that’s under the fold of the eye is you lid. Use a flat eyeshadow brush (ie. MAC# 239) to pack on the colour. Pat it on, don’t move the brush back and forth. This will give a solid pigmentation and prevent fallout. The colour I choose today is Woodwinked eyeshadow by MAC.

Step 3. Apply a darker and less shimmery colour on the crease (or fold) of the eyes. With a fluffy brush (ie. MAC #217), start from the outer corner and go towards the inner corner. If you have close set eyes, then stop at halfway. I choose Satin Taupe eyeshadow by MAC

Step 4. Apply the darkest colour only on the outer corner of the eyes with a pointy but fluffy brush (ie. MAC 226 brush). I recommend Sketch eyeshadow by MAC. Take 217 brush again and start blending the harsh edges of all colours. If colour is not blended it looks awful, but over blending can make it look muddy. So practice is key here.

Step 5. Take a skin toned shimmery colour to highlight brow bones and inner corner of the eyes – makes you look awake.

If you choose to put eyeshadow under your bottom lashes as well, then line the bottom lash line with a brown eye pencil (Rimmel makes creamy eye pencils). Apply Sketch eyeshadow over that with a pencil brush (Ie. 219 brush by MAC) and smudge it for a smoky effect.

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