Makeup Tools

What Are Your 5 Favorite Makeup Brushes Right Now?

January 6th, 2015 by Karen 30 Comments

Happy Tuesday, beautiful brush lover. 🙂 What are your five favorite makeup brushes right meow? Here are mine…

1. NARS #42 Blending Brush

Last year NARS completely revamped their brush line, and this brush, the NARS #42, is already one my favorite brushes of all time. I love it even more than my beloved MAC 224 (I KNOW!)…

I mean, I still love the 224 (both brushes have similarly shaped heads), but the 42’s bristles are wider and fuller, and I think it actually is better at diffusing and blending color, especially in the crease.

It’s my go-to brush for blending transition colors together, and if I ever reach for it and find that it’s dirty because I forgot to clean it, I freak out a little…

OK, I freak out A LOT. Available now for $32 at NARS counters and online.

2. NARS #47 Angled Eyeliner Brush

I don’t think I could, or at least would want to, line my eyes with anything other than this brush. The NARS #47 draws crisp, precise edges and defined cat eye flicks like an architect draws plans, and it deftly handles lines of varying width, from thin to thick to semi-skinny — whatev.

You get supreme control over whatever product you’re using it with, and it also diffuses pencil, gel and eye powders perfectly. Works great as a brow filler, too. Available now for $28 at NARS counters and online.

3. Laura Mercier Pony Tail Brush

I am trying very hard to write about this brush without quoting that Ginuwine Pony song right now.

It’s so hard, though!

Ride it, my pony…

Anyways, Laura’s Pony Tail Brush is another fantastic transition shade/crease tool. Like the NARS #42, which has a slightly shorter brush head and a less tapered tip, it’s fluffy and full, so any powders you’re scooting around with it in your crease or on your lids blend together beautifully.

I like Laura’s version better for applying transition colors in the lower part of the crease, and I also use it all the time for buffing out under-eye concealer because the tapered tip allows me to really get into those hard-to-reach areas in the inner corners and lower lash line. Available now for $29 at Laura Mercier counters and online.

4. Sephora Pro Angled Shadow Brush #13

On one hand, I feel like I really need to stop stress-shopping at Sephora…but on the other I’m like, “How else would I find gems like the Pro Angled Shadow Brush?”

Dude! What a great stress-shopping find. It’s so easy to perfectly place shadow into the outer corners and lower crease thanks to this brush’s angled shape. At the same time, it doesn’t lay down so much product that I end up having to spend forever and a day buffing. Available now for $20 at Sephora and online.

5. Sonia Kashuk Lash & Brow Comb

For me, the largest measure of success for this brow/lash comb combo is the fact that I have yet to poke my eye out with it.

Knocks on wood! 🙂

Seriously, though, this collapsable contraption is great. It’s kinda like a pocketknife, which makes it nice and portable, but most importantly it gets the job done right. Plus, it costs less than a fancy cup of coffee. Available now for $4.99 at Target and online.

How about you, babe? What are your five favorite makeup brushes right meow?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

I’m a Super Fan of the LY20 Super Fan Brush by Louise Young Cosmetics

June 3rd, 2014 by Karen 13 Comments

Louise Young LY20 Fan Brush — For the highlighter junkies, the LY20 Fan Brush by Louise Young

Not just a fan, but a super fan! — like, if this brush was my favorite band, I’d wait in a scary back alley for it to come out after the show, in the pouring rain, hungry, just to get it to autograph my left boob with a black Sharpie.

OK, maybe not… I love it to pieces, though, and here’s why: the LY20 Fan Brush is by far the best highlighting brush I’ve ever used, because it is fast!

I’m talking crazy fast, and I think it’s because of how dense, big and fluffy the brush head is. It just picks up and deposits a lot of product — but never too much. Always just the right amount.

It perfectly applies and blends whatever highlighter I’m using at any given the moment. All I do is sweep it back and forth a few times on my upper cheekbones, down the bridge of my nose and on my Cupid’s bow, and bada-bing, bada-bang! — done in less than a minute.

Oh, but it’s not only a highlighting brush. I’ve also used it to
apply face powder (both loose and pressed), bronzer and blush. You can even use it to dust off excess powder, contour your cheekbones, or seamlessly blend together bronzer, blush and highlighter on your cheeks.

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The Hello Kitty Cosmetic Headband by Earth Therapeutics Cutely Keeps Your Fur Out of Your Face

April 9th, 2014 by Karen 14 Comments

I’m fairly sure this headband is for adults…

Not 100% sure, mind you, but maybe 75%.

LOL! It was like when I saw those Hello Kitty gardening gloves at Target last week. It was only when I looked closely that I realized, “Oh! These are for kids. Crap.” 🙂

So, yeah, it is distinctly possible that this terry cloth Hello Kitty Cosmetic Headband by Earth Therapeutics ($7) was made for kids, but you know what?

I don’t care…’CAUSE IT’S DOPE.

First, it’s only $7, which, hello! — isn’t bad at all for something this practical (I could easily use it every day).

It’s basically just a headband to keep your hair off your face while you’re removing your makeup, applying your makeup, giving yourself a facial or doing anything else where you want to keep your hair out of your face.

But it’s, like, the cutest headband ever. That red Hello Kitty bow is adorable! And there’s an embroidered Hello Kitty patch next to the Earth Therapeutics logo on the back — perfect for when someone is standing behind you wondering why you’re wearing an oversized headband with a red bow… You could just point to the patch and be like, “It’s Hello Kitty, b*tch.” 🙂

Besides the high cuteness factor, it’s also technically a very effective headband. I could spend hours rubbing the terry cloth against my face, ahh…

It’s incredibly soft and plush — like how I imagine the real Hello Kitty’s fur feels in real life.

Uh…not that I’m in my 30s or anything.

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The New NARS Artistry Eye and Lip Brushes Make Accuracy an Art Form

March 21st, 2014 by Karen 17 Comments

NARS Artistry Brushes Eye Lip Category — The new NARS Artistry Eye and Lip brushes, coming April 1 to NARS boutiques and narscometics.com (you can also read about the the cheek and face brushes from the line here).

We’ve got a pooped princess over here…but she’s gonna do her best to persevere and proclaim pertinent particulars about the new NARS Artistry Eye and Lip Brushes.

Oh, boy, lots of “p” words up there… I can already tell it’s gonna be one of those reviews (read: wackadoo).

This is round two. We looked at the face and cheek brushes in round one.

So why am I tired? Well, I went out to dinner last night and partook (partook — is that a word?) of some wine, and now I’m having trouble stringing coherent sentences together.

Funny how that happens.

Anywho! These new brushes…

There are nine eye brushes and one lip brush in the new Artistry Brush line (we looked at the Face and Cheek brushes the other day). I’ve been using them to paint my mug for a few days, and so far I’m impressed.

With the eye and lip brushes we’re looking at today, “versatility and soft bristles” are the figurative words. There are some exciting things here if you like makeup tools.

NARS Eye Shadow Brush 40, $32

Like my favorite tubby tabby, the flat, paddle-shaped NARS Eye Shadow Brush 40 ($32) is on the thicker side.

Also like my husky tabby’s tum, the shape is…interesting. 🙂 It’s flat like a paddle brush, but fluffy like a domed blending brush, and the shape makes it usable for a variety of tasks, like dusting a base color all over your lids, blending two different shades together, or sweeping color into your crease.

It also blends as well as it applies, so it’s a multitasking mofo. If you want an eye brush that does it all, I think the 40, with its super soft, sable hair bristles, is a good option.

NARS Diffusing Brush 41, $32

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It’s Makeup, Precisely! The New NARS Artistry Face and Cheek Brushes

March 19th, 2014 by Karen 27 Comments

The new NARS Face and Cheek Artistry Brushes

I’ve painted several rooms over the years, but each and every time I swear to myself I’m never doing it again.

That’s because painting rooms frickin’ sucks, man, and every room subtracts at least a year off your life, you know, if you take those Real Age online tests, I swear…

Now, painting faces!? That’s totally different. Painting faces is awesome sauce to the Nth degree.

Enter the new 16-piece NARS Artistry Brush line, arriving at NARS boutiques and online April 1, with four face brushes, two cheek brushes, nine eye brushes and one lip brush, all specially crafted for precision makeup application.

These things are pumping me up to paint my mug. 🙂

First, the face and cheek brushes, which I’ve been using and enjoying very much. I’ll have more to say about the eye and lip brushes soon (target: tomorrow), but for now…

The face brushes…

Powder Brush #10 ($52)

Designed, according to NARS, to buff, blend and diffuse loose powder to a lustrous finish, it also works pretty dang well for pressed powders. I tried it with both and like the results equally. It lays down a fine, even veil of product.

The brush head is slightly narrower than typical powder/fluffy face brushes, but I kind of like that, too. Even though it doesn’t cover as much surface area as your run-of-the-mill fluffy powder brush, I think it’s easier to control and, when using it, difficult to over-apply, and I’m digging on that.

Only thing is…it’s a tad scratchy. Not terribly scratchy, but still.

I’m not sure about the bristles on this one, but based on the way they feel, I’m guessing the fibers are natural, and not synthetic.

Bronzing Powder Brush #11 ($52)

If you’re a bonafide bronzing buff, you may want to seriously consider Bronzing Powder Brush #11 and its dense, domed head (looks almost like a regular kabuki brush).

No matter where I place it on my face — under my cheekbones, at the edge of my hair line, or anywhere else I apply bronzer — it just fits. And it lays down a perfect amount of product.

I have also yet to see the soft natural-fiber brush head shed one hair in the few times I’ve used it.

Like the Powder Brush #10, the one’s head is a little smaller than usual for its ilk, making it quite precise. It lays down smooth, even color. Love.

Cream Blending Brush #12 ($28)

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The Fab 5, Vol. 2: Eye Makeup Brushes

January 7th, 2014 by Karen 12 Comments

These five are my workhorse faves, and I use them almost every. Single. Day.

Do you have any of the same faves I do? Which are your five?

Products mentioned in the video

MAC 239 Eye Shader Brush ($25)
MAC 217 Blending Brush ($24)
MAC 224 Tapered Blending Brush ($32)
Burberry No. 10 Definition Liner ($32)
Too Faced Liner/Smudger Brush ($39; it’s one of three brushes in the Shadow Brushes Essential Set)

Reviews of the products on MBB

Thank you as always for watching, my friend. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. What’s for dinner, babe? I’m starved!

P.P.S. How was your day? Mine felt loooong.

How To Apply Color in Your Crease With the MAC Oval 3 Masterclass Makeup Brush

December 27th, 2013 by Karen 18 Comments

My favorite brush from the new MAC Masterclass makeup brush family is the MAC Oval 3. It’s just so good at getting color in the crease, quickly and effortlessly. If you ever struggle to put eyeshadow in the crease, or if you’ve just been curious about this futuristic-looking makeup/toothbrush (LOL!), here’s how I like to use it.

Products mentioned in this video

Oh, and for some really excellent tips on all three new MAC Masterclass Brushes, here’s what MAC Senior Artist Victor Cembellin has to say about them…

I hope you’re having a great night so far. TGIF! 🙂

I’m watching a wonderful movie on Netflix right now with my in-laws called The Sapphires. Highly, highly recommended, especially if you like ’60s music.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

How To Use the MAC Masterclass Brushes: Tips From MAC Senior Artist Victor Cembellin

November 26th, 2013 by Karen 45 Comments

There’s been a lot of mystery surrounding the new MAC Masterclass Brushes. Heck, even Tabs didn’t know what to make of them the first time he laid eyes on the funky black handles (which kind of look like toothbrushes).

I was curious, too, so yesterday I went to the source — the MAC Pro Store in San Francisco — and got some great tips from MAC Senior Artist Victor Cembellin.

Karen with Senior MAC Artist Victor Cembellin — With Senior MAC Artist Victor Cembellin (I’m wearing three-inch heels here, and I still look short, LOL!)

If you like makeup and you’re not already following Victor online, get on that! He’s really nice, and he posts lots of fun and interesting behind-the-scenes MAC tweets and pics on his Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Anywho, Victor walked me through the different ways you can use the new Oval No. 6, Oval No. 3 and Linear 1 MAC Masterclass Brushes.

So far there are just three brushes in the new line, but as you can probably tell by the numbered names…it’s a safe bet we’ll see more. Hopefully, because I think they’re great.

The video has a lot more detail, but in a nutshell…

One big difference — I mean, other than their unusual appearance — between these new brushes and traditional makeup brushes is how they’re used. They’re designed for less tapping and stippling, and more gliding, skimming, pushing and pulling across the skin. Think of your brush as a figure skater gliding along your skin.
Each of the brushes can be used in different ways, and you can even use them to go from cream products to powders.
The largest brush in the three-piece collection, Oval 6 ($42), can be used to apply foundation, tinted moisturizer, face powder, blush, highlighter and contour colors (probably among other things).
Oval 3 ($32), the medium-sized one, works great for applying concealer to the under-eye area, eye cream all over the eyes and eyeshadows in the contour.
The smallest brush, Liner 1 ($25), can be used for blending out eyeliner pencils (for a smudgy look) and applying eyeshadow, especially along the lash lines. In a pinch, you could even use it to fill in your brows.
But what if you’re new to makeup? Can beginners use these brushes? Absolutely! Victor thinks so, too, and he talks about that in the video.

There’s way more tips and product recommendations from Victor in the vid, and here all links to all of the products mentioned.

MAC Masterclass Brush video products — The MAC products used in the video

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Makeup Tools

1. NARS #42 Blending Brush

2. NARS #47 Angled Eyeliner Brush

3. Laura Mercier Pony Tail Brush

4. Sephora Pro Angled Shadow Brush #13

5. Sonia Kashuk Lash & Brow Comb

NARS Eye Shadow Brush 40, $32

NARS Diffusing Brush 41, $32

The face brushes…

Powder Brush #10 ($52)

Bronzing Powder Brush #11 ($52)

Cream Blending Brush #12 ($28)

Products mentioned in the video

Reviews of the products on MBB

Products mentioned in this video

Here are prices and links…