What do you use to apply liquid foundation?

When I was last in Singapore, I was fascinated by and picked up the Sana Maiko-Han foundation brush and mixing palette set. This pretty set of short foundation brush and 5 Japanese designed mixing palettes cost S$29.90.

I’ve never really used a brush for liquid foundation before. I’d always used my fingers mainly because I found that it spread better. I’ve used this brush twice so far and I’m thinking ambivalent thoughts about it.

There’s More! Continue reading →

EcoTOOLS makeup brushes

I’m late for Earth Day which was yesterday 22 April 2008 but hey, better late than never I say! My highlight is EcoTools makeup brushes. I’m not the most ecologically friendly person but heck! I’m sold on these makeup brushes!

I first saw them on a Google ad (whoever said these ads were of no use?) and then, read some reviews about them. EcoTools (or ecoTOOLS as per their logo) makeup brushes are made from natural and recycled materials and the bristles are cruelty free.

Essentially, the handle is made from bamboo, the ferrule (that’s the metal part) is made from recycled aluminium and the bristles are made from synthetic taklon fibre and are therefore 100% cruelty free.

The reviews I’ve been reading have sung nothing but praises for these Eco Tool makeup brushes. Users say that they do the work well, and are even comparable to high end department store brand brushes and the brush heads are very soft.

Further, they are cheap. Retail prices range from US$19.49 for the set to about US$10 for the powder brush and US$5 for the eyeshadow brush. Apparently, there are even discounts off these already cheap prices sometimes.

Now for the clincher. They are only sold at USA drugstores!! Waahhh!! I want them! Does anyone know where I can get these online (that ship outside of the USA)?

Review: Anna Sui Flat Top Blush Brush - Cheek Brush #2

For all my love of blushes, I think it would surprise many to know that I don’t own as many blush brushes as I do blushes. In fact, I used to own only 2 - MAC 129 from a travel set and The Body Shop blush brush. I’ll review them separately in due course.

However, I recently got my hands on the Anna Sui Cheek Brush #2. This is a round blush brush with a flat top. I was quite puzzled as to how to use it when I first got it but now that I’ve gotten the hang of it, I love it!

The Anna Sui flat top blush brush has rather short but dense bristles. There’s More! Continue reading →

Using fingers for eye makeup instead of brushes?

Do you need to use brushes for applying your eye makeup?

If you ask most people the answer would be “Yes, you do”. If you ask me, I’d say that makeup brushes for eyes are actually pretty much optional. Why I say so is because I prefer using my fingers to apply my eyeshadow.

The only brush I use for my eyes is for applying my gel eyeliner. My fingers aren’t thin enough for that heh…

I used to use brushes. However, I felt that using my fingers gave me better control on where I wanted my colour to go, and I found that my eye makeup looked better too. Maybe it is the warmth from the fingers and the oils that help blend the shadow to make it look better. Also, I found that it was faster for me to just use my fingers and there is no danger of any brushes going missing or getting spoilt in the process of travelling.

I usually use my third finger for applying the light base colour, the ring finger for applying the medium colour and my baby finger to apply the darker colour or crease colour. It was easier for me to just clean off the colours from my fingers, rather than using a different brush for each different colour and task.

I have read about people having problems using their fingers due to the size of their fingers compared to their eye area. I guess it makes sense because I do have rather small fingers and I don’t have a very large eye area. Sometimes, when I’m not very careful, the crease colour does go on darker or on a larger area than I intend.

The other problem using your fingers is that some eyeshadows aren’t so suitable for this use. The oils from your skin may cause the surface of the eyeshadow to harden. It does not spoil the eyeshadow, you just have to scrape off the top with a piece of tissue paper or an old toothbrush and its as good as new. There are many brands though, that suit this purpose from my experience and a majority of them are the Japanese brands. There are many makeup artists too that use their fingers in addition to brushes. Just observe the next time you go for a makeover or have your makeup done.

And the third draw back is that sometimes, you may find more colour on your fingers than on your eye. Its something that happens because the colours get stuck on your skin and less of it transfers onto your eye area. This is good if the colour is an intense colour, but not so good if its a light shade. I particularly like using my fingers for shimmer colours as the shimmer will not transfer so much and I don’t end up looking like a glitter disco ball, but have a light shimmer effect, with the majority of the shimmer on my fingers instead of on my eyes!

So, the next time you lose your eyeshadow brush or forget to bring it with you when you travel, don’t fret. You always have your fingers with you wherever you go!