Archives for April 2007

Have you washed your brushes today?

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If you use makeup brushes on a daily basis, this is something that’s easy to forget to do.

I use my fingers for eye shadow, but I use a powder brush or kabuki brush for applying loose powder. I also use a blush brush for my blushes and an eyeliner brush for applying gel eyeliners.

Once a week or once a fortnight, I’ll gather up all my brushes and give them a good wash. There are some brush cleaners in the market if you look under companies like MAC and Shu Uemura. However, I use Johnson’s Baby Shampoo. Yep! The kind you use on your baby. Its formulated to be mild so babies can use it. And if its good enough for baby, its good enough for your brushes. Its also cheap.

  • Wet your brushes. Then soap up your hands with the baby shampoo and gently swirl your brush in your palm. I usually twirl it in a circular motion or in an up and down motion. Do this until your brush head is saturated with the soap.
  • Rinse by swirling in running water until water runs clear.
  • Pat dry on a towel. Do not squeeze the bristles and shape the bristles back into the shape of the brush.
  • Dry flat, not standing up. Its better for your brushes to lie flat as they dry so they don’t go out of shape.
  • Do not dry in direct sunlight for this will shorten the life of your brushes.

As I use mostly powder products, I can afford to wash my brushes less regularly. If you use a foundation brush or lip brush, make sure that you wash them often. At least 2-3 days for you don’t want the cream or liquid products to breed bacteria.

Cleaning your brushes will make your makeup go on easier and better. You won’t have old colours messing up the colour you are applying. Its also good for your skin, for you don’t get a buildup of old oils and bacteria on your brushes.

So, have you washed your brushes today?

Review: Makeup: Kanebo T’estimo Frame Impact eyeshadow palette

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I am a huge fan of Kanebo T’estimo makeup line. Its a counter brand here in Malaysia, which means that the prices are quite high. But in Japan, its a drugstore brand. Go figure! Anyway, I love the eyeshadows as the texture is very soft and smooth and they are shimmery.

This review is on T’estimo’s Spring collection eyeshadow palette – Frame Impact. There are 4 colours in this collection but I only got 04 as I did not want to be overdoing things, and I was looking for something neutral. Isn’t it pretty?

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This eyeshadow palette comes with a shimmery white/cream highlighter, a shimmery gold colour and a shimmery dark brown shade. The liner is cream in a dark brown colour. It comes with 2 double ended applicators that are of very good quality so I have no qualms about using them. However, I tend to use my fingers for most eyeshadow applications.

This palette is a huge improvement for T’estimo, in my opinion. Their eyeshadows in this palette are super pigmented, which is great. Their previous palettes tended to be on the sheer side. I used this palette for a neutral look for work and realised that if you used more of the darker shade on your eyes it could equally morph into a decent smokey look for the night. Absolutely gorgeous!

The other palettes are a purple toned, blue toned and green toned palette. In the past I would have grabbed colour. However, I’m lately more into neutrals so I skipped the colourful ones. They are just as good, in my view. The palette itself is also very pretty with a mirrored cover and pretty strips of flowers around the sides.

Beware though, that it is shimmery. If you don’t like shimmer, I’m afraid I’ll have to recommend that you don’t get this. However, I don’t find their shimmer over the top. Its shimmery but not frosty which is very nice. It opens up the eye area for me.

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Here’s the other reason I like T’estimo palettes. It comes with instructions!

 At the back of the plastic box it comes in is a little diagram and instructions in Japanese on how you should apply the colours for maximum result. If you can’t read Japanese (like me) then just follow the picture instructions. Its all pretty self-explanatory.

If you follow the instructions you’ll find yourself looking almost like all the Japanese models you see in pictures. Pretty shimmery peepers with gradational colours. Keep the darker colour closer to the lashline and lighter colour on top towards the brow bone. I find my eyes open up more with this method than with the conventional western method of keeping darker colours in the eye crease.

This palette retails for RM120 at the Kanebo counter. I’d say its absolutely worth it!

Pros: Soft shimmery colour, pigmented, comes with directions

Cons: Pricey

Francesco Biasia bag that I want

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This is the beauty I’m eyeing.

Its a Francesco Biasia bag, which is an Italian brand, a bag and accessories company based in Veneto, Italy. This brand isn’t like all the big Italian fashion brands we are used to seeing – Gucci, Ferragamo etc but having followed some of its designs online, I’m rather drawn to this brand.

Why? Well, because I like the way it looks. Their bags have a fashionable yet classic look that won’t go out of style. Its not like the IT bags that you see trotted out every season. Their bags are made to last through trends. And I like that they look sturdy and useable, not like something thats more for show instead of substance.

This design is from the Sunshine Collection. I’m not so taken in with this orange colour. However, I first saw a picture in the latest Isetan Kuala Lumpur newsletter. Its not yet up online but if you check in a few days, you’ll see a model holding a chocolate brown bag in the design above.

I’m absolutely freaking in love with it in chocolate!!

But not the price. Its RM2,200 and found at Isetan Kuala Lumpur along with their other designs. I’ve been to check out this brand before there. The quality of the leather is lovely – buttery soft with a quality feel. I think this is an under-rated brand.

Now let me go and shake out the couch again for any spare change. I need me that bag!

Update : Using Olive Oil on the face

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I’ve been on an olive oil cleansing regime for 1 week.

In this time, I’ve realised that I’d been having a sudden increase in spots, some of which are of the hidden painful variety. These were in places I haven’t had spots for a while i.e my forehead and cheeks.

I’ve only added the olive oil into my skincare regime so I’m going to go out on a limb and say its attributed to that. Maybe my combination skin cannot take the oil as the spots are in places which tend to get oily during the day.

So, for now, I’m stopping this and going back to my regular cleansing with makeup remover and/or cleansing oils and foaming cleansers. I guess the olive oil was just too rich for me. It might be better for those with dry skin.

For now, the olive oil goes back into the kitchen. Its great with crusty bread and balsamic vinegar by the way 😉

The fun and previews happen on Instagram @parisbmws