Archives for January 2012

You Ask: What is the best way to dry your makeup brushes? Can I use a hair dryer?

January 31, 2012 Paris B 69 Comments

best way to dry makeup brushes

First off, let me say how I love it when you ask questions whether in comments or in email, because it makes me think, and it also provides excellent fodder for future posts, especially if it is something that we can all learn from – so keep it coming! 😀

Last week, Cas asked in a comment on the Daiso Detergent post:-

Paris, noob question, how do you dry your brushes? Do you use a hair dryer or air dry it? I’ve tried blow drying it coz I swear they take forever to dry naturally but I find the brushes all over the place when I blow dry it so was just wondering. Help please

I thought that was a very good question, because I’d never have thought about writing a post about how to dry brushes 😀 Anyway, I answered her in a comment reply, (Short answer: No hairdryers!) but here is an extended version of the best way to dry makeup brushes 🙂

Revlon Age Defying Foundation With DNA Advantage is another firm favourite in my arsenal

January 30, 2012 Paris B 41 Comments

Many of you are probably quite familiar with my raves about the Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation and its gel serum counterpart. But many will also bemoan the fact that this quite lovely foundation just isn’t available locally. Thing is, I may have found a local substitute 😀

But before you break out the pom-poms and cheers, I have to tell you that I hesitate to call this a substitute in a true sense, because I personally feel that this one’s a little more suited for someone with normal to dry skintypes. The foundation in question is the Revlon Age Defying Foundation with DNA Advantage Cream Makeup SPF20.

revlon age defying foundation with dna

You may have noticed this in our local pharmacies – the red capped foundation bottle with the helix within the clear plastic case is quite eye catching. I must say at this juncture that I have had pretty good experiences with Revlon base products in the most part. In fact, were I to be asked to recommend a base (whether powder or liquid) easily available at the pharmacies, I’d almost always point you to the Revlon counter. Their products just work well for me, and the Age Defying DNA Advantage Cream Makeup is no exception.

Caring for your Leather Bags : Control Humidity and Keep mould away with Silica Gel

January 29, 2012 Paris B 37 Comments

When I was spring cleaning at the end of last year, I had a bit of a scare when I checked on a couple of my leather bags. I spotted bits of mould starting to take hold, and it absolutely freaked me out! After I had gotten rid of the mould on the bags the best I could, I realised that it could be due to the high humidity where I live (the tropics) and the room where the bags were stored.

So I looked around for ways to control the humidity and barring buying a dehumidifier and storing bags in a specially built cabinet, one recommended method was to use silica gel.

silica gel control humidity

Most of us will be familiar with silica gel – it is those white little sachets you sometimes see in food packaging or new bags or wallets that clearly say “Do Not Eat”. The purpose of these sachets is as a desiccant where the silica gel within absorbs the humidity in the air and keeps the products fresh for longer. When humidity decreases, the incidence of mould similarly decreases. There are a myriad of uses of silica gel but what I’m primarily telling you about today is about the use of this silica gel to reduce the incidence of mould on your leather bags.

The Daiso Detergent For Puff and Sponge … and why I don’t recommend it for makeup brushes

January 27, 2012 Paris B 57 Comments

The Daiso Detergent for Puff and Sponge is the stuff of legends. How can something so impossibly cheap work so impossibly well in getting your makeup sponges and brushes looking so clean and as good as new? How??

Well the answer really, is that its a detergent. One formulated for cleaning makeup sponges, but a detergent nonetheless. I’d heard a lot about it for ages, and back then, the only Daiso in town was at The Curve i.e. too far for me to get to. Thankfully for good friends, I got my hands on this iconic Daiso product.

daiso detergent and brushes

Now, I must say that this Daiso Sponge Cleaner is da bomb. It cleans makeup sponges and restores them to look as good as new. If you’ve ever fretted over your foundation sponges and wondered how to get the stains out of the sponge or puffs, this is your saviour. If you use it to wash brushes, even the filthiest of brushes cannot withstand the cleansing powder of this liquid detergent as I’ll show you below. It is THAT powerful!

However, despite the many raves and recommendations to use this for cleaning makeup brushes, I personally do not recommend it for makeup brushes and I’ll tell you why.

Archives for January 2012

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