Showing posts with label sigma. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sigma. Show all posts

December 15, 2013

MY ESSENTIAL MAKEUP BRUSHES


I've travelled quite a bit this year, and these brushes are the ones I seem to always have around with me - I know there's quite a few! I do switch it up between them when I'm at home, mainly because it means I don't have to wash each brush straightaway after every use. I think I have a good balance of less expensive to high end brushes, but I believe a good brush is worth a little investment as it should last years and years. What are some of your essential/favourite makeup brushes? ;)


(L-R: Sigma Flat Kabuki F80, Chanel Foundation Brush #6, Real Techniques Contour Brush, Sephora Pro Precision Blush Brush #73 and Zoeva Luxe Sheer Cheek Brush #127)

Sigma Flat Kabuki F80 & Chanel Foundation Brush #6
My 2 favourite foundation brushes - and I refuse to pick between the two! :P I find the Sigma kabuki great for everyday use because it spreads liquid foundation very evenly and does not require a lot of strokes to blend the product into the skin. I grab the Chanel foundation brush when I need to build up coverage, and it's great for manoeuvring around intricate areas on the face. I haven't had much luck with flat foundation brushes up until this point, the application tends to be streaky (this may vary with different foundations) but the Chanel foundation brush is so densely packed that it blends product very easily. Like most foundation brushes, I recommend washing them very thoroughly - I use the Sigma Spa Brush Cleaning Glove (which I know is a little excessive) but it gets the job done so much quicker!

Real Techniques Contour Brush
I've been quite impressed with Real Techniques, mainly with the brushes for the face, the bristles are really fine and they pick up makeup really well. I don't generally apply finishing powder all over my face, just around my t-zone and underneath the eyes, so this brush is the right size for getting the job done. Another great thing about Real Technique brushes is that they are a great choice for beginners or anyone who is on a budget.

Sephora Pro Precision Blush Brush #73
My go-to contour brush! The head of the brush is quite flat, so it is perfect for reaching in and around the hairline as well as the cheekbones. The bristles on this brush are probably the softest amongst the ones I've noted so far - which is really saying something about the quality of this brush. I really do wish Sephora was more readily available here down under, I would highly recommend checking out the Pro Series brushes.

Zoeva Luxe Sheer Cheek Brush #127
I'm still new to Zooeva brushes, but have been loving them so far - especially the price tag! This brush is pretty much the same as the Sigma F40 (or any angled contour/cheek brush) which I also have in my collection, but I find the bristles on the Zoeva brush to be softer and more gentle on the skin. Both brushes actually pick up powder blushes/bronzers quite well, but I would opt for the Zoeva one!

Jump for the eye brushes!

October 10, 2012

My Essential Holiday Makeup


With only just DAYS now till my trip to Japan (SUPER excited!!), I'm all packed and ready to go. I'll be sure to shop like no tomorrow when I'm over there, so a practically empty suitcase is what I was aiming for. I've gone back and forth a bit on what makeup items to bring, and have stripped it all back to 12 essential products including: 

1. Urban Decay 24/7 Liquid Eyeliner in Smog 
2. Lioele Auto Eyebrow Pencil #2
3. Majolica Majorca Lash Enamel Glamor Volume On Mascara
4. Makeupshow Blush Brush H02
5. Makeupshow Powder Brush H01
6. Sigma Flat Angled Kabuki Brush F88 (not an absolute essential, but I love using this to apply foundation)
7. Lancome La Base Pro
8. Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24 Hour Foundation #2
9. Chanel Rouge Coco Shine Lipstick in Liberte #46
10. MAC MSFN in Medium
11. Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Exposed
12. Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler 

I’m sure many people would agree that when you’re overseas on a holiday, what makeup to wear on your face is probably one of the last things on your mind. I know a lot of people who would bare it all (face-wise) when on vacation, but since I practically look like a zombie in the mornings when I wake up, I need a little help to make myself photo-presentable. So here’s my 12-item holiday makeup routine!

To even further minimize luggage, you can easily opt for a tinted moisturizer or BB cream to avoid bringing a separate base and foundation. I’m sticking with my Lancome Teint Idole foundation because it's one of the longest wearing foundations I’ve come across, so I don’t have to worry about it coming off after a long day out. And with it's buildable coverage, I also use this as concealer.

I never powder my whole face and sometimes even skip it all together because I don’t like the cakey finish (or maybe I just apply too much lol). But a good powder definitely does make my foundation last longer, and that's definitely the key factor here!

(Note: Please excuse the difference in lighting, the sun kept coming and going.)
Whenever I wear eyeliner on it’s own without eyeshadow, I prefer to use brown over black as it makes the overall effect less intense and more natural. A great alternative to the UD liner is the Bobbi Brown gel liner – again long-wearing!

If I skip mascara, it’s like I almost have no lashes. And though not as severe, my eyebrows are pretty non-existent too. Lol. So I never leave anywhere with out defining my brows and putting on some mascara. I''ll probably be bringing back a whole suitcase-ful of Japanese mascaras, they do miracles for my lashes!