Beginners Guide to Makeup Brushes: Face

I absolutely think that makeup brushes are 100% necessary in everyone's makeup kit. Whether you're a makeup enthusiast, wear makeup everyday as part of your routine or just on special occasions brushes are a fantastic investment and there are so many affordable options. This post will take you through the basics of face brushes and an eye brush post will follow shortly!

//Buffing Brush:

For me a buffing brush is the perfect option for creating a flawless, airbrushed look with foundation. Can be used with liquids, creams and mineral powder foundations. Buffing brushes are usually dense with relatively short bristles and can be domed, flat, angled or pointed in shape.

To apply products with a buffing brush simply buff in the product using a circular motion.

My choices: Real Techniques Buffing Brush (from the Core Collection $18.00), Real Techniques Expert Face Brush ($9.00).

//Powder Brush:

Powder brushes, as the name suggests is for the application of powder products, including powder foundation, translucent setting powder and even for blush and bronzer. Powder brushes aren't as dense as buffing brushes and are usually more "fluffy" and have long, flexible hairs.

To apply products with a powder brush, simply pick up powder from the packaging and sweep over the face.

My choices: Furless Must Have Pro Powder Brush ($14.95), Models Prefer Large Powder Brush ($5.00)


//Blush Brush:

Blush Brushes are similar to powder brushes in the sense that their hairs are flexible and soft but can come in all different shapes - rounded, angled or tapered. They are great for the precise application of blush and bronzer.

To apply products with a blush brush, tap the blush into the product and then sweep up the cheek bones or over the apples of the cheeks.

My choices: Real Techniques Blush Brush ($9.00), Real Techniques Stippling Brush ($10.00)

//Contour Brush:

A contour brush is great for applying bronzer or even blush if you're going for a more precise application. Contour brushes come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and can be flat (think the NARS Ita Brush), angled or a tapered pointed brush.

To apply bronzer with a contour brush, dip the brush into the product and tap off excess. Start from the edge of the face, starting from the middle of the ear and follow the cheekbone for 2-3 cm applying the product in a straight line to create a contour. Blend upwards.

My choices: Real Techniques Contour Brush (from the Core Collection $18.00), Real Techniques Duo-Fibre Contour Brush (from Duo-Fibre Collection $20.00).

---

If you like to experiment with makeup, even if it's not that often, having just these four face brushes in your makeup collection will make a huge difference and you'll start to see how much more precise your makeup application can be. However, if you're just the everyday girl and tend to stick with the same makeup look, I think you could get away with just a powder brush.

Real Techniques brushes are amazing quality for a great price and come in sets as well which makes them fantastic value - as you can see most of my recommendations are for Real Techniques brushes. I recommend purchasing Real Techniques from ww.iherb.com however, you can buy the range at Priceline in Australia.

I hope you found this post helpful!

xx Catherine

Follow me!

Bloglovin' 

Instagram @cathsintents

Twitter @cathsintents

Youtube

Weekly Beauty Edit

I've put together five beauty and fashion favourites from the week so you can get your quick fix before the working week begins again!

1// Benefit Lollitint

I purchases this at the pre-launch and was so excited to use it as it is an absolutely gorgeous colour. So with high hopes painted it on my cheeks and well...there's nothing to really describe what I had done to my face - my cheeks were so purple I thought I may have started turning into a blueberry, Willy Wonka style. Luckily I read a couple of reviews and watched a few tutorials (as you should when you spend $55 for a product) and found that you could create a really natural, flushed look with this stain by first painting the product on a stippling brush and then dabbing it onto your cheeks. TA DA! It worked and I was so happy because it created a look which was everything I had hoped for in the product. As a stain it really lasts all day, so I wore it everyday to uni this week.

2// Real Techniques Expert Face Brush

I've really enjoyed using the Real Techniques Brushes but the Expert Face Brush has impressed me the most so far. I have used it with both my Kate Somerville CC Cream which is a very moisturising product as well as my MAC Matchmaster Foundation which is thicker and creates a very matte look. The brush worked so well with both these different products, blending them into the skin seamlessly and I was able to cover my entire face quickly.

3// Essence XXXL Shine Lipgloss 

This lipgloss claims to be ultra shiny, moisturising and non-sticky. It meets all these claims and for less than $3 exceeds all my expectations. So far I've picked up the shades Bright Side of Life - a beautiful coral with gold glitter and True Love - a berry shade with silver glitter. The glitter isn't chunky or gritty at all and these have amazing pigmentation. Although they don't have the staying power of the NYX Butter glosses I am so impressed with these especially for the price. If you don't have these, you need them!

4// Denim Jacket

I've done a bit of shopping lately picking up fashion staples going into autumn and winter. I got this Lee Cooper denim jacket from Big W for only $35 and I am in love with it! Its such good quality, especially for the price, feels comfortable on the skin, fits well and is nice and sturdy. I practically haven't taken it off this week wearing it with black skirts or colourful dresses and boots and I think these looks will be my staples throughout the colder months.

5// Oscars 2014

As the awards season comes to an end I was super excited to watch the red carpet of the Oscars. Although in my opinion there weren't any incredible fashion moments, a few of my favourite looks were, of course Lupita Nyong'o looking as stunning as ever, Angelina Jolie with an beautiful beauty look and finally Cate Blanchett who I am absolutely obsessed with - she is the epitome of class.
The popular beauty looks on the red carpet definitely reveal some of the hottest trends going in the spring/summer in the Northern Hemisphere. Peachy nude, matte lips and classic black liquid liner were very popular and lucky the weather in Australia is still warm enough for peach lips!

Hopefully the Weekly Beauty Edit will be a regular post every Sunday so please let me know if you liked this post. I've also added a Google Friend Connect button to my side bar so you can follow me on Google + if you don't have a Bloglovin' account.

See you soon,
xx Cat ^.^

Real Techniques Brush Haul!

Finally received my iherb order of Real Techniques brushes. I desperately needed to do a big update of my face brushes and thought the RT brushes were the most budget friendly option and I can add specialty brushes as I need but at least I know I have enough brushes to create a good base.

I purchases 2 sets - the core collection; which features 4 base brushes and a case as well as the limited edition duo fibre collection; which came with 3 duo fibre brushes for face and eyes.

I also purchased 3 single brushes - the blush brush, stippling brush and expert face brush.

In terms of ordering off iherb, it is definitely the cheapest option for buying these brushes - For a total of 10 brushes I paid around $60 and got free shipping. There is a faster shipping option which is extra and for some reason it was unavailable to my PO Box address. However, I would definitely recommend the faster shipping option because shipping took a lot longer than I expected.
If you haven't used iHerb before you can use this code GKT568 at the checkout or this link http://www.iherb.com/?rcode=GKT568 to save off your order.

I will let you know how I go and hopefully have a review soon!

xx Cat ^.^

Review: Shiseido Perfect Foundation Brush

I have been wanting to try this brush for so long but have had a lot of trouble with my skin lately and a few eye problems so I've only been wearing mineral foundation if I wear makeup at all to try to let my skin breath a bit. Anyway, I was super excited to finally try it out!

The Shiseido Perfect foundation brush retails for AUD $49 at department store counters. However, I was really happy that my girlfriend picked it up on her recent trip to Japan for only ¥1800 - approximately AUD $20 - so a significant saving!

Its a tiny little brush with an angled flat top. The brush is very dense but so so soft and absolutely beautiful on the skin. 

I used a liquid foundation and after applying some to the back of my hands, dipped the top of the brush into the product and in a stippling motion, dabbed the product into my skin. I ended up moving in circular motions in order to cover my face quicker and I found that was a good technique to really buff the foundation into my skin.

In comparison to the paddle-type foundation brush I've been using this brush creates a much more flawless look. I was so impressed with the way it buffed the product seamlessly into my skin without leaving streaks or patchy bits - so easy to work with!

The only issue is because the brush is quite small, you can't cover a whole lot of your face at the same time. I didn't find this to be much of an issue though and was still able to apply a whole face of foundation in a reasonable amount of time.

This video is actually really helpful in explaining how to use the brush with different types of foundation and I watched this before trying it out for the first time.

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQ2i9BnOHt0

I definitely recommended this brush for flawless foundation application and would be perfect for those who love makeup brushes and want something unique for their collection.

Hope you enjoyed this review!
xx Cat ^.^

so...this finally happened - officially on my way to achieving one of my 2014 beauty goals. I really can't believe I was using some of these on my face - that will definitely teach me to wash my brushes more often!

My Favourite Beauty Tools

Long before I started really exploring the world of makeup I was always interested in beauty in general. I liked to keep my eyebrows waxed and shaped, hair and skin healthy and enjoyed doing my own manicures and pedicures. Here are a few of my must have beauty tools to keep you looking fab all the time. Its so easy to do things like pluck your eyebrows and do your own manicures in between seeing a professional, extending the life of your beauty treatments and making your money go that little bit further.

My absolute favourite beauty tool EVER is the La-Tweez Professional illuminating tweezers. After experiencing a horrific burning incident when getting my eyebrows waxed a few years ago resulting in awful blisters all over my eyes I swore to never get an eyebrow wax again and learnt how to shape my own eyebrows. I am so lucky I found these tweezers because I really wouldn't have been able to keep my eyebrows in acceptable condition without them. The best part is the little light that is positioned really well in between the two arms of the tweezers, giving the perfect angle and brightness of light onto your eyebrows making it super easy to see all the little hairs that you wouldn't be able to see in natural light. They are available online from a variety of different sellers, so your best bet would be to search around for the best prices and shipping options to your part of the world.

I always have a hairbrush with me wherever I go and am definitely one of those people who obsessively brush their hair. Something that I only got my hands on very recently but have already fallen in love with is the Tangle Teezer Compact Styler and it and has made my life so much easier as I don't have to carry around my full size brush in my bag! It actually is so fantastic at detangling hair without any pain or discomfort at all and definitely doesn't make you feel like you are pulling your hair out of your head. In Australia you can purchase the Tangle Teezer range from http://www.tangle-teezer.com.au/.

This is more of a novelty item, but just makes doing my own manicures at home so much more fun! The Sportsgirl Mini Nail Dryer is a mini fan that you place your hand under and when you press down the fan starts and dries your nails! I love using this especially if I'm a little bit rushed because it saves me flapping my hands about and looking silly! Although its sold out online, I have seen it in stores recently and you can pick it up for $14.95 AUD.

Finally, for my pedicures, I like to keep my feet nice and smooth with the Scholl Velvet Smooth Express Pedi. I was absolutely so excited when I received this as a gift because I never need to go to a salon to get a pedicure again! It works really well to buff away the hard skin on the bottom of your feet leaving them so smooth and it doesn't hurt at all - way easier than an old school pumice stone. You can purchase this from Priceline for $49.99 AUD.

xx Cat ^.^