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brush Tag

Q & A | Washing Your Make-up Brushes

Posted on April 9, 2009 by rhia amio, make-up artist | Leave a comment

Q: Hi Rhia, I know this may sound silly that I don’t know this, but how often should I be washing my brushes?

A: Hardly a silly question (and the topic is totally in tune with yesterday’s post about spring cleaning!)! I actually get asked this question pretty frequently by clients. Quality brushes are quite the investment, and the problem is that many women aren’t taught how to maintain them properly…and not taking care of them properly can translate into the brushes not lasting as long as they should!

To clean your brushes, use a gentle brush shampoo* and massage it into the bristles to cleanse it throughly. Rinse well to clear the bristles of all shampoo suds. Blot the brush a couple of times on a papertowel to get rid of excess water and sculpt the brush back into shape. Hang over a counter and let air dry overnight.

*Instead of a brush shampoo, you can swap hair shampoo and even dish detergent (international celebrity make-up artist Laura Mercier does this!) to cleanse your brushes.

In terms of frequency for washing brushes, you’ll notice how brushes work and apply better the more you clean them. But let’s be realistic – in the life of the everyday woman, amongst your tall list of things to do daily, brush washing likely isn’t one of your top 10. As a general rule of thumb, you can wash the brushes you use for powders and eyeshadows after multiple uses (I would say at most after every 3 uses, but even that’s pushing it!). For cream and liquid make-up products (such as concealers and foudations), you should ideally clean these everyday (or after each use). Again, the more often you clean your brushes, the better the results will be for your make-up application.

Keep these tips in mind to help ensure your quality brushes make you and your make-up look good – for a long time!

Posted in Artist Tip, Beauty 101, Q&A | Tagged , , , , , ,

ARTIST TIP | Spring Cleaning Your Kit

Posted on April 8, 2009 by rhia amio, make-up artist | Leave a comment

Each time a new season rolls around, it’s a great time to filter through your make-up kit to see which items need tossing and replacement. Many of us are guilty for holding onto make-up products past their prime. But for the sake of being sanitary and good to your skin, a little due diligence when it comes to cleaning out your kit is essential. Besides, any excuse to go make-up shopping always works for me!

Here are some telltale signs that your make-up kit is in need of a spring make-over:

1. products start smelling funky
i.e. mascara – Once opened, mascara has a life span of approximately 3 to 4 months. You’ll notice a funky smell once it starts going bad and the formula will be more prone to clumping. Toss.

2. products don’t glide on in the same manner they use to
i.e. powder eyeshadows – If you’re digging away at that eyeshadow and find the pigment just isn’t as potent as it used to be, it’s likely time to replace! Your eyelids will thank you once you start applying that new, creamy eyeshadow that just glides without having to pull at the delicate eye area !

3. liquid products have separated
i.e. foundations – No amount of shaking can get rid of that orange tinge that happens when your foundation has been kicking around for too long. Be good to your skin, and replace your foundation every 18-24 months (or sooner if it looks like it’s separating!).

4. you haven’t bought anything new in a couple of years
No-brainer. Go treat yourself to a fresh new look and properly ring in spring!

For more info on when it’s time to toss, see this post here. Happy Spring Cleaning!

ARTIST TIP: Waaait – don’t throw out everything just yet! Hold on to any MAC containers for the Back to MAC recycling program, where you can get a free lipstick (or equivalent) for recycling your old purchases!

Posted in Artist Tip, Beauty 101 | Tagged , , , , , ,

Q & A | Crown Brushes Review Revisited

Posted on March 5, 2009 by rhia amio, make-up artist | Leave a comment

Q: hi Rhia, I saw your post about Crown Brushes and was wondering what’s your opinion of Crown brushes now that you’ve had the chance to use them for a while? I’m hoping to build a brush collection for my own everyday use, so I was wondering if I should buy Crown or maybe get brushes from Sephora or MAC? What do you think?

A: Thanks for the question! I still like the brushes for the original purpose I had bought them – to build my make-up artist kit and have back-up brushes for consecutive appointments. After getting the chance to work with them, it turns out my favourites from what I purchased are the foundation brush, large powder brush and kabuki brush. The brushes apply and blend product well, and feel smooth against the skin. One thing I did note when washing the large-sized brushes (blush brush, powder brush) was that the dye bleeds slightly once wet. Small price to pay for such an affordable line of brushes!

For your own personal use, it doesn’t hurt to invest in a really good set of quality brushes. They feel better on your skin (and your skin deserves to be pampered!). As long as you properly take care of the brushes, they will last you a long time. You can find great quality brushes through Crown, Sephora, MAC and other department store brands. My first two professional brushes ever are by MAC and were given as a gift to me back in high school. The brushes are still in good condition to this day, and I’ve obviously gotten great use out of them as high school was a long time ago! For the larger sized brushes especially (i.e. powder, blush brushes), you’ll feel and see the difference in how the make-up is applied. For that reason alone, quality brushes are definitely worth the investment!

Be sure to check out these sites/stores:
MAC Cosmetics
Industry Cosmetics (for Crown Brushes)
Sephora

Related posts:
PRODUCT REVIEW | Splurge vs. Steal Part I – Face Brushes
PRODUCT REVIEW | Splurge vs. Steal Part II – Eye Make-up Brushes
KIT ESSENTIAL | Essential Brushes

Posted in Product Review, Q&A | Tagged , , ,

KIT ESSENTIAL | The Crease Brush

Posted on January 20, 2009 by rhia amio, make-up artist | Leave a comment

The crease brush is an indispensable tool for applying your eyeshadow. The crease brush completely transformed the method I used to apply eyeshadow both on myself and on clients. The tip of the crease brush tapers towards the centre to form a pointed shape and allow for precise application of eyeshadow. The brush is particularly handy for building colour into the crease of the eye and for advanced make-up looks (like the smoky eye). It doubles as a great smudger brush, working well to blend eyeshadow and eyeliner for a subtle smoky effect.

ARTIST TIP: To get your best smoky eye yet, dip the brush in eyeshadow and tap twice to get rid of any excess eyeshadow. Push the brush back and forth into the crease (the fold of the eyelid). Keep the darkest part of the eyeshadow in the crease of the eye, and blend slightly upward for a smoky effect and to get rid of any distinct edges. Repeat the process to build to your desired intensity.

TIPS FOR ASIAN EYES: If you have gorgeous Asian eyes, the crease brush is a definite must-have for your own daily routine. The smaller surface area of the tapered brush point gives you better control over where eyeshadow colour is applied. This works especially well when trying to do a smoky eye, as part of the trick to making this look work is knowing when to stop! Using too much of a dark coloured eyeshadow can make eyes look smaller, but the trusty crease brush does all the work for you and keeps that colour in the crease! Blend away!

Recommended brushes:
MAC Cosmetics 219 Pencil Brush $27.50
Elegant Faces Pencil Tip ($11)

Related posts:
PRODUCT REVIEW Splurge vs. Steal Part II – Eye Make-up Brushes

Posted in Kit Essential, Product Review | Tagged , , , , ,

RHIA ON MAKE-UP JUNKIE | Eyes by Design Ultimate Set (Blue Eyes)

Posted on January 17, 2009 by rhia amio, make-up artist | Leave a comment

Check out the original post on Make-up Junkie!I love the all-encompassing 360-degree approach that Eyes by Design takes towards getting your best eyes yet! The Eyes by Design Ultimate Set aims to simplify the beauty process by including both the eye make-up and treatment products you need – all in one package. The user-friendly set also includes a manual that details how to use each of the set’s components and achieve different eye make-up looks with the palette. Check out our review of the Ultimate Set!

Transforming Eye Cream
A light moisturizer that aims to diminish the look of dark undereye circles and fine lines. The eye cream has a light serum consistency, and I only needed two pea-sized drops to cover each eye area. I have to admit I was quite surprised by the size of the 15 mL Eye Cream; it’s quite a generous sized jar to be part of a package like this (no complaints, here!). Yet, two weeks later after using it twice per day, there wasn’t a noticeable difference in the darkness of my undereye circles. But it did help my trusty concealer to glide on smoothly and give better coverage!

Retouching Cream (Eye Primer)
The eye primer is also formulated to eliminate the look of fine lines and dark circles. It has more of a gummy texture than the Transforming Eye Cream, but really smoothes out the surface of the skin it is applied to. I used it on the undereye area, but also on the eyelid to smoothe out the surface for eyeshadow application. It definitely kept my oily eyelids in check!

Transforming Eye Palette (Blue Eyes – Peach Shimmer, Taupe, Plum Brown, Bronze)
The four pan eyeshadow palette comes in shades that are designed to flatter each colour of the eye. I test ran the Blue Eyes set, and found it worked just as well for brown-eyed beauties! The overall pigment of the eyeshadows was good, but I would have preferred if the three of four shadows weren’t shimmer based. The peach shimmer makes for a beautiful highlighter, but may be a bit dark for fair-skinned blue-eyed beauties.

Lining Brush & Blending Brush
The kit also includes two soft-bristled and ergonomically friendly brushes. The brushes are fashioned with a “Design Grip”, which allows for easier control of the brush and aids in precise application. The Lining Brush can be used to define the eyebrows or as a subtle eyeliner tool when paired with one of the eyeshadows. The Blending Brush is great for building colour into the crease. I love that the brushes are full-sized and the fact that you can actually use them! How many times do we all buy products where we find the included brush useless?!

Eyes by Design also offers mascaras, brow and eyeliner pencils. You can purchase the sets online through the Home Shopping Network (www.hsn.com). The products are available individually, but scoop up one of the well-priced sets for a better deal! Enjoy!

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