D.I.Y. Makeup Brush Cleaner

Gently clean dirt and makeup from makeup brushes with this gentle and easy brush cleaning recipe!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup warm water
• 1/2 cup vinegar

 

Directions:

• Combine all ingredients in a bowl; mix well
• Dip the end of your makeup brushes in the mixture
• Massage the bristles; loosening up makeup and dirt
• Rinse makeup brushes under running water
• Let brushes air dry after reshaping any misshapen brush heads
• Discard mixture after use

Gentle Makeup Brush Cleaner

Clean your makeup brushes of makeup and dirt with this easy recipe!

 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup warm water
• 1 tbsp. Dawn liquid dish detergent

 

Directions:

• Combine the ingredients in a bowl; mix well
• Dip the end of your makeup brushes in the mixture and gently massage the bristles
• Rinse the makeup brushes under running water
• Let brushes air dry after reshaping any misshapen brush heads
• Dispose of mixture

Sephora Collection Classic All Over Shadow Brush – Large #21

Ok–time to take a little breather from the endless D.I.Y. posts I’ve been making lately to do a review!

I’m really loving this all over shadow brush-so much that I use it daily!

I love the size of it because it allows me to cover large areas of my eyelids with one to two sweeps rather than having to do a bunch of applications using a small brush.  I actually love using this brush to do my eye shadow base since the base covers the largest area using one color.

The brush has firm yet soft bristles.  They are soft on my skin yet firm enough that I can build the level of shadow coverage that I desire.

I’ve washed this brush countless times too and have not had any issues with it.  The bristles haven’t frayed and haven’t been shedding either.

This one is a winner in my book :)

Pros:

• Can cover a large area at once
• Soft yet firm bristles
• Great for building the level of shadow coverage you desire
• Doesn’t shed (at least it hasn’t yet)

Eye Makeup Remover Recipe

Here’s a quick and easy recipe using products you probably already have in your pantry for removing pesky eye makeup!

 

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. canola oil
• 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

 

Directions:

• Mix ingredients together
• Dab a cotton ball, Q-tip or soft tissue into the mix
• Gently wipe eyelids and lashes
• Rinse with cool water

Sephora Collection Classic Smudge Brush #14

 

 

I am obsessed with this smudge brush.  I have to admit, prior to getting this brush, I wasn’t really very educated on what a smudge brush was and I never imagined it to work like it does (amazing!).  This was $13 very well spent and I suggest everyone have this (or another) smudge brush in their makeup bag!

I wear eye shadow pretty much on a daily basis.  A lot of times I keep it relatively simple for work but when I’m doing something outside of work I like to play around with it a little more.  I recently tried a brown smoky eye look and with the help of this brush, it turned out really pretty!

A big pet peeve of mine has always been when I try to create an eye look with different shades of eye shadow (such as browns, tans and gold) and end up with harsh looking edges.  I’ve never been a fan of the harsh edges and could never really blend or fix them perfectly with any other brush or with my finger (had I only known about this smudge brush a long time ago!).  Well, this brush cured my harsh eye shadow edges and gave me a very nice blended and polished look (without the harsh edges!).

This brush is a must have for creating a smoky eye look too.  You can control the level of smudging that you want because this brush provides an excellent amount of control.  The size is small enough that you can smudge in just one specific area but not too small that you can’t smudge around the entire eye area.

This brush has been holding up well for me so far.  No bristle shedding or fraying.  It also comes with a nice snap shut plastic lid that is great for keeping the brush protected and clean.

This is a beauty brush that is a must have!  I suggest it and can’t really think of any con’s so far since I’ve started using it.

 

Pros:

• Perfect for creating a smoky eye
• Perfect for blending colors
• Provides maximum control
• Small enough for specific areas but not too small that you can’t smudge entire eye area
• Plastic lid for protection
• No bristle fraying or shedding
• Removes harsh lines

 

Sephora Collection Classic Flat Liner/Eyeliner Brush #16

When I first started using cream eyeliner I had countless problems applying it and could never get my eyeliner to match from one eye to the next.  I always seemed to apply  more to one eye than the other or one line of eyeliner was always straighter than the other.  I purchased this brush from Sephora in hopes of being able to apply my eyeliner with more ease and precision than I seemed to be able to manage using any other standard eyeliner brush.

This brush is designed to provide an even amount of eyeliner to the lash line for uniform definition.  It also can be used to apply powder, cream or liquid eyeliner.

I use this brush to apply cream eyeliner and the first time I used it, I noticed a huge difference in the way that the eyeliner applied.  For starters, this brush is flat and wide so the area that it covers with each application is a lot larger than a standard pointed eyeliner brush.  The flat design definitely aids in producing a flat and clean line above the lash line.  It doesn’t however correct a shaky hand if you deal with that issue.  (But no brush can really fix that!)

I really don’t have any negatives to say about this brush.  I purchased it while it was on sale so that price was really good and I’ve had it for well over a year now and it has been holding up great.  I don’t use it on a daily basis and I do wash it and haven’t noticed any shedding or brush fraying.  Overall, I’m really happy with the brush.

 

Pros:

• Great for beginners learning how to apply eyeliner
• Can be used to apply liquid, cream or powder eyeliners
• Easy to use
• Covers more area than a standard eyeliner brush
• Holds up well (no shedding or fraying of bristles)

Cons:

• Has been sold out at Sephora

Banana Face Mask (Dry Skin)

This face mask is quick and easy to make using only a few ingredients and leaves dry skin feeling moisturized!

 

Ingredients:

• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tsp. sweet almond oil
• 1 ripe banana

 

Directions:

• Combine all ingredients into medium bowl and mash into a creamy paste
• Apply to face and let sit for 20 minutes
• Rinse with cool water and pat skin dry

Skin Brightening Turmeric Face Mask

Brighten up dull and lifeless skin with this easy to make skin brightening mask!

 

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. flour
• 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
• Few drops honey
• Oily skin: 1/4 cup yogurt & few drops lemon juice
• Dry skin: 2 tbsp. olive, almond or coconut oil

 

Directions:

• Combine flour and turmeric; mix
• Add remaining ingredients (based on whether you have oily or dry skin); mix well
• Apply to face and neck and let sit for 15-20 minutes
• Rinse with warm water

 

*Turmeric will stain so when rinsing your face be sure to use a washcloth that you don’t mind staining

Tightening Peach Facial Mask

This simple facial mask uses only two ingredients and leaves skin feeling firmer and tighter for a small price!

 

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe peach
• 1 egg white

 

Directions:

• Cut the peach into chunks and put into blender
• Separate the egg white and yolk, add the egg white to the blender (toss the egg yolk, you won’t be needing this)
• Blend until smooth
• Apply mixture to face and let it sit for 30 minutes
• Rinse with cool water

Exfoliating Tomato Facial Mask

This mask is a great exfoliator and leaves skin looking healthy and refreshed!

 

Ingredients:

• 1 tomato (the riper the better)
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. instant oatmeal

Directions:

• Combine all ingredients into a blender
• Puree ingredients
• Apply to face and let sit for 20 minutes
• Rinse well with warm water