Housekeeping

Have you ever noticed that as the weather gets colder, damper and darker you somehow have all the time in the world to tackle that long "to do" list that's been gathering dust? Suddenly you become obsessed with reorganizing the pantry, updating picture albums and catching up on missed episodes of "Housewives of whatever city du jour" (if this is you please find a new show that may add something to your intellectual acumen, may I suggest the Rachel Maddow show?). I figure we must capitalize on this good humor/drive and add one more task to this list. A task that technically you should be doing monthly if not every other week to keep your makeup brushes in tip top shape. Hmm did I hear you cringe? Let me guess you haven't washed your brushes since you bought them two years ago...just kidding, although I have a sneaky suspicion I'm right!

To keep your makeup brushes in optimal condition and to prolong their lifespan you should be cleaning them at least once a month. Think about it- you use these brushes at least once a day during which they get dipped from one product into another. The rest of the time they're sitting on your bathroom counter exposed to whatever airborne thing may be around. In short they can be a bacterial breeding ground, not to mention they do their job best when their bristles are clean. If a brush is coated in layers upon layers of powder, it doesn't apply your desired color because remnants of previous products contaminate it and won't glide or deposit in the same efficacious manner. So stop the apathy and make this one of your "to do's" for this weekend. I promise it won't take longer than 5 minutes and you can listen to "Desperate Housewives of Whatever" in the background.

Cleaning Makeup Brushes 101

-Using a mild cleanser (I recommend Johnson and Johnson Baby Shampoo) wash only the brush bristles in luke warm water.

-Work the cleanser into the bristles with your hand and then rinse. Keep repeating until all the leftover product is washed out or when the rinse out water runs clear.

-Place your brushes upright but with a diagonal slant to dry. This allows it to dry without having water seep into binding which holds the bristles into the head of the brush.

-Allow brushes to dry completely overnight before using.

Et voila! Clean brushes for a better makeup application! Don't you love crossing items from your "to do" list?

Usage tip: Some companies have a makeup brush cleaner which also works but I find that the J&J baby shampoo is significantly cheaper and does any equally good, if not better job.

The result: Clean, soft brushes to start your makeup and morning on the right note!

Tool Time, Part 2

Like all little girls I learned at a very young age that all the best things come in small packages....a little blue box with your first piece of significant jewelry, my mom's encouraging love notes in my lunch box, a matchstick box holding keys to my first car. You get the hint. So naturally I have adapted this life lesson to all other aspects of my life. Best purse for a night out? A clutch of course! Best organizer/planner? My blackberry. The one thing that gives me comfort at night when I'm all by myself? My childhood small stuffed animal Coco. And when it comes to the art of makeup I sought out that small tool that would help give that added umph.

The small shading eye brush is one of the most versatile tools in your makeup arsenal. Because of it's flat bristles you can control the application with micro precision for unparralled effects. The tapered oval tip allows makes it uber multi-tasking so that it can be used in so many different ways. We are going to be covering all the eye enhancing tricks this small brush does in the next post but I thought I would give you a proper introduction first. Different brands call this brush different things so, as always, I have included a picture for you. But sticking with our theme the smaller the better. I say this because we want to use this brush for enhancing effects rather than all over application. Aren't you excited for the next post?

Usage tip: Clean your brush once a month with warm water and gentle soap (I like Johnson & Johnson baby shampoo) to maintain its condition.

The result: Small tool for eye popping makeup!

Tool Time, Part 1

The next few entries go out to my Beaute 101 readers who enjoyed the "how to wear red lipstick" article from last time and have asked for more "how to"/tutorial pieces. On a side note to my brilliantly diligent friend Amber: I'm still working on how to write html coding that will link mentions of previous topics directly to that post. If any of my readers know how to do this please help the Beaute Guru. Ok back to the matter at hand. Here's a quick peek at what's coming up. Today and Friday we will focus on the tools you need for next week's eye makeup demos showing you how to create this season's smoldering looks. So stay posted!

As a beaute lover I'm not only obsessed over the products I use but also about the tools that support them making their efficacy so spectacular. Think about it. Where would we be without our tools? Imagine for a second a land with no blackberrys or IPhones...(gasp!) mon dieu as the French would say! We would have to actually pay attention to our surroundings forcing us to walk around actually making eye contact with that cutie across the street instead of click, click, click bbm'ing our friend. Think about it. You could be missing the chance to meet your one and only Romeo all because you're permanently glued to your mobile phone!

To create that perfect eye look that will make the guy across the street fall head over heels in love (just kidding...not really, a girl can always dream!) I rely on a tapered blending brush. Whether it's natural and light or smoky and sexy this brush gives you the perfect control to apply the contouring and defining eye shadow to the crease. Seriously every eye look needs some sort of high/low contrast to give your eyes depth instead of a monochromatic washed out look. I know that the naturalite, barely there makeup lovers may be skeptical...trust me! I don't lie and I search high and low for the very best for you. This brush will take your makeup application to the next level. The tapered brush allows for maximum control ensuring that you deposit the color right in the crease. Now flawless makeup is all about blending. Thanks to the dome-shaped bristles you can really work the eye shadow into the curves and cervices of the crease (yes I just stole that line from a Ludacris song!) so that you get a continuous, accurate coverage. Now most makeup brands have this brush so depending on your budget you can splurge and buy the Rolls Royce version with boar hair or purchase an equally effective version like the one from MAC at $28 (which I use!). Whatever you do invest in one...NOW!

Usage tip: Clean your brush once a month with warm water and gentle soap (I like Johnson & Johnson baby shampoo) to maintain its condition. Remember to always tap your brush after dipping it into the shadow to remove excess powder and use brush in small circular motions instead of the traditional sweeping technique.

The result: Professional eye makeup right from your very own bathroom!