A Beauty Blog

I started getting into makeup a couple years ago. Hard to believe for a 30 year-old huh?  No one really taught me how to apply makeup. I guess I never asked or had the interest before. Up until couple years ago all I did, makeup wise, was just drawing on my eyebrows everyday since I have very sparse, none-existent brows.

I love reading beauty blogs and watch You Tube videos on makeup applications. Anyway, here are couple beauty related tips and tools that I hope you will find useful that I have learned over the past couple years.

First thing I learned is to make a brush holder for my makeup brushes.  It's all stuff you can get at craft stores. You just need an empty glass or acrylic container and some glass beads for flowers or even rice. In this case, I picked color sands and added some cherry blossom stickers.

Next is brush cleaning. If you wear makeup everyday, you are suppose to clean your brushes at least once a week to sanitize them. I use makup remover wipes to spot clean after daily use. But once a week, I will use a cleanser to clean my brushes. Some people use dish soap mix with olive oil, some use baby shampoo, some use face cleansers. What I found after researching and testing it out myself, is Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap, is a holy-grail for cleansing. It claims:

Completely Biodegradable and Vegetable-Based Made with Certified Fair Trade and Organic Oils Multi-Purpose: 18-in-1 Uses No Synthetic Foaming Agents, Thickeners or Preservatives

100% Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) Cylinder Bottles and Paper Labels Simple, Ecological Formulations Based on Old-World Quality and Expertise #1-Selling Natural Brand of Soaps in North America

Ok, first impression, it's pretty expensive for a soap, but considering it's 18-in-1 use, I'd give it a try. Plus, I saw it on clearance on my local drugstore end-cap, so I got a huge 32 oz Peppermint one (retails $15.99) for like $4. Score!  What I do is use few drops and mix with water, dip your brush in, then swirl it around in your palms. Then rinse. Your brushes will be squeaky clean and spotless, it even removes long-lasting foundations (like Revlon Colorstay) off the brushes. I've seen it sold at Target (It's by the cosmetics and spa sections, it's not by the shower gels and bar soaps). But I'm sure you can buy it off ebay or Amazon.

After you wash your brushes, you will need to let them air dry. Dry makeup brush first by wiping on a dry, cotton towel first. Then use fingertips to shape makeup brush bristles back into shape and to prevent feathering. Do not lay your brushes flat to dry! It will need to sat at an angle so the remaining moisture does not get to the brush and the glue part, which will cause your brushes to detach. I have discovered something I have in my house that's perfect for drying my brushes. Yes, a sock hanger. I got one from my local dollar store that I use occasionally. This will ensure the brushes dries at the right side up.

Next up, is a term called depotting. What is depotting? And what is the purpose of depotting?
When you buy eyeshadows, blushes, bronzers, it usually sits in a metal pan in the plastic packaging it comes with. I love drugstore makeup, and the quality of drugstore makeups has definitely gotten better in the past year. Some are just as pigmented as high-end makeups. But one thing drugstore makeup is not known for, is their packaging. So I have learned to 'depot' my drugstore eyeshadows, keep them in a palette, so it's more organized and space saving.

I saw few depotting methods and tried the flat iron method and did not work so well my first found. Few shadow did not survive. Then I saw someone using a lighter method, but I found something better... a tea-light candle. After the plastic is melted on the bottom, just pick it out with a needle/pin. If you get it out quick enough while the glue is still hot, you can go ahead and stick it on the palette (I used old CD cases) and it stays on, no magnets needed.

First one that I did a few months ago, a mix of Mac, Sitla, NYX, Art Deco, Milani shadows

  And I took this

Depotted into this

Depotted into this

There are magnetic makeup palettes you can buy, like these Z Palettes.

I don't travel a lot with my makeup, so I don't see a need for me to spend $20 for a magnetic palette yet, besides, I would need more than one, so it will definately get expensive. So my ghetto CD case palette is good enough for now.


Products I am loving - My Holy Grails
Besides the Dr. Bronner's soap I mentioned earlier, there are couple makeup items that I love as well and have used them for couple years now and it's something I will be repurchasing over and over again.

Eye Makeup Remover 

For waterproof eye makeup, it can be a hassle to remove, those who have woke up with Panda eyes knows what I'm talking about. The famous Lancome Bi-Facil Eye Makeup Remover used to be my holy grail for years but it is very pricy at $26 for 4.2 oz. So I've been looking for a cheaper alternative.  Here is what I have found.

Almay Eye Makeup Remover Pads. They have two kinds, Oil Free and Moisturizing. I personally prefer the Moisturizing formula, it works better than the oil free one. But I cannot find a photo of it. But this can found in your local drugstores that carries Almay. It retails for $4.99 and has 80 pads, it's great for traveling!

Almay Eye Makeup Remover Pads

For everyday at home use, I love the Boots Botanics Soothing Eye Makeup Remover. It can be found in Target or Drugstore.com. It is an oil base, like the Lancome. So you have to shake it up before using it. This is 5 fl oz (150 ml) for $5.99, bigger and a quarter of the price of Lancome. And it works the same way, just as good. When drugstore.com had their 20% sale, which they often do, I stocked up on a bunch of these. I have also heard good things about the other Boots makeup remover, Boots No. 7 Cleanse & Care Eye Makep Remover, but I have not tried it yet, will probably do a review on it once I finish off my Boots Botanics ones.

Boots Botanics Soothing Eye Makeup Remover

Eyeliner
I wish when I was younger someone would've told me the difference an eyeliner and mascara could make on your face! It's such a simple step that can add life to your face that I cannot believe I have not done in the past 28 years of my life. I'm still an eyeliner rookie, I cannot use liquid, I tried and it was disastrous. So I stick to pencil liners.

The high-end eyeliners that's known for the pigmentation, color selections and long lasting powers (even if you have oily lids, they stay on all day) are Urban Decay's 24-7 (0.04 oz / $18) & Makeup Forever's Aqua Eyes (0.04 oz / $18).

The cheaper alternative that I have found is called Milani LIQUIF EYE Metallic Eyeliner Pencil. It comes in few nice shades, not as much as the Urban Decay or Makeup Forever, but still got your basic ones like Black, Silver, Gold, Aqua, Brown and the new LIQUIF'EYE Liquid Eye Liner Automatic Propel Pencil comes in Green, Purple or Blue. These are 0.04 oz as well, but retails for only $7.99. You can find these in your local drugstore or Walmart, or online at Milanicosmetics.com or CherryCulture.com.