Back to basic: face brushes

There are few brushes that every woman who use make-up should have. Today I would like to mention some face brushes and in the next post I address some must-have eye brushes.

Calvin Klein powder brush, Sedona Lace n.FB05 and Real Techniques Contour brush

Powder/bronzer brush: there are few brush shapes you can choose from, it always depends on personal preference. Lot of people prefer rounded brushes, I like to use flat ones. In any case, it should be made of natural hair or high quality synthetic hair. Good practice is to sweep the brush over the powder/bronzer, tap the excess off and lightly sweep it over the face, without pressing too much in order not to disrupt the foundation. To set the concealer I l like to use smaller brush that I will mention in this post as well.

Brushes I recommend:

• Calvin Klein powder brush (on the picture, you can get it sometimes on http://www.directcosmetics.com/ under 10€) 
• E.L.F cosmetics Studio powder brush (at http://www.eyeslipsface.be/,4€) 
• Real Techniques Your base/Flawless powder brush (at http://www.iherb.com/, 9,99$) 
• MakeUp Atelier Paris brush n.P23 (in Makeup Atelier Paris shop, 29€) 
• MAC powder brush n.129SE (at http://www.maccosmetics.be/ or in MAC store, 40€)

Calvin Klein powder brush

Small powder/highlighter brush: I like using small brushes with natural bristles for précised work such as setting the concealer under the eyes or on the face, powdering just the T-zone or simply placing highlighter precisely where I want it (top of the cheekbones, on the nose, temples and above the upper lip). It is a lot easier to use small brush then the big powder brush and I really think it is a must.

Brushes I recommend:

• Real Techniques Contour brush (on the picture, you can buy it at http://www.iherb.com/ as part of the Core collection set) 
• Real Techniques Your finish/Perfected setting brush (at http://www.iherb.com/, 8$) 
• E.L.F Blush brush (at http://www.eyeslipsface.be/, 4€) 
• Sigma Tapered highlighter brush n.F35 (at http://www.sigmabeauty.com/,35$)

Real Techniques Contour brush

Blush/contour brush: here again it depends on personal preference if you choose rounded brush or kind of tampered angled brush. I like rounded brush better as it blends the product a lot better into the skin. If I turn it on the side I can do the contouring and them turn it back regular way of use and blend it.

Brushes I recommend:

• Sedona Lace n.FB05 brush (on the picture, you can buy it at http://www.sedonalace.com/ , 13,56$)
• MAC brush n.109 (at http://www.maccosmetics.be/ or in MAC store, 34€) 
• Sigma Large contour brush n.F40 (at http://www.sigmabeauty.com/, 22$) 
• Bdellium Studio line Contour brush n.945 (at http://www.iherb.com/, 9,35$) 
• E.L.F Studio High Definition Powder brush (at http://www.eyeslipsface.be/, 4€) 
• Sephora Blush Contour n.74 brush (at http://www.sephora.fr/, 26,95€)

Sedona Lace n.FB05

Optional brushes:

All the cream products can be applied with the fingers there is no need to buy a special brush for them. However I don’t always want to get “dirty” so I use some brushes for cream products as well.

Foundation brush: buy a brush with synthetic bristles for liquid/cream foundation or natural hair brush for powder foundation. They are usually call “kabuki” brushes and they are very dense to smooth and blend the foundation into the skin.

Brushes I recommend:

For liquid/cream foundations:

• Sigma Flat Kabuki F80 brush (on the picture, you can buy it at http://www.sigmabeauty.com/, 24$, but don’t buy it yet as I discovered such a cheap dupe that you won’t believe, review coming already on Friday) 
• Sedona Lace Synthetic flat top brush n.928 and n.FB07 (at http://www.sedonalace.com/, 15,16$) 
• Bdellium brush n.957 (at http://www.iherb.com/ , 14,03$) 

Sigma Flat Kabuki F80 brush and Sigma concealer n.F70 brush

For powder foundations:

• Real Techniques Buffing brush (at http://www.iherb.com/, part of the Core collection set) 
• E.L.F Studio Powder and blush brush (at http://www.eyeslipsface.be/, 4€) 
• E.L.F Studio Kabuki brush (at http://www.eyeslipsface.be/, 6€)

Concealer brush: either flat brush or small (micro) kabuki brush with synthetic bristles can be used to cover blemishes, to blend under the eye concealer or even to apply cream eyeshadows.

Brushes I recommend:

• Sigma Concealer brush n.F70 (on the picture, you can buy it at http://www.sigmabeauty.com/, 14$)
• Sedona Lace n.EB11 (at http://www.sedonalace.com/, 11,16$) 
• Sedona Lace Synthetic Small Angle n.773 (at http://www.sedonalace.com/, 13,56$)

Maybelline Colour Whisper lipsticks

I don’t write very often about lip products as I’m not really a lip product junky. I’m more for face products like foundations, concealers and powders (I guess due to my skin issues). But I had to mention these lipsticks since they are my favourites (from the drugstore).

Maybelline Colour Whisper lipsticks

Price: you can buy these lipsticks from 5€ to 10€, depends where you leave, they are sold in any drugstore.

Colours: the range is huge (20 colours) if you live in US, in Belgium or Slovakia I’ve seen about 10 colours only. As you can see on the picture I have four quite light colours: 90 Oh La Lilac, 70 Faint for Fuchsia, 25 Lust for Blush, 65 Pink possibilities (in Slovakia they have different numbers but the colour names stay the same). They are quite pigmented although not as pigmented as regular Maybelline Colour sensational. I don’t mind to say the true, I like applying them without a mirror on the go when I’m in hurry (I wouldn’t dare to do that with dark colours though).

Maybelline Colour Whisper lipsticks in colours (from left): 65 Pink possibilities, 25 Lust for Blush, 90 Oh La Lilac and 70 Faint for Fuchsia

Texture: the lipsticks are very creamy to the point that the light colours could be considered as tinted lip balms. They are very moisturizing; they feel very nice on the lips. In fact I use them quite often instead of balms (well at least during the summer).

Longevity: as you can imagine since they are moisturising and feel like lip balms they don’t last as long as regular lipsticks. If you eat or drink you’ll have to reapply them. Otherwise they can last on the lips about 1-2 hours.

Maybelline Colour Whisper lipsticks in colours (from left): 90 Oh La Lilac, 70 Faint for Fuchsia, 25 Lust for Blush and 65 Pink possibilities

Final verdict: My most used is 25 Lust for Blush which is nice muted pink/mauve nude, also 70 Faint for Fuchsia which is bright fuchsia pink. I use 90 Oh La Lilac and 65 Pink possibilities (which is more of a coral colour on my lips) mainly during the summer as they are very light yet bold colours. Anyway I love them all and I’m planning to buy some darker colours when I go home to Slovakia (they cost there under 5€ while here in Belgium about 10€).

FakeBake Luxurious golden bronze Flawless Self-tan liquid

Let’s kick this week off with a self-tanner review as the summer is soon about to end and I will be
going slowly into my lazy not self-tanning period and embracing my pale skin.

Price: it costs about 30€ in some perfumeries but you can buy it lot cheaper at allbeauty.com or through Amazon.com.

Smell: it has nice coconut smell that changes when the self-tanner develops in that well-known aroma. Once the colour is developed the scent goes away.

Colour: after 2 applications it gives beautiful true brown colour, nothing yellowish or orange. After 3rd application you look like from a week-long vacation.

FakeBake Luxurious golden bronze Flawless Self-tan liquid 

Application: it is not the easiest application for me I must say. The self-tanner is a liquid so it is not easy to blend in to the skin, like a cream or foam, especially if your skin is on drier side. I think it is more suitable for normal to oily skin. I used mitt and gloves that came with the self-tanner. I usually don’t use both things but the mitt was soaking some product in and transferring it inside on the hands so you definitely want to protect them by wearing these gloves. The self-tanner has a colour indicator so you can see where you put it and I didn’t experience any streaks or major mistakes. The liquid is not sticky so you can get dressed almost immediately. However, I noticed that when I sweat during the night some colour indicator stained my sheets (only at night after the application) but I didn’t have problem to wash it off.

FakeBake Luxurious golden bronze Flawless Self-tan liquid

Longevity and fading: it lasted nicely for 5-6 days so quite long and faded without patches. One bottle will last for 1-2 months depends on how many applications you’ll do per week.

Final verdict: if I didn’t have dry skin it would be one of my favourites. It has beautiful colour, lasts long time, fades nicely and with colour indicator you can’t go wrong with application. I definitely recommend it!

KIKO Make up Milano Lasting gel eyeliner

I usually review eyeliners in pen form as they are most favourite by all due to its easy application. From time to time I also enjoy gel eyeliners as the outcome is somewhat different (usually the colour is more intense, more opaque and one pot lasts forever). I recently bought KIKO gel eyeliner as I could not find my beloved Essence one. 


KIKO Make up Milano Lasting gel eyeliner

Price: you can buy it for 8,90€ in KIKO stores and in KIKO online shop.

Texture: it says on the website that the eyeliner has creamy texture but it is, to my opinion, very liquid, comparable to Catrice gel eyeliner (on the opposite site would be Essence or Maybelline gel eyeliners which are a lot creamer than this one).



KIKO Make up Milano Lasting gel eyeliner

Colour: I bought colour black. It is very intense black colour however it is not opaque. I think it is due to its liquid texture and what happens is that when you draw a line the eyeliner skips some places and the black colour doesn't transfer well all the way. You have to go back and draw again over the gaps to achieve one solid line. 

Application: as with all gel eyeliner you have to use special thin brush (see the picture) or as some say, to use old pen eyeliner (with good felt tip) instead. I must say that the application of KIKO eyeliner wasn't the easiest as I had to go over the line few times to get nice opaque colour everywhere.

Sigma brush E05, Make-up for you angle brow brush, Real techniques fine liner brush

Eyeliner longevity: it has good lasting power (all day) and it didn't fade almost at all.

Final verdict: I will use it if I don't have anything else (if I don't have any pen liners at home) but as soon as I get to Essence gel eyeliner I may throw this one away. If you want to try good drugstore gel eyeliner definitely go for Essence, Maybelline or L'Oreal. Avoid KIKO and Catrice (the same texture and application problems as KIKO).

Make-up Atelier Paris make-up school

I took a week-long course in Make-up Atelier Paris School last June and I would like to quickly share some memories and information here.

The course was a basic one for beginners, teaching basic theories (e.g. colour theory) and techniques during the mornings (demonstration on a model) and putting them in practice during the afternoons. While I haven’t acquired lot of new theory the practical exercise was very useful. It is completely different thing to do the make-up to yourself than to another person. Hygiene comes first and you have to always keep it in mind when working with different products and tools (especially when working with cream or liquid products). We practiced different looks, from everyday look, bridal, evening to artistic look. The school has its own professional brand Make-up Atelier Paris and it was great to try their product range during the course and get some discount when buying it at the end. I definitely recommend this course for everybody, even if you are not aspiring make-up artist. Practical exercises were done on models. Not real models but girls or women who were either invited by Make-up Atelier or by participants. Basically everybody could participate if arranged beforehand (to avoid too many or not enough models on one day). The practical exercises took place from 14:00 till 17:00.

Beside one week courses this school also organizes one month, 6 months or even one year courses so the models are always wanted. And here comes the good part (for you): if you happen to be in Paris, you have free afternoon and you’d like to get made-up by those future make-up artists, you can arrange it by writing to Make-up Atelier beforehand (email: atelier@ateliermaquillage.com). The school is located almost in the centre, near Place de la Republique, here is the address: Make-up Atelier Paris, Rue de la Pierre Levee 19, 75011 Paris, France.

Bourjois 123 perfect CC cream

Here we are the last review of BB/CC cream this season (you probably say it’s about time girl!). I’m planning to use up all BB creams I have before trying new ones. As it always is the best thing comes at the end (sorry for the spoil), here is why I love this CC cream…

Price: it costs 8-12€ depends on where you buy it. It is sold in any drugstore that carries Bourjois products.

Smell: it has little bit of foundation scent but nothing extreme.

Colour: you can actually choose from 4 colours, amazing! You don’t see colour options in this category very often. On the picture you can see n.32 (Light Beige) which is my perfect colour when I’m not tanned and n.34 (Bronze) which I bought by accident and will be given to my mum:). The lightest shade n.31 (Ivory) is very light so even girls with really pale skin can enjoy it. All the shades except n.33 (Rose Beige) have neutral, slightly yellow undertone, only n.33 has pink undertone but not excessively pink so even I could wear it.

Bourjois 123 perfect CC cream 

Texture and finish: it has liquid texture that blends very well into the skin. It doesn’t stick to dry patches so I think it is suitable for lot of skin types: slightly dry, normal, mix and slightly oily. It has semi-matt finish so nothing dewy or matt just a nice natural finish.

Coverage: it has best coverage of all BB/CC creams I’ve ever tried. I would say it has medium (foundation) coverage and during all 3 weeks in August I was wearing only this product instead of a foundation and it was enough coverage for me. It has SPF 15 so I didn’t use it instead of my summer moisturizer (during the summer you need at least SPF 30) but for those with oily skin this can be good product for winter season (enough moisturizing and good foundation replacement). I will need little bit more moisture during the winter so I will combine it with a serum and I’m good to go as well.

Bourjois 123 perfect CC cream in colour 32 and 34 (on my tanned skin)

Longevity: it lasted all day long. Once it set it wasn’t sticky, it didn’t move and just held well all my make-up. I didn’t wear it under the foundation as I felt I didn’t need it (the coverage was enough for me). If you have oily T-zone you may need to powder it.

Final verdict: as mentioned in the introduction I really love this CC cream. It is easy to apply, looks nice on the skin, stays all day and covers everything I need, not to mention the colour selection. Definitely worth trying, girls!

Yves Rocher Expert Repair Shea butter body lotion

I’ve mentioned some months ago Nivea smooth oil that I like to use during the summer as it is light, moisturizing and smells heavenly. As the fall approaches I usually switch to another well-loved moisturizer, the Yves Rocher Expert Repair Shea butte body lotion.

Price: you can buy the lotion in Yves Rocher stores or in their online shop, it costs 10,90€ for 150ml but it is very often sold at half price, I’ve never had to pay 11€ for it.

Aroma: it smells nutty although I wouldn’t say it is Shea butter scent as I have raw Shea butter at home (when I’m “cooking” my winter moisturizers) and it doesn’t smell the same (I actually prefer this aroma over raw butter so no complains here).

Yves Rocher Expert Repair Shea butter body lotion

Texture: it has thick cream texture (comparable to Nivea Soft hand cream, not as thick as old school Nivea). It leaves my skin satin soft and it reminds of very expensive L’Occitane Firming and smoothing milk concentrate with almond (39€ for 200ml) that I always lust for but just can’t justify to buy it. The Yves Rocher cream is a lot cheaper alternative (although one tube lasts me only one month).

Hydration: I use this body lotion when I get out of the shower and I feel like it locks the moisture in the skin and adds some smoothing texture to it. It is hydrating enough for me to use during the fall and spring but not enough for the winter (I rely then on my home made lotions). I have drier skin than most people so this moisturizer may be moisturizing enough for some of you even during the winter.

Final verdict: I really like this body lotion, I always have some in stock and I’ve purchased it many times. This and the shower gel with coffee aroma is my favorite combo for fall season. If you haven’t tried them yet, definitely do so, they are so worth it.

St.Tropez Every day perfect legs gradual and instant self-tanner

This is one of the products that I got on sale for only 5£ (so of course I bought 2 bottles) and then discovered why it was such a good deal…Unlike other St.Tropez products (namely self-tanning mousse I love) this one was a real disappointment. Here is a quick overview of what you can expect.

The bottle contains 2 different products: instant self-tanner and gradual self-tanner. Each of them had its own pump and was used separately from the other one.

St.Tropez Every day perfect legs gradual and instant self-tanner

Instant self-tanner:

This cream had quite a dark brownish colour which didn't look very natural on my pale skin but at least the undertone was warm. Theoretically it would be useful to hide some self-tanning mistakes if your tan was dark. When I applied it I had to wait very long to get the skin dry (which I didn't have patience for) otherwise the cream would move and create streaks. It ended up being such a mess that I had to wash it off. What a fail.

St.Tropez Every day perfect legs gradual and instant self-tanner

Gradual self-tanner:

Smell: it didn't have any scent during the application but when the tan was developing it had its typical aroma.

Colour: there was enough cream only for one whole body application (I know it’s mainly for legs but I expected more product). After this one use the skin colour went by 1-2 shades. The undertone was warm and it looked quite natural and nice.

Application: I applied it as regular body lotion, haven't used a mitt at all (don't forget to wash your hands afterwards). Even though the self-tanner didn't have colour indicator I haven't noticed any streaks. It was little bit sticky but that went soon away.

St.Tropez Every day perfect legs gradual and instant self-tanner ("full bottle")

Longevity and fading: the tan lasted 4-5 days and faded nicely without any patches.

Final verdict: as mentioned at the beginning I'm very disappointed with the product in general. The instant self-tanner was total fail and the gradual self-tanner had enough cream only for one use. On the other hand, this gradual self-tanner was really nice from what I can say after 1st application. It actually may be worth buying it and trying the proper way (review a product after using it completely).

Garnier Skin naturals BB cream for combination to oily skin in colour light

Garnier offers several BB creams but after trying one for dry skin (which was very greasy) I decided to buy one that is aimed at combination and oily skin. I must say it was a good decision.

Price: it costs about 10-14€ for 40ml in any drugstore.

Smell: it doesn’t have any specific smell. While applying it you can smell something like liquor (or is that my imagination?). Once it sets on the skin this scent goes away.

Colour: I bought mine in colour Light. It is light enough for my skin (NW20 in MAC) so I’m very pleased. It has neutral, slightly pink undertone which is not as pink as Nivea BB cream so I can still wear it and not to look very different. You can see on the picture and compare all the drugstore BB creams I recently tried and reviewed.

Garnier Skin naturals BB cream in colour light for combination to oily skin

Texture and finish: it has thin liquid texture that soaks well into the skin. It has natural, slightly matt finish. I cannot use it when I have dry patches so be aware of that. This product is really rather for combination to oily skin than for dry skin.

Application: I applied it as regular cream, all over the face instead my daily moisturiser (it has SPF 20 so it’s ok).

Coverage: it has very nice coverage; if I use foundation’s terminology it has light coverage which is very nice for a BB cream. You can actually just use this cream if you don’t have any major imperfections and look polished yet natural.

Longevity: it lasts quite well almost 7 hours on its own. It worked well under the foundation as well; I needed less foundation as it covered quite a lot of my imperfections.

(from left) Garnier Skin Natural Miracle skin cream Anti-aging skin transforming care, Nivea BB cream with SPF 10 in colour light, L’Oreal Paris Sublimist BB cream 6 in 1 Instant perfection in colour light, Garnier Skin naturals BB cream for combination to oily skin in colour light

Final verdict: I don’t have its packaging anymore so I cannot write precisely about its promises, but my experience was that the cream unified my skin; it held well in warmer weather, had nice finish and good coverage. It is a good BB cream for combination to slightly oily skin, I’m not sure if very oily skin would enjoy it, not for dry skin for sure. I quite liked it during the summer period and in my opinion it is one of the best BB creams in drugstore. I have one more from lower price point to review and it is actually my most favourite (in light colour) so wait for the upcoming review before buying this one.

Yves Rocher Jardin du Monde “Coffee Beans from Brasil” shower gel

I think it’s about time I show you my most favorite shower gel ever. I went through so many bottles of this scent I can’t even remember. I always have to have it in my shower, especially for days when I take shower in the morning. The scent is amazing! If you are a coffee lover or you need to trick your brain into caffeine-like behavior this shower gel is a must.

Price: Yver Rocher has always some kind of deal, especially online, so it is possible to get this shower gel for less than 2€ for 200ml. If you can’t find it in the shop look at its online shop that was also my case. It was first sold in shops then it disappeared (to my huge disappointment) and I found it later on in the online shop when I was looking for something else.

Yves Rocher Jardin du Monde “Coffee Beans from Brasil” shower gel 

Scent: it smells like coffee with milk. If I close my eyes I wouldn’t be able to tell if I’m smelling real coffee or this shower gel. So real is this scent (I know the shower gels or other cosmetics should not be unscented to avoid skin problems but I can’t help it!).

Texture: it has creamy texture so don’t expect it to lather too much (it doesn’t contain any parabens so it may also be a reason for lack of big foam). It is nice and gentle on the skin, it doesn’t irritate it either.

Let me know, girls, what your favorite shower gel/scent is!