Filed under: Beauty
Hello Beautiful People,
Whenever I tell people that I am a makeup artist, one of the first things they ask me is for my best “beauty tip.” Well, because I love you all so much I will be providing you with some of my favourites right here on La Mode Au Naturelle, and here is one of my top tips. If you want to look like you just left the makeup artist’s chair, then you better be investing in some good makeup brushes. Now I know that these little tools don’t come cheap (believe me I know!) but you don’t necessarily need to buy the entire brush line from your favourite cosmetics brand. A few key tools will help you create most of the looks you would see on this site. My personal essentials include a big fluffy face brush for powder and bronzer, a big blending “fluffy” brush for your eyes, a firmer shadow brush, a small angled liner brush and the little disposable mascara applicators that you see at all makeup stations. These are my basic “musts.” Once you have these brushes in your personal kit you are set to create any glowing, smoky, natural or crazy night out look with perfectly separated, never clumpy lashes.
While it is not necessary to buy the most expensive professional brushes out there, it is important to buy good quality brushes. If you splurge a little on the brush now, it won’t fall apart later (or even right after you buy it,) there will be less chance of it irritating your skin and you will be surprised how long it will last you with proper care. I bought my first brushes at the tender age of 13 and 7 years later they’re still as good as new.
How to care for your brushes:
I like to keep my brushes in a little cup by my makeup station or in a travel brush pouch when I am traveling. Make sure you are keeping them in a place that won’t smoosh them (a technical term) or allow them to get dirty (like at the back of your makeup drawer with the dust bunnies.) It is also important to wash your brushes. This comes as a surprise to most people, but remember that good quality brushes need the dirt, oil and makeup to be cleaned from them regularly. You can spend the extra dough on a good quality makeup brush shampoo, or run to the closest drug store and get a gentle baby shampoo. Wet the brushes, put some shampoo in your hand or on a paper towel and gently twirl the brush around (not too much pressure please!) Rinse thoroughly and then lay the brushes flat on a towel to dry over night. You’ll be surprised when some of the brown brushes turn out white! This will also keep the brushes from smelling (not pleasant.) If you do this whenever you remember (I try to do it about once a month,) you will keep your treasured brushes as good as new for a long time. Completely justifies the cost, right?
xx Lauren
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I wear black 
If you take care of them a good, authentic animal hair brush is a great investment. What I hate seeing is people who buy an expensive brush and don’t take care of it well (i.e. washes their brushes then dries them right side up and the water seeps in and undoes the glue). I honestly knew someone who sprayed her brushes with antibacterial spray to clean them which stripped them of any oil and they dried up and the hairs fell out. It was so awful!
❤ Lindsey (www.themakepaddict.wordpress.com)
Comment by Lindsey February 10, 2010 @ 1:09 am