All About The Tools

When I first started my journey with makeup, brushes and tools weren't really my main focus. I started out with 4 essential brushes. As my skills advanced, I realized using the right tools was as crucial as using the right foundation color. I've gone through many brushes and brands, but Real Techniques and E.L.F's Studio brushes are my favorite to this day.

Real Techniques is a brand new to me, but ever since my discovery a couple months ago, I can't get enough! Some brushes I've used are extremely scratchy and harsh, but Real Technique brushes are incredibly soft and gentle on my skin. Even after multiple washes, these brushes never fail with their incredible softness!

Must Haves: 
- Blush Brush: Although this is a blush brush, I currently use this to blend and apply my powder bronzer. I find that this brush is large enough to distribute color evenly on my face and blends out any harsh lines.
- Contour Brush: This brush is perfect for applying powder under the eyes or highlighting cheekbones, forehead, and the bridge of the nose.
- Pointed Foundation Brush: This brush is too small for me to use as a foundation brush, but it's perfect for applying cream contour and other cream products.
- Deluxe Crease Brush: This brush is the perfect size for contouring the sides of the nose or highlighting small areas.
- Buffing Brush: The buffing brush is my absolute favorite of the bunch! I use this brush everyday to blend out my tinted moisturizer/foundation. It's the perfect size for covering large and small areas on my face.
- Makeup Sponge: I am a huge fan of this makeup sponge. I mainly use this to blend out my under-eye concealer. I also bounce this over my entire face after using the buffing brush to give my skin an airbrushed finish. I find this sponge works best damp, rather than dry. I absolutely love this makeup sponge and find it a necessity in my makeup routine.

E.L.F's Studio brushes are amazing quality and the price isn't so bad either! I love them so much that I basically have every brush from the line. I find myself using at least 2 brushes a day from the line because they are great quality and they have a wide variety of tools for our everyday makeup needs. I don't find that the bristles fall off during my makeup application (something that really annoys me). I've had my E.L.F brushes for around 6 months and they are still in great shape. They are easy to wash and don't give me any problems. E.L.F did it right with this bunch!

Must Haves: 
- Complexion Brush: The complexion brush is a great multi-purpose brush. I've used it to apply bronzer, blush, and powder and have never failed me!
- Small Tapered Brush: The small tapered brush is similar to the Real Techniques contour brush; however, this brush is a bit "fluffier." I love this brush for applying highlighter and setting my under-eyes with powder.
- Flawless Concealer Brush: This is perfect for blending out concealer! It is the perfect size for getting into small crevices and blends everything out flawlessly!
- Eyeshadow "C" Brush: This is a pretty standard eyeshadow brush, but what I love about it is the quality. The bristles are such great quality and apply eyeshadow evenly. I find myself reaching out for this brush every time I apply eyeshadow.
- Powder Brush: Before I discovered the Real Techniques buffing brush, I had no intention of replacing my E.L.F powder brush. Because the brush is a bit stiff, I found it perfect for applying and blending out liquid foundation. I don't recommend this brush for powder, only because the bristles are so compact.

For a Strong Brow Game...

For the past couple of months, I have been obsessed with eyebrows and this obsession has been fueled by my new found love, Anastasia Beverly Hills. The brows frame the face, which is why I find it so crucial to take my time in perfecting my "frame."

Products Used:
- Anastasia Beverly Hills 'DipBrow Pomade' in Ebony
-E.L.F Eyebrow kit in Medium
-Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel
-Anastasia Beverly Hills 'Brow Duality' in Shell/Lace

Tools Used:
-Angled eyebrow brush
-Flat top eyeliner brush

1. I start with Anastasia's DipBrow Pomade in 'Ebony' and an angled brush to underline my brow and fill in the tail. Use small strokes to fill in the brows and work with small amounts of product. Avoid filling in the inner-most part of the brows with the pomade. This will give your brows a harsh look to them. A small amount of DipBrow goes a long way!

2. I take the powder from the E.L.F eyebrow kit in 'Medium' to soften any harsh lines and fill in the inner part of the brows. Any eyeshadow will work for this, but for beginners, the brow kit is perfect!

3. To set any stray hairs in place, I use Anastasia's Clear Brow Gel. This product really holds down any stray hairs and keeps the shape of your brows in place, all day!

4.  To finish off, I use the Anastasia Brow Duality in 'Matte Shell' and a flat top eyeliner brush to highlight under my eyebrows.

And there you go! This all takes practice, but once you have perfected it, you'll have yourself a strong eyebrow game!

New Beauty Bits!

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Duality & Clear Brow Gel

Two Faced 'Better Than Sex' Mascara

Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder

Rimmel Scandaleyes Eyeliner

Palladio Rice Paper Blotting Tissues

China Glaze nail polishes in 'At Vase Value' & 'Tart-y For The Party'

My Favorite & Not-So Favorite Foundations

1. Laura Mercier Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer
Alright, so I know this product isn't considered a "foundation," but I love it too much to not mention it! In my teen years, I used to wear a full face of full coverage foundation, everyday. I believed I really did "need" that much coverage, but in reality, all I needed was a tinted moisturizer to allow my skin to breathe. Laura Mercier did it right with this tinted moisturizer. It's easy to build so I can wear a light coverage on a daily basis or I can build it up to medium coverage for nights out. The finish of this product is dewy, which can be a problem for my oily skin, but it can easily be fixed with some blotting sheets and light powder.

2. Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-hour Full Coverage Foundation
I absolutely love this foundation for nights out when I want flawless skin! This foundation I would consider medium to full coverage. The texture is similar to a mousse, but it leaves an almost airbrush finish. It's perfect for my oily skin, because it dries matte. However, I can only wear this foundation for about 5-6 hours. After the 6th hour, my face is in need of a touch up! The foundation is easily buildable and won't cake up when doing so. I like to blend this foundation out with my Real Techniques Buffing brush and then with my Real Techniques sponge to give myself an airbrush finish!

3. Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation
This foundation is almost an exact dupe for the Tarte Amazonian Clay foundation. It also has a mousse texture and leaves an airbrush finish to the skin. I do feel like the coverage is a bit heavier than the Tarte foundation and the color selection isn't so great. My shade is the 2nd to darkest color and I'm more of a light olive complexion. I do not recommend building this foundation up. One layer is enough to cover any imperfections. If you apply more than one layer, it can start to look extremely cake-y. The longevity of the foundation is around 5-6 hours for me. I don't like to wear this foundation on a daily basis because it is a heavier coverage, but for nights out, this product is amazing!

4. E.L.F Tinted Moisturizer
When I purchased this tinted moisturizer, I was extremely excited to try it out and I was hoping that it would be a dupe for the Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer, but that was not the case. This tinted moisturizer has little to no coverage, what-so-ever. It also has an extremely dewy finish, which makes my oily skin stand out even more than I would like it to. Overall, I do not recommend this product for anyone with oily skin, or for those who want a tinted moisturizer with some coverage.

Current Fashion Favorites

h&m slider sandals 

silver jewelry: 

Tiffany & Co. bracelet,  Michael Kors watch, S'Be NYC bangle, nail bangle 

rag&bone 'the dre' jeans

rag&bone 'the dre' (left)

 forever21 boyfriend jeans (right)

Louis Vuitton 'eva' clutch (used as cross body)

A Peak Into My Bag!

Makeup Pouch: Urban Outfitters | Coin Pouches: Louis Vuitton | IPhone 5s | Sunglasses: Michael Kors | Sunglasses Pouch: H&M

Hello everyone! Today, I'm giving you a sneak peak at what's in my bag! I usually like to carry only the essentials, but once in a while my bag gets overstuffed with things I don't need!

Current Spring Beauty Favorites

 Hello everyone! 

For my first official post I decided I would share my current spring favorites! For the past couple of weeks, I have been reaching for these items while doing my makeup. Recently, I have been loving a peach blush and dewy skin. Nothing gives me dewy skin like the L'Oreal Magic Lumi primer and ELF baked highlighter in Blush Gems. The Clinique cheek pop in 02 Peach Pop has been a recent favorite of mine as well. It gives a beautiful wash of peach color to my cheeks, nothing too bold! I usually am in a hurry in the morning to do my makeup so the Anastasia tinted brow gel in brunette is a must for my eyebrows. It keeps my eyebrows in place all day!