Beauty Blender sponge - a lifesaver for non-silicone foundation users

Sorry ladies, I know I haven't been posting much lately,but it's been an exceptionally busy time. If I'm not travelling, I'm hosting someone. Right now actually Syen's staying with me. Whee! It's all been fun but has left me little time or energy for posting.

Still I was so thrilled about this wee pink egg that I had to share!

Reading reviews online I was never quite convinced that the Beauty Blender Sponge was that much better than a regular damp sponge. While some ladies gave it rave reviews, others said they preferred their buffing brushes to it (more on that later). Also, it wasn't available in Asia.

When I spotted this in the Sasa outlet on D'Aguilar St, Central for HKD170 (ouch yes I know, but it retails for USD19.90 so the price is fair) I bought it and gave it a go... also gave it death threats all the way home should it fail to perform. Good thing for its hot pink skin that it did!

Application Tips: It's all in the Fingers

No makeup brushes? Fret not, just make use of your fingers. I came across this delightful guide in a magazine recently. I thought it was a great guide for people on the go who can't be bothered to carry a bunch of brushes around (like me).

Now, if only I can remember which mag it was...

Monday's Beauty Bit

I seem to find myself bereft of tips this week so instead I thought I'd share a little gem I've found recently.

Cotton buds are among the most handy beauty tools out there. Now there's not very much you can do to improve cotton buds, right? Think again. For starters you could make the cotton buds real cotton instead of synthetic. Then...

Instead of a plastic baggie or a box with a lid you never replace and eventually lose, you could give the dispenser a lid you can twist to open and close. How hygenic! How convenient! Finally...

You could give give each bud two different tips. One rounded and one pointed for precise removal of errant eyeliner.

They cost about RM4 for 200 cotton buds and can be found at Guardian pharmacies.

What do you girls think?

Beauty DIY: Pretty Brush Rolls (Part 2)

Another shot of my brush rolls all tied up. The mini one was empty at the time and I actually ran out of ribbon so I held it closed with a hair pin from Laos for this shot.

You can't see it clearly but there's a picture of Pegasus etched on the hair pin. I love fairy tales and flying horses.

Anyway, lets get back to making those brush rolls, shall we? Where did I leave you hanging?5. Sew the cover to the lining. Okay. Here comes the fun part so look at the pics carefully as my fuzzy explanation might throw you for a loop. Fold the edge of the cover into half so it meets the edge of the lining. Press or iron this down all along the edge. Once you are done with this, fold the cloth over again on top of the lining. Iron or pin this down.Secure the hem to the lining with either a whip stitch or a slip stitch. I have tried to show these 2 stitches are done in the pictures. They are both variations of the same thing, really. I personally prefer the slip stitch as it looks tidier.Now, because you are bound to hit a corner sooner or later, this is what you do: Use the corner to first fold a triangle down towards the edge of the lining before continuing to fold down like before. This creates a tidy little edge without any raw ends sticking out. Fine, maybe not so tidy in the picture but try it out and you'll see what i am trying to get at.

6. Many pricked fingers later, you should end up with something which looks like the above. Don’t worry; we are nearing the end soon.Now, flip the cloth the other way around and fold along the running stitch you made earlier in attaching the backing and the felt (I didn't take a pic of this step while I was sewing the pink roll so you will have to make do with the blue; sorry for the confusion).

What you have is an inside-out pocket for your brushes. Whip stitch the edges together (try to keep this set of stitches as close to the hem as possible), tie off and then turn the pocket inside out.Most of you will be smiling by now. =) The end is close in sight!

7: Creating individual pockets. With your tailor’s chalk, mark off at regular 1.5 inch intervals. Or, you can slip your brush into the case to estimate the pocket size.Then, pick up your needle and thread again and make running stitches down the lines you just marked. I used a modified overhand stitch which can be a bit fiddly for some people and has a higher chance of creating pricked fingers.

As you stitch, try not poke your needle all the way through the backing and through the other side. Your running stitches will be seen on the cover which doesn’t look very nice. Try to just pick up the lining over the backing with your needle. Don’t worry, the stitches will still stay secure.
8: Just sew the ribbon on one end of the case and you are set! If you are too lazy at this point of time, a pretty hair tie will do in keeping your brush roll together.

Now, show it off to your friends and let them ooh and aah over how crafty you are!

Leave any questions in the comments section. This half of the tutorial is a heck more confusing than yesterday's so I am expecting lots of puzzled faces. Does anyone think that this is Etsy-worthy?

*Looks around furtively to whisper behind Kahani and Syen's backs* Does anyone here want to pay me for one?

Beauty DIY: Pretty Brush Rolls (Part 1)

This was originally supposed to be a single post but there were so many pictures and steps, I decided it would be less mind-boggling if I divided it into 2 separate posts instead. Even I got confused after a while.

I had the picture tute for my brushroll lying in my HD for ages but completely forgot about it until Plue blogged about the brushroll her mother made for her here.

You don't need a sewing machine or superb sewing skills to make this. The only stitches you really need to know are the whip stitch and the running stitch. It only takes a day to make (about 15 minutes if you have a machine) and you can use any piece of cloth for this - from an old t-shirt to a bedsheet.

As you can see, I made 2. The pink one holds my big brushes while the little one carries my mini brushes, eyeliners, mascara and lippies for when I go a-travelin'. Tiny and compact - I just love it.

What you need: 2 pieces of cloth, a length of felt(I am wondering how did the felt go missing in the picture), ribbon, a pair of scissors, a ruler, some tailor's chalk, thread and a needle.

I used the black fabric for the lining and the pink for the outside. Felt was used as backing. You don't HAVE to back the brush roll but I feel that it gives more protection and makes the finished product less floppy. I know that felt is hard to find in Malaysia (think I stumbled across some in Daiso though) so you can use a stiff piece of material instead.

If you are doing this by hand or are a newbie to working with cloth, I highly recommend using cotton for this project. Silks may look lush but they are much more slippery to work with. Cotton is easy to cut, iron, pin and sew. You will get on much faster with cotton.

1. Cut the backing. Estimate how large you want your brush roll to be and cut it out. I winged the measurements by picking up my longest makeup brush and laying it out against the felt before drawing the outline with a ruler. For my baby brush roll, I used an A4 sized paper, snipped it to size and pinned it to the felt. My big one is about 11" by 20" while the little one is 7.5" by 10.5"

If you are wondering about the excess cloth on top, it's for folding over your brushes later so they don't slip out of their pockets.

2. Cut the lining. Lay out your backing against the lining then place your makeup brush against the backing again. You want the length of the lining to be longer than the backing as you need the excess for your brush pockets. Pin the backing and lining together then cut.

3. Sew the backing and lining together. The reason for doing this is so that the backing doesn't slip out of place when you are sewing later or get crumpled inside when you toss your brush roll into the washing machine. You don't want to unpick this thing apart after your first wash, trust me.

You can either do a simple running stitch along the sides of the cloth or whip stitch the edges together. For me, I whip stitched the three raw edges together and did a running stitch where the backing met the excess lining. (I don't have a pic showing what I am trying to explain so you will have to make do with this one where the cloth has been partially flipped. *groan*)

If you have a machine, just run close along the edges. Try to keep your stitches as close to the side as possible.

4. Cut the cover. First, pin the lining + backing to the cloth. You can even baste it (i.e. use BEEEG BEEEEG running stitches to hold the cloths together) like I did. Trace out an excess of 2 cm all around with your tailor's chalk and then cut the cloth.

Now, LEAVE EVERYTHING PINNED/ BASTED TOGETHER. I notice that immediately after cutting, people have a tendency to pull everything apart before asking "What's next?". So leave everything as it is for now.

The last bit is coming tomorrow. ;)

Review: Artiste Manicare Skunk Brush

I love and adore my MAC #187 to bits. It does such a wonderful job of applying and buffing my BB cream and liquid foundations to an air-brushed finish, I want to marry it and have little skunk brush babies named Flower. (Don’t tell my boyfriend I said that)

Anyway, the point I am making here is that I really, really, really like my MAC skunk brush and was seriously thinking of getting a second #187 for my cream blushes. The idea of spending another AUD85 stopped me in my tracks though so I had a poke around Australia for other skunk brush alternatives (sadly, we don’t have an Etude House outlet or I would have got this) and ended up getting a dupe from Artiste Manicare instead.

As you can see, the Manicare version (top) is a slightly stubbier version of the #187. Both brush heads are about the same size in length and fluffiness – I can’t tell the which is which in the second picture but I think the Manicare brush is the one on the left as it looks whiter.

Let’s start with the cons of the Artiste Manicare stippling brush.

Cons
First off, the bristles bleed. It took me about 5 washes to make sure that all of the excess dye had run off and just to be doubly sure, I washed it twice more.

Secondly, the brush sheds like a sheepdog in the summer. It sheds when I wash it, it sheds when I dab the tips into my blush and it sheds when I apply blush to my cheeks. I am constantly picking black bristles off my cheeks and out of my cream blushers; it gets pretty darn annoying.

I tested this brush for softness on the back of my hand before I bought it but as it turns out, my facial skin is a lot more sensitive than I thought. This brush is scratchy! It makes me wince a little each time I use it on my cheeks. I haven’t dared to try and use this brush for applying BB cream as I bet my skin would start making banshee-like wails if I did.

Pros
The slightly shorter handle makes this brush a lot more travel-friendly and the price tag of AUD17.95 – about a fifth of a MAC #187 so you will still have change for gum from a twenty – makes me a lot less paranoid about throwing this little guy around my travel bag or worrying that I am going to drop it down the loo by mistake.

As this dupe is made with synthetic bristles, it thankfully does not smell like goat. My only grouse with the original #187 was the strong goat smell – it reminded me of childhood weekends spent getting into trouble on my grandparents’ farm.

(Yes, I had a typical budak kampung upbringing where my cousins and I chased chickens, flew kites, played in paddy fields, splashed around in rivers and on one occasion, got chased by water buffaloes. I still have no idea how I went from playing in the mud to playing with lipstick)

Despite the scratchiness, this brush does get the job done. It picks up blushes well – both cream and powder – and does a pretty good job of stippling and blending. As the synthetic bristles are a little stiffer than the #187, I dare say it does a slightly better job at picking up cream blushers as there is less “give”.

Verdict
I guess this isn’t too shabby if you want a stippling brush and can’t afford or justify spending so much money on a MAC #187. The Manicare option is very much more affordable (think of what you can do with the remaining AUD64.05!) and it does do a pretty decent job. The only bones I have to pick with this brush is the scratchiness and the continuous shedding; both of which you can live with if you have slightly tougher skin than me and are a lot less grouchy.

You can buy Artiste Manicare brushes from most Priceline, Myers and Target outlets. I have not checked David Jones so I am not sure about that. Does anyone know where else you can pick up Manicare brushes in Australia?

Btw, photo credits for that unbearably adorable baby skunk picture at the start of my post goes to LadiesWhoKill.

Beauty Blogger Event at Stage Cosmetics

Last Saturday, Syen and I had a wonderful makeup filled day with fellow bloggers, ParisB, Beetrice, and KimberlyCun at KL Pavillion. This cool makeup workshop was organised by Alliance Cosmetics to promote their latest premier line - Stage. Full credit goes to Beetrice for being instrumental in organising it!

Warning: Lots of pics (taken by professional photographer, Adam) if you read on. But you'll also get a brief overview of my impressions on Stage Cosmetics, and an unqualified rave for ONE product you MUST get!

Running the workshop was John Boudville (above) and though he tried in vain to advise us on how best to apply the products - mostly we were a stubborn bunch and went our own way. I know I did. *blushes* Here's he's explaining the differences between the mascaras, which I have to say are pretty amazing. I used Drama Lash (RM50) for "dramatic lashes" and boy oh boy did it deliver! This one I will go back to buy!


One thing we did learn (and do) was to put our foundation on with a brush (here's ParisB and KimberlyCun hard at it). I was a little frustrated with the foundation they gave us to try though. Although I'd repeatedly mentioned my very oily skin (yes sorry girls) they gave me their Picture Perfect Foundation (RM90)which, although oil free had melted off my face by the time I'd reached home. But that's just my crazy skin. The finish was sheer, but natural and with concealer (Picture Perfect Liquid Camouflage - RM55 ), it covered all my flaws. Still I wish I'd had a chance to road-test their Studio Perfect Foundation for "overactive, shine prone skin".

Syen and I had a hard time choosing the right blush (RM58), but in the end we managed! Their blushers are quite lovely, highly pigmented and very fine. The merest touch with a brush is enough to give you a glow. I can recommend Gerbera, a lovely shimmery peachy shade that will give you a glow, and Amaryllis, a nice nude pink for a pop of colour.

If you know Syen, you'll know she doesn't use mascara - until now! I think this workshop converted her. Even though Angel Lash Mascara (RM50) is supposed to be a "natural effect" mascara, it gave her super-long sky-scraping lashes that were the envy of every girl there.

It's all lips from here on:

I loved the Wondergloss High Shine Lipgloss in Venus (RM55)

Beetrice is now a fan of their Wonderlust Moisturising Lipstick (RM48) although here, she's also using the gloss.

KimberlyCun gives their matte Wonderluxe Satin Lipstick lipstick (RM48) a try. I received a tube in Baby Blossom which I roadtested today and I was surprised at how moisturising and light it felt on my lips - despite being a matte lippy.

At the end we all posed on their "stage" (Yes, Stage cosmetics has a stage) to show off our finished looks.

The only two product lines I really hope they improve are their eyeshadows, which aren't quite pigmented enough, and their brushes, which could be improved quite a bit.

Now for my hands-waving-about you-MUST-buy this rave!

This is the Pro-Lash curler, and at RM35 ladies, it's a steal. A STEAL. How good is this curler? Well, out of five ladies at the workshop, four of us bought curlers.

This curler is so good I didn't even know how lousy my other two curlers (The Body Shop & a free one by Maybelline) have been. It was a revelation. No twisting, poking, adjusting - anything. It fit my eye socket bee-yoo-ti-fully and curled my lashes without effort. No fuss, no muss. It got all the lashes too, and gave them a nice lift.

How does it compare to say, Shu Uemura? ParisB has a Shu curler I believe, and she bought this baby too. How's that? If you're Asian with deep-set eyes, this is a definite must have.

Edit: Beetrice is also totally in love with her curler! Check out her pics (she was hardworking enough to upload her own pics) and her amazing giveaway on her blog! Generous gal. =)

Edit2: Toodle over to MyWomenStuff to check out the incomparable ParisB's reviews, and see if you can snag her offer.