QuEstiOn.oF.tHe.Day.aNd.My Brush Collection

I find it funny sometimes, well maybe not funny, but interesting when I find myself in front of a customer who asks me if it is REALLY necessary to use brushes to apply makeup.
Of course, there is no 'Right' way to put on makeup, but I think that brushes make ALL the difference in application. 
Now of course this excludes those amazing artists who can apply beautiful makeup with just their fingers or a cotton swab. But, for myself I need brushes!
This post would not be complete if I did not have a picture of my brush collection.... well here is most of it.... I'm pretty sure I have more hiding somewhere. 
It's a lot, but really it's not a lot to me, as an artist. 
Looking at my brushes I thought to myself, first, I have a lot of the same brushes. And second, I tend to stick to the same few brands of brushes. I have brushes from Smashbox, Coverfx, Dior, Pur minerals, Bare Minerals, Quo and good old Dollar store brushes(mainly for special effects makeup). My favourite are the first three. 
So, the purpose of this post really is to show you my brush collection and to ask you a few questions:
1. Do you use makeup brushes? or use your fingers/cotton swabs?
2. Which brand(s) of brush are your favourite?

It.DoEsnT.NeeD.To.Be.HaLLowEEn.To.WeaR.TheSe.MasKs.

Quite a bit of the time I find my customers telling me that they are doing a regular skin care regime, yet they are not getting the results that they want to get. Something beneficial that I recommend for them to try is adding a facial mask as a great addition to their regular regime. One reason I love facial masks is because there is a facial mask for all skin types and for most concerns. The nice thing about this additional step is that you do not have to do it everyday. Used once to twice weekly, using a mask you can achieve pore tightening, brightening, exfoliating, hydrating, anti aging and purifying.  Face masks however are not a “one size fits all” product. The key is to know our skin type and buy according to it.


Normal skin 
If you are luck to have no breakouts, oiliness or dryness, you can try many different masks. You can try ones for radiance, deep cleansing, hydration or even try one for sensitive skin. 
Oily/combination skin
Usually this skin type responds well to clay masks or ones that detoxify. Clay is awesome to remove excess oil, deeply cleanse the pores and helping with black heads. They are great for detoxifying the skin yet not leaving them feel dry.
TRY: PurMinerals Mineral Mudd facial mask or Clarins Pure and Radiant Mask

Dry skin
Someone with a dry skin will want the opposite from an oily skin. They want moisture and to feel comfortable. A moisture mask is like drink of fresh water for your skin. It will leave the skin feeling plump and rejuvenated. A tip for moisture masks is to make sure to rub them in after the 10 minutes or to tissue them off. NEVER wash off, if you do you wash off the moisture.
TRY: Avene soothing moisture mask or Clarins HydraQuench moisture mask

Dull Skin
An exfoliating or radiance mask will help boost the radiance and add a glow to the skin. Exfoliating masks will help to remove dead skin cells of the skin.
TRY: Neostrata smoothing cleansing mask or Biotherm Flash recharge SOS anti fatigue mask

Mature skin
A mask for mature skin can offer anti aging benefits such as anti wrinkle and firming.
TRY: Clarins Extra-Firming face mask or Neostrata exfoliating firming mask


Whitening/Brightening 
Using a mask for whitening or brightening can help with skin lightening, scarring or age spots. Usually these masks use exfoliating ingredients.
TRY: Shiseido Intensive brightening mask.




TiP: Use an exfoliator or scrub before a mask to allow the mask to work on new skin instead of dead skin cells.


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ProduCt.ReViEw.PuR.MinEraLs.4in1.PreSSed.MiNeraL.MakeUp.FouNdaTioN.SPF15

The Product: Pur minerals 4-in-1 pressed mineral makeup foundation with SPF15

Claim to fame: It is a 4-in-1: 1.Concealer, 2.Powder, 3.foundation, 4.SPF 15. It is pure mineral pigment that is ground to the smoothes texture and bound with organic shea butter and vitamin E to make it a pressed formula. it is fre of chemical dyes, talc, alcohol, fragrance and preservatives.

Ingredients: Active Ingredient: Titanium Dioxide 8%; Inactive Ingredients:Mica, Boron Nitride, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Bismuth Oxychloride, Zinc Stearate, Magnesium Silicate, Magnesium Carbonate, Silica, Shea Butter (Butyrospermum Parkii), Tocopheryl Acetate, Iron Oxides

Pros: They do not test on animals. Great coverage(medium to full) with a semi-matte finish(natural). Easy to use and not messy at all.

Cons: Yes it contains the dreaded Bismuth Oxychloride that I believe caused me to have cystic acne. :(

The bottom line: Great colour selection. Easy to use. Worth the money because you get 4 products in one.

Price: $30 CDN

Rating: ☆☆☆1/2/☆☆☆☆☆ 

Where to get it: Shoppers drugmart, Sephora, Murale

Check out the PurMinerals Makeup planner to find your skin colour match!

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