Essential Brushes

Essential Brushes: Real Techniques, Sigma, MAC

I get a lot of questions about brushes so I thought I’d do a post on a few of what I would consider to be essential brushes. Now, you do not need to go out and get any of these but I just wanted to give you all an idea of my most-reached for brushes.

1. Real Techniques Powder Brush: I love how fluffy and soft this brush is. It doesn’t shed either which is a huge plus. It does a great job at putting just enough powder on my face but not overloading it.
2. Sigma P82 Precision Round: I love this guy for concealer. It works really well to apply color and blend it out around the edges so it matches perfectly. I have also used it for under-eye concealer and find that it is gentle enough that it doesn’t pull at my eyes but still gets the job done.
3. Real Techniques Expert Face Brush: This has got to be the best foundation brush I have ever used. It has a dome shape to get into all the nooks and crannies of the face. Combined with a broad side for coverage and a narrower side for detailing, it creates a flawless finish.
4. MAC 168 Angled Contour: I like this brush because it can be used to contour the cheekbones with bronzer of to apply blush. I mainly use it to apply blush and find that it allows me to apply color exactly where I want it.
5. MAC 227 Large Fluff: This is hands down the best brush for highlighting under the brow bone. It also does wonders for eye shadow that has traveled too far up the crease and tones it down so well.
6. Sigma E55 Eye Shader: This is my go-to brush for when I need to pack a lot of color onto my lid. It grabs the color and doesn’t create a ton of fall out because the bristles are so densely packed in.
7. Sigma E45 Small Tapered Blending: Applying colors in the crease can be tricky business for some but the E45 is so precise when first applied it is hard to mess it up. When used to blend colors, they don’t go everywhere and stay mostly where they were first applied unlike bigger, fluffier brushes.

So these are the brushes that I cannot live without. Of course there are many more that I love but I could get by with just these 7. Want to get 10% off these brushes and anything else from the Sigma Beauty site? Click here and use the code NOV2013 at the checkout!

–Sam

Everyday Essentials: Face

Keeping with the theme of routines that has occurred this week, today I’m going to share the first part of my everyday makeup look. Again, I am a self-proclaimed makeup junkie so there are a lot of products here but I’ve got it down to a science now and it only takes me about fifteen minutes for both my face and my eyes in the morning. Fifteen minutes you say?! That seems like a lot of time but I love makeup so for me, those fifteen minutes fly by! Brace yourselves, here we go!

Sigma, MAC, and Real Techniques brushes

These are the brushes I use everyday. Side note, I keep my brushes in an empty candle jar with coffee beans to keep them standing up straight and they smell like coffee! From right to left we have a Sigma P82 – Precision Round top brush for blending my concealer under my eyes (I use my ring finger to blend concealer onto spots). I like this brush because it is small enough to fit under my eyes perfectly and the bristles are densely packed and cover beautifully. It’s synthetic too so the bristles don’t absorb any of my concealer. The white angled brush is the MAC 168 brush. I use this one for applying blush to the apples and backs of my cheeks. The angle fits with the angle I apply it with on my cheeks and its just a lot easier than a traditional blush brush (I think so anyways). Next  is the Real Techniques Powder Brush. This brush line is made by a YouTuber named Samantha Chapman. I like this HUGE brush for applying setting powder all over my face. The next brush is the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush. This is hands down the best foundation brush I have ever tried. I find myself using less product because the bristles are synthetic so they don’t absorb any foundation. The bristles are also tightly packed that it blends foundation flawlessly too. Next is my contour brush: the MAC 109. The first thing I will say about this brush is that it sheds a ton! I do love it though so they little hairs left on my face don’t bother me too much but some might not like it. Last, I use the Real Techniques Setting brush to set concealer under my eyes to make sure it stays all day.

Products I use every day

Now let’s move on to the products. First, I use the POREfessional primer by benefit before I do anything else. Next, I go in with the Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet + foundation in the color 30. I have really come around to like this foundation and notice that it makes my face look healthy while still mattifying throughout the day. Concealer time! The benefit Erase Paste in fair is perfect for under my eyes while the MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NW20 is perfect for spots and problem areas. Setting time! I use MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Meduim. I use the big fluffy brush for all over my face, then get a little more on the smaller, pink fluffy brush to set the concealer under my eyes so I don’t get any weird lines under my eyes. Remember my friend Hoola? I use this with the small dome brush to apply it under my cheekbones, along the sides of my nose, and under my chin to slim down my face. Then comes blush. I use Pink Swoon by MAC with the angled brush an apply it to the backs of my cheekbones and a little to the apples of my cheekes. Finally, most days, I use a simple gloss like NYX Beige (which is not beige at all but rather a nice pink).

Phew! That’s all! It took a lot of practice to be able to apply these items without looking like I am wearing a mask. What are your everyday essentials? Comment below and don’t forget to subscribe!

–Sam