Category: makeup tools

Beauty and Storage… my two favorite things!

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November 30, 2014

Recently I was asked  to write a blog post about how I organize my makeup and boy was I excited. Just as much as I love beauty products, I equally love organizing them. There are two ways you can store your beauty loot – covered/tucked away and showing them off at all times. For those that know me I’m sure you’re not surprised that I love option number two. It’s not that I’m showing them off really, but more happily gazing at my collection of mascaras, eye shadows, blushes and nail polishes and how they are  neatly displayed. I find that this option is right for me because it not only makes me happy but it allows me to keep inventory of products that I own so that they do not go unused (you know what I’m talking about – “oh, heyyy, I remember this lipstick from a year ago!”). I really like the acrylic organizers that you can purchase online or in stores like TJMaxx, Target or Marshalls. I actually got my collection at a combination of The Christmas Tree Shops as well as ideel.com but you can find similar ones online. I like these because they provide a lot of different storage options depending on how much beauty merchandise you need to organize, the type and how you need to see it (some have drawers, while others swivel).

Below are pictures of my beauty organized (forgive the picture quality). As you can see I like everything in its place and I also like to see everything clearly. While I could not find the exact ones online you can click below to the links I provided for you to get an idea of what works for you.

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This isn’t beauty but I had been searching for a jewelry organizer to display my bracelets, earrings and rings in an organized fashion and am so excited I finally found this. Doesn’t it look like a store display? Everyday I feel like I’m shopping… my own jewelry!

Target

Bed Bath and Beyond

Not into displaying all you have? Or maybe you have less space than you would like and need to have your beauty stored away. No problem. When I travel, I take my necessitates into one bag without any pockets so that I don’t miss anything. How cute are these ones below?

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And for those that are experts, check out the one below!

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How do you like to organize your beauty stash?

Maureen

Makeup Essentials for Travel

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November 25, 2014

Traveling this holiday season? Me too. I was asked today to publish a post on what essentials I was bringing on my holiday getaway as some of you might be flying or driving in the next few days and can’t bring your entire beauty bag with you. So what should you bring and what should you leave home? Here’s what does and doesn’t make the list for me!

Bring Along

Tinted Moisturizer/BB Cream/Foundation – whatever your preference in skin enhancement, bring it with you. It doesn’t matter if I have great eyeshadow or lipstick on for me if I don’t have my skin covered first.

Concealer – I use mine daily as an under eye corrector and for any imperfections that might arise.

Bronzer (if you use one) – I also use this daily so for me not to wear it would make me feel…well not right.

Blush – here is where I would choose a cream color and use it as a multi-tasker as a lip color as well. My favorites are Bobbi Brown and Josie Maran – I actually keep them in my purse all the time.

Eyeshadow – pair this way down if you can. I would stick with neutrals that you are going to wear every day/night and get the most use out of. I would choose a vanilla and a cocoa color as your take alongs. Bonus – bring a flat brush and use the cocoa as your eyeliner.

Mascara – bring whatever you would normally wear but pair down to just one (or two if you’re like me).

Gloss – if you chose a powder blush instead of a cream, make sure you pack a gloss you feel good about wearing everyday. I would stick with a pink or soft brown. Reds are really fun for holiday but if you’re not going to wear it everyday this weekend, leave it home.

Dry Shampoo – depending on how many days you will be away from home you may not have time everyday to wash and do your hair full out everyday. I would bring along some dry shampoo just in case.

Coconut Oil – if you don’t have any right now, go out and buy some before you leave. I love this stuff! I use it as my body moisturizer as well as many other things. I rub into my cuticles before I go to bed, use it as lip balm and use on my eyebrows to keep them in place. You can also use it on the ends of your hair to keep your style in place and flyaways down. Girls with longer and finer hair should go easy (remember this is oil) but girls with thicker or a short hairstyle can load up a little bit more. It can also be used as a gentle eye makeup remover. Bonus – if you purchase the organic, unrefined kind it smells amazing.

Leave Home

Highlighters – these are so flattering but will take up room in your bag. My advice? Bring a vanilla sheen as your vanilla shadow above and work it as double duty.

Fun lip colors – I always end up bringing way too much and only use one that is in my purse. Choose one staple that you can wear all weekend and keep it natural.

Loose eye shadows – besides the two I suggested above, I would avoid bringing any more. If your shadows are in a palette, go ahead and feel free to bring that. Remember  if you’re away visiting family, you’re probably not going to have a ton of time to try new makeup tricks or colors, so stick to the basics and tried and true colors that you know work for you.

Nail polish – do it before you leave or let them be natural. I would avoid bringing any color along. Better yet – go get your nails done with the women in your family as a girls’ day date!

Remember – when you’re deciding what to bring ask yourself this “Am I REALLY going to use this in the next few days?” If the answer is I don’t know, leave it home. You probably won’t miss it.

What are your traveling beauty essentials?

Maureen

Cleaning your brushes and tools

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November 5, 2014

I was not feeling well this evening so I decided to take advantage of some down time and give my brushes and tools a good cleaning. How often and how much is really dependent on how much you use your products but if you’re using them regularly you should think about doing it weekly or bi-weekly. It might seem like a lot, but remember these things are touching your face over and over again and trap bacteria, dust and dirt. You don’t want that on your face, do you? Me either. So let’s get down to it.

Make sure you have all your brushes and tools ready before cleaning. Put a dry towel or a few paper towels down flat next to your sink where your brushes can be left and dried after washing. You want to wash your brushes with a gentle soap and ones specifically made for cleaning are the best. You can find them anywhere now – I have one from Sephora that has lasted forever but you can buy ones at the drugstore or specialty makeup store. If worse comes to worse you can also use Johnson & Johnson Baby Shampoo as its gentle (and cheap!). Take your first brush, put it under running warm water and then put a little bit of soap on the brush. I then rub the brush on the back of my hand until I can see all the makeup coming out. I repeat this as well as run under warm water again until the water is clear. I give the brush’s hair a gentle squeeze and then lay it flat on the towel to dry. I fan out the brush strands so that they are not clumped together. Repeat with all your brushes and tools. Make sure you’re drying in an open, dry area. I would avoid the bathroom if its warm and damp in there.  It can take a few hours to have those babies dry so I like it do it overnight so I can use them in the morning. Below is the link to the Sephora product I use as well as a picture of my brushes drying.

There is also a spray that you can purchase from Sephora called a Daily Makeup Brush Cleanser. I would use this for items like eyeliner brushes and eye shadow brushes because if you leave that kind of product on, it will make the brush almost not useable for the next time so it needs a quick removal of product even if its not a deep cleansing.

SEPHORA COLLECTION - Purifying Brush ShampooSEPHORA COLLECTION - Master Cleanse: Daily Brush Cleaner

Brushes

Happy Cleansing!

Maureen

The best makeup tool you will ever get for under $5

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October 28, 2014

If you read any of my previous posts you know by now that I love spending time and money on eye makeup, so the fact that my favorite little tool is a mascara aid should come to no one’s surprise. I can’t take credit for finding this but I do want to spread the word about this fantastic little device (that I could only find online). It is a GAME CHANGER for your mascara. If you’re like me (impatient, heavy handed with mascara) you end up getting half of your application on your top lid or a lovely raccoon smudge marks below your bottom lashes. Both are very attractive looks :). The bigger the brush (and you know by now I love me some big brush action) the less control you have over exactly where that mascara is going. This does not stop me from using it but it does create the need for the little mascara guide below. It is small plastic wand that you place right behind the lashes so that when you apply your mascara, it catches all the excess formula leaving your lids and under eyes clean. Genius! Yes, it does look complicated but it completely makes sense. Each end is specified for the top or bottom lashes and holds your lashes in place while you apply your mascara. The best part? Its super cheap! The most expensive I found was five bucks, with the cheapest being about 2. This is really the best thing you will ever purchase for this little money for your eyes – you will definitely thank me later! Click on the image below to purchase and let me know what you think!

Maureen

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Secret Weapon

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October 7, 2014

When I was a little girl, my mother (a former hairdresser) led me to believe that I had thick, polka-straight hair. She would tell me this every time I told her I wanted a perm just like my best-friend in third grade. I was so envious of these bouncy, glossy tendrils. So you can imagine my surprise when in my late teens a hairdresser told me that I actually had fine, wavy hair like my dad. Kathy had lied to me all these years! And I hadn’t realized it because she had been blow-drying my hair straight my entire childhood so I never thought to question her (side note this would take place while watching new episodes of Life Goes On on the edge of my mom’s bed while she blow-dried my hair straight with an old-school Vidal Sasoon hair dryer that had a brush IN it – genius. Some of my greatest memories were sitting on the edge that bed on Sunday nights, hanging with my mom and watching what issue Becca and Corky were dealing with that week).

After learning that I actually had wavy hair that wasn’t thick (it is fine but I have a lot of it) I learned to embrace my natural wave, especially in the summer when the weather gets warmer. But I do enjoy wearing my hair straight for the most part. Here is where my secret weapon comes in. People often think I have naturally straight hair but I don’t – my straightener just does a really great job. And the best part is its simple to use and takes almost no time. I have used a ton of straighteners throughout high school, college and I confess even now I have a total of four (I know-I don’t even know why I need four) but this is the one I always go back to. I can’t take credit for finding it – I was a sophomore at college when my roommate who actually DID have really thick hair got this straightener and I tried it on myself. I was hooked instantly. Since that time I have had to only replace it once, which is pretty much unheard of. The plates are very wide, it only has one setting, and my favorite part of all – it has a comb in the straightener to keep your hair taught. I can’t say enough about this trusty thing – it really is so easy to use and holds up well year after year. The only downside is that you can’t find it in stores – you have to order it online but hopefully this review of it will  give you the push to try it if you are looking for a new straightener. Below is an image of mine but upon looking this up it looks like the exact model might be discontinued or the brand has upgraded their model to the silver one in the link below. I have a smaller version of the one below when I cut my hair short and it works just as well!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fransen-Futura-Straighteners-Super-Ceramic/dp/B002KLULOM/ref=pd_cp_beauty_1

Any questions, let me know.

Happy Straightening!

Maureen