Clean Your Brushes & Brush 101

Happy Monday!!  Hope everyone had a great weekend!

I think something that a lot of us forget to do is clean our makeup brushes.  But even more than that, our hair brushes!!  Both of them accumulate dirt, oil, bacteria and all that fun stuff.  Who wants that on our face and our head??  I know it is time consuming and I keep waiting for Ryan Gosling to come do them, but it has to be done :)

This is just a quick post on cleaning makeup and hair brushes and also going over the different types of makeup brushes that I use.  There are SO many options out there.  I like to think that I use most of the basic brushes but I can always learn more so make sure to let me know if I need to add one to my collection.

I clean my brushes every week.  That, plus eating the right foods, is part of a great foundation for keeping your skin clear.  I mean honestly, I thought by 30 I wouldn't get acne anymore but that is a lie! :)

Okay so here are my brushes, on the way to the bath :)

I include my Beauty Blender in with my weekly cleaning, but sometimes I clean them more often.  I know a lot of people use the fancy Beauty Blender Cleanser, but I don't.  I don't know what half of the ingredients in it are and I think I can do just as good of a job for much cheaper. (PS-I always use the generic beauty blender from Walgreens, but I got these ones with points from one of my monthly beauty subs.)

When I wash my brushes, I use some dish washing liquid and some olive oil.  The olive oil helps give back what oils are stripped from the washing of the brushes.

I just mix a little in the bowl at a time and take my fingers and rub it on the brushes and clean them under the water.

Here is how amazing the beauty blenders look after cleaning.  Just make sure that you squeeze them until all the soap is out.

After they are clean, I lay them out to dry overnight.

Now for the hair brushes.....

First thing you want to do is get all of the hair out.  Pull out what you can with your hands but then take scissors and cut the remaining hair out.

Fill up the sink or a bowl with hot water and shampoo.  I use a clarifying shampoo to do these.  I don't recommend using your expensive shampoo but go for it if ya want :)

Soak them for about 15 minutes in the soapy water.

Rinse them very good with hot water and let them also dry out overnight.

Your hair and your face will thank you for taking the time to do this, I promise!

So now let's get back to some Brush 101.  Most of my brushes are from E.L.F.  They have good, quality brushes for the cheapest prices around.  I have never been disappointed.

Eyeshadow smudge brush:  Blending eyeshadow on your lid
Eyeshadow large eye brush:  Applying one color to your whole lid
Eyeshadow angled brush: Applying a darker color in your crease or just on the outer lid of eye
Eyeshadow highlighting brush: Applying highlighter below brow bone or lighter color on top of lid
Angled eyeliner or eyebrow brush: Applying eyeshadow or doing eyebrows
Eyeshadow "C" brush: Perfect smokey eye brush
Concealer brush: Blending concealer
Fan brush: Applying blush, bronzer or highlighter, very lightly

Angled brush: Applying brush or bronzer targeted for contouring
Eyeliner smudge brush:  Blending eyeliner on your lid
Eyeshadow medium eye brush:  Applying one color to specific part of your lid
Small concealer brush: Applying concealer
Small stipple brush: Applying foundation or BB cream to face
Large face brush:  Applying face powder

Foundation brush: Applying foundation or BB cream to face
Kabuki brush: Apply and blend loose powder to face
Beauty blenders: To apply foundation or BB cream to face or to blend entire face

PHEW!! So after writing this, I think that I need a brush intervention??  And yet in the beginning I asked for your input on what other brushes I should have :)  Well I will just remain in denial :)

What are your go to brushes??

Any tips for application?

How often do you clean your brushes?

What brushes would you like tutorials on?

Please let me know in the comments below!!

Have a great day!!

Let's Talk About Eyebrows, Baby.....

Do ya'll remember 90's eyebrows?  Pluck them so thin that you barely have any left?  Who decided that looked good?  Let's find that person now....No one told us that sparse thin eyebrows look good on NO ONE and getting them to fill in is nearly impossible, much grow back completely.

Ah, brings back memories now doesn't it???

Well, don't worry, today YOU are going to learn how to fix your eyebrows.

And don't think extreme like Cara Delevingne, normal, just normal eyebrows :)

You know, having nice filled in eyebrows will completely change the way your face looks.  That is a fact.  I am giving you my 100% guarantee on that.  Your eyes are the window to your soul, right, so why not have them framed with some beautiful eyebrows?  If that doesn't convince you then, how about this? Nice eyebrows are a sign of youth.  BAM! You want to stay looking young, right?  Yep.....okay, let's do a natural eyebrow tutorial together :)

I hardly had anyone to talk to about what products to use for my eyebrows so luckily I have done enough research and tried enough products to be able to help you now.  There are many types of products, too. Pencils, gels, powders and liquid wands.  

The first and hardest thing I am going to recommend is letting them grow out a bit.  I KNOW this is the hardest because we want to pluck all the stray hairs.  In reality, hardly anyone sees them but us.  If you let them grow in for about two weeks it helps a lot and shows you where your brows should actually start and end.

Now let's do the pencil trick to help us determine that even better.

Courtesy of wikiHow

Take a pencil and place it on the outer most corner of your nostril and the inside of your eye.  This is where the brow should start.  Make a dot with some eyeliner.

Courtesy of wikiHow

Keeping the pencil at the same spot on your nostril, tilt it across the center of your eye, looking straight ahead.  This is where your arch should be naturally on your face.  Make another dot.

Courtesy of wikiHow

Lastly, tilt the pencil to the end of your eye.  This is where your brow should end.  Make another mark.

Do the same thing with your other eye.

Now, there are stencils that you can use to help you shape your eyebrow.  I used them for quite some time until my eyebrows had grown in enough for me to shape them on my own.  I still recommend using the pencil trick as some stencils are larger than what you actually need.  They are also good in helping you pluck the hairs outside of the stencil so you aren't plucking too many within what should be the natural shape of your brow.

Now that we have determined where your brows should be, lets talk about the colors.

• If you have light hair and light skin, you should go one to two shades darker than your hair color. Going lighter will not help define your eyebrows.
• If you have dark hair and dark skin, you should go one shade lighter than your hair color, two at most. 

If you need additional help, I would ask your hair stylist or ask someone at Sephora, Ulta or Benefit's brow bar.  When I first started doing my eyebrows, I was using a brown eyeliner pencil and quickly learned that it was WAY TOO DARK for me.  

Next I tried, Too Faced Brow Envy Kit.  It is actually a great kit and comes with tweezers, stencils, spoolie brush, highlighter, wax and two powders.  A great starter kit!  I stopped because it was too hard to mix colors to find the right shade for my blonde hair.

So then, I started out using Anastasia's Perfect Brow Pencil in Cool Taupe.  Taupe is an almost perfect option for us blondes.  It is nice and cool toned and I think the best shade.

I am actually returning this so I just wanted to show you the product :) 

This is a pencil that also has a spoolie brush, which is what helps your brows look natural after you fill them in.

But now here is my favorite product!!  I actually got this recently has a promo from ULTA.

IT Cosmetics Universal Brow Pencil.  Universal, ya'll!!!  The color is incredible.  This is what I recommend for trying out a color.  The darker you press, the darker the shade becomes so it is flattering to all women.  It goes on as a taupe color (IMO) which is perfect for me!

Now you can see the spoolie brush I was talking about.  The tip is kinda square, but small enough to mimic your natural brow hair, which is what we want.  Unfortunately, it is not waterproof for summer but the next product I use is!

Make Up For Ever Aqua Brow.   For this I also recommend asking Sephora to help you out with coloring as they can try the colors on you in store.  Light brown is what worked for me.  Application is with an angled brow brush and you just pat it on.  It lasts all day.  I plan on putting it to the test in the pool on vacation :)

So here are my brows, au natural.  Remind me to work on the lighting at my vanity for pictures!

Thin, no shape....ugh.....Oh and another thing I learned is "eyebrows are sisters, NOT twins".  Remember that as you will never get them to look the same unless you have them tattooed on.  They are unique :) Don't stress yourself out trying to get them to match.

My whole face without my eyebrows done.  I took the picture from far away so you will be able to see the difference once they are filled in.  Hard to see them, right?

Take your product and lightly fill in your brow in short strokes, following the shape of your brow based on the marks you made from your pencil.  If you are using a stencil, only lightly draw in as we are going for a natural look here, not an eyebrow made with a sharpie.  Your eyebrow should get thinner as you get more towards the end.  Fullness in the beginning :)

Now the left is filled in.

We are getting there!

And now the right.

After the color is put in, take the spoolie brush (or an old mascara wand that has been cleaned up) and brush your brows so the color is distributed naturally.

The next thing I do to add a little OOOMPH, is put highlighter underneath my arch.  Adds some extra lift without the botox :)

Benefit's High Brow does the trick or you can use any highlighter that you have, including an eyeshadow.

Just draw some directly under the arch.

And then blend it in with a brush or your finger.  You can also use your concealer on the top and the bottom of the eyebrow too.

Done!!  I do plan on creating video tutorials soon and I will update this post at that time so you can actually see me doing my eyebrows :)

What eyebrow products do you currently use?

What are your favorite brands?

Please let me know in the comments below!

Have a great day!!

#SurfsUpVoxBox Reveal & Influenster Deets

Influenster is a place where you can learn about new products, discuss them, review them, compare them and try them.  All for free.  If you are active on social media, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, have a blog...etc than you are who they are looking for.  It is an interactive site where your activity and interactions on these forums makes you desirable to them....desirable meaning they want to send you stuff, not ask you out on a date :)

It can be frustrating sometimes....I have been in contact with them several times and from my experience, it is very random how you get selected to get free products and be included in their promotions.  But I can attest that it DOES happen!!  I got my first "Vox Box" from them and boy oh boy, is it a good one :) And I will give the disclaimer: I received all of these products free from Influenster for testing purposes.  Once you get a box, you have a series of fun activities to complete on social media, so let's go #SurfsUpVoxBox!!

PS-If you are interested in learning more, please let me know in the comments below and I will send you the referral link.  It helps BOTH of us!!

So yesterday I got my goodies and this is what I received!!

As you can see, the #SurfsUpVoxBox is full of summer goodies!!  I am a sun goddess and lover of all things hot and summery so this is a perfect first box for me.

The item I am most excited about trying is NOT YOUR MOTHERS Texturizing Shampoo and Conditioner ($3 per travel sized bottle).

FYI-I recently made the switch to the Living Proof hair line as it contains no sulfates.  I also use Nexxus priming products to maintain my color.  It keeps my hair color and highlights lasting longer and keeps my hairy stronger, shinier, smoother and overall healthier.  If you use shampoo and conditioner that does not contain sulfates, make sure your styling products don't either because your shampoo and conditioner are not strong enough to then wash them out of your hair.

So back to NYM, these also do not have sulfates in them and I have read good reviews about the products. The smell of this product is incredible. I mean it smells like sun tan oil for your hair.  With this and my Rusk texturizing spray, my hair will be looking flawless this summer!!  I am also going on vacation next week so I will be taking all of this stuff with me!! If you would like to try them, Go Here.

Next up is a coupon for a Jamba Juice Smoothie Kit and a $1.00 coupon, valued at $4.49.

Jamba Juice has really wonderful smoothies and I already know I want the Mango-a-go-go one.  Fruits...Yougurts....enough said.  You can Get One Here.

Hawaiian Tropic is next ($2.99 value).

Coconut Papaya After Sun Lotion.  I almost always get burned when we go down south for the 4th of July, as we spend 85% of our time in the pool with the family.  This is going to be so nice to be able to have something besides plain aloe vera lotion to use.  Of course, this has it in it though!

Next I got Sinful Colors nail polish ($1.99 value).

Of course, I forgot to get the name off the bottle (I think it is Lets Meet 928) but it is pretty summery color and since I have several tasks to do for getting this box you will be seeing it in a manicure soon.  I change my nail polish like the weather changes, sooooo often, so I don't spend a lot of money on polish.  This polish is cheap and a perfect go to when I just need a specific color for nail art.  These are at Walgreens or Target or Get It Here.

Lastly, I got First Aid Shot Therapy ($2.99 value).

I have never seen this before.  I have seen liquid pain relievers but this is FDA approved so makes me feel a bit better about taking it.  It worked extremely fast which was a huge plus.  I do wish that it tasted better, but I understand it is a quick fix and not something I will take every day.  They also have this for stomach aches, too! Another perfect thing to have in my beach bag for vacation!  I plan on reeeeeelaxing so who knows when I might need this ;)

They also have one for upset stomach.  Get It Here.

Isn't this an awesome box!!

Are you a member of Influenster?

What VoxBoxes have you gotten?

What are your summer vacation plans and what are your GO TO MUST HAVE items??

Please let me know in the comments below!

Have a great day!!

Paisley LOVES summer, too!

Beauty Package Giveaway!!!

Since starting this blog this month, I have gotten overwhelming support from my friends, family and other bloggers from around the world.  As some of you may know, when my father passed away I really needed something to help me get out of my head and to pass the time.  This has been one of my recent projects and it has been so successful and I pray for continued success!!

As a way to thank you all, I want to have a small giveaway with a multitude of products, something for everyone.  There are a variety of brands, from Urban Decay to DermaDoctor, from Herbal Essences to Jergens......Instead of swapping these items out and trying to get something for myself I want to use these items as a way to give something back to all of you!!

Here is the entry form.  This is my first time ever doing a giveaway, so if you have any questions or if something is not working properly, please bring it to my attention right away either here in the comments or on Facebook, so that I can get it fixed for you :)

I will be going on vacation in a week so I wanted to do it before that time :)

Please make sure to do all of the items in order to give yourself more entries!! And you can do them every day until the contest ends and then I will announce the winner.

a Rafflecopter giveaway



I hope you all enjoy and have some fun doing this.  I look forward to hearing the ideas for the latest blog post, too!!

Thanks again and ya'll have a great day!!

Glossybox June 2014 Stars & Stripes Box Review

It is finally here ya'll!!!  I have been really excited about this box as it is a beautiful collectors box.  I mean, I need some serious organizational help and this box is pretty enough to actually have lying around :)  And it is my end of the month beauty subscription since all the rest come at the beginning of the month so I was needing my makeup fix!! :)  This box is also valued at $55 and almost all are FULL sized products!

Just a reminder, this is GlossyBox.  $21 a month and all luxury samples, mostly always full sized (no little one time use foil packets).  Here is a list of some of the brands that they work with.  LOVE, LOVE, LOVE.

Okay, enough business, let's get to the unboxing of Glossybox's June 2014 Stars and Stripes box..............

 First item up is RUSK Texture Dry Finishing Spray!!

 I am very excited about this product.  The things it does to hair are wonderful!!  Instantly gives your hair volume and texturizes like a new hair cut would.  It also smells fab.  I am bad with math but I would value this at almost $6 for the size.  Get It Here.

I used it this morning and didn't use anything else!  You can SEE the volume and texture in my hair immediately :)

Next is the STRANGE BEAUTIFUL nail polish.

I have never heard of this brand and it doesn't appear to be available online.  I do know that this set was specifically made for this Glossybox so that's exciting.  The picture really doesn't show the true coloring and I apologize for that.  It is a navy blue and a true red color.  I am very happy as I am always on the hunt for a navy color and a great red.  Hopefully not hearing about this brand will be a good thing as I am a nail polish aficionado.

Next is a Sumita eyeshadow pencil.

This is full size and is $18!!  It is a champagne color that can be used all over the lid or just as a liner.  I use all of their colored mascaras and I love them! This appears to also be specially made for the July Glossybox.  Wow, I feel so fancy :) Here is the link to Sumita's website for similar products.

Moving on, we have some body butter by AYRES in Patagonia.

Jasmine, rosemary and lavender are the scents I smell when I open this little bottle of magic.  I like to use body butter on my elbows and on my heels right before bed so the magic happens while I sleep. :)
Get It Here.

Last product is another full size one.  Camille Beckman Imperial Repair Hand Therapy Lotion.

Valued at $10 and smells like lemongrass and grapefruit.  I like getting luxurious lotions in my boxes since I am constantly washing my hands at work and they dry out a lot.  This may be going in my giveaway box though so you all can get some luxury, too.  :)  Or you can Get It Here.

This is my 3rd Glossybox, but I have noticed that each box comes with some type of surprise in the form of a gift card.  My last box had a $25 gift card in it (which I lost and am still crying about) and this box has a surprise value gift card.

The gift card is to www.cwonder.com.  This site is clothes, home decor, jewelry, etc.  Also looks more affordable then I would have thought.  I am hoping that this gift card is for at least $25 to make up for the one I lost :) Wouldn't that be nice?  I'll let you know as soon as I find out!

Again, if you are interested in getting Glossybox each month, Sign Up Here! 

Overall, I am very pleased with this months box.  I am happy for the full sized products and that they are products I will be using.

Do you already use Glossybox?

Have you ever gotten one of the limited edition boxes?  I really wanted the one with the Union Jack on it!

Let me know in the comments below!

Have a great day!!