Tag Archives: mac brushes

It’s Sunday! Have you washed your brushes?

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Here are the brushes I used this week.  I actually washed and conditioned my natural hair brushes!  I hadn’t conditioned them in ages.  I used my Daiso Cleanser For Puff and Sponge on my synthetic Sigma Kabuki and concealer brushes (it’s too harsh for natural hair brushes).  I used a gentle, SLS-free shampoo and a silicone free conditioner on the natural hair brushes (rinse extremely well if you do this).  All good!  They are sticking over the ledge of the shelf over an air conditioning vent.  🙂 We are ready for next week! 

  
When was the last time you gave your brushes a little TLC? 

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Makeup of the Day

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So, we’ve had FOUR thunderstorms today.  SO FAR.  My hair is a frizz bomb and I know if I put something on it to tame it, it will go from fuzzy to flat to my head.  So, before I post my makeup look of the day, I thought I would ask if any of you guys out there know of a product for smoothing frizz that is ACTUALLY for fine hair that will not weigh it down and have it laying completely flat to my head.

But hey, bangs are getting trimmed tomorrow, finally! 

  
FACE:  Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless in Porcelain with MAC 190 brush, NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer under eyes blended with Luxie Tapered Blending Brush (thanks Ipsy), spot concealing with NYX HD Concealer in Porcelain, no setting powder (I may regret this), NYX HD Blush in Taupe for light contour with MAC 168 brush, MAC Blush in Pink Swoon with MAC 116 brush.

EYES:  Wet n Wild Fergie eyeshadow primer in For My Primas blended with ring finger, Urban Decay Naked2 Basics palette (I used all the colors!), MAC 210 Precise Liner brush with L’Oreal Infallible Gel Liner in black, Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler, Covergirl Clump Crusher Mascara and Tweezerman metal eyelash comb (careful with this sharp SOB!) 

LIPS:  MAC Diva-Ish lipstick with Art Deco lip brush.  

I used no luminizer or highlight today…hmmm.  Very matte.  What do you think? 

$10 off every $50 you spend at MAC Online – perfect time for me to get a few brushes! 

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So, MAC Cosmetics just launched a new website redesign and they’re doing something they’re not at all known for – they have a coupon code going on for $10 off every $50 you spend, plus, you can chose from 3 free samples.  (Hey, with free shipping, why not make separate orders and try different samples?) I had just sold a few things on eBay and decided this was the time to replace the 210 super-extra-skinny eyeliner brush (Ok, I made up that name) and try 2 eyeshadow brushes I always wished I had – the 217 Blending Brush and the 239 Eye Shading Brush.  I picked a sample of Strobe Cream and got $10.00 off my order!


For many of you, these shadow brushes are already staples; however, I still feel I should do a review on these later.  Just feeling them in my hands, they are about 300,000 times softer than the Crown and Makeup Geek brushes I’ve been using – although we know that doesn’t necessarily mean better, so the proof will be in the test!

I had already used the 210 liner brush…for so many years, actually, that I killed it dead.  Welcome home, new 210.  Nobody makes a brush as skinny as you.  I shall never stray again!

Here’s the code!  It’s good until 11:59 on June 22.


What are your go to eye brushes?

How I learned to love the MAC 190 foundation brush

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I’m a former MAC artist…ok, that was many years ago, but I still use some brushes by MAC (as well as many by other less expensive brands).  The 190 foundation brush is a flat, paddle shaped foundation brush that has always vexed me a bit when I try to use it with liquid foundations, especially ones with a texture like Studio Fix Fluid that can be prone to streaking.


The MAC 190 foundation brush is a natural fiber brush (horse hair) and great for application of liquid and creams, but blending was where I was having a problem – this is because I was using back and forth “painting” type motions to work the product onto the skin and continued trying to blend this way.  Eventually, I became disenchanted with my somewhat streaky results and stopped using this brush altogether, which sucks, because it’s expensive ($34.00 USD).  One day I was feeling bummed out about it and started looking around YouTube for some tutorials on how to get better use from this brush.  Low and behold, Wayne Goss (I love him!) had tips including using the side/tip to stipple and pat any streaky texture away once the product is on the skin, working in small areas of the face.  This absolutely works wonderfully!  I feel like I’m having a renewed love affair with an old brush now, as I have gotten my 190 out and have been using it for days.

Awesome!


MAC 190 brush with Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless Foundation in Porcelain with MAC 134 brush and Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless Powder in Translucent

Have you rediscovered any old favorites or learned to love something you thought you didn’t like?

It’s Sunday – time to organize and clean!

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So, if I can get to it, I usually wash my brushes on Sunday (unless I haven’t used them much).  This weekend I’ve been cleaning a lot and today I rearranged my new makeup desk setup (I recently moved EVERYTHING across the room because I decided standing up is for the birds). I’m sure I will keep moving it around because I cannot seem to get good lighting even with 2 lamps and a lighted mirror.  Well…I got the cheap one…not the $200 one…ah, that’s a post for another day.

Last night as I kept dropping things while getting ready to go see Fury Road (holy shit, Kristin, you were right, OMGGGGGGG), I got sick of my desk space being taken up by my brush roll, dropping things, etc, so I went back to my cases and vase filler I put together with supplies from Michael’s.  In no time, I will be sick of dust and random cat hairs…there is no winning when it comes to brush storage.  (And yes, I’m running a brand new air purifier in here!) 

  
That’s an obscene number of brushes.  Some aren’t even shown here.  I take really great care of them, though, and most of my MAC brushes are about 13-14 years old – no lie!!  If you invest in quality brushes and care for them properly, it’s a worthwhile investment.  That’s not to say there aren’t some cheap gems out there – see that $1 ELF concealer brush?  I spot conceal with it nearly every day.  There are some Sonia Kashuk and Eco Tools brushes in there, too, along with the MAC and Sigma.  You might even spot one or two detail brushes from the art store! 

What brushes are your favorite?  Any special tips for how you store them?