Brush Me Beautiful

OK, so you walk into Sephora, Ulta, or any department store. You want to buy a few makeup brushes. But OH. There seems to be 1000 of them. Fat brushes, skinny brushes, pink brushes, black brushes, long/short handled brushes, synthetic or natural haired brushes...YIKES!!!!! Selecting brushes if you're a brush virgin can be a scary task if you don't really know what you're looking for. No worries! I can hold your hand and get you through it =)

Below are the four brushes that I use every day. There is a basic foundation brush, a powder brush, a blush brush and an eye shadow brush. You can't go wrong with these. Of course there are many other brushes for shading, details and so on, but this post is all about basic brushes!

I usually purchase the short-handled brushes vs. the long-handled brushes, simply because they are easier to fit inside my makeup cases! They are all MAC brushes, but I also love Bobbi Brown brushes as well. Sephora has nice brushes too, very soft and durable. Enjoy!



190 Foundation Brush


This will be your best friend if you don't own one already. If you wear liquid foundation, this is the brush you must own. Repeat. This is the brush you must own. The brush hairs are stiff enough to allow even application of your foundation, but not too stiff that it is uncomfortable against your pretty face. It is a must have in every girls' makeup collection!


134 Large Powder Brush


If you wear powder, this is a great brush. Very soft and fluffy, it will allow you to apply your powder with little to no effort. There are other options for powder brushes though - some people like a bigger, fluffier brush that covers more "face" with one sweep, while others like a smaller, more concentrated brush so they can pay more attention to detail. I think this brush is a good balance between the two!


129 Blush Brush


If you wear powder blush, you need the right sized brush with the right texture. I like the 129 brush, because it's super soft and the right size to apply product to just the apples of your cheeks. You don't want a big brush for blush, because the blush will be applied beyond your cheeks and you will look pink all over - not good.


242 Eye Shader


I give the eye shadow brush a little more flexibility when it comes to size. The 242 shader is a great basic eye shadow brush for your every day uses. Some people like a larger brush for different colored eye shadows - like a smoky eye for example. Some like a smaller or flatter brush for shadow application. To each HER own, I say!


Remember - every makeup lover must own a great set of brushes. If you take care of these properly, they will last you a very long time. You should clean your brushes every couple of weeks to eliminate any potential bacteria or residue that is left on them from your makeup. You don't need to buy a fancy brush cleaner either - a few squirts of a gentle facial soap (I use my Clinique Liquid Soap) in some warm water will do just fine. Let them soak for a while, then lay them on a towel to air dry.

Happy Makeuping! <3

Body Art

There are several forms of body art. Body art can be temporary, for example, body painting, or permanent, such as shaping, dyeing, and scarification, tattooing, and piercing. This article will provide some insight into body art.

Body art painting and shaping

Body painting transforms a person into a spirit or work of art; this can include another gender or a sacred place. Emphasizing on the visual appeal of the subject, the protective body paint is what gives it the appeal.

Body shaping is a technique in which to sculpt the body. Culturally defined ideals of beauty have caused people to bind the soft bones of children's skulls and feet, stretched necks with rings, and removed ribs to make their waist smaller. The most common method today of body sculpting is plastic surgery. Plastic surgery can sculpt and define almost any part of the body.

Skin Dyeing

Henna, is used as a temporary skin dye, in which different patterns and designs are applied to the body. The crushed leaves of the henna plant, when mixed with other natural ingredients, provides a thick, aromatic paste used for painting hands and feet. The olive green, dried out henna powder, mixed with such ingredients as black tea and coffee turns dark. When applied to the skin and left on overnight, it will harden and when pealed leaves a red tone to the skin.

Body art piercing, tattooing, and scarification

Piercing is ornamental as it allows the body to hold certain kinds of ornaments, which are inserted through the skin. The most common parts of the body that are pierced is the face although you will often find ear, nose and lip ornaments. Piercing is often part of a ceremony marking the coming of age. Ornaments might be limited to certain people or worn only on certain occasions

Tattoos are intended to be permanent and the patterns and techniques have varied over the years. The effects of tattooing depend on the country you live in. As an example, in the United States, tattooing is typically looked upon as being rebellious. Tattooing, in the last decade, has become a very popular form of body art throughout the world.

Scarification is much like tattooing, instead of placing a color into the skin with a tattoo needle, the color, or substance is placed into the wound or cut. Once the wound has healed, a permanent mark will remain on the skin

All of the forms of body art listed above can have adverse effects on individuals. There are health concerns with types of body art. If you are contemplating any of the above procedures, be sure to consider all the risks and facts before making any commitments.