10 Best Makeup Brushes

The best makeup in the world is nothing without great tools to apply it.  And I firmly believe that you don’t have to spend a fortune to get amazing brushes.  Here are my 10 favorite brushes that are essential to my daily beauty routine:

FACE

One of my favorite brushes ever is this foundation brush from BH Cosmetics.  It’s so soft which makes it even nicer to apply makeup with.  Because it’s so dense, it evenly applies foundation without creating streaks. Find it here for $21 for a set of 10 brushes. Brush pictured here is #116.

Another foundation tool that I really love, while not a brush, is this sponge.  Similar sponges, like the Beauty Blender, go for $20.  But this one from Target is $5 and it does the same thing.  Use it damp to get a perfectly airbrushed foundation application without looking cakey. Find it here.

Concealer is something I never leave the house without so for me, it’s a necessity to find a great concealer brush and this one from BH Cosmetics is it.  It’s really soft and the perfect density to blend out concealer without leaving any streaks. Find it here for $21 for a set of 10 brushes. Brush pictured here is #122.

This blush brush from BH Cosmetics is my favorite of all time.  Again, it’s really soft so it’s super nice to put on your face. It’s the perfect size for creating a natural looking flush. Find it here for $20 for a set of 12 brushes. Brush pictured is #3.

During the long winter months, bronzer is a must.  This angled brush is perfect for applying bronzer to the hollows of your cheeks.  Like the rest of these brushes, it’s really soft and can be used on its edge to get a more chiseled contour or on the top to get a more sun-kissed defused look. This one is currently unavailable, but here is a similar $3 one from e.l.f.

EYES

This tapered brush from e.l.f. is the perfect brush for setting your under eyes.  It’s super soft and perfectly tapered so it can get into those hard-to-reach crevices. Find it here for $3.

For eyeshadow, it’s really important that you find a great blending brush.  It’s also important that it’s soft.  This blending brush from Wet n’ Wild is not only adorable but insanely soft.  It makes the boring task of blending not so bad. Find it here for $1.

Another amazing brush is this eyeshadow brush from e.l.f.. It is my favorite brush to apply  shimmery shadow or just any lid colors in general. This brush also works extremely well slightly wet with a few spritzes of setting spray to make your shimmery shades pop. Find it here for $3.

This pencil brush from BH Cosmetics makes applying shadows directly into the crease super easy.  It’s the perfect size to get a focused crease color and makes building up shadows really simple.  It’s also great to smoke out the lower lash line. Find it here for $20 for a set of 12 brushes. Brush pictured is #10.

This bent eyeliner brush from Sephora makes applying gel eyeliner a breeze. The density of it makes it perfect for grabbing just the right amount of product.  It’s also tapered so depending on the pressure you use, you can get a super thin line or a thicker one.  Find a similar one here for $3.

What are your favorite inexpensive beauty tools?

 

Spring 2016 Makeup Trends

Spring is the season of rebirth so it’s no surprise that the beauty trends for this season are mixing it up.  From vampy lips to lots of glitter, this spring it’s all about going against the grain. Break the rules without breaking the bank with these Spring 2016 picks:

Dark Lips

Generally in spring, we’re used to swapping out our deep lipsticks for brighter, pinkier shades. Not this year! The runway showed a lot of deep, vampy lips for the spring at shows like Miu Miu and Burberry.  Whether you love a matte lip or moisturizing lipsticks, these are my picks for a budget-friendly vampy lip:

Clockwise from left: Colourpop Ultra Matte Liquid Lipstick in Rooch (find it here, $6); Makeup Revolution Salvation Velvet Liquid Lipstick in Vamp (find it here, $4.61); Colourpop Ultra Satin Liquid Lipstick in Panda (find it here, $6); Impulse Cosmetics Duochrome Lip Laquer in Rapture (find it here, $10.99); e.l.f. Moisturizing Lipstick in Bordeaux Beauty (find it here, $3); e.l.f. Moisturizing Lipstick in Berry Black (find it here, $3); Makeup Revolution Lipstick in Blindfolded (find it here, $3.82)

Pops of Blue

Spring is a time where we add a few pops of color and this Spring 2016 trend is no exception.  This year, blue was seen all over the runway with not-so-subtle swipes of blue at Chanel to the tropical look at Diane Von Furstenberg.  Here are some inexpensive ways to incorporate a little blue into your spring look:

From Left: Nicka K Eye Crayon in Aqua Blue (find it here, $1); Sephora Contour Eye Pencil in Summer Cruise (find it here, $10); Beaute Basics Gel Eyeliner in Navy (find it here, $10); Kleancolor Backed Shadow in Bayou (find it here, $1); Nicka K Eyeshadow in 3314 (currently unavailable); Nicka K Eyeshadow in 3006 (currently unavailable); Nicka K Eyeshadow in 3034 (currently unavailable)

Shimmer and Glitter

Usually only worn for festive holiday parties, shimmer and glitter were huge staples on the runway this spring.  Go all out like Creatures of the Wind or show a little peek-a-boo glitter like Kate Spade with these bang-for-your-buck products:

From Left: e.l.f. Prism Palette in Naked (find it here, $10); e.l.f. Glitter Primer (find it here, $2); BH Cosmetics Glitter Eyeliner in Synergy (find it here, $5.50); Bellapierre Shimmer Poweder in Excite (find it here, $15); BH Cosmetics Glitter Eyeliner in Rapture (find it here, $5.50); e.l.f. Glitter Mascara in Plum (find it here, $3.35)

Peachy Pink Lids

More common to our spring beauty routines, peachy pinky hues were seen quite a bit on the runway this year.  Whether you love baby pink like Jill Stuart or more neutral peach like Altuzarra, these inexpensive picks have something for everyone:

Clockwise from Left: LA Colors Eyeshadow in Eden (find it here, $1); e.l.f. Prism Palette in Sunset (find here, $10); LA Colors Eyeshadow in Pink Perfection (find it here, $1); Kleancolor Baked Shadow in Golden Poppy (find it here, $1); Kleancolor Baked Shadow in Calla (find it here, $1).

Natural Glow

In the warmer months, it’s all about looking like you’re glowing from the inside out. Designers like Alberta Ferretti and Marchesa show this look.  Get the glow without feeling guilty with some of my favorite illuminators:

Clockwise from Top Left: e.l.f. Shimmering Facial Whip in Spotlight (find it here, $1); Pixi Flawless Beauty Primer (find it here, $22 for full-size, sample is pictured); Makeup Revolution Goddess of Love Highlighter in Golden Goddess (find it here, $7.66); Makeup Revolution Vivid Highlighter in Peach Lights (find it here, $4.61); e.l.f. Baked Highlighter in Moonlight Pearls (find it here, $3)

Check out these other Spring 2016 beauty trends.

Which beauty trend are you most excited to try out?

Top 5 Ways to Save on Beauty

If you spend any money at all on cosmetics you know how expensive they can be.  After spending countless hours and too many paychecks on over-priced beauty, I’ve found these top 5 ways to save when you’re buying beauty.

The easiest way to save money on cosmetics is to pay attention to sales.  Places like Sephora have rewards programs that hold special sales for their loyal customers (aka Beauty Insiders).  Beauty Insiders also get first dibs on new products.  Signing up for your favorite brand emails will also alert you to upcoming sales and promotions.

For those who love to online shop, Ebates allows you to get money back every time you make an online purchase.  It’s free to sign up and easy to search through hundreds of brands (beauty and non-beauty) to find the site you want to buy from.

Another great way to save money on beauty products is to check the beauty section at discount stores like TJ Maxx or Nordstrom Rack.  Depending on the location, they will have high-end beauty at a majorly reduced price.  The catch is that they don’t sell discount beauty online so you have to be in-store to take advantage of the savings.  Also, be aware that the beauty sections of these stores can be hit-or-miss and often times I walk away with nothing.

If you’re someone who likes to mix up your look, make sure you try out trends before splurging on expensive items.  One of my favorite places to go to try out new trends is ShopMissA.  Everything on this site is $1 so you don’t have to feel bad if a certain trend isn’t for you.  Keep in mind that because it is $1, you sometimes end up sacrificing quality.  Another way I like to test out products before buying is using Visual Artist on the Sephora App.  The app, available for Apple and Android, allows you to try on different lip colors available at Sephora without being in the store. If you do end up buying something at Sephora and not liking it, they have a great return policy.

Finally, a lot of inexpensive brands come out with dupes for high-end products.  A dupe is a product that is similar (color-wise and/or formula-wise) to another, usually more expensive product.  Finding these can be tricky but I will have more on this in an upcoming post.

What are your favorite money saving tips?