The Touch Up Kit

To start I'm going to give you guys a summary of what my skin is like. I have oily, acne prone skin with scarring around my cheek area and a VERY dark eye area, and although there are products I use and steps I take to make my makeup last as long as it possibly can and look as good as when I first applied it (more on that in an upcoming post), a touch up once throughout the day is a must for me.

So around 6-7 hours after first application I do get quite shiny, particularly through my T-zone and I've often gotten the "You're looking sweaty" comments from people whose skin is a lot better than mine and are not above judging (you know the ones). So I get my travel mirror out and I'll use blotting tissues to remove the layer of oil thats sitting on top of my makeup. This does sound a bit disgusting but trust me when I tell you it's well worth it and will stop any possible caking that can happen when you go in with your powder. They're fairly cheap and any will do the job, I'm currently using the Swisspers ones.
After that I'll take my Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in Fair and swipe this under my eyes and around my nose and mouth which are typically where my makeup tends to disappear. I like this one because its great coverage, easy to apply on the go and easy to blend out with fingers.
To lock that all in and get rid of any shine that the blotting tissues didn't take care of I use the Bourjois Healthy Balance Powder in 52 Vanille, which is one of my favourite powders I have ever tried. It locks my makeup in place without making me look too flat and absolutely never cakes up. I apply this with a Real Techniques Retractable Kabuki Brush because again its easy to use on the go and comes with a lid to keep it clean.

Finally I tackle lips and if I'm not using lip balm I go for the NYX Butter Gloss in Vanilla Cream Pie, its a beautiful warm pink shade that is seriously creamy and makes your lips look nice and full. If I'm not feeling that one then I go for MAC Patisserie lipstick which is my favourite pinky nude in the world. 

Chubby Cheeks, New From Nars and Beauty Launches

Here is a roundup of all the things that have been happening in the beauty world and have had my attention in the past week. 

1. New from Clinique, they have expanded there range with there Chubby Stick Cheek Colour Balm, everything you want in a cream blush. It's creamy, easy to blend out with fingers and perfect for touching up. I have the shade Robust Rhubarb which instantly wakes me up and gives a nice healthy glow.

The Review #1

Since I've started wearing makeup the only brushes I've ever used were either Sigma or MAC. I bought the Sigma 'Make me Crazy' set first, and then I bought the F80 kabuki brush for my foundation, a highlighting brush and blush brush to complete my set. I also have a a few eyeshadow brushes from MAC which were a little treat to myself. 

I've seen the Real Techniques brushes for a while but never thought to pick them up or try them because I was content with my own little set and also because they are ridiculously overpriced in Australia.

I got two to start with, the powder brush and the blush brush. I have to say I'm so impressed with the quality of these brushes they are seriously giving my Sigma faithfuls a run for their money. They are so soft and each brush is synthetic and washes so well (my Sigma brushes take so long to dry). 

I've found a site called iHerb.com which has all the individual brushes and sets for the American price and they only charge $8 shipping to Australia (bargain). They're so cheap and amazing. I have 100% been converted.

Dr Bronner's Magic Soap

Every week or so I like to give my brushes a really deep clean. Up until last week I was using just a normal facial cleanser when I took them to the bathroom sink spa. 

It did an okay job but I wasn't really 100% happy with it so after hearing about the Dr Bronner's Magic Soap I decided to try it. There are a few different ones, I picked up 'baby mild'.

What I do is wet my hand with warm water, put a small 5 cent piece amount in my palm, and swish my brush in it until all the makeup is gone. Then I rinse my brush under the tap with the handle facing down. This is really important because if your brush faces upward it allows the water to go inside, and will cause the hairs to loosen and shed. I always squeeze the excess water out, and lay them flat over a bench to dry overnight. I also reshape them while they're damp. 

The magic soap makes brush cleaning so easy, and is also good for people who have allergies or sensitive skin (and of course babies) as it's unscented and organic.