Japonesque Travel Brushes Review

Hi Everyone!

I wanted to put a quick blog post together for you about a new range of make-up brushes that have recently been launched in Boots stores here in the UK. Japonesque aren't a very well known brand amongst consumers here but they offer really nice, high quality, professional brushes. I have been lucky enough to have been sent 3 of the face brushes from the collection and here are my thoughts:

Powder Brush

Powder Brush: This brush has been designed for the application of powders such as blushes, bronzers, pressed and loose powders. I really, really like this brush, the head is packed full of soft bristles. I have been using this to apply my MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural and it does an amazing job. I previously used the MAC 150 and this is much softer. This is definitely my new favourite powder brush! This brush is priced at £29.95

Blush Brush: This brush is obviously designed for apply blush to your cheeks! I like this brush but would prefer it if it was slightly fuller. I usually use my MAC 129 brush to apply blush and the 129 is quite a bit fuller. The Japonesque brush is similar size and shape to the MAC 116 brush. This brush is great for blush but I prefer it for applying highlighter. This brush is priced at £24.

Angled Foundation Brush

Angled Foundation Brush: This is a really nice, smooth, full foundation brush. I wasn't sure that I would like the angled shape but it's actually great for achieving a more precise application. The brush applies and blends the foundation evenly and the tip is great for application around the eyes and nose. This brush is priced at £19.50

Overall, these brushes are great but very expensive. The travel sized handles are great and the brushes are top quality. As I am training to be a make-up artist I see brushes as an investment, I think that if you are really into make-up then they would make a great addition to your kit. You can purchase them from Boots

Disclaimer: Brushes where sent to me from the company as press samples. All of the opinions are my own.

Maz x

How to Paint the Ends of Your Make-up Brushes

Hi Everyone!

I thought that I would put a quick post together for you on how to paint the ends of your make up brushes. I am sure that many of you have seen the beauty guru's on YouTube with coloured ends to their brushes and it is such a great idea. I have quite a large selection of brushes, some are for my own personal use and some are for use on other people/ clients. Painting the ends of them is a great way of identifying which ones are which so that you can't get them all mixed up! You could also paint your brushes a certain colour for each different brand or one colour for face brushes and another colour for eye brushes and  if you are just painting them for fun you could do all different colours! I also think that it makes cheaper brushes look more expensive!

You will need:

Your make up brushes

Tape

Nail Varnish

Top Coat

Method:

1. First take your brushes and tape off a section at the bottom of each brush.

2. Now choose your favourite nail polish and paint the ends of the brushes, they will probably need 2 coats of polish each. If, like me, you have a lot of brushes you may want to use a drugstore nail varnish rather than a high end, more expensive one as you will find that you use up quite a lot of varnish!

3. This step is optional but I added a top coat to my brushes in order to try and reduce the chances of the polish wearing off.

4. Now leave the brushes to dry for at least and hour with their painted ends hanging over the edge of your table.

5. Once you are certain that they are dry, carefully peel off your tape.

I hope that you found this tutorial helpful! Have fun!

Maz x

Real Techniques Starter Brush Set Review

Hi Everyone!

I recently ordered the Real Technique's by Samantha Chapman Starter Brush Set and wanted to share my thoughts and opinions on this product with you all. For those of you who haven't heard of Samantha Chapman she is a UK based make-up artist who, along with her sister Nic, post tutorials on YouTube under the username of Pixiwoo (click here to see her channel). Samantha is such a talented make up artist and I love to watch her videos and have seen her using her own brushes and wanted to try them. The brush handles are black and purple in colour, the black part has a rubberised coating which provides you with a better grip. The brush hairs are made from soft, hand cut taklon bristles and are cruelty free. There are currently 3 sets of brushes available, as well as some individual ones and I chose this set which contains 5 eye brushes.

Front of Packaging

Back of Packaging

(L to R) Accent Brush, Brow Brush, Deluxe Crease Brush, Base Shadow Brush, Pixel-Point Eyeliner Brush

OFFICIAL BRUSH DESCRIPTIONS
Base Shadow Brush: Applies a smooth, flawless foundation of colour.
Deluxe Crease Brush: Soft, over sized design for effortless contouring.
Accent Brush: Designed for precision detailing, spotlighting, highlighting and contouring.
Pixel-Point Eyeliner Brush: Tapered cut is ideal for dense or fine eyeliner application.
Brow Brush: Distinctive shape easily defines eyebrows.

I took 4 of the brushes from the collection and compared them to similar brushes that I already own to see how they measure up. The Accent brush is the only brush that I haven't compared against another brush as it is nothing like anything else I own! I especially love this brush for applying colour to my lower lashline as it really fits under there well.

(L to R) RT Pixel-Point Eyeliner Brush, Sigma E05

First up I took the Pixel-Point eyeliner brush and compared it to my Sigma E05 brush. As you can see from the picture above, the RT brush is much fuller and longer and less pointed than the Sigma one. To be totally honest I am not sure whether I really get this brush or not! It is good for when you want a thicker line but I would rather have the more precise Sigma brush. I think that I will be using it for applying colour underneath my lower lashline.

(L to R) RT Brow Brush, MAC 208

Next up I am comparing the brow brush to my usual MAC brow brush, the 208. As you can see, the RT brush is much bigger than the 208, however, the 208 is very small, and in my opinion, a little too small. You obviously won't be getting the same precise control with the RT brush as you would with the MAC one, but the RT one is quicker to use. I have also tried applying gel eyeliner with it too and it works really well!

(L to R) RT Base Shadow, MAC 239

OK, as you can see the RT shadow brush looks nothing like the MAC 239 but they are both supposed to do roughly the same job! The RT brush is much fuller and fluffier than the 239, the bristles on the 239 brush are much shorter and more tightly packed together. The RT brush applies pressed shadows really well, but I feel that it is a bit too fluffy to apply loose pigments as you will get quite a bit of fall out. The advantage that it does have over the 239 is that it can blend out your eyeshadow as well as applying them which is great for when you are in a rush and want to apply one colour all over your lid.

(L to R) RT Deluxe Crease Brush, MAC 224, MAC 217

Finally I have compared the RT Crease Brush to the MAC 217 and 224. The bristles on the RT brush are quite tightly packed together, similar to the 217 brush but is is fuller than it, it is also much rounder at the tip. It is also shorter than both of the MAC brushes. The RT brush is great for applying colour to your crease and deposits more colour that the 224 brush would but does not give the precision of the 217. Overall, I would say that the RT brush is a cross between the 224 and the 217 brushes.

To conclude, I think that these brushes are excellent quality and are very different from other brushes that I own which is great. I love the look of the brushes, mainly because purple is my favourite colour and how easy they are to grip. They biggest plus point has to be the price, I feel that the set is great value for money especially when you think of the fact that you can easily spend that amount of one brush from MAC. I am really impressed with Real Techniques as a brand and will definitely consider buying more from the range.

I purchased my brush set from Cocktail Cosmetics for £20.95. They are also available at Ulta stores in the USA.

Maz x



MAC Face & Eye Brushes

Hi Everyone!

I shared my Sigma Face and Eye Brush collection with you all a couple of months ago and the posts where pretty popular so I decided to share my MAC brushes with you too. I own quite a few of the eye brushes but only 3 face brushes so I have put them all in the same post for you. MAC brushes are very expensive and are an investment buy. I really believe that good brushes do a lot of the work for you when it comes to applying make up. Most of mine are a few years old and have been used and washed over and over again and always perform well. I have never found any real problems with shedding of the hairs either. Obviously I do not own the entire range of MAC brushes but these are the ones that I do own!

EYE BRUSHES:

(L to R) 208, 213, 217, 222

208 Angled Brow Brush: The 208 brush is a really small angled brow brush that applies your powder brow products really well, it is also suitable  for applying eyeliner to the lashline too due to its synthetic/ natural bristle mix. 

213 Fluff Brush: This brush is used for applying eyeshadow to the lid, the brush is quite fluffy so I wouldn't recommend using it to apply loose pigments as you will get quite a lot of fallout. I like to use the 213 brush to apply a wash of colour using a shadow such as MAC Brule as a base.

217 Blending Brush: The 217 brush is my favourite brush to use for applying colour into your crease. It is oval shaped and slightly tapered which gives you excellent control.

222 Tapered Blending Brush: The 222 brush is similar to the 217 but, as you can see from the picture above, it is slightly longer and narrower which provides you with extra control when applying colour to your crease. Due to the brush's bristles being quite tightly packed together, the brush puts down more colour than the 217 but does not blend it out as well.

(L to R) 224, 219, 239

224 Tapered Blending Brush: The 224 is a fluffy blending brush and is one of my favourite brushes. Nothing blends out eyeshadow like the 224! I also like to use it to apply a sheer wash of colour to my lid or to build up a crease colour.

219 Pencil Brush: This is a really great brush and essential for any kit in my opinion. The pencil shaped tip is great for applying and smudging out eyeliner, applying precise colour to the crease, darkening your outer corner/ v area and is also great at applying a highlight colour to your inner eye area.

239 Eye Shader Brush: The 239, in my opinion, is the best brush amongst any brand for packing colour onto your lid. The bristles are tightly packed together and narrow out at the top which also makes it great for applying colour to the lower lashline. This would be the first brush that I would recommend buying from MAC.

(L to R) 242, 252, 227

242 Shader Brush: The 242 brush does a similar job to the 239 but is slightly smaller. It has synthetic bristles which makes it brilliant at applying emollient based products such as cream eyeshadows (e.g. paint pots) as well as your regular pressed ones.

252 Large Shader Brush: The 252 is a larger version of the 242 brush. It is great at applying all over colour to your lid, especially if you are in a rush and also doubles up as a great concealer brush.

227 Large Fluff Brush: The 227 brush is pretty big for an eye brush but blends out eyeshadows really well. I like to use it to apply my highlight shade to my brow bone and also to neaten up the lines of my shadow. It is also large enough to use to apply highlighter to the tops of your cheekbones.

FACE BRUSHES:

(L to R) 109, 129, 150

109 Small Contour Brush: The 109 brush is a really cute, little, round brush that is great to use when contouring your cheekbones, it's size and shape are perfect for fitting underneath the cheekbones and the dense hairs mean that it buffs the product into your skin really well and effortlessly.

129 Powder/ Blush Brush: The 129 brush is my favourite brush for applying blush. It applies and blends it well, however I must say that I prefer the comparable Sigma brush (the F10) to the 129 brush as I find that the bristles are much softer and fan out better which makes blending you blush powder much easier. Sorry MAC!

150 Large Powder Brush: This is a really big brush that is ideal for apply pressed or loose face powders. I use it to apply both my MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural and my Smashbox Halo Powder and it applies both really well. I do, however, have to again say that I prefer the Sigma (F30) equivalent to the 150 as the bristles are softer and slightly fuller.

Overall, I have to say that I love my MAC brushes and due to their high price you have to see them as an investment. They all perform really well and you can usually tell the difference between them and some cheaper brands of brushes. An amazing, cheaper range of brushes are from Sigma (click here to read my Sigma Eye brushes post and click here to read my Sigma Face brushes post).

You can purchase MAC brushes online from the UK and US websites and also MAC stores and counters.

Maz x

Sigma Face Brushes

Hi Guys!

I love Sigma as a brand and I am a huge fan of their make up brushes, they are affordable and amazing quality and are, in my opinion, on par with MAC brushes. I think that Sigma is a brand that is not very well know in the UK but I buy my Sigma brushes from two UK-based websites Love Make up and Cocktail Cosmetics. I have ordered several times from both of these sites and never had any problems at all. I am sure that Sigma products are widely available to buy in the USA via the official Sigma website.

This post is going to focus on the Sigma face brushes that I own and how I use them.

F45

F45 Buffer/ Kabuki Brush: This is a really densely packed, soft kabuki brush that is ideal for applying loose or pressed powder all over the face and neck. I used it in slow, circular motions to buff in my face powder.

F55, F60, F35

F55 Small Duo Fibre Brush: This is a flat topped duo fibre brush that is a smaller version of the F50 brush (shown below). It can be used to lightly apply powder products to the face, I tend to use it to highlight my cheek bones.

F60 Foundation Brush: This is a standard foundation brush that is great for applying any liquid or pressed foundation.

F35 Tapered Highlighter Brush: The F35 brush is great for highlighting and contouring, it has a pointed tip that provides precise, accurate application.

F15, F80, F10

F15 Duo Fibre Powder/ Blush Brush: This is a medium sized tapered duo fibre brush that can be used to lightly apply powders such as blushes and highlighters to the face.

F80 Flat Top Synthetic Kabuki Brush: This is a flat topped, long handled kabuki brush which is ideal for applying face or setting powder to your face. It buffs the powder into your skin flawlessly. You can also use it to apply liquid foundation to you skin in circular motions.

F10 Powder/ Blush Brush: This is my favourite blush brush and is better, in my opinion than my 129 MAC brush. It is really soft and blends and applies your blush perfectly.

F40, F25

F40 Large Angled Contour Brush: This brush has natural bristles and is traditionally used for contouring your cheekbones, I however prefer to use it for blush application. As the bristles are packed tightly together you will get a large colour pay off from your blusher.

F25 Tapered Face Brush: This is a larger version of the F35 brush (shown above) and is great for contouring and highlighting your cheekbones. It would also be great for applying all face powders such as blush.

F50, F20, F30

F50 Duo Fibre Brush: This is an excellent multi-purpose brush that can be used to apply liquid products such as foundation as well as powders to give you an 'air-brushed' finish. My favourite use for this is for applying my MAC Fix + spray, when I have finished my make up I spray my Fix + onto this brush and stipple it all over my face to set my make up and reduce any cakey powder.
F20 Large Powder Brush: This is the only brush that I use to apply bronzer. It distributes the product evenly and blends it in really well.
F30 Large Powder Brush: This is a great brush for applying powders to the face and body. I generally use it to apply face powder (it gives a more sheer application for this task than a kabuki brush does).

I highly recommend Sigma brushes, as I mentioned previously, I believe that they are as good as MAC brushes and in some cases (the F10 brush) they are better. I have not found any problems with them shedding their bristles and they have all washed well several times.

I do not own the entire range of Sigma brushes (Although I am working on it!) but you can check out the rest of the range on Sigma's official website.

I hope that you have found this post useful, click here to read my post about Sigma Eye brushes.
Maz x

Lauren Luke Make up Brushes

Hi Everyone!

I am sure that many of you have heard of Lauren Luke aka Panacea81 from YouTube and love her videos. She has recently launched her own professional brush range of 8 brushes that can either be purchased as a set of 8 or individually. These brushes look amazing quality for the price.

I have purchased 2 of her brushes so far, the Flat Eye Shadow Brush (£8) and the Pencil Brush (£7.50). I, like many of you, already have a large number of brushes from MAC, Sigma and Crown so don't really need more brushes but I always think that you can never have too many flat shader and pencil brushes as those are the ones that I use the most!

The Flat Eyeshadow Brush: This is a similar size to the MAC 239, the brush head is roughly the same size and shape as the 239 but not quite as densely packed in my opinion. The brush is slightly shorter than the 239. It packs on colour really well but I felt that it didn't feel quite as soft as the 239 brush on my skin.

The Pencil Brush: Again, this brush is slightly shorter in length than its MAC comparable, the 219. The brush head is a similar size to the 219 but is slightly more pointed which is great for precision application.

Lauren also offers the following brushes:

Angled Liner brush £6.60

Blending Eye Shadow Brush £8.50

Flat Contour Brush £10.50

Foundation Brush £12

Large Powder Brush £13

Tapered Blending Brush £9

The Full Set of 8 Brushes £67.50

As you can see the prices are on the slightly lower end of the market for what you would expect to pay for professional quality brushes which makes them a winner for me! I felt that the 2 brushes that I own are not quite as good quality as the MAC alternatives but the lower price really makes up for that!

You can purchase the brushes here and I am pretty sure that they ship them worldwide.

Please let me know what you think if you have also bought them.

Maz x

Sigma Eye Brushes

Hi Everyone!

I love Sigma as a brand and I am a huge fan of their make up brushes, they are affordable and amazing quality and are, in my opinion, on par with MAC brushes. I think that Sigma is a brand that is not very well know in the UK but I buy my Sigma brushes from two UK-based websites Love Make up and Cocktail Cosmetics. I have ordered several times from both of these sites and never had any problems at all. I am sure that Sigma products are widely available to buy in the USA via the Sigma Website

This post is going to focus on the Sigma eye brushes that I own and how I use them.

EO5, E65, E20, E30

EO5 Eyeliner Brush: This is a classic pointed eyeliner brush.

E65 Small Angle Brush: This is an angled eyeliner brush which is ideal for creating a flick.

E20 Short Shader Brush: This brush is super short and has very densely packed bristles. You can use this to apply eyeliner or to smudge colour along the lashlines. It will also densely pack colour onto the eyelid.

E30 Pencil Blush: This is a great pencil brush which I think is a little soft and less densely packed than the MAC 219 brush. I use it to smudge colour along the lower lashline, to apply inner corner colour and to define the crease.

E55, E25, E45, E70

E55 Eye Shading Brush: This is an amazing eyeshadow brush that applies pressed and loose shadows really well, the bristles are nicely packed and provide great colour pay off.

E25 Blending Brush: This is a blending brush which is perfect for apply and blending out crease colour. You can also use it to apply colour to the lid too.

E45 Small Tapered Blending Brush: The E45 brush has similar uses to the E25 brush mentioned above but allows a slightly more precise application due to it's tapered tip.

E70 Medium Angled Shading Brush: This is an angled, wedge shaped eyeshadow brush which is great for creating the outer v shape. The bristles aren't too densely packed so you will get a fairly sheer application of colour.

E40, E50, E60

E40 Tapered Blending Brush: This is one of my favourite brushes from Sigma and is a must have! I mainly use it to blend out my eyeshadows. I use it empty or with a flesh coloured shadow to get rid of any harsh lines. I also use it to apply a sheer wash of lid colour.

E50 Large Fluff Brush: This is a really large shadow brush that can be used to apply colour to the lid but I mainly use it to apply my brow highlight colour and to blend out any harsh lines. It is big enough to also apply highlight to your cheek bones.

E60 Large Shader Brush: This is a large eyeshadow brush with synthetic bristles. It is great for apply loose or pressed shadows all over the lid and is also excellent for apply emollient based products such as MAC's paint pots.

I do not own the entire range of Sigma eyeshadow brushes but I'm working on it! Sigma brushes are amazing and are of similar quality to the much more expensive MAC brushes, I have owned them for a long time and they have all washed really well and I have had no problems with bristle shedding.

I hope that you have found this post useful, please click here to read my post about Sigma's Face brushes.
Maz x

Top Face Brushes

Hi Everyone!

I have picked out my favourite 8 face brushes to share with you. These are the brushes that I use on a regular basis and that I have found perform and wash really well time and time again.

(L to R) Clinique Foundation Brush, Sigma F10, MAC 150, Sigma F20, Sigma F50, Smashbox 22, Sigma F15, MAC 109

MAC 109: This brush is a small round domed brush that it brilliant for contouring your cheekbones. It applies the product and blends it out brilliantly. It can also be used to apply highlighter to the cheekbones.

MAC 150: The 150 brush is a large powder brush that I use to apply my MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural.

CLINIQUE FOUNDATION BRUSH: I have had this brush for many years and it's still as good as new! It applies and blends in even the thickest of foundation really well.

SMASHBOX FAN BRUSH 22: This is a really delicate fan brush that is great for sweeping eyeshadow fallout off your cheeks and also for applying highlighting powder.
SIGMA F10: This is my favourite blush brush by far and I prefer it over the MAC alternative. It has super soft bristles and blends out powder and cream blushes excellently.

SIGMA F15: This is a medium sized tapered duo fibre brush that I use to apply powder highlighter to my cheekbones it can also be used to apply blush.

SIGMA F20: This is a large paddle brush which I use to apply bronzer but it can be used to apply any face powder.

SIGMA F50: This is a large duo fibre brush that I use to apply my Fix + spray.

I hope that you have enjoyed reading this post, please feel free to share your favourite brushes with me in the comments section below.
To purchase brushes from MAC click here to purchase from Sigma click here to purchase from Clinique click here and from Smashbox click here

Maz x

Top Eye Brushes

(L to R) MAC 219, MAC 239, Smashbox 15, Sigma E45, MAC 227, MAC 224, MAC 242, Smashbox 21, Sigma E20, MAC 217

Hi Everyone!

I decided to post my favourite eye makeup brushes for you but it was so hard to narrow it down! I finally chose 10 to share with you. These brushes are used and washed on a regular basis.

MAC 217: This is a stiff domed brush which is ideal for applying and blending out crease colour.

MAC 219: The 219 is a stiff pencil brush which is great for applying an inner eye highlight colour, adding more precise colour into the crease and also for smudging eyeshadow along the lower lashline.

MAC 224: This is a fluffy blending brush that is the best at blending out eyeshadows, it's also great at adding a subtle wash of colour to the lid or crease area.

MAC 227: Is a large rounded fluff brush that I use to apply my brow highlight with and also to blend out any eyeshadow lines. It's also large enough to apply highlight to the cheekbones too.

MAC 239: The 239 brush is shadow brush with really densely packed bristles. It's great for applying all types of eyeshadow.

MAC 242: The 242 brush is probably my favourite brush to apply pigments with as it picks up the product really well. It is also really good at applying inner corner highlight shadows and under eye colours as it's tip is quite precise. As the bristles are synthetic it is ideal for apply emollient-based products such as paint pots. The MAC 252 is a larger version of the 242.

SMASHBOX - DEFINER BRUSH 15: This brush is like a chunkier version of the MAC 219 and is really good for applying colour to the outer v area of your lid.

SMASHBOX - ARCHED LINER BRUSH 21: This is the only brush that I can apply gel or cream liner with! The arched tip makes it so much easier to see what you are doing!

SIGMA E20: This brush has very short densely packed bristles, I mainly use this brush to apply colour along the lower lashline or to smudge out eyeliner.

SIGMA E45: The E45 brush is a tapered domed blending brush that does a similar job to the MAC 217 but it is slightly fluffier than it and it's tapered end makes it a little more precise than the 217.

I hope that you have enjoyed this post. To purchase brushes from MAC please click here. To purchase brushes from Smashbox click here and to purchse brushes from Sigma please click here
 Maz x

 

How to Clean Your Make up Brushes

It is really really important to wash your make up brushes regularly as they harbour dust, oils and bacteria. I have 2 ways to clean your brushes.

1. For a quick 'spot' clean -

If I want to give a certain brush a quick clean to remove make up from it so that I can use it straight away I pour a small amount of MAC's brush cleanser onto a paper towel and gently swirl the brush hairs in a circular motion into the solution. I then lay the brush flat and ideally, give it a good 10 minutes to dry before using it. I would recommend purchasing a small plastic spray pump bottle from the drug store to pour some of the brush cleanser into as the MAC bottle dispenses the liquid rather quickly and it can be easy to waste it.

2. For a thorough clean -

As I have mentioned before, it is very important to clean your face and eye brushes frequently. To do this thoroughly I begin by holding the brush downwards under warm running water. Please remember not to let any water get down into the brush as it can cause the ferrule (the metal part) to rust and/or break.

I then squirt a small amount of baby shampoo into the palm of my hand and swirl the brush hairs into it. I then gently massage the brush head in between 2 fingers.

After this I rinse the brush under the warm running water until the water runs clear, again, make sure that your brush is facing downwards.

Next gently squeeze the brush hairs to remove the excess water and re-shape. Then pat the hairs gently in a clean towel or cloth.

I then either lay the brushes flat on a folded towel with the brush heads hanging over the edge of the towel to enable then to dry or I use the Brush Guards which are great for cleaning, storage or travel!

When using the Brush Guard I apply the guard from the base of the brush and slide it up towards the brush head. Then place the brushes upside down in a mug/ container to dry.

I usually try to leave my brushes for around 24 hours to dry fully.

I hope this is useful!

Maz x