Brushes For Foundation

Now these are MY favourite brushes to use to apply my foundations.  I’m not telling you to go out and buy every single one of these brushes as I doubt you will ever need them all. I’m just a hoarder and like to be prepared for anything and everything (at least that’s what I tell myself). This post is just carrying on from this week's focus on makeup products for the face and it is really just meant to act as a guideline on what certain brushes are for and the brands I buy them from.

These 6 brushes are my favourites to use on my face. I have put a bit of a variety here so we have brushes that can be used with on cream, powder and liquid foundations. Some of these brushes are multi-purpose so can be used for different types of foundations but I’ve grouped these brushes by what I use them for.

Liquid Foundation - Layering

I love Japonesque Slanted Foundation Brush which is an angled, flat brush because it minimizes my pores and skin imperfection. I normally use this brush when I am suffering for a slight skin reaction from a product I am testing (which nowadays tends to be every other week or so).or when I have chosen to conceal/correct an imperfection on my face and I want to layer on my foundation rather than buff it out. I personally believe that flat foundation brushes are the best brushes for covering the skin's imperfections and working with heavy coverage foundations.

Liquid Foundation  - Buffing

MAC Cosmetics 187 Duo-Fibre Stippling Brush is the perfect brush for a dewy finish and is probably the most used brush. I use it predominately for liquid but will use it to buff on a thin layer of powder. I actually own two of these brushes in the off chance I lose one. I do find that the MAc 187 brush is very foundation dependent. It works amazingly well with some foundations but can leave annoying streaks with another.

Real Techniques Expert Face Brush is actually my newest brush discovery and I really wonder what has taken me so long to get this. The broad head of this brush is amazing for both liquid and cream application. At only £9.99 I can't believe how amazing this brush is for it's price bracket.


Powder Foundation

I normally use powders to set my foundation and a light sweep over my foundation with Japonesque Powder Brush is often enough to keep everything from slipping during the course of the day. Japonesque but I have also used Real Techniques Buffing Brush from their Core Collection if I want more control over where I place my powder.

Cream Foundation - Layering

If you use a cream foundation, you have the option of using a flat-ended brush to blend in your foundation with but I find that these brushes can be a bit bulky and don’t quite get into corners like the sides of your nose. I use Becca Cosmetics 58 Foundation/Concealer Brush which is has a pointed tip with tapered 3-tone synthetic Taklon fibres. While it does take a bit longer to use compared to a flat-ended brush, I love the smooth, sheer application this gives me.

How I ended up using 6 brushes on my face; in rotation, I will never know but these are my favourite brushes to use and if you ever wanted to know what brushes I am using in my past or future tutorials or FOTDs then consider yourself informed.

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Four Foundations For a Flawless Finish

When it comes to foundations, I think its safe to say that every girl is particularly fussy about what she likes and what she doesn’t like. For some it is all about coverage, others its about the finish, for me it is all about the colour. I can tell with a quick glance in the mirror whether I am going to spend my money on a foundation but to be fair it is fairly easy. The foundation is either shade-perfect or makes me look like an un-moisturized ghost or like I’ve been playing in red paint.

As I have normal skin, I really don’t have much to cover up but for me the perfect foundation is relatively long lasting (I hate doing touch ups), matches my skin colour and most importantly it has to be fragrance free so doesn’t make my sensitive skin react . . or make me want to gag.

As I’m on a spending ban and can’t buy anything anymore (why or why did I do this to myself??) and I haven’t done an in-depth review of my foundations, I though I should do a post giving you an insight into my favourite cosmetics and the type of cosmetics choices I make, so without further ado let’s dive into the world of foundations.

Nars Sheer Glow Foundation in Trindad (RRP £29.50)

Though I am warm toned, my skin is super funny in the sense that I still have a lot of gold tones to work with but these tones are only evident when I’m exposed to sun. In the winter, my red skin tones are more prominent so I have to go with a foundation that matches this and Nars Sheer Glow does this perfectly.

This shade is a bit of a one trick wonder as it is a shade darker and redder than what I normal use, so I can’t really use it in any other season but it’s lightweight and blendable so I’m not complaining.

Illamasqua Skin Base in No. 16 (RRP. £27)

This my favourite foundation and the foundation I would recommend to anyone with normal skin or those just looking for a light coverage foundation with a dewy finish.

It is a bit difficult to blend sometimes. I’m not exactly sure why but I’m guessing it has something to do with its formulation but it’s nothing a few extra wrist movements won’t solve.

MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NW45 (RRP. £20.50)

This is the 3^rd foundation I ever used growing up, but the 1^st ‘luxury’ foundation I ever used my own money to buy. I  used this foundation actively throughout my time at university but I honestly don’t use this that much anymore as I find that it is too orange toned and honestly only looks good on me in the summer when my yellow tones are at its strongest,

This is the heaviest liquid foundation I own and honestly I probably wouldn’t use a foundation with a stronger coverage than this as I don’t need that level of coverage.

Becca Cosmetics Stick Foundation in Almond ( RRP £35)

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. This foundation is my skin colour in a tube. It is SO on point with my actual skin shade that when I apply it, I’m not too sure where I applied it because it’s practically invisible.

Depsite having a sheer to medium coverage, the foundation feels a bit heavy and is the only foundation that I have when I can tell I am wearing foundation but this is probably more to do with the fact that this has a cream formulation while the others have a liquid formulation

I do invest a bit in my foundations and I know these are all luxury foundations so not everyone can afford them but I find that lower-end foundations either make my skin react or just stink to high heavens and make me dizzy. I really want to try out the Armani Luminous Silk Foundation and the YSL Touche Eclat foundation but it will have to be after my spending band . . .  April the 11^th can’t come fast enough!!

Anyway what do you think of my selection? Have you got any brands to recommend to me?? Also did you notice how I managed to fit 5 f’s into my title pats self on the back*??

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Adding to my Brush Collection: Becca Cosmetics #58 Foundation Brush

It seems that my brush collection is gradually inching forward into something I can be proud of  . . actually I'm more proud that I own so many brushes and actually KNOW what they are meant to do on my face.

My newest addition is Becca Cosmetics #58 brush  (rrp. £33) which is a multi-functional tapered three-toned synthetic Taklon fibre brush that works well with liquid and cream products and also doubles up as a foundation and concealer brush. When I saw this at the Keziah Connects Event a few months ago I knew I had to have it in my collection because as I felt that it had a very unique twist to the standard makeup brushes that are floating about in the blogosphere at the moment.

Its bullet tip is soft yet sturdy and brilliant at working around those awkward corners around my nose, lips and brows without a big pile of products being dumped on.

Although this brush can be used with liquid foundations I wouldn't recommend it being used for this as it can it can give a very sheer finish so I suggest using this just with your cream (or creme *whatever*) foundations or products, and it will work like a beautiful dream.

Does anyone know of any unique shaped makeup brushes floating around?? I'm looking to expand my brush collection and want some oddities to be included.

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Review:- Becca Stick Foundation in Almond

What I love most about being a beauty blogger is running across different brands and products that I would be never have heard or thought about, which are actually perfect for me and my skin. To be honest I didn't know anything about Becca Cosmetics until last yeast which is a real shame as they are an Australian Brand in the UK best known for having a shade match for virtually every skintone.

 They offer 30 shades in a variety of coverages and undertones, and stock foundations at least 4 shades darker than what I wear (FYI that is a very BIG DEAL)

I picked up Becca’s Stick Foundation in Almond and their Foundation/Concealer Brush in #58 (which works as a perfect tool for this foundation) at the Keziah Connections Event held at the Becca South Kensington Flagship Store and I’ve said this on twitter, instagram and to anyone who has asked about my makeup in the last few weeks, this foundation is literally my skin colour cloned and stuck into a foundation tube. It is just flipping spot on!!!!!

You might think that I’m hyping up yet another product and being a bit over the top but just look at the swatch I took it’s virtually undetectable!

So I decided to try and give you another view of how it looks like on my face

 The Becca Stick Foundation has a controllable sheer to medium coverage with a SPF 30 (it’s Australian Remember), has a non-powder based formulation and has the added bonus of containing anti-oxidant vitamins A,D & E.

On one hand I am surprised that there aren’t more reviews on this product online as I feel its flipping fantastic but on the other hand with a price tag of £35 it is very expensive. I got this foundation on a 20% offer on account of the event but regardless it is one of the most expensive stand alone products in my collection

But then again, is price really an issue? How much would you spend to get a foundation that was so on point with your skintone that you can’t even tell which areas of your face you’ve used it on? 

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Keziah Connections Event at Becca Cosmetics

An event about 'Beauty, Equality, Legacy' and Knowledge.

Keziah Connections is a monthly networking evening where entrepreneurial, enterprising, professional women of colour with a passion for beauty gather to share their expertise and experience to encourage and motivate. With Founder, Blogger and Host for the night, Natalie Clue (Beauty Pulse London) on hand all evening, introducing guests to each other and encouraging everyone to mingle, there was no doubt that the Keziah Connections debut event was going to be successful and meet its aim of nurturing and networking women of colour involved in the UK beauty industry

My main purpose for going to the Keziah Connections event (well apart from networking – I do love to network) was to show support for Hafsa from Muslimah Beauty who was giving a talk on her beauty blogging experience, how she got into blogging, her niche position in combining beauty with her Muslim belief & culture and how she combines this into her blog. Hafsa was absolutely FANTASTIC!!! She was clear, passionate, relateable and honestly I think she might just have a future in public speaking.

 ‘Getting into the Marketing Mix’ with Becca Cosmetics London, Marketing & Communications Coordinator Lara Odunsanya left the audience with a message that getting into the Beauty industry is more Passion and drive, over Book Knowledge. Talking briefly about her journey, Lara touched on her interest, the competitiveness and the rapid pace of the beauty industry, and also her views on internships.

She then gave a quick makeup demonstration of Becca Cosmetics on a guest, informing the audience of the key factors of Becca, its origins and how each product can be used to get a natural, dewy and even finish (Great for the days you don’t want to look like you are wearing an entire bucket worth of makeup).

 Lukwesa Burak was just amazing!!! Anchor for Sky World News and Founder of online haire care and beauty retail store Gidore (Home of products for Kinky, Curly and Multi-textured hair), Lukwesa is just amazing!!! I could probably gush about her all day about meeting her (and how I got gob-smacked and started stumbling over my words . . . (-_-) . . . typical) but what stood out for me was her knowledge and drive to create a portal and community for the knowledge of quality products, what certain ingredients do for your hair and relevant advice. Speaking on her personal struggle and frustration with trying to find products which were marked by brands as being able to work for curly hair but never lived up to their claims and promises, through Gidore she only supplies products which have been tried and tested. She also takes it one step further by putting up before and after pictures of customer who have used a certain product so it is easier for you to take their recommendation and judge for yourself whether a certain product is good for you or not.

She raised many good points throughout her talk, especially on the EU-certification of products, which I plan to do more research on and do a blog post as it is something I feel you should know.

Overall I had a great time, gorged on strawberries, met some wonderful people and with the recommendation of the Becca Staff, bought a new foundation and foundation brush which I can't wait to take pictures up of

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POTW - Becca Cosmetics' Beach Tint

 

Hello lovelies,

I almost thought I wouldn't be able to do this video as the weather was so bad and I've been so ill lately but I didn't want to break my current streak.

Watching this video back, I can't believe how many times I said 'eerrrrrm', I really need to think up a new pause filler.

I choose Becca Cosmetics' Beach Tint  in Strawberry  (RRP. £20), this week as it is something I've been reaching for a lot more this week. I'm loving its compact form (and let's be honest 7ml is very, very compact) and it's warm orangish-red shade.

I don't know why I didn't love the colour back in February when I first received this but can you say 'Makeup bag Staple' 

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It might be cold outside but in here, I'm on a Beach

With the snow outside making London a slushy and icy death trap, (not to mention the cold) I thought I should start off the week with something a bit warm, summery, and red in honour of Valentines Day next week.

When Becca Cosmetics contacted me asking if I would like to review their beach tint, water resistant stain in strawberry. I thought YES!!!! Becca Cosmetics is a brand that I've heard sooo many great things about. Apart from being the first cosmetic company to provide a colour matching service, they stock an amazing 34 shades of concealer and 30 shades of stick foundation and if that wasn't enough, at their IMATS talk yesterday Pixiwoo named one of Becca's products in their 5 items to take if they were ever stuck on a desert island *which is SUPER impressive*

What They Say

"Becca Beach Tint is a beautifully, blendable, presevative and paraben-free 2-in-1 creme stain for cheeks and lips that suits all skin types. Deliciously scented, it is Kiss-proof and water-resistant and dries to a perfect, streak free, oil free, and non greasy finish.

What I Say

It always surprises me when tints or blushes come in really small packages. I honestly expected BECCA's beach tint to be a lot bigger than it is . . . but at 7ml it's so dinky!!!! But you know what they say *or maybe I say* the best things come in small packages and this definitely applies here.  Now I've had this product for about 1/2 weeks so I've had lots of time to play around with it . . .so let the honest review begin!!!!

When I first opened my packaged to swatch it I actually didn't realise that it was scented but I love the smell of strawberries, so it was a pleasant surprise for me. The colour of this tint comes off an orangey red rather than a pink-toned or a blue-toned red, which I normally would prefer. The consistency of this formula is great, I like how easy it is to blend into my skin. However what I don't necessary love about this product is the slightly dry finish it leaves on my skin when it has dried completely but I can definitely overlook this as it is not a cream blush . . it is a stain and it's just acting like a stain should.

I don't actually love the colour as a lip stain *I really just can't deal with orange toned lip products* but as a cheek stain (which I've mostly been using it as) it lasts for yonks and an hour, and I've gotten a few compliments when wearing this . . . I mean even my dad liked how it looked (and he's a bit antsy over my makeup) so TOP MARKS BECCA!!!! I will definetly be posting two looks later this week either valentines related or red themed showing off how I wear this product.

Becca's Cosmetics beach tint normally costs £20 on their website but thanks to a valentines day offer that they are offering to you guys out there, you can get a 20% discount on the Becca Beach Tint in Strawberry to try out for yourselves! The promo code is BBE20 and the code is valid from the 6th of Feb to the 16th of Feb and is only valid on the Beach Tint in Strawberry

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