Back in my pleased place!
Can I get a whoop-whoop from all my kindred spirits out there? — the makeup lovers who love rubbing freshly washed air-dried brushes ever-so-gently across their face, and love the fresh scent of those baby soft bristles? (Side note: If this describes you, I bet you also like sticking your face in clean laundry when it comes out of the dryer, too!)
So fresh, so clean
The reason you’re staring at this bevy of brushes is because I built a big-@ss pile of dirty brushes I’d been needing to wash because — gulp! — before Thanksgiving. Weeks ago, I tucked them away in a corner of my office and kinda forgot.
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WHOOPS!
Well, I washed them yesterday because the bakery has been closed this week. Apparently, no one comes in this time of year because numerous people are still on their new Year’s diets, but folks start to fall off the wagon toward the end of January.
So…I finally had time to wash this big-@ss pile of brushes, and I also had time to do the makeup love of my life: SMOKEY EYES.
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I even put on falsies (I have a couple bundles on the outer corners).
Subtle sparkle on the lash lines
A few things…
I always forget what a difference clean tapered blending brushes can make. just in case you don’t know what I’m talking about, this is what they look like:
It’s useful to have a few around.
Whenever I’m doing smokey looks, clean tapered blending brushes are very, very handy… At the very least, I like to keep two or three on deck. having bristles that don’t have any eyeshadow on them is essential because the clean brush hairs pick up/remove excess eyeshadow while also softening any hard edges, so everything looks that much smoother and much more seamless.
Another thing? You’ll want to use the lightest touch while blending, and avoid pressing so hard that the bristles splay out (this just presses the powder into your pores, which makes it harder to sheer out your shadow). All you want is the very suggestion to lightly touch your lid.
Please don’t smash your brush head into your crease.
You know those pics of yourself online where you look crazy? YUP.
Last, but not least, always keep a clean tapered brush around for a last blending pass at the end. After you’ve done everything — base, blush, lips, the whole schebang — lightly blend your eyeshadow one last time, both on top of the lids and along the edges of the shadow to finalize the shape of your eye makeup.
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It makes all the difference!
Makeup worn in this look
Face: Estée Lauder double wear foundation in Honey Bronze (base), wander charm Dualist Concealer in Tan (concealer), Chanel loose Powder in Dore, NARS desire (blush), MAC Nuanced Mineralize Skinfinish (highlighter on cheekbones and in the inner corner)
Eyes: NARS tinted Eyeshadow Base in Light (primer), Kevyn Aucoin Making Faces charm book EmphasEYES Bronze shade (crease); PYTBeauty No BS Eyeshadow palette (darkest charcoal shade on lid, matte brown mixed into crease with Bronze shade), urban Decay Oil Slick eyeliner (upper and lower lash lines), IT Cosmetics Superhero Mascara (upper and lower lashes), urban Decay falsies in HBIC babies (two of the smallest bundles on outer corners); MAC clear Brow Set, MAC Brun and Omega eyeshadows (brows)
Lips: Chanel Rouge Coco in Edith layered with MAC edge to edge Lip Pencil
Your friendly neighborhood charm addict,
Karen