Recently in Brushes Category

Skip this post if you're on any kind of a budget! For those who have the means to indulge their whims however, how chic is this this Smythson Make-Up Brush Roll ($540)? Made from subtle coral-colored calfskin it has a papaya colored leather lining and comes with 8 professional quality brushes and tweezers. It couldn't be more practical for traveling (I only wish the inside pockets were such that this could double as a clutch!), and I love that it protects the brushes (unlike my brushes now which are thrown into various makeup bags without any protective covering). Unfortunately I can't randomly justify spending this amount of money on an extravagance like this, but what a fab gift this would make for a milestone birthday or other big occasion for a makeup aficionado. What do you think about this make-up brush roll? Are you tempted to indulge? 

I was introduced to "Motives" cosmetics by a bag designer friend, Adriana Castro. She has the world's most beautiful and velvety skin and she told me her secret was a line called Motives cosmetics. I asked to be put in touch with the Creative Director, Loren Ridinger, and have hounded her ever since. Seriously, this line is really outstanding. From the Liquid to Powder mineral foundation to the award winning Pressed eye shadow palettes, I am really addicted! But the most exciting discovery is its Angled Eyeliner brush (for cat eye fanatics like myself). I have tried every eye liner brush out there, and always end up using angled brow brushes because not many companies make an angled eyeliner brush let alone a good one. You must try this, the best part is-- it's only $8.50!  Less than a martini these days and how many things can you say that about!?!?   At Motives Cosmetics.com  Get one of the gel liners ($15.95) while you're at it, you just dip the brush in the pot and apply-- easy and mess free!

This is one of those few all in one products that really stands up to "all" that it is promising, including incredible convenience. This loose powder in a leak-proof brush dispenser is a lightweight mineral powder that has SPF 30 and is anti-aging. I love love love mineral make up, it looks flawless without caking down your face to give you that flawlessness. The Micronized Titanium Dioxide mineral physically shields against UVA/UVB rays so you can enjoy the sun without worry. One quick pass around the face in the morning and you can head out the door. Throw this in your bag for quick easy reapplication with no mess. Bare Escentuals is all green with no harmful additives. Can something be this amazing? Yes, it can =) Comes in 3 tones for light, medium and tan skin. At Sephora for $28. Enter the code NATURALBAG at checkout and get 8 free samples.

This is my bad purchase of the year. Like a victim of infomercials, I fell for the sales associate's spiel about this "one step instant smokey eye brush that will save you time and create perfect eyes". Yeah, sounds too good to be true, right? Except this wasn't $19.99 after being discounted from $199.99 and I didn't get 2 extra brushes if I purchased "right now". The brush quality is good, it is sable and well constructed but this "one step" process just does not work, and if I thought about it for more than 20 seconds before I bought it, I would have made the realization. You are supposed to dab this with shadow but the shape of this prevents you from getting a good dab so I made a big mess of my shadow while smashing the brush down so I can get powder in the middle. Then you put this up to your lids and press down and tilt from side to side. Uh, shadow doesn't work this way, it does not stick and I got a ton of loose powder all over my face. And the brush is so rigid and wide that when I tried to blend with it, the shadow went up, down and around my eyes so I looked like a crazy mess. To get this to work, I had to use another brush to blend. In other words, I used the brush that I usually use to get the smokey eye look to get the smokey eye look with this brush. Now you tell me if that makes any sense. This brush sucks so badly that they don't even carry it Barney's anymore, where I bought it. Total waste of $95. Always stick to Shu Uemura for brushes. Lesson learned.

UPDATE!!! CONGRATULATION'S TO OUR WINNER BONNIE!! The correct answer was Plum or Purple.

Remember those fabulous makeup brushes I was raving about last month? ...Yeah, they're baaack!! We are giving away 4 ultra soft eye and face brushes and a mascara to one lucky lady (over a $100 value)!! All you have to do is tell me what color is predicted to be the "In" color for fall by fashion and beauty experts and leave it in the comment section. (Hint: Last week, Couture Snob did a full spread on it!).

Your makeup tools can be the biggest pain in your ass or your greatest asset. If the bristles of your brushes don't feel soft and supple... then it's time to get some new ones! I LOVE {me}zhgan brushes (I use them myself), since they are the perfect size to toss in your makeup bag and they are double sided (2 for 1!). While you're on the site purchasing some happy, check out their duel foundation and primer -luminous {me} - it comes in Light, Medium, Tan and Dark. I especially love this since (as you all know) I am a fan of anything that saves me a few extra seconds in the morning...or ever.=)

*Contest ends this Friday!! (8/15/08). Special thanks to Me by {Me}zhgan for sponsoring our giveaway!

I am a serious serious snob when it comes to brushes. I only use Shu Uemura natural hair, nothing else compares and nothing else will do. So this is huge for me to recommend another kind of brush and not only that, synthetic ones! Yikes!!! But that's how good these are. I tried these because I have an open mind but I will admit, I was very skeptical. But they just wouldn't allow me to hate them, the brushes felt like real animal hair and the application was as if they were real. They are so soft and felt so good on my skin. I got the 3 which are the essentials, Cheek ($42), Eye Shadow ($25) and the most important of any brushes, the Eye Blender ($28). This comes to $95 which make me getting the Kolinsky big eye blender for $270 hard to justify. Of course these Paula Dorf brushes will not last a lifetime the way Shu Uemura's will, but at $28 you can buy them as needed. These are a great alternative for those who want luxurious brushes but not ready to make a hefty investment to have them. Or for those that do not use animal products, you can still all the benefits without the guilt. At Paula Dorf online store.

I love the new Heirloom brush sets from MAC. Fabulous starter kits for Beauty Snobs in training to treasure for years or a spare set in case you lose/damage your set (as Kelly did with her Shu Uemura set that she has collected since college!) this is a great gift! It has all the brushes you need to blush, shade, line and blend - all in a gorgeous metallic tweed clutch. I gave sets to my niece and goddaughter and they use the bag as a make up bag. The short handle also makes it easy to travel with. Each set is only $48 at Mac Cosmetics or department stores.

Can anything be more fabulous for a Beauty Snob AND a Bag Snob than this leather beauty bureau from the luxury line Smythson of Bond Street? It comes with all the sable brushes shown but you provide all your own favorite beauty products for the ultimate in vanity decadence. Keep this on your dresser and carry it to wherever has the best lighting in your house at the moment for your daily ritual of primping. It is a wood frame covered with gorgeous aqua Adamo calf leather, the color is so divine!! It makes me want to do my entire bedroom in that color. It is not a giant chest, the measurements are 5.5" x 9.75" x 7.5" so it is easy to fit on your vanity, counter or dresser. Of course you can only put your very favorite products in there but how fun would it be to switch out the colors each week, like you do a bag? Even if this isn't all that functional for your needs, it is so beautiful you can just look at it! At Smythson for $2410.

Holy beauty heaven!! Looks like Santa has done his market research and created the most awesome beauty set the world has ever seen! I mean, who wouldn't want a luxurious pink leather trunk filled with everything you could possibly want from Bobbi Brown? It's like going to the Bobbi Brown counter and taking home their entire display (but brand new and unused of course). If someone bought this for me for Christmas, I would be a very very happy wife (hint hint). I feel like a little kid in a toy store looking at this, it makes me all anxious with giddiness and desire. I would go home and play with it for hours and get really mad if someone even remotely look at it much less touch it. There is a total of 60 items, including foundation, brushes, eyeshadows, blushes, bronzers, lip glosses, lash curler, mascara, make up remover, moisturizer, eye cream, the list goes on. Exclusively for Neiman Marcus, you can get this whole thing for $2000.

The entire list of contents in this make up trunk is after the jump.

Prescriptives make up was a favorite when I was in college but through the years had faded to the back of my mind as a fond memory. I still remember the gray compacts I used to carry around with me in the early '90s, it was so modern and chic, the young and cool sibling to Estee Lauder line of products. But I lost track of my favorite items from Prescriptives as new brands lured me away with fancy colors and gimmicky shades. Last year I returned to the Prescriptives counter after almost a decade away and had a lip gloss from another company recreated as it was discontinued, the make up artist did such an amazing job mixing the exact shade of my gloss that I started paying attention to Prescriptives again. I discovered many women obsessed with Prescriptives custom blend foundation and who swear it is the only way to look natural and dewy. Honestly, I didn't really believe any of them, I was a Chanel foundation addict and didn't think any brand could match the dewiness my Teint Innocence provided me. Well, I was proven wrong last week at the Prescriptives counter at Bergdorf Goodman's infamous beauty basement!