Recently in Brushes Category

The day after the end of New York Fashion Week I made my way back to Bryant Park for an event that Sephora hosted to unveil their S/S 2010 collection. A number of goodies were revealed, but see below for the most exciting! All items will be launching nationwide at Sephoras in May.

Color Play 5-in-1 (pictured above)
Hard to believe but this limited edition palette is only $29.50! It includes five smaller color palettes each of which can be popped-out and plopped into the travel case shown on the right. The set comes with 50 eye shadows, 10 lip color, and five blushes.

Sephora by OPI Havana Nights
New nail colors for the season will be --

• Rumba Romance - brilliant golden bronze
• Teal We Meet Again - dramatic blue-green
• Havana Dreams - sunny sky blue
• Read My Palm - lush, tropical green
• Caliente Coral - bright coral
• Carribean Cocktail - shimmering sea blue

Each of the shades ($9 each), are high on vibrancy and shine. I have a feeling the golden bronze will be one of the "it" shades of the summer!

I.T. Makeup Brush Collection
I love that Sephora turned to an architect (Philippe Di Meo), to design their latest brush collection (highest quality to date, $14-$40). Not only are they super chic because of their metallic color-coded finish (fuchsia for the face, violet for the eyes, and blue for the brows), but caps were created for each brush to protect the bristles and to help keep the brushes clean (the brushes I use now are from Prescriptives and to avoid getting them dirty I have to store them in Ziploc bags!).

EDUN for Sephora
EDUN is an apparel brand that aims to raise awareness of the possibilities in Africa to encourage emulation. To help achieve this goal, EDUN and Sephora created two palettes ($36) with proceeds going to the Wildlife Conservation Society, a global charity that supports the Conservation Cotton Initiation program (which helps African farmers develop organic cotton in a way that supports community, trade, its development and biodiversity). The palette comes in two shade combinations (each with six shadows and two blush shades): White (warm neutrals) and Black (cool brights), and each comes housed in a natural wood case along with an organic cotton drawstring pouch.

Everyone, stop what you're doing and go out and buy this immediately. I LOVE this so much, I cannot imagine life without it. When I was considering it, I had to really justify $200 for a brush when seemingly my hands were perfectly functional and adequate for washing my face. I missed the last two months' facial so I thought, OK, that would have been $200 or more.

I will never need regular facials again. I mean sure, facials are nice for the whole experience and relaxation, etc. but if you have all the hydrating, exfoliating, cleansing and anti-oxidant serums at home (yes, we all do) then the deep cleaning is the only job left of a facialist. This will completely transform your skin. First of all, you use this daily - just one minute a day, so your face will always be clean and free of dead skin cells. The sonic cleaning removes every trace of make up and cleans deep within your pores so you get refined pores, baby smooth skin and a prepared surface for better absorption of your products.

For the price of 2 facials, you are essentially getting a mini facial every day. After only one week of use, all the little bumps on my chin and forehead are gone. A few days after use, I would touch my skin and little "pebbles" from my skin would fall away - the bumps!! It took 4 months of regular facials to get rid of those in the past but once I lagged, they came back. I can honestly say, I have absolutely no blemishes on my face now. My skin is also about 2 shades brighter because I have no dead skin cells and my healthy skin is all you see. Those giant nose pores? Gone.

It comes with one brush and 3 cleansers. They are all fine but I like to use my own - you can use anything, even scrubs. This also is great for the body but you have to get a separate body brush. They say not to share brushes, but I used it on my husband and we're both still ok. At Sephora for $195.

When I first started using make up brushes, I was told I needed to wash them regularly to rid of "bacteria".  I ignored the advice in college cuz I kept thinking, it's my germs and I'm not sharing the brushes with anyone so why should I worry.  Well, a forehead full of tiny bumps is why I should have worried.  If you do not clean your brushes reguarly, bacteria will collect and will clog your pores or worse, make you break out!  If you're busy (or lazy like me) -- you might want to try disposable brushes from Klix.  The brushes are made of synthetic fiber but still utterly soft.  The best part about it is when the brush is dirty, just click and toss and put new ones on!   Klix Brushes here.

Sporty Snob

My surfing girlfriends will love Bobbi's Beach set-- even when they are away from the beach they can carry the scent of the ocean with them.  I'm addicted to the scent and am hoping they'll come out with a shampoo/conditioner soon.  Bobbi Brown Beach Set here $75

Is she forgoing surf for ski this season?  You must get her this gift set.  The lip balm is one of my favorites in dry winter months-- it's ultra moisturizing without being sticky.  I have not tried the non-freez face cream yet but if we head out to Vail this winter I'll be picking this up for myself!   Kiehl's Winter Sport Set $37.50-- free shipping at Kiehls this month.

For the Sporty snobs who don't like too much fuss-- the voyager pack from Trish McEvoy will keep them looking gorgeous with just a few swipes of the neutral quad face powder and shadows.  The short handle brushes are neatly tucked away in the case and will take the guess work out of application. Trish McEvoy 'The Voyager' Beauty Emergency Card $65

Jet Set Snob

I plan on buying this for everyone on my list.  Bobbi's mini brushes are life savers, I keep a set of the mini brushes in my make up bag for days like today-- had to meet a friend immediately after a facial-- and for the plane.  Bobbi Brown Cosmetic Bag with Mini Brushes $65

I played with this yesterday at Neiman Marcus and it has everything you need for an overnight or weekend trip, the mini Iconic mascara was the biggest draw for me-- you can whip it out and touch up your mascara no matter where you are.  Dior Holiday Express Travel Palette $75

I once opened up my suitcase to find my favorite Prada champagne empire silk dress ruined by a bottle of Creed perfume that had broken in flight (yes it was in a zip lock bag and yes it was in a toiletry bag but it still seeped through!).  I have not traveled with perfume since but this handy little spray may change my mind.  Prada Beauty Iris Perfume Refillable Sprays $74

I am so getting this!  You have no idea how I despise the lighting in hotel bathrooms.  During fashion week, Kelly and I have to crouch over our tiny compact mirrors by the hotel windows so we can keep ourselves from looking like clowns.  This mirror is scratchproof and it's magnifying, too.  Irving W. Rice & Co. Travel Mirror $72

I have been looking for a turbo travel hairdryer, hotel dryers are never the good kind so might as well bring your own if you want to look decent.  This is the best I've tried lately-- no wonder Jessica Simpson's hair always looks amazing no matter how sad her face looks.  1200W Turbo Ionic Travel Hairdryer $59.95

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!