Makeup basics part 2

As a second step toward a good makeup I think the tools you use are important. In this post I´m gonna take you through the most common and most necessary makeup tools.
When it comes to makeup tools it´s the same as all makeup products, there are hundreds of different stuff you can use. A huge variety of brands and every brand often have more then one series of tools. And of course you don´t need them all! Not even close. Some people don't even use makeup brushes when doing their makeup. As I said in the last basics post, you have to find something that works for you. It's supposed to be fun not a stressful project every time you do your makeup.
I think it's easiest to apply makeup with brushes. And even if I might have a lot of brushes I can still pick out the ones I think is a must have and most necessary.
So before I made this post I just sat down at my makeup table and tried to pick out the tools I think is the most necessary. On the face it´s good to have something to apply your foundation with. I use a flat foundation/ under eye concealer brush like the Kicks 203. This is not one of the must haves because it doesn't make it so much easier to apply the foundation than applying it with your hands/fingers, but it keeps your hands from getting messy and stuff like that. But I like this brush and it makes the product easy to work with. Next we need a brush to apply the powder with. For this I picked out the Sigma F30 (or the Makeup store 340). For powder it´s best to not have synthetic brushes. Brushes with real hair picks up the powder better and you don´t need as much. In general it´s better to use non-synthetic brushes because they are easier to clean and if you take good care of them you can use them for years. They might cost a bit more but there's no huge difference in price. For blush I like the angled Sigma F40.
When it comes to the eyes it was harder to pick out just a few, not because you need so much but because I love to use so many different ones. But I picked out five tools. Starting with a flat brush to pack on eyeshadow on the lid. For this you can use the Sigma E60 (alternative: E55 or Kicks 208). Then you need a brush for your crease color. The Makeup store 109 is good for that. It´s round and puffy but still precise and dense. After applying the eyeshadow a blending brush is good to have, the Sigma E40 is great and so soft. Then I like to give my lashes a gentle work out before putting on mascara. For that I use an eyelash brush, any eyelash brush. And to save some brushes this one can be used to fix the eyebrows as well. The last tool I chose was an eyelash curler. If you have long lashes that bends just by adding some mascara that is great, obviously. But my lashes are very straight and can need some help.
So all together that was eight tools. For someone who's not a makeup junkie like me it can still feel like a lot so from these eight I have picked out the must have tools. When I did this I thought "If I had to advise someone which tools to get, what would it be?" Well, I picked out three brushes. Two of them I use almost everyday or brushes similar to them. First I chose the Sigma F30, powder brush. You can use it for powder, bronzer, highlighter and blush so that´s good. Then I need two eye brushes: Sigma E55 and E40, these I use everyday. With these three you can pretty much cover everything you need to do a full face makeup.

 Two different powder brushes: Make up store 340 and Sigma F30

 Two types of blush brushes both Sigma F40.

 A foundation brush with an alternative brand: Kicks 203 and Sigma F60.

 Three eyeshadow brushes: Sigma E55, Sigma E60 and Kicks 208.

 Crease brushes/ Blending brushes: Make up store 109 and Sigma E40.

Two eyelash curlers: Make up store and Kicks. And a eyelash brush from the cruise kit.

So what should you think about when you pick your makeup tools? My first tip is to find out what kind of makeup you usually wear. For example if you never wear eyeshadow why buy eyeshadow brushes? My second tip is to not be afraid to pay for products. Obviously you don't have to get the most expensive things you can find. But it´s like makeup, you are going to use it on your face, you want good stuff. Like I mentioned above, non-synthetic brushes/ brushes with real hair is a good investment partly because you can keep them for a long time and you can clean them basically in the same way you clean your own hair. And believe it or not, you can feel a difference when you use them. I have a big variety of price classes on my table and Kicks and Sigma are good stuff, you can really feel a big difference from when you use brushes from, for example, H&M, they don´t pick up colors as well and they don´t last. My third tip is that you don´t have to feel like you have to get everything for all areas in the face because then you´ll end up with a whole lot of stuff. If you, like me, like it and use it, absolutely, but if you don´t it´s just a waist of money. Many brushes can be used for a lot of things, like the powder brush or the fluffy E40.

I hope you find these tips useful and find the stuff that work for you. Have a good week people!

The weekly makeup

This week´s look is a bit more dramatic than the others, This particular look I might not were to work but it´s perfect for a party or a late night dinner in the fall. The colors are pretty dark and the main color is dark brown. To make it more party I added glitter to it which gives a whole lot to the look. I used the Balm Nude Tude palette. I think I mentioned it in the Nude Tude post that these eyeshadows are really easy to work with. They packs on good and you don´t need so much color for a good effect. The Idea to this eye makeup came from the change of season. The leaves are turning yellow and red. The mornings are getting colder and people are starting to wear warmer clothes. I don´t know if I have mentioned that I love fall. Well, I really do. And the fashion is part of what I like. Coats, boots, scarves and hats, but not the super worm, winter kind. Just the beautiful "walking in the leaves" kind. I don´t know if that made anny sense at all for you but if you love fall you know what I meen...I hope haha.
Anyway, Try it. The colors are pretty basic so you can easy find similar colors.

Products used:
Max Factor smoky eye effect eyeshadow (stick) in Bronze Haze: The dark side (Step2) was used as a base on the whole lid and evened out with a flat brush, the Makeup Store 106. I used the stick under the lower lash line as well.
The Balm Nude Tude palette in Sophisticated: With a softer flat brush, Eyeshadow brush from the cruise kit or the Sigma E60, pat on the color over the whole lid and under the lower lash line.
The Balm Nude Tude palette in Sleek: Using a round brush, Makeup store 109, and working the darker brown into the outer corner of the lid and in to the crease. Then taking that same color but with a big fluffy brush like the Sigma E40 and softening the edges and with the color that´s left on the brush, working it upp under the brow bone. This creates that soft and smoky effect.
The Balm Nude Tude palette in Selfish: Using a small flat eyeshadow brush from the cruise kit (same size as the Sigma F70) and patting it on the inner third of the lid. This is to light up the inner part of the eyelid.
The Balm Nude Tude palette in Sassy: Using the same brush as to the Selfish color and placing this white color in the tear duct area. By adding a light color in the tear duct area you can make your eyes look less tired. The same color was used as a highlighter under the eyebrows.
Benefit Speed Brow: fixing the eyebrows
Maybelline NY Eye Studio in Smoky Black: Filling in the eyebrows with an eyebrow brush, like the Sigma E65.

Then for the glitter:
MAC Fix+: Anny fixing spray will do. For this I usd a brandless brush so I can´t tell you the name of it, bad of me. But the brush is flat but still fluffy and not to big. The Sigma E55 works for this as well. Then spraying the Fix+ onto the brush (about 2 sprays is enough for both eyes). Don´t hold the brush to close while spraying, approximately 3 centimeters away. Then patting it on the eyelids, or wherever you want the glitter to stick.
Glitter Dust by H&M: Using the same brush as for the fixing spray and patting some glitter over the sprayed parts of the eyelid. You can use any type of glitter you want, just make sure it's an eye glitter. But what ever color you like. My glitter is "colorless", so it takes on the color of my eyeshadow.

After this you can add the mascara you want and same eyeliner if you feel like it. I used neither for this look, but next time maybe I'll add some false lashes.

Next time you do a party look, add some glitter and it will make a huge difference. Till next time, take care!

Makeup basics part 1

Hello everyone!

I was thinking about taking you through some of the basics in makeup. Many of the makeup blogs or stores are in a way made for someone who already know a bunch about makeup and what is god or bad for you and what you should look for. I know that´s what it was like for me when I started using makeup and I think that´is when my big interest for it all started. For me makeup is not just foundation, eyeshadow, mascara and so on...There are other things that´s important if you want a good makeup. Like a good and healthy skin. Which comes from a good skincare routine. So that is the first basic step I´m going to talk about in this post. And there´s a lot to say so I'm gonna try to keep it as short as I can.
Since I´ve had problems with breakouts I'm very picky with what I use on my face. I have tried a variety of brands. The very first products I used was ACO: s cleansing gel. But it it did not keep my face clean. So I changed to Vichy, the Normaderm series (the green series). Cleansing gel, toner and moisture. After a few years I wanted to try something different so I tried the ProActive solution all three steps. I guess it kept my skin clean but I didn't get the "wow-effect" as in the TV commercials. So I used that for about 6 month or so. What I liked about the ProActive was the renewing cleanser with exfoliator. I like a gentle scrub on my face. It makes the skin feel moore clean. After the ProActive I wanted to try something that don't cost a lot. So I got the Neutrogena VCLR pink scrub along with Neutrogena visibly clear toner. Good price and very effective. It made the scin feel clean and fresh. And I liked the scrub here same as the ProActive. It´s a daily scrub so it´s not so rough. There are more rough scrubs but they should only be used once or twice a week! But the daily scrub left the scin feeling brand new.
After using that for a few months I decided to go back to the Vichy Normaderm but this time I got the Normaderm 3 in 1 cleanser instead of the cleansing gel. And that's where I am today.
I think it's important to find the best skincare for you. But that's not the easiest thing to do. When you go looking for something good you need to know what type of skin you have. Because there are so many different product to choose from. The most common types are dry, normal, combination or oily skin.

Dry skin: Use products that gives a lot of moisture to your skin. And that keeps your face moist the whole day.
Normal skin: Probably the easiest. This skin type does not need any extra of anything, just a regular product that keeps the skin clean.
Combination skin: Maybe you have dry and oily areas in your face. It´s common to have an oily T-zone (the forehead and the nose and chin) and dry cheeks. There are products adapted for this type of skin. Otherwise you can combine different products, like a good moisture on your cheeks and something that prevents oily skin on the T-zone.
Oily skin: This can be a bit tricky. You need a good cleanser that removes all the "oily-ness" and a moisture that moisturise the skin but without anny fat/oil. So what you kan look for is a moisturiser the is based on water. Like the Vishy Aqualia thermal moisture light, based on water not oil.

Then of course you can get anti-age products and other special stuff. But the listed above is the most common. If you have sensitive skin you might have to do small changes in your routine as the climate changes with the seasons. But for that it´s often enough to just change the moisturiser (summer - less moist and some SPF, winter - more moist).
The eyes is also important to take care of. I select it on three levels; normal/dry, age preventing and anti-age. It doesn't have to be more complicated than that for the eyes. But don´t rub around the eyes, it´s the most sensitive area in the face!

So to sum it all, find out what type of skin you have and get products made for your needs. Remember the skin is sensitive, especially in the face. A big NO NO is to use hand soap to clean your face. It ruins the skin's normal bacteria level.

Below I have listed my current skin care routine:

Morning routine:

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Night routine:

Same as above but the Aqualia thermal cream as step 4 instead of the Normaderm day cream.

 So this post got pretty long, I'm sorry. But it's important to take care of your skin. And it´s the first step towards a good makeup. So the best thing you can do is to get to know your skin and find something that works for you. 

Nude Tude and The weekly makeup

This week has been pretty hectic. Work and just life itself can take up a whole lot of time. But it´s been a pretty good week as well so I should not complain. Anyway, to save some time I decided to do two posts in one.
My mom gave me a makeup palette last week when she came home from a vacation. It was The Balm Nude tude eyeshadow palette. Twelve beautiful eyeshadow colors in a natural tone.
What I love with eyeshadow palettes is that you can get a pretty big variety of eye makeups just by combining the colors in different ways. Which makes it not only fun fun fun but practical if you are going away and dont want to bring a whole bunch of makeup for different occasions.
The colors in this palette goes from a matte black and matte dark brown to a light frosted white and a shimmery gold/yellow. Cute cute! The shades are very easy to work with. The colour packs on good and you don´t need much to get the given color.

Below from the left: Sassy, Stubborn, Selfish, Sophisticated, Sexy, Serious

Above from the left: Snobby, Stand-offish, Sultry, Seductive, Silly, Sleek

The nude palette was not used in this week's eye makeup look. But maybe, or probably, in next week´s look. This week´s look is inspired by the romantic comedy Sover Dolly på ryggen?. Not the movie it self but more the feeling of love in the air and a cute odd romance. The movie is probably my favorite romantic comedy (along with My big fat greek wedding). They are what I call a feel-good-movies. When I think love I think pink, at least when it comes to makeup. This time I used MAC:s Pink venus as a main color. Take a look below.

Products used:
Viva La Diva in Spotlight: Using a flat brush, Makeup store 106 to even it out on the outer half of the lid.
MAC eyeshadow in Pink Venus: Patting it on with a flat eyeshadow brush from the Cruise kit over the pink base. I smudged some of the eyeshadow further in then the pink base to make a smooth transition toward the tear duct area.
MAC eyeshadow in Shroom: Putting it on the inner half of the lid with a small flat eyeshadow brush from the Cruise kit. The same color whas used as a highlighter under the eyebrow.
88 Palette, a light brown shade: I used a fluffy brush, like Kicks blending brush, and put it on the brow bone for that fine even transition.
IsaDora colorful eyeliner in dark brown: A fine line with a nice wing.
Benefit speed brow
Maybelline eyestudio in smoky black: Used as a eyebrow color with a eyebrow brush from the Cruise kit (same as the Sigma E65).
Sephora glitter mascara in Sassy Silver: Just to add a bit of fun to the look. Although it did not look even and glitter on the pictures but you get it.
 On the lips I used MAC:s lipstick in Fanfare.

I hope you liked this look and give it a try. Pink eyeshadow can be a bit scary but if it´s used right it can be really beautiful.
Have a great weekend all!

The weekly makeup

This week's look is simply put together by some of my new favorite stuff. The look is not super dramatic so it can definitely be worn everyday but also as a party look. The main colors used was a clear teal and a metallic dark green. I used false lashes to this look but I have to admit that the lashes I wore did not add much to the look. Which should not have come as a surprise since I chose natural lashes. My lashes looked a bit thicker but no volume. Anyway, I really love the colors and they worked awesome together.

When I did this look I had the chance to try the false lash glue that I bought a while ago. The DUO adhesive. I really liked it. It was easy to work with and wasn't hard to remove. But I have to say that it would be just a slight bit easier to put the glue on the lashes if the top of the glue container or whatever you call it was smaller. I hope that made any sense.
May I add that when it comes to false lashes and especially the glue i'm pretty picky. Why? Because it is glue, glue that you are going to put on a sensitive area in your face. I think it is important to choose your products carefully. I like the Depend false lashes but once I tried the Depend glue that you can buy separately and it was not good. It was easy to get on and looked good but to get it of, big project, a three day project to be exact. It did not come of. The lashes came of but not the glue. So it was definitely not for me.
Back to the look, check it out...

Products used:
NYX Jumbo eyeshadow pencil in white - As a base on the lid. Evened out with a flat brush such as the Make up Store 106. The same color was used as a highlighter under the eyebrow.
MAC eyeshadow in Aquadisiac - Putting it on the inner two thirds of the lid with a flat brush like the Sigma E55. Leaving a little part of the inner corner for a lighter shade.
MAC eyeshadow in Legendary Lure (from the Alluring Aquatic collection) - I used an angled brush from the cruise kit (similar to the Sigma E70) and worked it on the outer part of the lid and up into the crease. Using the same brush and adding some color under the eye, right beneath the lower lash line, but not all the way in to the inner corner of the eye. Hope you got that good explanation.
MAC eyeshadow in Shroom - Adding some color on the tear duct area. Which makes you look less tired.
IsaDora Colorful eyeliner in Black - A nice line along the upper lash line.
Maybelline The Rocket volume express mascara - Still not much to say there because you know, mascara is mascara.
Ardell false lashes, 108 Black - attached with the DUO glue.
Benifit speed brow - Something I have never tried before. It´s for making your eyebrows stay in shape. And it workes pretty good.
For the lips I used the Mary Kay true dimension in Mystic Plum. 

So that is that. I hope you all have a great weekend! Take care!

Make me cool

It's finally here! I am so excited. I have no idea why I waited so long before I ordered it but better late then never. And so I did, and now it´s here. The Sigma Make me cool brush kit. It´s such a beautiful blue/turquoise color and the brushes are so soft and nice. It´s funny how you can like makeup brushes so much. I have tried them a few times now and I have gotten it confirmed, there is a difference between brushes and brushes. And these are some good brushes. And did I mention soft? My boyfriend said they felt like a cloud of kittens.
The container the brushes came in is now my new brush holders (along with the little porcelain bag and a candle holder for small brushes). I guess the containers can be good to keep your brushes in when you travel. But I rather keep them as brush holders. For travel I have another brush case that really keeps the brushes from getting messed up. This case came with 14 brushes but the case is the reason I got it. I call it the cruise kit, because I bought it at the Tax Free store at a cruise and the brand was pretty unknown to me.

Anyway, the point of this short post is that when it comes to makeup brushes Sigma is so far in the lead.
I´m looking forward to sharing this week´s makeup look in an upcoming post. Till then take care!

The weekly makeup

I have been trying to come up with a good way to welcome the weekend. And what could be better than to share my favorite makeup look from the week that has gone by.
This week I have gotten some hints of the upcoming fall. The temperature is still pretty warm but there is something i the air and the wind that smells like fall. I believe all seasons gives some hints in the shape of small changes in nature. This time, the wind. So this week´s look is based on a color that is good for fall, the Sigma eyeshadow in Crush. A sort of gray/brown color. The gray tone gives the feeling of a cold october morning but the brown tone addes some warmth to it.
I find it pretty interesting and fun that one color can give you so much inspiration and all sort of feelings.
Check out the pictures below.

 

Products used:
Color tattoo 24 HR in On and on Bronze - As a base on the eyelid. I used a finger to even it out.
MAC eyeshadow in Shroom - With a flat brush, like the Sigma E55, I patted it on the inner two thirds of the lid. The same color whas used as a highlighter under the eyebrow.
Sigma eyeshadow in Crush - With a round puffy brush, Makeup store 109, I placed the color on the outer corner if the lid and worked it up into the crease.
A light brown eyeshadow (no special brand) - I used a fluffy brush, Sigma E40, to place some color where the lid meets the brow bone. Wich creates a feeling of a smooth transition.
Maybelline Eyestudio in Smoky Black - as a eyebrow color.
IsaDora colorful eyeliner in Dark Brown - a fine line close to the upper lash line.
Loréal Volume Million Lashes, So couture - Mascara, not much to say there.

On the rest of my face I used:
Mary Kay CC-cream
Mary Cay translucent loose powder
Sigma blush in Pêche from the Paris palette
Mary Kay lipstick in Sunburst

I really enjoyed making this look. And i'm so ready to welcome fall.
Have a great weekend all!