My Favorite Brushes and Tools (And How I Clean Them)

Hey lovelies!

Today was brush cleaning day, so I thought I'd share my favorite brushes and how I clean them! Here are my must have brushes and tools:

1. Flat top foundation brush- I use is Sigma's F80 brush, and it is beyond amazing. It's the only thing I use to apply my foundation! Here's a link to Sigma's website: http://www.sigmabeauty.com/Sigma_Flat_Top_Synthetic_Kabuki_F_80_p/f80.htm

2. Foundation sponge- I finally gave in to the Beauty Blender a few months ago. I was using cheaper versions because I couldn't fathom paying $20 for a sponge…But it is seriously worth it!

3. Big fluffy brush for powder. I use the Sonia Kashuk Powder Brush No.100. Using a brush to set your powder will keep your foundation in place without making you look chalky.

4. Eyeshadow crease brush- There are so many different crease brushes out there, but if I had to choose one favorite it's the Sigma E25. It's perfect because its an oval shape, so you can hold it one way and apply your transition shade all over the crease. Then, turn it sideways and you can get in the crease more precisely. Here's a link to the E25:
http://www.sigmabeauty.com/Blending_E25_p/e25.htm

5. Shader Brush- Everyone needs a dense eyeshadow brush for packing on shadow. I use the "Medium Shadow" brush from Sephora. I've had it forever, so I don't even know if they make it any more, but any dense and somewhat stiff brush is best for applying shadow.

Keeping your brushes clean is so important! It's important to keep them free of bacteria to keep your skin clean. I use a brush cleaning spray almost every day on my eyeshadow and foundation brushes. My favorite it is Sephora's Daily Brush Cleaner. I try to do a full cleaning of all my brushes once a week (but it's probably more like every other week). Here are the steps for how I clean my brushes!


1. Pour a mixture of dish soap and olive oil onto a plate. The dish shop disinfects and removes all the makeup, and the olive oil conditions the brushes. It's basically like shampoo and conditioner.

2. Swirl the brushes in the mixture and then rub them on your hand while running them under water. Rinse until all the makeup is removed from the brush.

3. Squeeze the water out of the brush and reform it into the original shape. Lay on a towel to air dry.

For cleaning my Beauty Blender I use the Beauty Blender Solid Cleanser (in the top picture). It's really easy to use, and pulls all the makeup right out of the sponge.

Thank you all for reading! Let me know what your favorite brushes are!

XOXO,

Meredith

Target Haul!

Hello beauties!

I've been wanting a few items from the drugstore, so I made a trip to Target today. I thought I'd share all the goodies I got with everyone! Check out everything I got below :)

• EOS 5 pack of lip balms (I actually got this at Costco)
• EOS Hand Lotion - Berry Blossom scent
• Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser
• Maybelline Baby Lips  Dr. Rescue - #40 Pink Me Up
• Maybelline Dream Fresh BB - Light Sheer Tint
• Maybelline Color Elixirs - Rose Redefined and Caramel Infused
• L'oreal Extraordinaire Gel-Lacque - Meant To Be
• ELF Small Stipple Brush

I'm so excited to use all my new products. I'll probably do a post to review one of them, so let me know if you have any requests! Thanks so much for reading!

XOXO,

Meredith

BONUS PICTURE!! My cat really wanted to be in the picture :) Meet Jasper!! 

Neutral Day Time Look

Hi Everyone!

The picture below is my favorite go-to look for a day time look. I used neutral colors on the eyes and a pink lip. Check out the details below of all the products I used to create this look!

Face:

Benefit Porefessional primer

Boots No. 7 Lift & Luminate Foundation

CG Smoothers Concealer 

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer

Bare Minerals Touch Up Veil powder

Bare Minerals Ready Blush in The One

Urban Decay De-Slick Makeup Setting Spray

Eyes:

MAC Soft Brown

MAC Naked lunch

Sigma Elope

Sigma Hitch

Maybelline Eye Studio gel liner in Blackest Black

Maybelline Volum' Express Mega Plush Mascara

Anastasia Brow Wiz in Medium Ash

Lips:

Em by Michelle Phan lipstick in Showstopper

I hope you like this look! Let me know what you think :)

Meredith

Skin Care Routine

Hi beauties!

Long time no see, right? I've been crazy busy since the holidays, so I haven't been able to get a post up in a while! Today's post is about my skin care routine. I feel like I've FINALLY found the right products and routine that work for my skin. I want to share some of the products I love and a few tips I've learned over the years!

Morning Routine:

It's so important to start of the day with a clean slate, whether you are wearing makeup or not. I start my routine by washing my face with Boscia's Purifying Cleansing Gel. It's a very gentle cleanser, which is perfect for the morning. After washing my face I use a spot corrector on any blemishes. Right now I'm using the Acne Spot Treatment from Murad, which is good at getting rid of blemishes without drying out your skin.

My next step is using a serum. This step is optional, but I think using these products have helped the texture of my skin lately. Depending on the day I either use L'oreal's Youth Code Texture Perfector or Boot's Expert Sensitive Hydrating Serum. Between the two, I would definitely recommend the Boot's serum. You can buy it at Target, and it's only about $8!

Finally..moisturize!! This is really the most important step in my opinion. I use Olay Complete moisturizer with SPF. I recommend using a moisturizer with SPF in the morning. It will help combat wrinkles in the future. It's also important to use an eye cream in the morning. It will help your under eye concealer guide on smoother and not look dry.

Nighttime Routine:

The first step at night is to take off your makeup. I use Pond's cold cream to take off my eye makeup and Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes for my face. Next, I wash my face with Biore Blemish Fighting Ice Cleanser. I've been using this cleanser for years, and it is my favorite for keeping away blemishes. I also use the Murad Acne Spot Treatment on any blemishes.

I love to use a deeper moisturizer at night. For an extra dose of moisturizer I use a facial oil, like Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil. I'll follow the oil up with Boscia's Super-Charge Overnight Moisture and the Enlivening Amino-AG Eye Treatment. Tip: do your nighttime routine about an hour before you go to bed so your products have time to soak in and don't rub off onto your pillow.

I try to do a mask about once a week. The picture below shows my favorite brands. The Que Bella masks are from target, and they are the best for a relaxing night. The Pore Purifying Mini Peel by Alba is the mask I use when I have a lot of break outs because it just zaps them right away. The Tea Tree mask from The Body Shop makes your skin feel extra clean and pulls out all the impurities in your skin.

My Top 3 Tips:

1.  Moisturize! You should moisturize your face every day, preferably twice a day. For my oily skin girls- try using a facial oil and nighttime moisturizer at night. This sounds counter intuitive, but you can kind of trick your skin into producing less oil. Depriving your skin of moisture will only make your skin oilier.

2. Change up your routine! I say this for two reasons. A. Don't think you'll "always be prone to acne" or you'll "always have dry skin". Keep trying new products, and you'll eventually find the combination that will work for your skin. B. Your skin will get used to products if you use them too long. Switch up your cleanser or spot treatment every once in a while, and your face might respond better to products.

3. Be Gentle! I have to admit I need to be better about following this tip! The skin on your face, especially around your eyes, is the thinnest and most sensitive skin on your body. When you apply moisturizer use your finger tips and move in gentle, circular motions. Use your ring finger and gently pat to apply your eye cream.


Thanks for reading! Don't forget to follow me on Instagram @mbeautyspot and Twitter @MBeautySpot.

Meredith