How I Clean My Brushes

Hey guys! Hope you all are doing well.

In this week’s post, I will be sharing how I clean my make up brushes.

It is important to clean your make up brushes as regularly as possible or they might turn into a breeding ground for germs. They may even cause break outs. This happens at a quicker pacer in the humid Indian climate.

Not cleaning your make up brushes is not only super unhygienic, it also ruins your make up. It hampers the ability of the tools to do their job to its best capacity. Thus it is super important to clean atleast once in 2 weeks.

How I clean my brushes

Take A Big Bowl.

This should be a steel or plastic bowl preferably.

Add Shampoo To It.

The shampoo should be a mild shampoo.  4-5 pumps of it should be more than enough.

Add Tea Tree Oil.

Some people add conditioner and anti septic soap. However adding tea tree oil reduces the items required since it keeps the moisture in the bristles intact and ensures there are no germs. 4-5 drops of the oil are more than enough.

Add Water.

Add about 2-3 table spoons of water.

Wet The Brushes And Dip Them Into The Bowl.

The brushes must be made wet by holding them under running water.  The part under the bristles or the hair of the brush is known as the ferrule. The ferrule has the glue holding the bristles in shape. Thus water should not go into the ferrule or else it should lead to shedding of bristles.

Rub The Brushes On A Hot Water Bag.

Hot water bags are made of rubber and often have ridges on them. This makes it a perfect inexpensive dupe for the Sigma cleansing glove. So take your brush under running water and rub it in gentle motions according to the shape of the brush. Ensure your strokes are not ruining the natural shape of the brush. Rub it until all the visible make up and the solution you made has been washed out.

Let The Brushes Dry.

It is essential to never let the brush straight up since the water might seep into the ferrule area. I lay the brushes on a newspaper and let them dry over night.

That is all for this post. If you have any questions or suggestions, leave it down in a comment.

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Photography Courtesy: Shivam Bhatt.

Setting Sprays 101.

Hey guys! Hope you all are doing well.

In this week’s post, I wanted to get back to the basics and talk about Setting Sprays.

If you have been following the 101 series, we have covered all the products that go into achieving flawless base make up. The last step of this process, if you would like to make your make up long lasting, is a setting spray.

What is a setting spray?

A setting spray or a fixing spray is a spray that mainly contains water and glycerin. It acts as a top coat for your make up thereby increasing the wear time. Its primary function is to increase the longevity of your make up.

Types of Setting Sprays

Setting Sprays With A Matte Finish

Most setting sprays fall in this category and prevent the skin from getting oily. This is best suited for people with combination to oily skin.

Setting Sprays With A Dewy Finish

With the advent of dewy finish foundations, a few brands have also come out with dewy finish setting sprays. This is best suited for people with normal to dry skin.

How to apply a Setting Spray?

Once you are done applying your make up hold the setting spray at an arm’s distance and squirt it all over your face and neck. Usually squirting the setting spray around 4-5 times is sufficient to cover your entire face and neck. 

Some people like to wait for it to dry. However I prefer to dab into my skin with my beauty blender.

Some people like to finish their make up completely and then go in with the setting spray. However I personally prefer to go in with the setting spray in between as well. For instance when I am done with my foundation or right after highlighting and contouring.

Uses of a Setting Spray

Setting Sprays ensure that make up stays in place for long hours due to its glycerin content.

Setting Sprays help hydrate your skin since a large proportion of the product is water.

Setting Sprays help intensify the colour payout of eyeshadows and pigments while also increasing the longevity.

Setting Sprays, mixed with dried up gel liner,helps make the liner smooth.

Setting Spray, when spritzed onto a beauty blender or brush, makes the process of blending make up quick and 

easy.

Setting Spray can help dilute your foundation and concealer, if mixed into the product before applying, to provide a sheer coverage and greater longevity.

Some Popular Setting Sprays

The MAC Fix Plus is, without a doubt, the most popular setting spray. It is known enhancing the make up immensely while increasing the wear time. However it is a high end product and not very affordable. This is probably #1 on MAC Wishlist.

The e.l.f Make Up Mist & Set and Wet n Wild Photo Focus Setting Spray are affordable setting sprays that are dupes for MAC Fix Plus and Urban All Nighter Setting Spray respectively. Unfortunately there are not available in India yet. 

The Maybelline Super Stay 24 Makeup Locking Setting Spray also does a good job increasing the longevity and hydrating the face. Lets hope Maybelline launches it soon in India.

The Make Up Revolution Pro Fix Oil Control Fixing Spray is my favourite tried and tested setting spray available in India. It retails for Rs. 1000 for 100ml. It is easily available on Nykaa. It increases the longevity of the make up, hydrates the skin and does everything a good setting spray should do. I highly recommend this to anyone who wants a try a setting spray for the first time.

The L.A Girl Pro HD Setting Spray is another spray that I tried from the Indian market. This too is available on Nykaa. I love the quality of the product. However the disappointing part is the size of the product. It retails for Rs. 850 for 30 ml only. I would never repurchase this product.

That is all for this post. Lets all pray that some Indian brands come up with their afforable setting sprays. If you have any suggestions or questions, please it down in a comment.

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Photography Courtesy: Shivam Bhatt.

International Make Up Haul: Elf, Tarte, Sephora and more.

Hey guys! Hope you all are doing well.

In this week’s post, I will be sharing a small US beauty haul.

Recently a friend of mine had gone to the States and he offered to get some stuff from there for me. I went ahead and made an elaborate list with prices, shades and pictures of beauty products so I get exactly the products I want. The United States is parNarsadise for any make up lover. The prices for most products are the low. You get amazing deals. Most products launch first in the United States. My final list was a mixture of some drugstore and some high end products.

So lets get into the haul.

The e.l.f. Mineral Pearls in Natural

This product retailed for 8 dollars at Target. Foundation may leave your face looking a little washed out. This product helps you regain that colour simply by using the powder puff, that comes along with it, and buffing it into your skin.

 e.l.f Blush & Bronzing Powder in St.Lucia

This product, that retails for only 3 dollars, is a complete steal. It has some gorgeous matte black packaging and is completely sleek and travel friendly. The bronzer is a dupe for Nars Laguna Bronzer and the blush is a dupe for Nars Orgasm Blush. The Nars Bronzer and Blush are their best sellers which is available for only 3 dollars along with a mirror.

 e.l.f Makeup Mist and Set in Clear 

This product retails for 3 dollars at Target. It is often compared to the MAC Fix Plus Setting Spray and the Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray. So it not only helps your makeup stay on forever but it also helps enhance your eyeshadow and your highlight only for 3 dollars.

FYI, e.l.f Cosmetics ships to India through their official website.

Wet n Wild Photofocus Setting Spray 

This product retails for 5 dollars at Walmart. It has been spoken about amongst best products in 5 dollars by many Youtubers. In India, we do not have many drugstore setting sprays. So I decided to give this product a try.

Wet n Wild Makeup Brushes

6 brushes retailed for 10 dollars. This range includes cruelty free Vegan brushes. The brush set includes a concealer brush, eyeshadow brush, angled liner brush, blush brush, foundation brush and crease brush. I love the pink white ombre bristles.

Physicians Formula Butter Bronzer in Light Bronzer

This product retailed for 15 dollars at Target.I have heard so much about this product by so many Youtubers. It has one of the best fragrances in cosmetics. The packaging is totally adorable.It comes with a tiny brush and mirror. It is perfect for that natural glow.

L’Oreal Paris Infallible Pro-Glow Foundation in 207 Sand Beige

This product retailed for 13 dollars at Walmart. I personally love their Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation but recently I have been all about the glow. Most of my foundations are of matte finish so I decided to get this foundation and mix things up a little.

Tarte Tartelette Tease Palette

This product retailed for 21 dollars at Sephora. This is a limited palette which is pocket friendly version of the Tarte Tartelette Palette in Bloom. All the eyeshadows are amazingly pigmented and the palette has the perfect combination of matte and shimmery shades.

Sephora Favorites Give Me Some Bold Lip

This set includes 6 high end best seller lipsticks valued at 75 dollars sold only for 28 dollars. It includes 3 liquid lipsticks which are Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Damned, Tarte Tarteist Creamy Matte Lip Paint in Yaassss and Ciaté London Liquid Velvet in Head Over Heels. It also includes 3 crayon lipsticks which are Bite Beauty Matte Crème Lip Crayon in Aubergine, Laura Mercier Velour Lovers Lip Colour in An Affair and SEPHORA COLLECTION Rouge Cream in 49 Belly Dancing.

That is all for this post.If you would like a detailed review on any of the products or have any suggestions or questions, leave it down as a comment. 

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Photography Credits: Ananya Khatri.