Rouge Bunny Rouge Masters of Beauty Tools

I just found out about these brushes today wanted to pass along the pic to you all. Rouge Bunny Rouge has released a line of brushes. These are brushes are a great collection for those of you who need a set of basic essential brushes!

The Brush Guard... A Review and A Giveaway! (closed)

The Brush Guard is something that I have wanted to learn more about for a while now. I had seen them mentioned by a few YouTube guru's and really wanted to learn more about them. I contacted the company and they kindly offered to send me their assorted package for me to try. I couldn't wait for them to arrive and started testing them out right away.

The Brush Guard is a stretchable, breathable tube which protects your makeup brushes:
While drying—bristles dry in perfect shape
In use—handle stays clean and grips better
In storage—no snags or squashing
On the move—perfect packing

I have been using them for several weeks now and I did have to make some changes to the way I cleanse my brushes to really maximize what the brush guard can do. I used to leave my brushes pretty wet when I washed them so as not to damage the ends of the hairs drying them on a cloth. This meant that it took FOREVER for the Brush Guard to do it's job as the guard does limit the air that can reach the bush somewhat due to standing them upright in a glass.

 I now cleanse my brushes and VERY GENTLY swirl my bushes on a dry paper towel to remove access water before a place my brush guard on and put my brush upside down in a glass to dry. This really did make a difference to the drying time, and although it still takes longer for my brushes to dry it really is worth it.

My brushes now always dry in the perfect shape, and leaving the brush guard on after drying also helps to keep my brushes dust free until I use them. I also love using them when I travel. Many times I only want to take a few brushes and don't want to pack a brush roll. The brush guard allows me to take the brushes I want, through them in my makeup bag and know that my brushes will look perfect when I take them out to use.

Want a chance to win a variety pack of the Brush Guard to try for yourself?? Residents of the Canada and the US will have a chance by leaving a comment below telling my why you would like to try the Brush Guard for yourself! You must be a follower of my blog for a chance to win and this contest will close on May 10th at midnight EST. Winner will be chosen by random.org.

*Winner has been contacted and has 1 week to respond! Congrats Jill-O

Toronto IMATS, My Experience!

This was my first year at IMATS and the first for Toronto as well! I have never been to such a huge gathering for the makeup obsessed before and at first it was a little overwhelming! Once I got my bearings I was off to see what the amazing companies at the IMATS had to offer. It was suggested that I hit Crown Brush and MUFE first, once I saw the line for MUFE's 40% off sale I decided to wander over to Crown brush that that was where I made my first purchase. First must have was the Coastal Scents 88 palette, at $15CAD. I also bought a selection of brushes as well as disposables for my kit.

I walked around for a while to see what the other booths had to offer and saw some amazing prosthetic work as well as drawings at the makeup museum from the movie X-Men. Next I became completely drawn into the student competition taking place. Right away I was drawn to one competitor who had done the most beautiful gothic look. I am happy to say I heard later that she had won the competition. My camera didn't do a great job in the lighting but I did take a couple of pic's for you all.

I watched various classes by some of the most amazing makeup artists out there and learned a lot of great new tips and tricks. Then it was time to make a few more purchases that included Kryolan, Royal Brush, and Pari just to name a few!!

I was so happy to get to have a very nice conversation with Debbie Bondar of FACE atelier, a great Canadian makeup company offering some amazing products. I had a chance to play with the product and found their silicone based foundation a real treat to work with. This company has grown very quickly and is used by Billy B as well as many other amazing makeup artists throughout the industry! This company has been featured in many magazines and has been used in many of your favorite tv shows, fashion week etc. Some of the products I was interested in were already sold out so I will be placing an order soon.

I only wish that some companies such as NARS would have been there offering some sort of promotion, seeing as I can just run to my local store to pick it up. It was an absolute treat to have a chance to play with product from companies that normally I can only order from not having gotten the chance to see and feel the product in person.

I met up with several bloggers as well as some great contacts and friends from youtube such as Stacey Brennan, Miss CaseyB, Koren (from Enkore)  etc and it was so nice to get to meet everyone in person.

I am already looking forward (and saving) for next years show! I had such a great time, and just loved having day full of makeup!! Will I see you there next year??!!

Quo Makeup Brush Review... and Disappointment

I have loved Quo makeup brushes since they first came on the market. For me they are a great value as I go through brushes very often and these have always been great quality at a great price. I am sad to say however that the quality of these brushes has gone down hill greatly over the last year and I am left with brushes of lower quality that last little longer then a discount brand!

I contacted Shoppers Drug Mart ( the makers of Quo ) to ask them if they had recently changed manufactures and was told that nothing has changed and that their product is still being held to highest standard. I then went to Makeup Alley where reviews also lead me to believe that something has changed due to lower review ratings on newly released brushes.

I am so upset that quality is suffering as I really loved their brushes as well as the price point on the products. I will though that if it meant the same quality that I am used to I would be willing to pay more to get the product quality I amused to getting!

Please let me know what you think about these brushes and if have had similar experiences!

Posh 5 Piece Travel Brush Set Review

This week on yet another shopping adventure, I picked up a set of mini brushes from a company called Posh. This set includes a foundation brush, powder brush and three double ended brushes that cover concealer to brows! This set retails for around $13 in stores, but is also available online.

I really didn't expect much from this inexpensive set but this little case contains all the right tools to keep you perfect on the go!

The powder and foundation brushes are not the most amazing brushes I have ever used but when on the go and you want a compact solution these two brushes fit the bill nicely. The shorter handles are slightly less comfortable to use but the fact that this set takes up such little room more then makes up for it.

The other brushes in this set are double ended really making this set an eight brush set. There is a smokey eye brush which is an angled fluffy brush and a dome brush. There is a concealer and perfection brush which has small synthetic brushes to aid in perfecting the skin. Finally there is an eyebrow and eyeliner brush containing and angled brush for the brows and a small synthetic brush perfect for gel liners.

I had to get ready before going to a fashion show yesterday and I created the whole look using the set I didn't feel like I was missing one thing!

If you travel and don't have space to take your normal brushes, this set is perfect! If you see it pick one up, or find them online!

EcoTools 5 Piece Brush Set

I've been wanting to do this review for a while now but it seems that other reviews etc keep coming first. EcoTools is a earth friendly beauty company who's products are sold mostly in Walmart in Canada but can be found at other retailers from time to time. I have tried a few of their makeup brushes in the past and loved them so I  decided to try the 5 piece (one piece bring the carry bag) brush set after being asked to review them by a reader.

Now as I said before I love the quality of these brushes and I will try to do a review of those brushes soon, but I wasn't as impressed with this set as I had hoped. This one is marketed as a travel set so this is why the handle's are shorter then the other brushes EcoTools do. I still like the quality of the brushes but the one's that were included leave a lot to be desired!

First if all this set is described as being best for mineral makeup and I did use them with minerals as well as other makeup. I found that two of the brushes are much the same except for handle length. In the pic they look a little different but in person and when using them they so exactly the same thing so I found two a little redundant. The other two brushes included in this set are actually quite nice. The puffy dome brush is great for blending and giving washes of colour and the 'concealer brush' as they call it I actually love to use to apply bases to my lid.

This set was under $14 which is really a great deal for 4 brushes. All of EcoTools products have excellent pricing starting at under $4 or a brush. These quotes are based on the big W's pricing; these brushes retail much higher at some other stores.

Overall I think I would buy some of these brushes separately but not as a set. Again I didn't feel the need for two brushes that were much the same or the bag being considered one of the items include. For the price though you really can't loose, all of EcoTools brushes have excellent prices especially for the quality you get.

Take a look next time you are in the makeup section take a look at EcoTools.

Caring for Your Makeup Brushes

I am always asked about brushes and how to care for them. I am working on a post about types of brushes to buy but today's focus is care. 

When you buy your brushes you don't want to throw our money away so care is the best way to make your brushes stand the test of time. Clients always ask me what type of brushes I use because they are so soft, well really it comes down to the fact that I care for my brushes.

Firstly please remember the main reason for cleansing your brushes is to rid them of bacteria that can not only harm your brushes but your skin as well. Not washing your brushes can lead to breakouts that will not go away as every time you use the brush it spreads the bacteria. Cleansing your brushes will solve this problem easily.

First of all I wash my personal brushes once a week, as well as using a brush cleaner (alcohol based) after each use. When I wash my brushes I use a gentle cleanser such as baby shampoo so as not to harm the bristles and have even been known to condition my brushes on occasion to keep them soft. After creating dramatic looks where a lot of makeup is used I will often use a stronger shampoo in order to really cleanse the product away. Try as much as possible to keep water out of the barrel or shaft of the brush by washing them on their side and laying them flat to dry. Keeping them upright will cause water to get into the glue allowing the brush to fall apart before it's time.

As a final note PLEASE do NOT use the little pads that come in your powders etc. These are breeding grounds for bacteria as product combines with oils from your skin. If you must use these applicators from time to time please spray with brush cleaner to destroy some of the bacteria.

I hope this answers all your questions. If you require more info please leave it in the comments below and I will do my best to answer them!