Before & After

Some more Indian Occasion looks...!

Tips and Tricks: Make Your Own Dotting Tool

Nail art has become quite a craze in the fashion industry recently. Studs, pearls, streaks, stripes and dots... If you have a creative imagination, then the world is your oyster. Here's a simple trick to create your very own dotting tools with simple things found lying around the home.


Photo Source: Preen Me, Google

What are your favourite nail art tools?????   

Makeup Tools- Brushes

Just like a plumber cannot get a job done satisfactorily without a wrench, a mechanic without some spanners, a dentist without the forceps(hehehe, just had to add that in) and a gardener without a shear, so too makeup can never be completed without the use of basic, proper tools. Not only does it ensure hassle free and easy application, but also an expertly flawless look. I LOVE makeup brushes but despise that they are so overly priced here in South Africa. But there is hope- I will be doing another post on a brand of brushes introduced here which is soooo ridiculously cheap, I can afford to buy 3 of their brushes for the price of ONE of Mac's and Smashbox's or even Estée Lauders brushes.

Brushes come in two main categories: NATURAL brushes and SYNTHETIC brushes.

Natural bristle brushes: these are brushes made from the hair of animals like ponies, goats, badgers and squirrels. Because of the soft, silky and flexible nature of these brushes, they are perfect for picking up powder and for blending. This texture allows for ease of application without poking or hurting you. Natural bristle brushes, if cared for properly, can last you a lifetime as they are naturally very resilient and durable.

Synthetic Brushes: are mainly made from nylon and are much firmer, slightly thicker(individual strands) and harder in texture. They are good for foundation, concealer, eyeliner and lipstick applications. Nylon bristles do not pick up eyeshadow properly and are terrible for blending. They are less expensive than natural hair brushes.

You have brushes for basic use and brushes that are used for precision application. If you are comfortable with simple application of your makeup, then the set of  basic brushes will suffice. However, if you are someone that loves experimenting with different looks, you'll find that you never seem to have enough of makeup brushes....


The basic set of brushes that one would need to apply their makeup is:

1. Powder Brush: a powder brush is a large headed, fluffy brush. It is great for picking up loose or pressed powder to apply onto the foundation to set it in place. It allows for an even, sheer application of the powder as opposed to sponge and fluff applicators. Must be made from natural hair(sable, squirrel)
2. Angled Brush: I love using a medium sized angled brush for shaping the eyebrows after the foundation and powder application. Use it with a brow shadow to define the brow and set the brows in place. (Natural hair)
3. Flat Shader Brush: I prefer a flat shader/ eyeshadow brush that is not dense with bristles. I feel it allows me more control in the application of pigments or pressed shadows. They should be firm and held in place tightly in its barrel. (Natural hair)
4. Crease Brush: my favorite of all brushes...A crease brush will help you pack on color in the crease area without working its way onto the lid or brow bone. Here again, I like a medium to small brush. (Natural hair)
5. Blending Brush: the name of this brush is self explanatory- it's bristles are not compacted together but are held together rather loosely(at the top) for ease of blending out or softening harsh lines. I believe that you can never have too many blending brushes. (Natural hair)
6. Eyeliner Brush: you have straight eyeliner brushes and angled eyeliner brushes. Whatever your preference, no brush collection is complete without an eyeliner brush. Gel liners are most efficiently applied with an eyeliner brush or a small angled brush. Eyeliner brushes do not have to be made with natural or sable hair. The synthetic bristles work very effectively in scooping up product and for applying.
7. Blush Brush: another one of my favorite brush types. You have the angled blush brush as well as the rounded brush. Both work as effectively. I couldn't imagine applying blush without a brush....really, how would one apply their blush 'sans' a brush????
8. Lipstick Brush: lipstick brushes provide a hygienic application for your lipsticks- even if you are the only one using them. You can easily apply product with one lined areas of your lips without smudging it all around your mouth. Use it to also apply lipgloss over. It is also super advantageous if you love mixing your colors without having to spoil your lipstick tube.

Makeup brushes are the most important beauty tool, for makeup, that you could ever own. We spend lots of money on makeup, yet use poor quality tools to apply it which can essentially be the difference between flawless makeup and makeup that leaves you looking cheap and tacky....

Which is your favorite makeup brush????

Review: Inglot Eyeshadow Trio No124R, Magenta No74, Purple No445, Light Pink No48 & Gold No25

Recently, I had a bridal group that needed their makeup done for the pre wedding function and the wedding itself. Now for me, as a norm in the way that I work, I always request at least a picture of the outfit prior to the day so I am not caught off guard only to realize that I don't have a particular shade of eyeshadow to complement or match the outfit. I am not the type of artist that would simply be content with applying auxiliary or alternate colors like silver/ gold only as the lid shade if I do not have the color of what the person is actually wearing. And.....so it happens that one of the girls from the bridal party had the most exquisite magenta outfit and I couldn't find anything in my makeup collection that would,for me, be the perfect color for the look that I envisaged creating. So, amidst a very hectic morning, I drove off to my nearest Inglot store to purchase just ONE eyeshadow....and ended up purchasing 9 Freedom Palette eyeshadows and a blusher. So with just over R1000.00 worth of makeup later(so much for self control), I created an amazing pink/purple palette that has become 1 of my favorite favorites...lol.

Notice how satiny and shimmery the # 445, 48 & 25 looks. Inglots Pearl finish eyeshadows are a dream to work with.

What I love about Inglots Freedom system is that you are able to buy refill eyeshadows, blushers and lipsticks individually to create palettes with colors of YOUR choice and know that every shade on that palette will be used as opposed to a pre built palette where most times you end up purchasing a palette just for one or two colors while the other colors remain totally unused. Money wasted....! You additionally score when you purchase more than one refill product by getting the palette absolutely FREE.

Back to my favorite favorite.....I created a 'shades of pink/purple' with the 5 eyeshadow palette with:

No 124R: this is a trio which is made up of burgundy/red/pink. The colors on this trio feels a bit hard initially to the touch and needs a bit of pressure to pick up the color. It has a matt texture which is heavily pigmented and all the colors in this trio have fine, gold reflective shimmer in them.

No 74: is a deep magenta color(the color that I really needed for that day), with specks of silver shimmer. Also deeply pigmented. This is more of a matt finish which blends really well. Easy to build up to an intense finish.

No 445: this is a lovely mix of a medium plum/ deep lilac color blended into one. It has quickly made its way as one of my favorite colors now and is certainly one of the most beautiful shades that Inglot  has invented. It has a pearl finish and is soft and smooth in texture. They are intensely pigmented and requires no effort to blend as I've come to expect from Inglot's Pearl eyeshadows.

No 48: is a light pink color. It also has a pearl finish. Super soft and smooth and literally requiring no pressure to pick up color with the brush. Easy to blend as well as to build up color from a light  to intense look.

No 25: this is a gorgeous warm bronzey gold which is not too bright/shiny or dull. It has an equal blend of shimmer and pigment(one does not overpower the other)- just perfect for day or evening use. Now, I know that this is not a pink/purple shade but it was a must have after I swatched it and I certainly have no regrets purchasing it as whenever I am looking for a gold shade to use, I most often than not, find myself reaching for my #25. It's a pearl eyeshadow that is very easy to work with. The soft, smoothness of its pearl texture is felt immediately when you swipe it.

I've always used a primer and base with these eyeshadows and found them to have sufficient staying on power with little or no creasing. There may be a little fall out- but that also depends on how you apply the shadow. If you pat it into place, it reduces the fallout rather than sweeping the brush over
the lid.

More Inglot eyeshadow reviews coming up shortly.....!

Mac Online Store South Africa

Finally and with a  great sigh of relief, the much anticipated Mac online store has finally been launched here in South Africa. Better late than never, you can order your entire Mac wish list from right here. Delivery Is FREE- yes you've read correctly. From holiday special editions to your favorite makeup tools...it's all available at this link.

A Preview of Mac's Online Store

Getting your Mac supplies have never been easier especially for those that do not have a Mac counter near them or for Pro artists that do not have a Pro counter in their city....Yay!!!

You can also subscribe to their mailing list so you are never left behind on any specials or new additions to the Mac product lists.

Happy shopping....