Sigma Beauty! Best brushes in the world!

 

Hi everyone! I hope everyone is having a great week! I have been super busy lately with work and school, but in my free time I have been coming up with lots of ideas to review, and to talk about on my blog.

Before I purchase anything, I always research the product, and read lots of reviews. When I started to get really into the makeup scene, I wanted to make sure I had some great brushes to apply all of my cosmetics. I stumbled upon, Sigma Beauty!

Before I started my journey with Sigma, I was thinking of purchasing all MAC brushes. After seeing how much they would cost me (over $500.00), I wanted to find another brand of brushes with the same quality, that I could afford. I was so happy that I found Sigma Beauty. 

Sigma beauty believes in great quality cosmetics, at a very affordable price! Sigma is most commonly known for their amazing brushes, but they also have some great eyeshadow palettes, and skincare tools. I have been able to test out most of their products, and I will just say it again.....they are amazing! Their brushes are high quality, that do not shed bristles, and are a great price. If  you can go to the drugstore, and spend $8-$14 dollars on a cosmetic brush, then why not spend around the same amount of money, to get a better quality and long lasting brush!

  There are so many brushes to choose from! If you're stuck, you can always buy Sigma brush sets. Most of the sets include 12 brushes for under $100.00. In the sets you get a brush for each part of the face. From powder, to eyes, and to lips. For my vegan friendly bloggers, they even have an all vegan friendly brushes!

Sigma has so many brushes to choose from, but I wanted to share my top favorite 3 brushes! This could help you start your kit, or help grow your makeup collection as well!

1.) F80: Flat Synthetic Brush. $16.00 This is my all time favorite brush! You can apply your foundation with this dense brush, which will give you an airbrush finish to your face.

Tip: Place a few drops of foundation onto your hand. Dap the brush onto the foundation, and buff the product into the skin using small circles. This will give that beautiful airbrush finish!

2.) F30: Large powder brush. $20.00 This brush can be used to apply your powder, bronzer, and even dusting on some blush! This brush is very versatile, and you can dust your powder on in seconds because of it's size!

3.) E40: Blending Brush. $9.00 The E25 brush is one you should always have in your makeup bag! The biggest mistake I see many people make when applying their eyeshadow is not blending those harsh lines. Using the blending brush you can add color to the crease of your eyelid to give your eyes some depth.

 Then, cleaning off the brush, blend from the corner of the crease inward, in then"windshield wiper motion." Tips for cleaning your brushes!! You should always clean you brushes! My trick to cleaning them, is at the end of each week (usually Sunday), I take baby shampoo (it is very gentle), and shampoo my brushes. I use warm water to rinse the makeup out of them, then sit them on a towel to air dry over night. I always clean them once a week! This is very important because it will decrease contamination, and reduce breakouts on your face. Bacteria can spread very easily!

Everyday before input my brushes away, I always spritz them with a little brush cleaner. My favorite is Sephora's brush cleaner at $6.00-$14.00 a bottle!

I have to admit that in my eyes Sigma wins over any other brand of brushs. The price is great, but the quality is even better. I have never had one their brushes shed or break on me. I own several MAC brushes as well, and I can tell the difference in the quality. If you would like to check out Sigma Beauty click the link below! Also, make sure to check back to my blog for monthly coupon codes of 10% off! If you spend $30.00 or more, you get a free gift with purchase!



Start Your Order Below!

Kenra Hair Products!

Over the last several years, I have been trying several different haircare brands. I have tried everything from drugstore, professional, and even organic brands, but nothing in my eyes beats....KENRA Hair Products. Check them out!

5 years ago, I was able to try Kenra hair products at my Aunt Marybeth's Salon. It was love at first spray. Hairspray that is! Kenra has several different holds of hairspray. From a light mist, to the best hold you could ever have! Let's just say Kenra 25 hairspray...your hair isn't going anywhere.

Another great product by Kenra, is their amazing Blow Dry Spray. Before I turn the blow-dryer on, I mist this great smelling spray into my wet hair. This product helps protect your hair from the heat of the blow-dryer and styling tool, but also helps cut blow-dry time in almost half the time. Believe me, I have short hair, but it still takes me 25 minutes to blow-dry my hair. This product has cut back the time on blow-drying, but also has helped cut out the frizz. I highly recommend this product!

After I blow-dry my hair, I always like to add some shine back into my hair. Kenra's Platinum Silkening Gloss, not only helps with the frizz, but smells incredible. I pump about 3 drops (a little goes a long way) into my hands, rub them together, and lightly run my fingers though my hair. It makes your hair shiny, without looking greasy, and smell wonderful!

Lastly, my go to shampoo and conditioner! Kenra's Moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioner decreases the frizz in my hair, and leaves it feeling silky and smooth. The conditioner is great to help decrease frizz, and add shineback into my hair. I always end up going back to this duo! This is highly recommended for course, dry, and curly hair types.

My Holy Grail.....Mascara!!

blinc

 I think I have finally discovered the best mascara in the world! Last weekend at the International Beauty Show, I was able to get my hands on a mascara called Blinc. Let's just say it is AMAZING!

"Blinc invented a techgnology breakthough in mascara that allows fo the easy application of water-resistant "tubes" around your lashes, which differs from the pointed on coverage of conventional mascaras. Once applied, the tubes encase your lashes and will not run, smudge, club, or flake, even if you cry or rub your eyes. -Blinc"

After using this mascara for over a week, I can tell that my lashes look healthier. My favorite thing about this mascara is that in the morning, I have had ZERO raccoon eyes! My eyes tend to water a lot during the day, and my mascara will usually run under my lash line. Since using Blinc, I have had zero running of my mascara under my eyes, or flaking.

I also have very sensitive eyes and I also wear contacts. I have had no problems with Blinc stinging my eyes, or making them water. At first I was a little nervous when purchasing this mascara. I felt that even though the product sounds great, how was the mascara brush going to be? As soon as I opened the product, and it first touched my eyes, I fell in love! The brush is amazing. Blinc mascara gives you length and volume.

The best part of this mascara is the removal. You only need lots of warm water and gentle pressure, from your fingertips, a washcloth, or from water pressure will remove the small tubes off your lashes.

Blinc cosmetics company also uses the same technology, and had created: Eyeliner, Eyeshadow Primer, Mascara Primer, Eyebrow Mousse, and a dramatic natural lash enhancer.

Blinc mascara comes in several colors such as:

 Black, dark brown, medium brown, dark blue, dark purple, and dark green!

Check it out!

My week with Blinc!

Dinair! Let's airbrush!

Dinair!

Hi everyone!

     I have to apologize that I have not written a blog in what feels like forever. The past 3 months have been the most crazy 3 months of my life. My grandmother was recently diagnosed at the end of January with brain cancer, and passed away on April 13.It has been a very long 3 months, but as sad as I am, I am glad she is now at peace. She is now my guardian angel. Now that things are calming down, I felt the need to get back to blogging!

     Last weekend I was able to attend the International Beauty Show in NYC, with my Aunt Marybeth and her salon girls! We had a blast. I have wanted to attend this show since I was in high school, and my dream finally came true. There were hundreds of booths with different information and products on skin, hair, and cosmetics. It was truly over-whelming, in the best way possible!

      My main goal at the show, was to get as much information on new and upcoming products in Esthetics, but also to visit my favorite airbrush company DINAIR! Dinair was the first company to create the airbrush machine for makeup, in 1981.

      After researching for the best airbrush company last year, I came across the company Dinair. After lots of reading and research, I decided to purchase the Dinair Pro Kit! Let's just say I fell in love immediately. Below I have listed some great information on the airbrush company Dinair.

       In my own words I can describe Dinair as:

• Affordable: They have payment plans! They have 3 main kits all under $300.00. Most airbrush companies cost anywhere from $500.00-$1000.00.
• Small: The size of the compressor is very small. It is very portable!
• Made for ALL skin types: Dinair is water resistant (it will last all day), silicone free (your not breathing in those bad chemicals), paraben free, and not tested on animals!
• Light weight and full coverage: For foundation there are 2 separate lines: Glamour Line, which is a light-medium coverage for everyday use, and Paramedical, which is full-coverage, that will cover any skin problems such as acne scarring, tattoos, or rosacea.
• Bacteria Free: There is no contamination going on with Dinair! No brushes are being used, which can spread bacteria to your face and to your cosmetics.
• Easy clean up: You can do a full face of makeup before running the cleaning solution (which is natural), in the airbrush gun. That is awesome. Quick and Easy! 

      Over-all the Dinair is amazing. You can do so much with their airbrush makeup. From: Foundation, blush, bronzer, lips, eyeshadow, eyeliner, and even mascara! If you are nervous that you can't do it yourself at home, yes you can! All of the kits come with a DVD to show you all the steps on how to setup your airbrush machine, how to apply the makeup, as well as how to clean your airbrush.

       If you are looking into Dinair as a professional use, it can be used for fantasy body art and hair art. They have stencials of all different types. I had a great idea the other day, and wanted to share it with all of you. You could setup a booth at your local fair or festival, and instead of doing face painting, use Dinair to airbrush fun stencials onto someones face. How fun! Dinair also has a tanning system for spray tans! It is awesome that you can get everything you need from one company.

      For my personal users. It is a great choice for your everyday makeup. When you first purchase the Dinair, give yourself an extra 15-20 minutes in the morning to play around with the machine and makeup. After a week of using the Dinair, you will notice how quickly you can apply your airbrush makeup. Just think no more brushes, and no more bacteria! It will also help reduce fine lines, and wrinkles because will not be stretching the skin, like you would with your fingers or brushes.  

     Another great thing about Dinair, is that they have so many different colors to choose from. They have different size foundation sets, which include 4 foundations in the range of your skin type. You can also mix different colors together, right in the airbrush gun. You can also use a blush color on lips, or even as an eyeshadow. Dinair is very versatile.

    I highly suggest if you are interested in airbrush makeup, or are even looking to help your skin get healthy,  Dinair is the way to go! I researched for the best airbrush machine and company, and Dinair is it!


Click the link below to check out
DINAIR!

Here is a picture of the Dinair girls and myself from the International Beauty Show April 2012.

                                       

Algenist...Amazing!

A few weeks ago, I stopped into my local Sephora, and began talking to one of the sale's associates. I told her that I was an Esthetics Student at our local beauty school, and asked her if there were any new skincare lines I could recommend to my clients. I told her my clients ages range from 30-55. She suggested a new skincare line that just was released to the public in Septemeber, called Algenist. The sale's associate gave me plenty of samples of each product they had in stock, and I couldn't wait to test them out.

Algenist

"A team of biotechnology scientists in San Francisco, California, focused on developing microalgae-based renewable energy solutions, unexpectedly discovered Alguronic Acid, a powerful compound responsible for regenerating and protecting the microalgae cell. When scientifically tested, Alguronic Acid demonstrated significant anti-aging properties, increasing elastin synthesis by up to 32%* and cellular regeneration by up to 55%*.

Leveraging the regenerative power of Alguronic Acid for the first time, Algenist delivers the next level of skincare technology backed by biotechnology expertise and outstanding consumer results (Taken from Algenist.com)."

Algenist is one of the first products to contain Alguronic Acid, which produces faster cell turnover, and reduces fine lines and wrinkles much faster, than other products.

After testing Algenist products myself, I noticed that my skin's texture was softer, the tone of my skin was more even, and I was experiencing less breakouts. When your face is hydrated, it does not have to produce more oil to makeup for the water loss, in which produces less breakouts.

This skincare line can be used on people from the ages 19-80 years old. It is that amazing!

My favorite product is the Algenist Gentle Rejuvenating Cleanser. It literally feels like silk going on your face. It also contains a toner, which helps balance the PH of your skin. This is great because you are skipping one step in the skincare process. It is already built in!

Algenist Gentle Rejuvenating Cleanser.

 Great for sensative skin types!

The only cons about this skincare line is the price. It does get a little pricey, but you can purchase travel kits and sizes for half the price! If you sign up for the Algenist Newsletter at Algenist.com, you can receive speical deals and saving on Algenist products.

These products can be purchased from:

Before and After Photos:

Algenist

Free samples.....Foundation!

Foundations!!

If you are a person who loves trying new types of cosmetics and skincare, like myself, you will love to know how you can get free samples, which let's you try out a product before purchasing a product. This comes in handy when trying a new cleanser, moisturizer, foundation, or lip product.

Before I purchase any type of product, I love to try out a sample to see how it will react to my skin type. My biggest go to for free samples is Sephora. You can walk into a Sephora, and receive up to three free samples anytime you walk into the store. In the past few weeks, I have been on the hunt to purchase a new high-end foundation. I narrowed my options down to three choices: NARS Sheer Glow Foundation,  Tarte Full Coverage Amazonian Clay Foundation, and Make Up For Ever HD Foundation.

For the past 8 months, I have been using MAC Studio Fix Fluid SPF 15 foundation. It was the first high end foundation I had ever used. At first I thought it was my Holy Grail foundation. After using it for about 5 months, I started to notice I would look orange after a few minutes of applying. My boyfriend would constantly tell me I look orange. I finally had enough, and tried a lighter foundation. I read up on the MAC Studio Fix Fluid SPF 15 Foundation, wondering why it pulls an orange color. My skin's undertones pull a mix of red and yellow tones. If you have yellow undertones, MAC is a definite for you, but if you pull more red (like myself), you might notice an orange tint to your skin after applying. I decided to branch out of MAC, and try some new foundations!

I was very lucky to be blessed with good skin, with only an occasional breakout (mostly hormonal). Before purchasing a foundation (full size), I have a list of qualities that I look for in a good foundation.

1.) Color Range: I always go to the beauty counter to make sure the color matches my skin perfectly. There are some cosmetics lines, that do not have a wide variety of foundation colors. For example: NARS Sheer Glow does not have a wide variety of colors, but Make Up For Ever has over 20 shades to choose from! That is awesome!!

2.) Quality: How does the product apply on the face.

     Questions I ask myself are:

"How quickly does the product dry on the face?"

     "How does is apply to my face? Is it creamy, smooth, or satin feel?"

      "Did the foundation slip on the face or wear off after 8 hours?"

   "How did the foundation react with my skin type?"

3.) I always look for how the foundation oxidzes during the day on my face. I look for the "ORANGE" tint some foundations may leave on your face.

4.) The last thing I look for in a foundation, is how does it look on my face over-all with the other cosmetics I use (powder, bronzer, blush, and illuminator). Did they blend well together?

After being able to try each of the foundations, (NARS Sheer Glow Foundation, Tarte Full Coverage Amazonian Clay Foundation, and Make Up For Ever HD Foundation), I chose to purchase the NARS Sheer Glow Foundation.

On My Skin!

On my skin, the NARS Sheer Glow Foundation, is an amazing foundation. As soon as I applied it on my face, I knew it was the one!

Pros: Felt like silk on my face, applied evenly, matched my skin tone perfectly, was build-able to cover blemishes, and blended beautifully with my other cosmetics. I used NARS Illuminator as my highlight, and it was gorgeous! You also only need a very little amount for the face, which is great. The only down fall is that it is $42.00, but the bottle can last you up to 6 months.

Cons: This foundation does not have a pump. That is my only down fall so far. I just so happened to be looking at Nordstrom.com last night, and found that they sell NARS. They have a $6.00 pump you can purchase for all of there foundations. Problem Solved!

Yesterday we went to the mall, and I happened to walk by the NARS counter. All I did was start up a conversation about NARS products with the lady at the counter, and she gave me a free sample of the Copacabana Illuminator.  

Another trick I have before purchasing a full size product, is to look for it on Ebay. Sometimes people recieve a travel size sample from different cosmetic stores, or with previous purchases, and sell it on Ebay. You can find the travel size product for a decent price on Ebay. Sometimes you can find the full size product for half the price. Just make sure to look at the seller's ratings and reviews before purchasing from them.

I wanted to give you all some information on the foundations I talked about above. They are all wonderful, and work different for everyone! Before spending the money on the full size, make sure to try a sample. Hey the samples are free, so it can't hurt to try!

Just click on the picture of the foundation, and it will take you to Sephora's Online Store. It will show you the description, ingredients, color range, reviews, and price of each product.

NARS Sheer Glow Foundation

My #1 Favorite Foundation For Everyday Wear!

Great for combination and dry skin types! Gives a dewy glow!

Tarte Amazonian Clay Foundation

Full Coverage! It also is natural foundation, made from mud taken from the Amazon!

                                                

Make Up For Ever HD Foundation

Great For Photography! It does not reflect a white finish in a photo!

MAC Studio Fix Fluid SPF 15 Foundation

Great Full Coverage Foundation! Especially great for yellow undertone skin types!

If you order from Sephora.com, you will receive up to 3 free samples, and free shipping for orders up to $50.00 or more!

Don't forget most JcPenny stores now have a Sephora store right inside!

It’s All About….Cleansers!

When choosing a cleanser you want to make sure you are buying a cleanser for YOUR skin type. The first thing you need to know before buying a cleanser is: “What is my skin type and how do I tell?” The first way in determining your skin type, is how much oil you are producing in the T-zone. The T-zone can be found from your forehead, down the center of your nose, and to your chin area. Please see picture below for a reference.

If you are producing a large amount of oil in this area, but also experiencing oil on the sides of your face and cheeks, I would consider you to have oily skin. *If you are experiencing a tiny bit of oil in the T-zone, that is a good thing! I would consider you to have Normal/Oily Skin Type. The oil in your T-zone will help reduce aging on the skin. YOU WANT THE OIL! Also, my oily friends always make sure to moisturize with an oil-free moisturizer. Just because you have excess oil, you still need to moisturize. If your skin is not balanced, then it will over produce with oil. This can also cause acne breakouts as well, if the skin is not balanced.  If you are experiencing breakouts or acne as well, make sure to use an oil-free cleanser and moisturizer. The pore size will also be a medium to large size on the nose and cheek area, but both skin types oily and dehydrated can experience medium to large pores sometimes.

If your skin is feeling tight (face lift feeling), and dry, I would consider you to have dehydrated skin. Looking for a cleanser with a moisturizer or a serum in it is very good for someone with dehydrated skin. The more moisture the better! I always recommend to my clients to moisturize in the morning and before bed. You could also be experiencing some type of dryness in one area on your face, but nowhere else. I would consider you to have Normal/Dry skin type. The pores on your nose and cheek area will be smaller and tighter as well. *After you cleanse your face, pat your face lightly with a towel to dry. Apply your moisturizer when your face is still damp, which will lock in more moisture!

Below is information on my #1 recommended cleanser, and it's DRUGSTORE!!

My #1 Product!

CeraVe: Recommended by Dermatologists for all skin types, especially people with skin disorders such as Rosacea and sensitive skin. Comes in Hydrating, Normal to Oily, & Normal to Dry.  They are very gentle on the skin, and removes makeup as well.

Purchase At: Wal-Mart, Walgreens, Rite-Aid, CVS, & Drugstore.com

Price: $10.99-$12.99

Website: http://cerave.com/

CeraVe website contains great information on the skin, and what their products do to the skin. They also have links to where it is available, and coupons!

*I also recommend the CeraVe moisturizer AM and PM. They are very hydrating and wonderful on the skin. I have been using the cleanser and moisturizers for over 3 months now, and have seen a HUGE difference in the texture and tone of my skin. I recommend this product to ALL of my clients. It also lasts a very long time as well! I am just below the half way mark on my cleanser…3 months!*