The other night I was in my local Shoppers to get my make-up fix and "restock" my kit during the usual bonus points sale. I overheard the usual salesperson fodder, as the fresh-faced sales associate tried to upsell her customer on "the best" foundation and a foundation brush to accompany it. The customer was initially asking for wedge sponges, but as the store was sold out, the sales associate recommended brushes as they had "less bacteria". Now to disspell this myth based on the hygiene argument, let's remember that it depends on how you take care of your tools that will determine how hygienic they truly are. A foundation brush, if not cleaned with a brush shampoo and then sprayed with 99.9% alcohol will be just as prone to bacteria build-up and transfer as a sponge that is not cleaned appropriately. The brush should be cleaned after each use to prevent bacteria growth. I love foundation brushes for the application they provide, but if you're more of a make-up minimalist, the foundation brush and the cleansing of it will likely seem like extraneous steps. A sponge, when used and taken care of properly, can be just as hygienic as a brush. Either replace your foundation sponge after several uses or wash out your foundation sponge regularly to give it more longevity. Keep these tips in mind, as regular and proper maintenance of your make-up tools will make sure you get the most bang for your buck! (and who doesn't love that?)

I meant to mention another useful tip that MAC Senior Artist, Jane McKay, pointed out during our Pro Master class on Monday evening. A while back I did a post on mastering the smoky eye while avoiding the usual mess that the application of dark eyeshadow entails. Jane highlighted the most obvious one that I failed to mention during my own post (duh!). To help ensure you get your eyeshadow where you want it to go, do your smoky eye first. Once your smoky eye is complete, use eye make-up remover with a q-tip to clean up any stray bits of eyeshadow underneath the eye area (or anywhere else you didn't intend for it to go). Then, go in with your concealer and a concealer brush underneath the eye to complete the look.

Once concealer (and foundation if necessary) had been applied to the undereye area, Jane used a tapered blending eyeshadow brush (see MAC Brush 224) to lightly distribute a loose translucent powder to set the concealer. The eyeshadow brush was the perfect size for the small and delicate undereye area; a brush of a larger size (or a sponge) could end up distributing too much powder and making the undereye look cakey. Remember just because a brush is called an "eyeshadow brush" doesn't mean it's specific to that one area of the face. Jane herself was using brushes intended for eyeshadow application as powder brushes, and brushes meant to apply concealer as lip brushes.

Overall lesson: The rules with make-up and make-up tools are flexible. i.e. there is no set order to applying make-up to the face first and then to the eyes (and vice versa), and although a product says it's designed specifically for one area of the face doesn't mean it can't be used elsewhere. It's where you bend the rules that you become your own little make-up artist! Enjoy :)

I've been a MAC Pro member for a few years now, but finally attended my first Pro Master Class last night, which was led by MAC Senior Artist Jane McKay. Jane has an impressive resume that includes plenty of editorial and celebrity work (one of which is my favourite - Alicia Keys!). She demonstrated an artist trick she uses to hydrate and add lustre to the skin, even post foundation and powder application. I'm a huge fan of still seeing the skin through the foundation and powder (i.e. mom's pancake make-up is so yesterday!), so I thought I'd share a tip from Jane here.
Remember healthy and youthful skin has a dewy glow to it, and using too much foundation and powder can create a dull and flat effect on the face. Insert MAC's Fix+. Rather than starting your foundation and powder application from scratch - just give the face a spritz or two of Fix+ to bring back the glow. Fix+ is water-based and has a hint of glycerin (to help get that coveted glow) . The formula is also fortified with vitamins and minerals so your skin will be thanking you. Before you head out, make sure the T-zone is powdered just enough to get rid of the excess shine and voila! You'll be glowing in all the right places!

Here are a couple more photos of the creative I had with Braheem last weekend. Wendy is signed with Ford and has a wide range of experience in commercial and print, so you may feel like you've seen her somewhere! Aside from being gorgeous, Wendy had plenty of helpful advice during our shoot. Thanks to everyone for the great day :)

So now that we've got a handle on our foundation, it's time to discuss blush and its benefits. Blush is usually an overlooked beauty product, as its benefits are more understated than a pair of red lips or smoky eyes. But blush done right can add youthfulness and even shave pounds off of your face! Blush generally comes in one of three forms: powder, cream and liquid. The type that is "best" for you will depend on the look you are aiming for.

Powder blush (see pic of Nars Blush at left) is the most common and easiest to work with. It offers more of a buildable, opaque look that can work for contouring or for a light dusting of the apples of the cheeks. Use it with a brush to get a professionally perfected look.

Cream blush (Lancome Colour Design Creme Blush pictured at right) is second in line in terms of the easiest blush to work with. It works great for a naturally flushed and dewy look. It is also ideal for mature skin, as it does not set into fine lines and wrinkles as powder blush would.

Liquid blush (see pic at left of Benefit's Benetint) is the most difficult to work with. Once applied, the liquid is quick to dry and can leave a stain like effect. But when done properly, liquid blush should give a post-light-jog or post-coital glow! Work fast or you'll end up looking like a blotchy mess!

I prefer to use powder and cream blushes (on myself and in my client appointments) as they are more friendly to work with. What's your preference?