Q: Hi Rhia, I know this may sound silly that I don’t know this, but how often should I be washing my brushes?

A: Hardly a silly question (and the topic is totally in tune with yesterday’s post about spring cleaning!)! I actually get asked this question pretty frequently by clients. Quality brushes are quite the investment, and the problem is that many women aren’t taught how to maintain them properly…and not taking care of them properly can translate into the brushes not lasting as long as they should!

To clean your brushes, use a gentle brush shampoo* and massage it into the bristles to cleanse it throughly. Rinse well to clear the bristles of all shampoo suds. Blot the brush a couple of times on a papertowel to get rid of excess water and sculpt the brush back into shape. Hang over a counter and let air dry overnight.

*Instead of a brush shampoo, you can swap hair shampoo and even dish detergent (international celebrity make-up artist Laura Mercier does this!) to cleanse your brushes.

In terms of frequency for washing brushes, you’ll notice how brushes work and apply better the more you clean them. But let’s be realistic - in the life of the everyday woman, amongst your tall list of things to do daily, brush washing likely isn’t one of your top 10. As a general rule of thumb, you can wash the brushes you use for powders and eyeshadows after multiple uses (I would say at most after every 3 uses, but even that's pushing it!). For cream and liquid make-up products (such as concealers and foudations), you should ideally clean these everyday (or after each use). Again, the more often you clean your brushes, the better the results will be for your make-up application.

Keep these tips in mind to help ensure your quality brushes make you and your make-up look good – for a long time!

Each time a new season rolls around, it’s a great time to filter through your make-up kit to see which items need tossing and replacement. Many of us are guilty for holding onto make-up products past their prime. But for the sake of being sanitary and good to your skin, a little due diligence when it comes to cleaning out your kit is essential. Besides, any excuse to go make-up shopping always works for me!

Here are some telltale signs that your make-up kit is in need of a spring make-over:

1. products start smelling funky
i.e. mascara – Once opened, mascara has a life span of approximately 3 to 4 months. You’ll notice a funky smell once it starts going bad and the formula will be more prone to clumping. Toss.

2. products don’t glide on in the same manner they use to
i.e. powder eyeshadows – If you’re digging away at that eyeshadow and find the pigment just isn’t as potent as it used to be, it’s likely time to replace! Your eyelids will thank you once you start applying that new, creamy eyeshadow that just glides without having to pull at the delicate eye area !

3. liquid products have separated
i.e. foundations – No amount of shaking can get rid of that orange tinge that happens when your foundation has been kicking around for too long. Be good to your skin, and replace your foundation every 18-24 months (or sooner if it looks like it’s separating!).

4. you haven’t bought anything new in a couple of years
No-brainer. Go treat yourself to a fresh new look and properly ring in spring!

For more info on when it’s time to toss, see this post here. Happy Spring Cleaning!

ARTIST TIP: Waaait - don’t throw out everything just yet! Hold on to any MAC containers for the Back to MAC recycling program, where you can get a free lipstick (or equivalent) for recycling your old purchases!

Ever the fan of finding more efficient ways to haul around my make-up kit, last November at the CMS in Toronto, I made it a priority to scope out what other professional make-up artists use to tote around their make-up loot. One case that particularly caught my attention had the words “Zuca Pro” on it; I made a mental note to do some research on the brand.

ZUCA Pro
From what I saw online, the ZUCA Pro bag (pictured below) wasn’t designed specifically as a make-up artist train case, but it totally fit the bill of what I was looking for. Some features of the bag:

• plenty of room (case dimensions 19 3/8" x 15 1/2" x 13 1/8")
• easily mobile on wheels, with another set of wheels to aid in lugging it up stairs
  
• slim enough to fit in overhead compartments and through the aisles of most commercial aircraft
• contains stackable and removable fabric trays where you can organize make-up to your heart’s content
• sturdy frame that doubles as a chair. ZUCA Pro supports up to 300 lbs in weight so “you always have a seat”. (What will they think of next?!)

Yes, the ZUCA Pro bag definitely had a lot of pros (versus cons) going for it, but being a Canadian resident, I had to factor in the dollar exchange and duty taxes into the overall pricing. I know...not fun.

ZUCA for MAC
Now, MAC has released their own ZUCA traincase that has all the features of a ZUCA Pro with MAC branding on the exterior. The case is a make-up artist's dream and comes complete with make-up artist friendly plush trays that have plastic see-through tops (differs from the original ZUCA Pro). The visibility allows for easy organizing and easy access of make-up items.

I just received the ZUCA for MAC case on Friday. I ordered it on Wednesday, and two business days later, I had it my possession (and without having to fork over extra dollars for duty tax!)

Pre-ZUCA, I’ve been going back and forth, packing and unpacking between the different cases I have, depending on the size of the job. I have this exciting feeling that this bag is going to simplify my life, and spare me the time packing and upacking. I’ll have to revisit this product review after a couple of times taking this case on the job.

For now, it’s pretty much love at first sight…

Aside from pushing one's artistic boundaries, one of the best things about doing creatives is meeting great friends that share the same interests as you. I've worked with this super team (Nadia, Fabio, and Cisya) before and simply put - it's always just so much fun when they're around! Even through long hours, everyone puts forth their effort to achieve the ultimate goal of producing a gorgeous image (while still managing to have fun on set!). My work benefits greatly from all the efforts and talents of this super team (in other words - thanks guys!)

Check out some of the behind the scenes photos courtesy of Issha Marie, one of Nadia's assistants on the shoot and a talent behind the lens herself! See Issha's full write-up (and more behind the scenes pics) on the shoot here...just a sneak preview until the finished images are ready! Can't wait!

Here's my make-up area. Issha managed to make me look neat! (Other people beg to differ).

You're going to have to pardon the behind the scenes photos of me. For future note-to-self, I have to be more cognizant of the faces I make when I think other people aren't watching. Those poor models - who put up with my face in their face all day long!

Models: Ada (pictured above), Kamal, Lyuba
Photographer: Nadia Cheema
Photography Assistants: Collin Barrett and Issha Marie
Hair Stylist: Fabio Persico
Wardrobe Stylist: Cisya Paramita
Make-up Artist: Rhia Amio

Here are the before and after results of a wedding make-up trial with the lovely Agata. Agata's day is fast approaching this June and I'm so looking forward to it! What a gorgeous lady and a true delight to work with. I'll be sure to post the professional pics as soon as I can...stay tuned :)