Monday, January 30, 2012

Sigma Brushes



People are constantly commenting on how my makeup looks flawless and almost airbrushed and I usually never give away my secret but today I will.  The key to my makeup looking so great is due in most part to the amazing brushes that I use.  I was told about Sigma Beauty Brushes from a makeup artist.  They told me to opt for the Sigma brushes versus the MAC or Sephora brushes, because they are of lower price, but of equal quality.  Seriously these brushes are AMAZING and today I am going to talk about the set of brushes that I absolutely love right now. 

The name of the set is The Synthetic Essentials Kit and it contains 8 high definition brushes that are specifically made for a flawless make up application.  These were designed so that they can be used with liquid, powder, and cream formulas without allowing absorption into the bristles.

F80 Flat Kabuki – this brush is ideal for all over application of liquid and cream formulas in large, mostly flat areas of the face.  This includes your forehead, temples and cheeks.  This really helps to buff foundation into the skin


F83 Round Kabuki- This is perfect for applying liquid or cream foundation on curved areas of the face such as around the eyes, nose, the chin, and the jaw line.  This is also perfect for applying mineral foundation to your face


F84 Angled Kabuki – the angled shape of this brush really helps to accurately apply blush, especially cream blush into the cheeks.  It can also be used to contour shades on the hair line, cheek bones and jaw line.


F86 Tapered Kabuki – The tapered shape helps to apply products on defined and hard to reach areas of the face.  This brush is perfect for the all over application of powder, cream and liquid formulas.  It is also ideal for applying a primer, and can be used to contour and high light


P80 Precision Flat- the dense, small and flat top of this brush is ideal for concealing blemishes, sunspots, or and imperfection you may have.  It can be used to stipple concealer (covering an imperfection by applying a small amount of make up then using short, light strokes to blend it in) followed by a precise application of setting powder.

P82 Precision Round – The rounded top of this brush was designed to mimic fingertips.  This is perfect for applying eye shadow primers but also can be used for precise application of highlight shades on the bridge of the nose, cheek bones and cupid’s bow

P84 Precision Angled- This brush is perfect for highlighting the brow bone, while also can be used for precise contouring on the sides of the nose and the hollows of cheek bones.

P86 Precision Tapered – the tapered shape of this brush is great for the application of concealer under the eyes, at the sides of the nose, chin, and around the mouth.  This can also be used to perfectly apply concealer around lips to prevent lip stick bleeding.

This is the set of brushes that I currently own and I am absolutely in love with them.  They are so extremely soft and feel amazing when used to apply make up to your face.  They do NOT shed which is awesome because I have owned troublesome brushes that constantly leave hairs on my face, which I absolutely hate more than anything.  These brushes are amazing, and really easy to clean and maintain.  You can opt to buy the big brushes and little brushes separately but I can personally say it was worth every penny buying the set that comes with all of these brushes.  It makes my make up look absolutely flawless, and even makes my mother’s make up look amazing.  She is always worried about products sitting in her wrinkles, and these brushes ensure that her make up does not settle in any of her lines and wrinkles.  She loves when I do her make up!  This set runs $99 which isn’t cheap but seriously is worth every penny.  You can find these brushes under the professional brush section on the Sigma website  To find out more information on Sigma Brushes please click the link below!


Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Tan Goddess



Although it is nowhere near summer, and it seems like the hot sun is a distant thought, I found a product line that I literally cannot wait to try in the summer.  If you have pale skin and long for that deep dark brown color you see so many other women achieve at the beach, or if you tan easily but just want something to really boost that color you get, then you NEED to try these products.  What I will be talking about today is called Maui Babe Browning Lotion, Maui Babe SPF 30, and Maui Babe After Sun Care.

What it is – The Maui Babe Browning Lotion is said to help you achieve a beautiful and long lasting tan without the long tortuous hours in the sun, or if your like me and love sitting on the beach for hours upon hours it helps to promote a beautiful bronze tan without the risk of burning.  I don’t completely understand HOW this stuff works, but after reading all 5 star reviews I am sold.  This lotion comes out a brown color, and is said to stain some bathing suits if not careful, so make sure you thoroughly apply it and then put on your bathing suit, ensuring to wash hands immediately after.  This is water resistant so you are able to swim with it on, and not have to reapply, but if in the sun all day you should reapply now and then.  Remember this is NOT a self tanner or tint.  It is said that after using this and sitting in the sun for only an HOUR you can achieve a golden brown tan.

The Maui Babe SPF 30 sunscreen is supposed to be used like any other sunscreen, and helps to block harmful UVA and UVB rays that cause cancer, wrinkles, and discolored skin.  This stuff is specifically formulated to be used with the Maui Browning Lotion.  Although this is SPF 30, when paired with the browning lotion it helps you to achieve a GREAT looking tan without exposing your skin to harmful rays.  Apply this first before applying the browning lotion, and you will walk away with a HEALTHY tan.  Seriously I have no idea how this stuff works if you’re literally applying SPF 30 but the reviews tell me that it magically does work somehow!
The Maui Babe After Sun Care is said to relieve your skin with soothing Aloe Vera, Vitamins, and nourishing Tropical Oils used by old Hawaiians and Polynesians.  This moisturizer can help your dried out skin that is damaged by the sun, salt, and wind.  Prevent that pesky peeling and flaking before it even begins.  This also seals in that deep dark tan that the Browning Lotion helped you achieve, and also helps it to last longer!

Here is what people are saying:

Review 1(Browning) - We first saw someone use this while in Mexico. She was so brown. I asked her about what it was and she left her bottle for me when she went home. That was 4 years ago. We really like it. It does brown you well. The only negative is that if you have a light colored swimsuit, it temporarily stains your suit until you wash it out.

Review 2(Browning) - I found this stuff in Hawaii 5 years ago on vacation and became immediately hooked! It creates a super dark, yet natural looking tan after only a few hours in the sun. If you burn easily, you may want to get their SPF too and put this stuff over it. Overall, AMAZING quality, nice smell and great texture

Review 3(SPF) - This is a great sun tan lotion providing good protection. Use in conjunction with the tanning lotion and you will get an amazing tan in no time at all. Didn't burn at all in the hot Mexican sun!!

Review 4 (After Sun) - Sunburn??? Use this and throw everything else away... takes the sting and pain away when sunburn, moisturizes skin, avoids peeling, softens skin... it is the BEST !!!! So is their suntan lotion....deep dark tan, while it loves your skin.

So if you have always longed for a beautiful, long lasting tan whether you are fair skinned or dark, give this stuff a try!  The Browning Lotion costs about $14 while the Aftersun and SPF are about $13.  You can purchase this either on the Maui Babe website, where they sell value packs of this, or on Ulta.com.  Make sure you distinguish between the browning lotion that is meant for indoor tanning, and the one that is meant for outside tanning.





-Kristen