Happy Mother's Day!

Hey Everyone!

I'm on the way out the door with my family, but I thought I'd do a very quick post to say HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!! I hope you all have a wonderful day spent with your loved ones!

"A mother’s love is patient and forgiving when all others are forsaking, it never fails or falters, even though the heart is breaking." – Helen Rice

"The love she has deep in her heart, Always gives me a good jump start, She is the one who’s love is true. Thank u Mom for being you." – Anonymous

"A man’s work is from sun to sun, but a mother’s work is never done." – Author Unknown

"Nobody knows of the work it makes, to keep the home together. Nobody knows of the steps it takes, nobody knows but mother." – Anonymous

"Being a full-time mother is one of the highest salaried jobs… since the payment is pure love." – Mildred B. Vermont

"When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child." – Sophia Loren

(Quotes from newstabulous.com)

Coastal Scents Brushes!

Coastal Scents Brushes (http://coastalscents.com)

Left to Right: Eyelash Definer, Destiny Precision Angled Liner Brush, Divine Taklon Liner, Black Detail Synthetic, Synthetic Deluxe Crease Brush, Destiny Blender Brush, Sable Contour Brush.

Left to Right: (starting at the duo fiber brush) Tapered Duo Fiber Brush, Bionic Flat Top Buffer Brush, Deluxe Duo Fiber Shadow, Black Blending Brush, Black Sable Lip Brush.

Coastal Scents Brushes are my favorite brushes next to Sigma Brushes. What I love the most about Coastal Scents Brushes, aside from the great quality, is the amazingly affordable price. Even less expensive than Sigma, most of their eye brushes range from $2 - $4. Their face brushes range from around $5, with the most expensive brushes being $15. 

To view all brushes, click here.

The Bionic Flat Top Buffer Brush is becoming a new favorite of mine. I've used it the past couple of days for applying foundation, and it works really well. The bristles are incredibly soft, and because it's fairly large, it takes half of the time applying my foundation than it would with a standard foundation brush. I was a little worried that it would soak up too much product, but it didn't at all. Even after a few uses, the brush remained very soft.

The Tapered Duo Fiber Brush is a dupe of the MAC 131 brush. I wouldn't say it's an exact dupe, as the MAC brush has better quality synthetic fibers, but the shape is the same and it also works well for applying foundation. I think it's also a great brush to use for a cream blush and highlighting powder as the duo fibers don't pick up as much product at once as a denser brush.

The Deluxe Duo Fiber Shadow Brush. I'm pretty much a sucker for any "duo fiber" brush, so I thought I had to have this. Although it's a shadow brush, I really like it for applying concealer and applying foundation in precision areas, such as around my brows. This is also a good brush to use for a brow highlight or a light wash of color on the lids.

The Black Blending Brush was a little bit larger than I expected it to be and it's not very dense. I personally like it for powdering my under eyes after I've applied concealer, and around the corners of my nose to prevent shine. It works very well for that. I do think it would work well to blend any harsh lines in your eye shadow application.

The Black Sable Lip Brush is your standard compact lip brush with a metal lid for carrying around in your bag. I haven't used it yet, but it will be handy for when I wear my OCC Lip Tars.

The Eyelash Definer is something I think everyone needs. Plastic Lash Combs rarely ever do a good job of separating your lashes & clumps of mascara.. they moreso "comb" your lashes. Metal combs do a much better job at separating, as the teeth are thinner and come to a small point. I have a Tweezerman one for travel, but this is a good backup to have.

The Destiny Precision Eyeliner Brush is a pretty decent brush for applying gel liner in very thin lines, and I even use it sometimes for my brows (see tutorial here). I ordered a backup because mine started to fray. The "Synthetic Fine Liner Brush" may be a better choice for a liner brush as the bristles are longer and may not fray as easily. The Destiny Precision Eyeliner Brush comes to a point, so it's moreso for detail work.

The Divine Taklon Liner Brush is a very good synthetic brush for applying liner and brow products. It's fairly thin, so I haven't had any issues with fraying of the bristles, which often happens with most of my angled brow brushes.

The Black Detail Synthetic is a small brush for smudging shadow or liner to your lashline. Because the shape is a little bit rounded, it won't create precision lines, which makes it a good tool for smudging or small details.

The Synthetic Deluxe Crease Brush is a good brush for applying shadow to your crease. Also, because it's synthetic, it would work well for applying cream shadow. Because it's synthetic and dense, it will pick up lots of product, so it's a good brush to use if you want a very dark crease. I actually like using it to apply concealer, as it's a bit similar to the MAC 224, but shorter. It still works really well.

The Destiny Blender Brush is again, very similar to the MAC 224, but has shorter bristles. I like it for applying shadow all over my lid and through my crease.

The Sable Contour Brush is your standard "pencil" brush. It works very well to apply shadow through your crease, in the corners of your eyes, and even for blending/smudging shadow on your lashline.

I am really pleased with all of my brushes, and I highly recommend all of them. Especially if you're on a budget, or if you are looking to expand your brush collection.

Do you have any favorite brushes or products from Coastal Scents? Share in the comments below!

Step by Step: How to Apply Individual Flare Lashes!

 What are individual lashes? Individual Lashes differ from the traditional "strip" lashes as they aren't applied all at once. They are applied individually. Individual Lashes are mainly sold in "flares" or, small clusters of about 5 - 10 lashes. They typically come in three different lengths; Short, Medium and Long.

Why individual opposed to strip? The awesome thing about individual lashes, is you can control exactly how you want your lashes to look. With strip lashes, you don't have as much control. Individual lashes are very fun and you can layer them on top of each other for very voluminous & dark lashes and you can mix up the sizes for any look you please. Also, if you want added length, but want to keep your look extra natural, individual lashes are great, because you can add a few flares to the top corner of your lash line and your eye shape will look elongated & your overall look will be more "girly".

Here's a few ideas of how you can use them:

 Short flares starting at the corner (where your lashes are the shortest), then medium flares towards the middle, and long flares toward the end.

Medium flares all across with long flares on top for long, and thick dramatic lashes.

Medium flare, short flare, medium flare, short flare all the way across.

Long flare, medium flare, long flare, medium flare all the way across.

Medium flares starting at the middle of your lashline and long flares toward the end. (to imitate half lashes)

Medium (or long) flares starting at the middle all the way to the end. (to imitate half lashes)

Remember, you can add them wherever you want! You don't have to apply them all across your lashline. You can apply them wherever you want added length or volume.

Tools you'll need:

-Individual False Lashes

-False Lash Adhesive (Strip Adhesive)

-Tweezers

-Mascara

Step 1: First, apply all of your eye makeup, as applying false lashes should be your last step. Apply one coat of mascara.

Step 2: Squeeze a small amount of lash adhesive on a clean surface. I'm using my lash tray as a surface for my adhesive. Then, pick up one flare with your tweezers. Pick them up as close to the bottom as possible. Don't apply too much pressure or you can bend the lashes. Then, dip the end in the adhesive.

Step 3: It's not as necessary to wait as you would with strip lashes, because with strip lashes, the strip can lift off if the glue isn't tacky. Individual lashes won't fall off. But, if you'd like to wait for the glue to become tacky for 10-15 seconds, you can go ahead and do so. For reference, I don't wait. :)

Step 4: While looking forward in a mirror, tilt your head back slightly so your eyelid flattens. You should have a clear view of your lashline. You can start from any area you want, but I like starting from the middle. So, starting from the middle, place the lash down on your lashline, as close as possible to the roots of your natural lashes, but not on top of them. The glue should be on your eyelid, not your lashes. The flare should be laying on top of your own lashes.

Step 5: Close your eye that you just placed the lash on. Examine your placement with your other opened eye. The false lash should be going in the same direction as your natural lashes. If they are going in the opposite direction, take your fingertips and push them slightly so they are going in the correct direction.

Step 6: Continue with placing another lash next to the first one. If you want thick lashes, apply it directly next to the first one. For more of a natural look (what I'm doing), leave a tiny space in between.

Step 7: Again, examine your eye to see if your placement is correct. (repeat step 5)

Step 8: Continue applying the lashes to your lashline going outward. At this point, I've applied 5 flares. You can click on the image to see a close up of the image. You can see how much of a space I left in between each flare for an overall natural look.

Step 9: To make your lashes extend outward, add an extra flare to the very end of your lashline.

Step 10: Wait at least 5 minutes. Once the glue is completely dry, very carefully apply a coat of mascara to your top and bottom lashes. You want to be gentle because you can make the mistake of lifting some of the lashes off with the mascara wand.

MAC Brown Down & Brun Eyeshadow Review, Swatches and Comparisons!

Have you ever hated a certain eyeshadow color, and then later on, you end up loving it? In the beginning of my blog, you may of noticed I used just about every color but brown. Now, brown seems to be all I wear every day and I can't get enough of it!

I have several brown shadows, but every time I see a nice matte, super pigmented brown, my heart starts beating a little faster and I have to get my hands on it like a bad addiction. Yep. I'm never satisfied with the browns I have. I feel like there is always another undertone, another finish, better pigmentation.

This brings me to my lastest brown addition to my brown shadow family. MAC Brown Down and Brun.

Brown Down is a teddy bear brown with a veluxe finish.

Brun is a blackish-brown with a satin finish.

MAC Eyeshadows. Left: Brun (Satin) Right: Brown Down (Veluxe)

MAC Eyeshadows. Left: Brown Down (Veluxe) Right: Brun (Satin)

I love that Brown Down isn't really anything like I have already. It's a soft, pigmented, earthy red-brown. Because of the red tone, it's an excellent color for my hazel eyes. Basically any red toned color will make green eyes really stand out. I'm sure I'll be using it often in my crease and smudged on my lower lashline.

As for Brun, it's a wonderful blackened brown with no red or yellow undertones. It makes for a great smokey eye or for a brow filler for brunettes. Many have trouble finding that right shade of brown to match their brows, that isn't too golden, red or gray and this is perfect!

Here are some comparisons to some of the browns I own:

(CLICK FOR FULL SIZE) Left to Right: Nars Mekong, Nars Coconut Grove, Nars Bali, MAC Espresso, MAC Brun, MAC Brown Down, MAC Tempting, Urban Decay Twice Baked, NYX Dark Brown.

 Sadly, I lost two of my favorite brown shadows.. MAC Cork and Nars Galapagos. Like I mentioned in my previous post, I have a bad habit of never closing my makeup bag or handbag, and I lose makeup once in a while. I'll have to purchase back ups sometime in the near future.