Favorite Face Brushes

Makeup brushes are a necessity, don't you think? Having several foundations or highlighters, not something you need, but just want. Brushes, you need. Always. Atleast thats what I tell myself.
You can never have too many brushes, and even if you do, you always find yourself reaching for the a few particular brushes, right? These are the ones I use regularly - almost daily, and I only change them around when I feel they need a break. I love them THAT much.

The Foundation Brush
No surprises here, it had to be the Real Techniques Buffing Brush, it manages to buff in everything from my very liquid face and body to my concealer perfectly. It never leaves my face looking cakey or too heavy, and it just blends everything seamlessly. If these were sold separately...

The Concealer Brush
I always used my fingers for concealing, but once I began using Real Techniques Deluxe Crease Brush, I've never looked back. It picks up just the right amount of product and buffs it in just like my beloved buffing brush. Actually, this is almost like a mini version of the buffing brush.

The Setting Brush
This may come as a surprise, but the Real Techniques Contour Brush is my setting brush of choice, I prefer it to the RT Setting Brush actually. Since I mostly powder under my eyes and my T-zone, this brush is perfect. Its slightly stiff so it sets the under eye concealer beautifully and without any effort. It also seems to pick up just the right amount of powder - almost like it knows its use.

The Contour Brush
The MAC 167 is probably my all time favorite brush for powder products - but it bronzer, blush, highlighter or even powder. The angle really does make a huge difference - especially around the cheekbones. I use this mainly for contour/bronzer, and it never seems to pick up too much product, it also blends it in effortlessly. aaah, I feel I'm using those words too much - but honestly, what other words can you use while describing brushes?

The Multi-Tasker
Ah, my beloved 187. MAC's 187 was the first foundation brush I bought, and used it religiously with my Studio Fix Fluid, but once I stopped using that, this brush was forgotten. Recently, when I had washed all my usual brushes, I reached for this one for Bronzer - and I was skeptical. But it did the most beautiful job. I actually use this more often than all the other brushes put together, because it buffs in foundation well, it gives me that very natural bronze and works wonderfully with both powder and liquid highlighters - it really is a gem of a brush.

So there you have it, my favorite face brushes, what are yours?

Birthday Weekend!

Birthday weekend post coming your way in 5.. 4.. 3.. 2.. 1. Note: Picture Heavy.

So, the 9th of February was my 22nd Birthday (yay, oldage) and it turned out into more of a weekend bonanza than just a Sunday celebration becauseeee.. my best friend Nikhil's (See picture above, with the birthday boy) Birthday is on the 8th. So it turned into a fun filled weekend! (Though, sadly, I ended up working on both days, ugh)
On Saturday, we drove out to Moonrakers in Mahabalipuram, where you get the tastiest fresh seafood, though we didn't take too many pictures (we aren't picture people) we managed a few here and there.

On Saturday night, my lovely parents surprised me with my favorite red velvet and cream cheese cupcakes from the Cupcake Company.
On Sunday, we went out for lunch with the grandmother, followed by some shopping (LOTS of new things, yay!) and went to the Great Kebab Factory for dinner. (so good, so full)
Oh and for your viewing pleasure, I took a bunch of Birthday pictures with my cats - Qoco (black) and Snowman (White).

Now, onto my favorite part - throughout the weekend I wore pretty much the same makeup, featuring some new products from Bobbi Brown and a highlighter from MAC!
For my base, I have found the most beautiful combination of Chanels' Vita Lumier Aqua mixed with Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk, the coverage that the two combined gives me kills the need for concealer - at the same time it looks bloody natural and so - I'm glowing-from-within. I used my new Bobbi Brown Dark Peach Corrector under my eye (I was matched to Dark Bisque for god knows what reason, and have used up 3 of those - but I feel peach does a better job of eradicating the darkness). For my eyes, a new shadow acquisition, which is Bobbi Brown's Shimmer Shadow in Cognac - Its a burgundy plum, and my first venture into the BB shadows, I have to say, its LOVE. Buttery goodness and the pigmentation - sweet baby jesus.
I blended that out with my Inglot 357 Matte, and used my Maybelline gel liner. For brows, Anastasia Beverly Hills DipBrow in Ebony. For ze lashes, I used the very hyped Benefit's They're Real! And I have to say, I'm underwhelmed. Yes it can hold a curl, but no, it doesn't make the dramatic difference that people claim it does, but then again, it could just be me.
Okay, we're almost there - two more new products that I used this weekend was the Bobbi Brown Matte Bronzer in Dark (Better than my beloved NARS Casino? Jury is still out!) and the MAC's Extra Dimension Skin Finish in Magnetic Appeal as a highlighter (I've never tried these before, but I've got to say, I'm hooked). Highlighter seems to be my new addiction - but more on that later.
I finished everything off with MAC's Rebel which just.. aaah, look at it!

Ze new beauty stuff!

Haulage - Boyfriend jeans - Marks & Spencers, Layered necklace - Accessorize, Houndstooth Snood - Aldo, Black Wedges - Aldo, Bag - Oasap.com

So, that was my birthday weekend, with a little Face of the Weekend thrown in.. what did you think? :)

All about the Brows.

Ahh brows. my favorite part of my makeup routine.. the most important part of a face - if you ask me. Yes, eyes are a passage to your soul and all that jazz, but your eyebrows shape your face. You can pluck 'em, thread 'em or wax 'em that is totally upto you, but I'd say - never ignore 'em brows.
(On a side note, has anyone been noticing a huggggee eyebrow threading trend develop in the West, which I guess is a bit odd if you happen to be Indian, considering we've only ever threaded our eyebrows?)

Okay, back to the point of this post - eyebrow products (digressing as much as I do has got to be considered a talent) If you had asked me about 2 weeks ago what my all time favorite eyebrow product was.. I'd have said NARS Eyeshadow in Coconut Grove - its the perfect dark blackish brown - giving my very dark eyebrows a very natural tint while shaping them.
However, now, I have discovered the Anastasia Beverly Hills DipBrow Pomade in Ebony (sheesh, thats a mouthful) which, incase you've been living under a rock is a new launch from the brand and frankly, my first venture with them. The second I saw it I knew I had to give it whirl, so into my CultBeauty basket it went, and a week later, I was staring at this creamy-gel goodness. What is it? A creamy gel in various colours, that coats your brows and sets, without budging. To test this out, I've slept with it on (cheeky and a big no no, I know, I know), I've worn it for over 12 hours in sweaty weather as well as indoors and nada, it did not move. No fading, nothing. It sort of combines the idea of a powder and a brow gel, tints and sets - really, this is the perfect brow product. I never thought I'd say this, but coconut grove - you're going back to being a crease colour/ eyebrow powder for lazy days.
As far as tools, I don't think anything beats an angled brush, I use the Real Techniques one from the Starter Set with powder and a smaller more precise angled brush from Kryolan for the DipBrow. And ofcourse, with any eyebrow routine, a spoolie is a must, as it brings back texture and generally keeps thing a bit more natural. Also, lets take a minute and appreciate the world spoolie. Spoolie. SPOOLIE. I want to keep saying Spoolie. Okay. I'll stop now.

Over and out.