How To: Use a Foundation Brush

A foundation brush is usually flat and made out of synthetic fibers. It is designed to help line the creases of the skin, cover the pores and give an even complexion. A good foundation brush eliminates streaks and helps blend the foundation, with the concealer and blush on the skin.
The use of the brush, instead of your fingers, helps to make the application of foundation perfectly flawless and smooth to your skin.

How To Clean Your Makeup Brushes

Taking care of your makeup brushes is very important, because of the bacteria accumulation, something to be aware of, to prevent zits and other skin issues.
But caring of makeup brushes isn't like washing normal brushes, they are delicate therefor they need special attention:

• If you don't have a specific makeup brushes cleaning product, or don't want to invest in one, use baby shampoo, as it is delicate enough not to ruin the makeup brushes bristles and fibers.
• Don't let the water and the shampoo pass the metal part, because when the water enters the metal part of the brush, will get in contact with the glue that sticks the bristles together and ruin them, so they will start to come off.
• Let them dry on a clean towel, preferably close to a window or close to a natural ventilation point. Put them against the wall with the bristles on the towel, so all the water is absorbed.
• Never ever put the bristles facing the tap water, so the water doesn't get inside the brush, and it doesn't get deformed.
• Use your fingers to wash the brush, in soft circular motions.
• Avoid squeezing the brush too much, so the bristles don't come off.

A Guide to Countouring

Contouring is one of the best techniques in makeup, because when well done, it can magically change your face, improving your best features and making everyone look like a fashion magazine model. On the other hand, when it's not well done, the results can be dramatically drastic.
The 3 main products for a perfect contour isn't just your regular foundation plus a darker one to create the "shadow". For a perfect countouring you will need your regular foundation (because contouring in a skin without foundation can look really fake and unnatural), a bronze powder, preferably with no shimmer, or a darker foundation.
It can be either a powder formula or a cream formula, in both cases, make sure you blend the products really well, for a natural finish (both from Younique). A great set of brushes is highly recommended, since they are designed to buff the product in a natural way. Try the Younique brushes, as they are very good quality brushes that won't leave the cakey effect.
You also need a blush, for a healthy glow in your cheeks, and a little bit of the illuminator. Illuminator isn't exactly essential, but it will give you a nice glow of a fashion magazine model.

Beauty Tutorial: Galaxy-Inspired Eye!

This space-inspired look is OUT OF THIS WORLD. (<--- Why I'm not a professional comedian.)

Seriously though, this eye is beyond gorgeous & can be EASILY achieved with the following hues from Younique. (100% natural, chemical-free, mineral-based pigment powders, free of talc, oils, preservatives, perfumes, synthetic dyes, and parabens.)

Awestruck: Use this rich, shimmering blue on the base of your eyes.

Regal: Apply this deep purple in the crease of your eyelid, hitting both the inner & outer corners. You'll also want to line the bottom eyelid. 

Devious: Hit both the inner & outer crease with this gorgeous black. You can also wet your brush and use it as eyeliner (make sure to line the bottom eyelid as well). You want the eyeliner to be bold to get the deep space look. GO BOLDLY WHERE YOU'VE NEVER GONE BEFORE. (Okay.... I'll stop. I'm sorry.) 

The secret to perfecting this look is blending, blending and more blending. You want to create the beautiful starscape where the colors run into each other softly. 

(Quality brushes are essential for beautiful blending.)

How to Clean Your Makeup Brushes

High quality makeup brushes are a super important tool to have in your beauty kit as they're necessary for a flawless, sleek finish. These should be considered important investments and like with any investment, you need to take care of them.

Brushes should be cleaned at least monthly, but preferably weekly to prevent a buildup of bacteria.

Fast, easy cleaning method:

You will need:

-2 tsp Baby Shampoo
-1 cup warm water
-Bowl
-Towel


1. Fill your bowl with water and add the baby shampoo (if your brushes need a deeper initial clean add a bit more shampoo)
2. Place your brushes in the water and let them steep for about 1 minute.
3. Use your hands and gently massage the makeup out of the bristles then rinse each brush under the tap
4. Pour out the water from the bowl and refill with 1 cup warm water and 1 tsp baby shampoo
5. Soak your brushes again and massage
6. Run under lukewarm water and gently rub the brushes, when the water runs clear you are done
7. Using your towel pat and gently press the brushes to relieve most of the moisture
8. Gently reshape the bristles and lay them flat to dry

Younique's brushes are high-quality brushes that have an inner high-quality copper ferrule - which means it won't rust when you use them wet or dry. They are made to last a lifetime, and are cruelty-free.

5 MUST Have Makeup Brushes

Trying to figure out which makeup brushes you need to add to, or begin your collection can be daunting at best, especially for someone who is just starting out. With so many brushes available, trying to decide which ones to add to your makeup arsenal can be overwhelming. However, having the correct brushes can make all the difference in the your makeup application. 

#1 Eyeshadow Brush

The brush: A small, stiff, flat natural brush

Why you need it: This is the brush you need to apply allover eyeshadow color, as it will give your lids a smooth finish and more intense pigment than a fluffier brush would. 

How to use it: Sweep shadow over the lids from the inside of the eye, outwards.

#2 Shading/Blending Brush

The brush: Similar to the eye shadow brush but with softer bristles. 

Why you need it: "This is the ultimate blending brush for eyes," says Zizzo, as it can really get into the crease of your eye and define your lid with precision. 

How to use it: "Dip the tip of the brush into [your] eyeshadow using a circular motion and then tap off the excess [product]" she says. Then, "just using the tip of the brush, start on the outer edge of the eye crease and blend backwards and forwards through the crease using a windshield wiper action," advises Zizzo. This will contour your eye and work to give you a smoky eye look.

#3 Blush Brush

The brush: A soft, medium-sized dome-shaped natural brush. 

Why you need it: A blush brush that is ultra soft and has long bristles, so as not to "disturb foundation or irritate the skin," is ideal for giving color and life to the cheeks, says Dean. 

How to use it: Use the brush to sweep blush and bronzer upwards onto the cheekbones -- from the apple of the cheek up towards the ear.

#4 Liner Brush

The brush: A small angled natural or synthetic brush.

Why you need it: It's multi-purpose as it can be used on your lashline for eyeliner and your brow to fill it in. Plus it is the most user-friendly of the eyeliner brushes due to its easy-to-maneuver slanted angle. 

How to use it: To apply liner, Zizzo suggests placing the brush on the inner corner of the eye and pressing into the lashline, "walking" the brush across to create a perfect line. She also says to create "a winged edge," by simply pulling "out slightly past the edge of the eye." For the eyebrows, use it to "fill in sparse brows with powder," by using short strokes over your natural brow shape, says Dean.

#5 Concealer Brush

The brush: Tapered, round edges.

Why you need it: The rounded edge to allow you to get into the small crevices of your face, like under your eyes and around your nose. 

How to use it: Dab in your brush and sweep over the area that needs concealer, then dab in the concealer using the brush and blend out the edges with the brush.