Some women have the idea that the more makeup they apply the better they will look. But the truth is, using too much makeup can settle into fine lines and wrinkles that we acquire as we get older. This makes them stand out instead of covering them up. However, with the right tricks, turning back the clock can be as easy as opening your makeup bag.

1. Skip the Powder

As we age, we tend to lose the natural glow of our skin. You would think that powder, being lightweight and non-greasy would mean it’s a necessity but that’s not always the case. Powder can easily embed itself into the fine lines and wrinkles on your face, especially around your eyes and that will only exaggerate them. Also, adding powder to the skin can make it look cakey or dull.  Instead, opt for a foundation that is lightweight or a tinted moisturizer. This will help even out your skin tone without making it feel greasy and allow your skin to shine through.

My top pick: NARS Sheer Glow Foundation  (Amazon) (eBay) (Sephora) (Nordstrom)

2. Apply a Creamy Pink Blush

Just like face powder, a powder blush can set into the fine lines and wrinkles that occur over time. It can also make your skin appear dull. Opting for a cream blush adds a glow to your cheeks without overdoing it. Make sure you pick the right shade for your skin tone no matter if you have light, medium, or dark skin. Using a pink color will add a nice flush to your cheeks that will give them a more youthful appearance. Just remember to use clean fingers when patting the cream blush to your cheeks to avoid getting any germs into your pores

My top pick: NYX Cream Blush in Boho Chic (Makeup Geek Store)

3. Curl your Lashes

Curling your lashes immediately makes the eye pop. With time, the eyelid begins to droop and eyelashes begin to flatten. You need to give the appearance of everything being pulled up. Curling your lashes gives the appearance of your eyes being more open and wide therefore looking more youthful.  Remember to apply a couple coats of mascara, but even if you don’t make sure you curl those lashes.

My top pick: Shu Uemura Lash Curler  (Amazon) (eBay)

Also: Tarte Picture Perfect Eyelash Curler (Amazon) (eBay)

4. Wear Plumping Lipgloss

Thinning lips is another sign of aging. Although you can’t turn back the clock and make your lips full like they once were, you can help give the effect of fuller more supple lips by using a plumping lipgloss. This will also help your lips feel fuller and appear thicker than normal. You will know when you have a good plumping lipgloss by the slight tingle on your lips. This lets you know it is working. You should however, avoid using dark colors as this will give your lips a shadow effect and actually make them appear smaller.

My top pick: Bare Escentuals Buxom Lipgloss in Bambi (Amazon) (eBay)

Also:  NYX Plump It Up Lip Plumper (Amazon) (eBay)

5. Conceal your Dark Circles

Whether it’s from lack of sleep, heredity, or age, having dark circles under your eyes will make you appear older than you actually are. Dark circles actually make your face look as if it is being drawn downward. The trick to correctly concealing them is not to use your normal concealer. Use a concealer that is peach or salmon color as this will help to counteract the blue color that most under circles tend to be. To add some brightness under the eye and make them appear more youthful, gently pat on a concealer over the corrector. Use one shade lighter than your natural skin color.  This will give automatically give a more youthful appearance to the eyes.

My top pick: Bobbi Brown Corrector in Peach (Amazon) (eBay) (Sephora) (Nordstrom)

Also: Makeup Forever Concealer Palette (Amazon) (eBay) (Sephora)

6. Wing Your Liner

Just like curling your eyelashes, winging out your liner can give an instant lift to your eyes. As we age, our eyes begin to somewhat droop.  By winging out your liner you are instantly giving your eyes the appearance that they are being pulled upward. Many women find that creating a winged eye is hard to do. The reality of it is having the proper tools and making sure to use a gel liner.  Use an angled eyeliner brush like the Makeup Geek Bent Liner Brush which sells for $3.79 USD. If you are uncertain how to use one of these brushes or how to achieve that cat eye, or winged liner effect, check out our video “How To: Use An Angled Liner Brush“.

My top picks: Makeup Geek Gel Liner in “Immortal” and Makeup Geek Bent Liner Brush

Also: Bobbi Brown Gel Liner in “Black” (Amazon) (eBay) (Nordstrom)

7. Wear Light Shimmer Shadow

Applying a good, bright, shimmery eyeshadow to the inner corner of your eye like Makeup Geeks Shimma Shimma or Bling, will help lighten the eyes. Think of that area of your eye as a cave, it gets darker as we age. Putting a shimmery, light color in that area will open up the eyes and make them appear more light and make you appear well rested and awake. You can also apply a small amount under the brow as a highlight color to help brighten the eye as well. Just make sure you don’t place it all over the eye as too much glitter can have the opposite effect. Just use a shimmer eyeshadow in the inner corner near the tear duct and under the brow.

My top pick: Makeup Geek Eyeshadows in Shimma Shimma (Pan Version | Compact Version) or Bling (Pan Version | Compact Version)

Looking younger isn’t hard at all, and with these 7 small tricks no one will ever have to know your real age. If used correctly, makeup can make you look and feel younger, feel more vibrant, and bring out your inner Makeup Geek!

Hello beautiful Makeup Geeks! This is Nicola and today is reorganization day for me. Jessica (who works with Marlena and myself) decided I needed a makeup storage makeover and so we decided to make a video for all of you to show you some easy and inexpensive ways to organize your makeup. Everything we used came from craft stores and are things you can find very easily.

Making sure your makeup is organized and easy to view, will insure that you will actually use all your makeup. All to often we have so much makeup that we forget what we have and therefore it never gets used. Here, we are going to show you how to organize your makeup so you can see exactly what you have, and easily find it whenever you need or want it. We also wanted to share with you not only the tools we used, but how we used them to help make the most of the room I have.

Products Used:

• 3 Tier Shelf - Used for stacking foundation, remover and other bottle and jars. This allows you to see everything you have clearly. (Target) (Amazon)  (Amazon)
• Whole Coffee Beans  - Poured into mason jars and vase as holders for lipliners, eyeliners and makeup brushes. The coffee beans amit a wonderful aroma! (Target)
• Vase  - Fill with coffee beans for a great way to organize and hold all those makeup brushes. (Target) (Amazon)
• Z Palettes – Ideal for organizing and securely holding all your eyeshadows, blushes, bronzers, etc. (Makeup Geek Store)
• Container for pigments – These are perfect for organizing all your pigment jars in and still be able to see them perfectly.  (Consumer Crafts) (Amazon)  (Amazon)
• Lipstick Case – These are amazing for organizing lipsticks so you can access them with ease. (Sharodan)
• Bead organizer - These fit lipgloss containers as if they were made for them. This is ideal for holding all your lipglosses and not having to dig through them.  (Consumer Crafts) (Amazon)
• Mason Jar – Fill with coffee beans to hold eyeliners, lipliners, or a few makeup brushes. (Amazon)

Our organization is complete and took us about 3 hours to completely redo my makeup storage. This is well worth it as now I can see all my makeup and utilize everything I have. We hope this helps anyone else who may have been wondering how to reorganize their makeup or who just needs a new way to do things. Please let us know if you have any great tips for how you organize your makeup as we are always looking for new ways to utilize great storage. Stay happy!

Much love,

Nicola xxx

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. Today I want to show you the basic makeup brushes everyone needs for both your face and your eyes along with the proper way to use each one.

Here is my list of the top makeup brushes everyone should own and the correct way to use them. Along with this list I will also provide more inexpensive brushes as well as I understand not everyone can or wants to pay higher prices for a brush. My goal is to inform you about quality products and if possible, the ones that you can get at affordable prices. To get this started let’s begin with the eye brushes.

EYE BRUSHES

Flat Stiff Brush

This is my go to brush and one I reach for daily. The purpose of this brush is for packing color on the lid. The stiff bristles allow you to push the eyeshadow onto the base easier and allows it to stick. You can also use the tip of the brush to smudge color under the lashline as well or create a defined line in the crease.

• MAC #239 Flat Stiff Brush – $25.00 USD (Amazon) (eBay) (Macy’s) (Nordstrom)
• Makeup Geek Eye Shader Brush – $5.99 USD (Makeup Geek Store)

Stiff Dome Brush

I use to use the MAC #217 which is great for blending out harsh lines and feathering colors. However, the Makeup Geek pointed crease brush has a slightly pointed tip instead of the more dome shape the MAC has. This makes it more precise and easier to use on smaller eyes. This is great for feathering out color to create a smokey eye, or for blending out the crease. This brush is meant for blending instead of packing on color.

• MAC Blending Brush #217 - $23.00 USD (Amazon) (eBay) (Macy’s) (Nordstrom)
• Makeup Geek Stiff Dome Brush – $7.99 USD (Makeup Geek Store)

Pencil Brush

This brush is ideal for smudging color either under or on top of the eye. This can also be used in the crease to give a very defined cut crease appearance to the eye. You can also use this brush in the outer corner of the eye with a dark color to give added depth and drama to the look of your eye as well. The small size of the brush give you a more precise application.

• MAC #219 Pencil Brush – $25.00 USD (Amazon) (eBay) (Macy’s) (Nordstrom)
• Makeup Geek Eyeliner Smudge Brush – $4.59 USD (Makeup Geek Store)

Soft Dome Brush

This brushes soft bristles are ideal for blending out harsh lines below the browbone of the eye using windshield wiper motions. This is also perfect for blending out concealer under the eye to help hide dark circles and bags.

• MAC #224 Tapered Blending Brush – $31.00 USD (Amazon) (eBay) (Macy’s) (Nordstrom)
• Makeup Geek Soft Dome Brush – $7.49 USD (Makeup Geek Store)

Bent Liner Brush

This brush is specifically designed for applying gel eyeliner. The bent head makes it ideal for laying on the top of the lashes and dragging the eyeliner out to a winged shape. The pointed tip helps give you a very cat eye, winged out line that makes this brush fool proof when using it.

• Makeup Geek Bent Liner Brush – $4.29 USD (Makeup Geek Store)

Dual Ended Lash Brush

This is one of those brushes where you get double the product for your money. One end has the spoolie that allows you to brush through your brows. The other end is an angled brow brush and great for filling in your brows with a powder or even a gel liner if you want a very crisp, defined brow.

• Makeup Geek Brow Brush Duo – $4.49 USD (Makeup Geek Store)

FACE BRUSHES

Blush/Contour Brush

There are so many of these on the market and in a lot of different shapes from round, fluffy, and even angled ones. With blush you can use many different types of brushes, for me personally I like the angled blush brush. You can set the angled brush on your cheekbone and sweep it downward and get an easy and flawless application of blush. If the brush is thin enough, you can take the brush and lay it on its “side” to use as a contour brush to enhance the cheekbones.

• Makeup Geek Blush Brush – $8.99 USD (Makeup Geek Store)

Cheek Highlighter Brush

This brush is completely optional to have but the feathery, soft bristles of this brush give a very nice finish to any product you use it with.  I like having this brush and use it to apply highlighter to the top of my cheekbones. You can also use these with cream blushes to stipple the color onto the cheeks for an airbrushed finish.

• MAC #188 – $35.00 USD (Amazon) (eBay) (Macy’s) (Nordstrom)
• Makeup Geek Cheek Highlighter Brush – $7.99 USD (Makeup Geek Store)

Foundation Stippling Brush

This is for those of you who love a full coverage look to your foundation. The flat head is made for the foundation to be stippled onto the face. This assures there are no streaks in the foundation and gives a very airbrushed and flawless look to the skin.

• Makeup Geek Deluxe Foundation Stippling Brush – $16.99 USD (Makeup Geek Store)

Flat Foundation Brush

This is another optional brush. I use this brush to apply highlighter to the top of my cheekbones. For those of you who work on clients this can be good as it is not as big. However, this can leave streaks in the foundation so you have to be careful when using this.

• MAC #190 – $33.00 USD (Amazon) (eBay) (Macy’s) (Sephora)
• Makeup Geek Flat Foundation Brush – $7.99 USD (Makeup Geek Store)

Lip Brush

This is mainly for those of you who work on clients. You can’t use lipstick directly from the tube, so a small lipbrush is ideal for application. This is a very flat brush that makes it easy to dip into a product and apply smoothly and evenly. This is great to have if you are a makeup artist.

• MAC #316 – $20.00 USD (Amazon) (eBay) (Macy’s) (Nordstrom)

Beauty Blender

So technically this isn’t really a brush but how could I not include it? The egg shaped design makes it ideal for getting under the eye and in small areas. This is what I use everyday to apply my foundation. It’s easy and quick to pat the foundation on and then I roll it toward the hairline to blend it into a smooth, flawless finish. This is a must have for day to day foundation wearing!

• $18.99 USD for a single (Makeup Geek Store)
• $23.99 USD for a double (Makeup Geek Store)

These are the makeup brushes that I have in my collection that I use all the time and are must haves for either the beginner or someone who wants to know how to expand their brushes. I highly recommend getting these types of brushes in terms of the shape to get the most out of your makeup application. I certainly hope this helps you in deciding which brushes you need.  As always, stay happy and healthy!

For those of you starting out in your makeup skills, I wanted to do a complete 101 video showing everything about applying eyeshadows.  Blending your eyeshadows is without doubt one of the most important things to learn to do properly.  In this video I have put together several different eyeshadow shapes so you have plenty of styles and technique to choose from.  I’ll also show you the best brushes for completing any look as well as how to pair together eyeshadows to do a complete look!

So let’s gets started with brushes. You only need 4 basic brushes (there are a lot more brushes on the market than just these, but these are the 4 basic brushes you will need)

Flat Stiff Brush:

•  This is a MAC #239 and is mainly used for packing color onto the lid. You can also use the tip of the brush to apply eyeshadow under the lower lashline or create a very defined line in the crease of the eye. This brush is mostly for applying color.  (MAC)

Pencil Brush:

• This brush is ideal for applying color under the eye, or smoking the color out for a soft effect. Because of the fine tip of the brush, you can also use it to apply color to the crease area in a fine line. You can also use it to apply color to the outer part of the eye to darken and intensify the color.   (MAC)

Stiff Dome Brush:

• These come in different sizes, a bigger one is great for feathering out color. However, a smaller one like the Makeup Geek pointed crease brush is more precise and easier to use on smaller eyes. This is great for feathering out color to create a smokey eye, or for blending out the crease. This brush is meant for blending instead of packing on color.   (Makeup Geek Store)

Soft Dome Brush:

• This brush is all about the blending. Because of its softer bristles it gives a more delicate blended effect to the eye. I like to use this to blend out harsh lines under the brow bone or for blending concealer under the eyes.  (Makeup Geek Store)

Learning Eyeshadow Shapes

Now that you know the basic brushes that are needed, let’s get started on the eyeshadow shape. Here is a link that will go into more detail about eyeshadow placement 

However, these are the basic shapes that everyone needs to know…

Fan Shape

This is also known as “divided in thirds”. The yellow represents the lightest shade, the orange is the medium color and brown is the darkest. This is the most flattering for every eye-shape especially if your eyes are close together. Having the lighter shade on the inside of the eyes makes them appear farther apart. To do this look, use your flat stiff brush and pat each color on. Make sure to blend between each color so there are no visible lines.

Additional Example:  Autumn Leaves Look

Snow Globe

This is very similar to the fan shape only instead of light, medium then dark this begins with dark, goes to light and ends with the dark again. This is excellent for anyone with flat eyes as it gives a very rounded effect to the eyes. To ramp up the look even more, use a shimmer in the middle of the eye and a matte shade on the inner and outer part of the eye. You will use the flat stiff brush to apply this as well making sure to blend the lines where the colors meet.

Additional Examples: Boho Chic Look  &  Sugarpill Heartbreaker Look

Smokey Eye

This is by far the most loved one out there. For this one simply pat a dark color all over the lower lid using your flat, stiff brush and then use a dome brush with a medium or light color and blend out the crease area and soften the look.

Additional Examples: Classic Black Smokey Eye  &  Purple Smokey Eye

Cat Eye

This is by far one of the funnest looks to do. You can actually do this with either eyeliner or eyeshadow. I personally like to do this with eyeshadow just because it gives it a softer appearance and it doesn’t come off to harsh.  You can start with an eyeliner and get the cat shape going upward and then go over it with a pencil brush to set and soften it. Use the pencil brush to bring the color under the eye as well. This shape elongates the eye which makes it ideal for people with rounder eyes as it gives an almond look to the eye.

Additional Examples: Kat Von D Look &  Black and Orange Look

Cut Crease or Open Banana

To do this use an eyeliner pencil or a very chiseled brush to make a line in the crease of the eye. Blend the color out and upward slightly but not disturbing the actual line you created. Place a lighter shade on the lower lid below the crease. This look is very edgy and sharp.

Additional Example: Grape-Inspired Look 

Round Banana / Closed Banana

This is the same technique as the cut crease only in this one you round the edge and place a light color on the lower eyelid below the cut crease and drop it down and bring it below the lower lashline.

Additional Example: Chicago Bears Look  

Choosing Colors

Now lets go on the eyeshadows you need to complete all of these looks. So the eyeshadows you need to achieve any look is only 4. You can go up to 5 but 4 is a standard number.

• Light Shimmery Color – This is going to be used under the brow bone as a highlight shade and in the inner tear duct for a pop of brightness to help open the eyes and make the appear larger.
• Light Matte Finish Color – This will be used under the brow bone to soften any harsh lines.
• Medium Color – I use this color in the crease to blend out any harsh lines. You can also use this all over the lid if you want just a wash of color (perfect for work or school)
• Dark Color – This will be used on the lower lashline or in the outer part of the eye. This can also be used under the lashline to create a smokey effect

Color Recommendations (using Makeup Geek Eyeshadows)

Neutrals:

It doesn’t matter what colors you use or even if you mix the colors up as long as you have a light, medium and dark shade along with your light shimmery shade.  The key is to have a variant from lightness to darkness and you can do any look with any colors you want!

I hope this video was helpful and informative. I really wanted to give you some ideas of what basic shapes, brushes and colors you needed to do any look. Stay happy and healthy!

xoxo,
Marlena

Hello classy Makeup Geeks!  (I can’t call you beautiful EVERY time or you may get too big headed  jk!)

I’ve been trying to tape this brow video for years. Yes, years. Every time I’ve taped it, the sound or picture quality has been bad or I jacked up my brows some how- haha!  Not sure if it’s a sign?  I FINALLY got a decent video to show you how I do my brows.  Please note, my brows aren’t the easiest to work with so they’re not exactly as I’d like them.  But the tips I give will hopefully still help you achieve YOUR perfect brows!

Products Used:

• Too Faced Brow Pencil – “Browny” (Amazon) (Sephora)
• MAC Paintpot – “Quite Natural” (Amazon) (eBay)
• Anastasia Brow Gel – “Medium Taupe” (Sephora)
• Makeup Geek Dual Ended Brow Brush (Makeup Geek Store)
• *Matte finish brown eyeshadow (tan if you are blonde)-  fill in with this if you want a very natural brow.  Sometimes pencil is too harsh for a more natural look…

10 Tips to Perfect Brows:

• Get your brows professionally waxed or threaded every now and then if budget permits.
  • If you find someone who does this for a living, he/she can give you a great shape to your brows.  The goal is to have the arch of the brow just outside your pupil.
• Thicker is better.
  • Generally, fuller brows portray youth, so obviously keeping them thicker makes you look younger You still want to shape them, but go easy on the tweezers!  Yes you. Put the tweezers down. Step away….
• Shape accordingly.
  • Ideally you want the inner part of your brow to be thicker, then taper to a thinner line as it goes toward your temple. Again, the arch should be just outside your pupil.

• For super dark brows, you may need to lighten them.
  • If you have fair skin and very dark brows, you may need to lighten them.  Because my skin is fair and my brows are black, I bleach them slightly with facial bleach to make them less harsh.  Leave the bleach on only for 5 minutes or you will have orange brows!  (Trust me, I learned this from experience.  I had Ronald McDonald brows for 3 weeks last year…)
• NEVER EVER fill in your brows with black pencil
  • Unless you want the black sharpie brows, just please… don’t do this.  Even if you have black brows, you want to fill them in with a dark brown- not black.

• Find brow powders/pencils/gels with a khaki tint to them- not red.
  • Because hair naturally has a khaki undertone to it, using a brow pencil that has a touch of khaki color will look more natural.  For whatever reason, most companies have reddish tinted brow products. This color just screams “Fake!”
  • The best products I’ve found is Rimmel’s Brow Pencil in “Hazel” or Makeup Forever’s Waterproof Eyebrow Corrector in “O” or “2″.  (0 is good for blondes or fair skin brunettes, 2 is good for dark haired beauties)
• For the most natural brows, use powder instead of pencil.
  • For time sake, I didn’t show this in the video (sorry!).  But for the most natural brows, use a matte finish tan or brown eyeshadow to fill in with.  Take an angled brow brush and apply shadow to sparse areas.  The best color for blondes is MAC’s eyeshadow in “Symmetry” or “Wedge“. For brunettes, it’s MAC’s eyeshadow in “Cork“.
• Shade accordingly.
  • Not the entire brow is going to be the same darkness all throughout.  Generally, the arch and the tail of the brow should be the most defined and the darkest.  The inner part should be slightly more sparse and lighter.
  • See Kim K’s brows below- they’re a bit more sparse in the inner part of the brow.   Also, cut the hairs here a bit shorter so they “sprout” a bit more

• Clean up around the edges.
  • For very defined and “clean” brows, take a small flat brush and apply creamy concealer under the brows to tidy up the edges.  You probably don’t need this step for everyday, but for those more defined brows to go with dramatic looks, this helps sharpen them a bit.
• Tame the strays!
  • I don’t know about you, but my brows are slightly curly and crazay! I have to keep them in place with a brow gel.  Anastasia makes some amazing ones in different colors that is great for on the go. I also like MAC’s eyebrow wax pencils as they keep the brows shaped nicely throughout the day.

Here’s the best brow products for brunettes with fair skin:

• Gel:  Make Up For Ever Waterproof Brow Corrector in “0″ (Amazon)
• Pencil:  Rimmel Brow Pencil in “Hazel” (Amazon)
• Cream:  MAC Paintpot in “Quite Natural” (Amazon) (eBay)
• Powder:  MAC Eyeshadow in “Cork” (Amazon) (eBay) (Nordstrom)
• Setting Gel:  Anastasia Brow Gel in “Medium Taupe” (Sephora)

The best brow products for brunettes with medium to dark skin:

• Gel:  Make Up For Ever Waterproof Brow Corrector in “2″ or “4″ (Amazon)
• Pencil:   Too Faced Brow Pencil in “Brown-y” (Amazon) (Sephora)
• Cream:  MAC Fluidline in “Dipdown” (Amazon) (eBay) (Nordstrom)
• Powder:  MAC Eyeshadow in “Charcoal Brown” (Amazon) (eBay) (Nordstrom)
• Setting Gel:  Anastasia Brow Gel in “Rich Dark Brown” (Amazon) (Sephora)

The best brow products for blondes:

• Gel:  Make Up For Ever Aqua Brow in “Light Blonde” (Sephora)
• Pencil:  Too Faced Brow Pencil in “Blonde-y” (Amazon) (Sephora)
• Cream:   MAC Paintpot in “Groundwork” (Amazon) (eBay)
• Powder:  MAC Eyeshadow in “Wedge” (Amazon) (eBay) (Nordstrom)
• Setting Gel:  Anastasia Brow Gel in “Golden Taupe” (Amazon) (Sephora)

How often do you clean your makeup brushes? Although this tends to be the one thing we most overlook, it is one of the most important things we can do!  Makeup brushes are an investment and we want to make sure you get all you can from them. Makeup brushes can be a breeding ground for bacteria. Think of how much bacteria is on your face daily.  Bacteria and natural oils transmit onto your brushes every time they come in contact with your skin. And if you are using them on clients, you may be picking up germs and transferring them onto other people including you.

Regular Cleaning Will Help Remove:

• Old Makeup
• Dirt and Debris
• Dead Skin Cells
• Bacteria
• Oils

Another benefit of keeping your makeup brushes clean is softness. Makeup buildup on your brushes can make them feel scratchy. Cleaning your brushes on a regular basis will help keep them soft and supple. This is especially great for people with sensitive skin.

So how often should you clean your makeup brushes? Preferably, once a week if not more, this will help maintain your brushes lifespan. Wash your brushes at night and allow them to dry so they will be ready for the next day, or right after your apply your makeup. You just want to make sure you allow enough time for them to dry thoroughly before using.

Below we are going to give your some of the best and most cost effective ways to clean your brushes.

What You Will Need

• Bar of Soap
• Sponge
• Olive Oil or Almond Oil
• Hair Conditioner
• Baby Shampoo or Liquid Detergent
• Rubbing Alcohol
• Clear Finger Nail Polish – This is optional

How to Clean Your Brushes

• Soap – You want to use an unscented, pure, white soap for this. Dial or Ivory would be ideal. With lukewarm water, get your brush completely wet. Once your brush has been saturated, swirl the brush onto the bar of soap until it lathers up nicely. Then, rinse the brush in lukewarm water. Make sure you don’t use water that is to hot or too cold. Also, when rinsing your brushes, don’t get water above the shaft or metal part. If you do it will eventually cause rust which will cause the bristles of the brush to fall out. Gently squeeze out any excess water from the brush and lay it flat on a clean towel and allow them to air dry for at least 6 to 8 hours.
• Detergent or Baby Shampoo and a Sponge – Take a clean sponge and wet it once again using lukewarm water. You can use either baby shampoo or dish detergent whichever one you prefer. Wet your brush making sure you saturate the brush completely. Squeeze a small amount of detergent or shampoo onto the sponge and swirl your brush on the sponge working up a good lather. Then rinse your brush with lukewarm water. You want to make sure you feel the brush when you are rinsing it to make sure you rinse all the shampoo or detergent out of the brush. If it feels slippery or slimy, continue to rinse until your brush feels clean. Once again, squeeze out the excess water and lay them flat on a clean towel to dry.
• Olive or Almond Oil – This should only be used for brushes that are heavily embedded with makeup. For example, if your used your brush in a gel liner or if the brush is very stiff with makeup residue. Take a clean paper towel and dispense a small amount of either olive oil or almond oil and swirl the brush (dry) onto the towel. Don’t use to much oil, you don’t want your brush to become soaked with oil. You just want to use enough to help break down the makeup on the brush. After that, clean the brush like normal and make sure your rinse the brush completely and lay flat on a clean towel to dry.
• Beauty Blenders (what are these?) – So many of you ask how to clean these and the process is pretty much like cleaning any other of your makeup brushes. You can use either a bar of soap, baby shampoo or dish detergent. Using dish detergent does make it a little easier when cleaning these because you can directly apply it to the beauty blender. Cleaning beauty blenders do take a little bit longer because of the rinsing process. Wet the beauty blender with lukewarm water and squeeze on a small amount of detergent onto it. Roll the Beauty Blender in your hands to help work the detergent completely in to it and rinse until the water is clear. Make sure you rinse these thoroughly until you see clean water when you squeeze the beauty blender. If the water isn’t clear, there is still product in the beauty blender. You may have to repeat this process a few times to get the beauty blender completely clean since they do soak up a lot of product. Once clean, squeeze out any excess water and lay flat to dry. You will know when the beauty blender is dry because it will have shrunk in size.

Now that your brushes are perfectly clean, we need to focus on another aspect of thoroughly cleaning your brushes…the handle! When you use your makeup brushes you are transferring germs, bacteria and even makeup onto the handles of your brushes. Remember, anything that is on the handle of your brushes is being passed to everything else you touch. To clean the handle of your brushes, pour rubbing alcohol onto a paper towel and rub over the handle of your brushes. This will not only clean but disinfect the handles as well. Another great tip to keep your brushes looking great is to apply clear fingernail polish over the numbers or names that are written on the brush. This will keep the name or number of the brushes from eventually wearing off and make the brushes easy to identify.  Some brushes can feel stiff even after washing them. You want your brushes to feel soft and luxurious against your skin. If this is the case, take a small amount of conditioner in your hand and massage it gently into the bristles and rinse in lukewarm water and lay flat to dry. This will give the bristles a soft, velvety feel to them.

And there you have it, easy and inexpensive ways to make sure your makeup brushes are clean and well protected. Remember, cleaning your brushes is vital in helping preserve your makeup brushes. If you are uncertain which makeup brushes are worth investing in, check out our guide to the Top 10: Makeup Brushes to help your decide which brushes are right for you.

Watch Video Tutorial on Youtube

For many of us, picking the right blush may be one of the biggest challenges we face when it comes to makeup. With so many gorgeous shades on the market, finding the color that is right for your skin tone can seem like a daunting task at best. Even women experienced in makeup can feel overwhelmed at times. Blush is meant to be a natural and subtle looking makeup. Too much can make us look clownish, too little and we look washed out.

Knowing your skin tone is key to finding a shade that will work perfectly for you. To help you, we are going to break these down into 3 groups, fair skin, medium skin and dark skin. We want to help you pick the perfect shade to help add the ideal flush of color on your cheeks.

Each person should have at least two shades to pick from, a peach and a pink. This way you have a color to choose from regardless of the makeup look you are going for. In this tutorial we are going to give you the best options for both plus the perfect highlighter to add a flawless finish to your cheeks.

Fair Skin

Alright you fare skinned babes, you know who you are. If you burn easily, get freckles when your burn, or if you have porcelain skin then you fall into this category. When picking a shade for your stunning skin, remember, lighter is better.

Using a angled blush brush like the Makeup Geek Blush Brush, tap off the excess by “flicking” the end of your brush with your finger. This will get rid of any unwanted excess on your brush and keep you from applying to much on your cheeks. If you do apply to much, use a beauty blender and roll the area lightly, this will pick up any unwanted pigment on your cheeks.

Apply the color to the apple of your cheeks and blend back toward the temple. For highlighting your cheeks you want to pick something for fair skin that’s a light champagne color. Whether you choose liquid or powder form is completely up to you and really is a matter of what you are more comfortable using. With a highlighting brush like Makeup Geek Cheek Highlighter Brush, apply the highlighter right above where you placed the blush. This will add just the right amount of shimmer to the cheeks.

We recommend:

• Pink Shade: NYX Blush – Natural (Makeup Geek Store)
• Peach Shade: Nars Blush – Orgasm (Amazon) (Sephora) (eBay) or Makeup Designory Glow (Makeup Geek Store)
• Highlight: Lorac Perfectly Lit Oil Free Luminizing Powder – Luminous (Amazon) (Sephora)

Medium Skin

Medium skin tones are the most common with 80% of all women falling into this category. The best blushes for medium skin toned ladies are rosey pink and deep peaches. If you choose a color that is to light it can make you look ashen, anything to dark will make you look clownish.

With an angled blush brush like the Makeup Geek Blush Brush, apply the blush to the apple of the cheeks and blend back. Again, remember, if you apply to much you can go in with a beauty blending or sponge and roll across the color to pick up some of the excess pigment on the skin. For highlighting on medium skin toned, the best thing to use is a pale golden or warm gold. Don’t use a champagne color or a light color as it will look to frosty on the skin.

Depending on the kind of highlighter you choose, you can use a highlighting brush or CLEAN fingers, pat the highlighter onto the cheek bones right above the blush. The highlighter used here has a small amount of shimmer to it, using a matte blush allows you to control the shimmer and place it where you want it to be. You don’t want your cheeks to be overdone. Remember, you cheeks should look as if they have a natural flush to them.

We recommend:

• Pink Shade: NYX Blush – Mocha (Amazon) (eBay)  (yes that’s the name but we promise it’s pink)
• Peach Shade: Tarte Blush – Tipsy (Amazon) (Sephora) (eBay)
• Highlight: Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Natural Highlighter Duo – Gold Luster (Amazon) - This is dual sided compact, for medium skin you want to use the lighter of the two sides.

Dark Skin

OK you beautiful dark skinned dolls, it’s your turn. For your skin, choose colors from rose to deep oranges. Choosing a shade that is to light will make your skin appear washed out and pale. You want to enhance the natural beauty of your skin.

Just as before, use an angled blush brush like the Makeup Geek Blush Brush, remember to tap off an excess from the brush by tapping the brush with your finger. Gently apply the color to the apples of the cheeks and blend back toward the hairline.

Remember, you just want to make your cheeks glow. For cheek highlighting using a gold color is stunning. Using a champagne color will look to frosty against the skin. Using your two CLEAN fingers, apply the gold color to the top of the cheekbones above where you placed the blush. Use a beauty blender or a sponge and blend the color into the skin for a perfect dewy finish.

We recommend:

• Pink Shade: Tarte Blush – Amused (Amazon) (Sephora) (eBay)
• Peach Shade: NYX Blush – Cinnamon (Amazon) (eBay)
• Highlight: Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Natural Highlighter Duo – Gold Luster (Amazon) This is a dual sided compact, for dark skin you want to use the darker gold shade.

And there you have it, the perfect shade for any skin type. Having a couple of shades to choose from is necessary when it comes to trying different and new looks. We hope this guide helps you find the perfect shade to add just the right amount of color to bring out the natural beauty you all have inside of you.

Fair Skin

Medium Skin

Dark Skin

Hello beautiful muggies! I’ve had SO many of you asking how I get my teeth white (and no, I don’t get them professionally done- I spend all my money on makeup and clothes instead ) Here’s the products I use at home to make my teeth just a lil’ brighter and whiter.

Plus White 5 Minute Whitening System

I have to say this is the best whitening system I have used IF you stay consistent with it.  You won’t get neon bright teeth overnight, so be patient.  I start off with using it almost every day for 2 weeks, then doing just 1-2 times a week for maintenance.  It works really well and is pretty cheap!  I found mine at Target but I think they stopped selling it, so I got my most recent one from Amazon.

To use:  brush your teeth then rinse with the whitening rinse that comes in the kit.  Dry off your teeth as much as possible, then apply a thick layer of the gel on your teeth (I just use my finger).  Put the tray on and let sit for 5-10 minutes.  Then brush your teeth (with no toothpaste this time), and voila!  Beautiful teeth

Price:  $7.99

Where to Buy:   Amazon  .  Select Drugstores

Crest 3D White Strips

In between my whitening treatment, I’ll also use the Crest strips as they work really well in whitening without having to use a tray.  These work a bit faster and better than the Plus White system, but you have to leave these on for 2 hours (I’m so impatient- haha), plus these cost a little more…

To use:  Brush your teeth well, rinse, and pat dry.  Peel off the crest strip and place on your teeth and press firmly.  Leave on for 2 hours, then take off and brush your teeth with just water.

Price:  $40.99

Where to Buy:    Most drugstores  .   Amazon  

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Another tip in making your teeth look white especially for pictures is to apply a cool toned lipstick.  Cool lipsticks have a blue undertone to them such as true pinks and apple red.  Avoid any lipsticks that are orange, brick red, or yellow tinted pinks- the yellow undertones will bring out the yellow in your teeth.

I have to say that I’m very impressed with the teeth whitening systems that are used at home- they are so much better than they used to be and are very affordable now!

I hope you muggies have a wonderful week and stay safe this holiday season!

MUCH love,
Marlena

For overall blending purposes, it’s good to have 4 eyeshadow colors:  a black, dark brown, medium brown, and nude.  These are for blending out harsh lines or creating your “go to” everyday look.  Here’s my recommendations for various brands:

MAC Eyeshadows:

• Carbon  (black)      (MAC)  (Amazon)
• Espresso (dark brown)     (MAC)   (Amazon)
• Wedge (light brown)    (MAC)     (Amazon)
• Brule  (nude)     (MAC)     (Amazon)

Maybe it’s just one shadow applied to whole lid, maybe two shadows mixed together from the middle of the lid, or something similar.

I decided to make this post to give you some ideas of how to use you darker shadows differently!

 Highlights:

Makeup is after all just play with lights and shadows, and to use lighter shades to bring certain
spots up more than others, and other points are made darker, so that they look like they’re deeper.

My highlight spots are in the inner corner of the eye, in the middle of the lid, and on the brow bone.

Different eyeshadow shapes:

There are countless ways how you can use your shadows, by mixing different colors, different textures,
and glitters, but here’s some ideas were to apply your makeup’s darkest shade:

 Inner corner:

You can add darker shadow only to inner corner of your lid, which seems reduce the space between the eyes.

 Outer corner:

If your eyes are close to each other, this may make them look further away from each other.
I have used this often, even though I don’t think I have close-set eyes, so I think this suits for other eye
types too.

Both corners:

I think this one is great for everyone,  it can be easily used in both dramatic looks with bold
colors, and with natural everyday looks with neutral colors. It doesn’t make
eyes look wider or smaller, and I think it suits for all eye types.

Outer corner, “catshape”:

Make eye look a bit tilted upwards, which creates a bit mysterious look. Also, if your lids
are bit droopy, this might bring them the “boost” they need.

Outer corner & crease, blended upwards:

This is my own favourite.
Darker shadow is applied to outer  corner and crease, then blended up towards the brow, where it
meets the highlighter, and blends together with it.

This is also good technique if you have hooded eyes, just extend the shadows so that they show up a bit.

Banana:

This technique can make your eyes  appear wider, and your lid “longer”.

Whole inner part:

This one isn’t for everyone, it easily makes you look angry, or your eyebrows look too heavy.
But you might want to try it, maybe with lighter colors.

 Just crease:

With dark color neatly on the crease you can deepen your crease a lot, make your
eyes look more deeper. If you add some light color to your lid, your lid looks bigger.

 Whole lid:

Depending on the color your using, this might be the most dramatic of these styles.
Be careful if you use bright colors, especially if you don’t want to draw too much attention to your eyes.

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Please remember, that everyone has different eye shape, head shape, nose shape, and that all affects one way or the other to the makeup.
So don’t get depressed if some makeup style doesn’t fit you, just move on to the next style. Eventually you’ll find your own!

Eyes

MakeupGeek 88 warm palette Available at: Makeup Geek

Tools

	MUG Deluxe Outer V Brush
	MUG Soft Dome Brush Available at: Makeup Geek