Must Have Makeup Brushes (Tools)



Cover FX Cream Founation Brush



1. Foundation Brush
A foundation brush is best to use to apply foundation especially if you are wanting that flawless finish. It blends your foundation easily, as well as you can tap or wipe off any excess product on a paper towel that way you are not applying so much product. Plus, if you should at any time go back and fix a certain area you can and you don't even need to add anymore product onto your brush as it already contains some product that's left on the brush. The Cover FX Foundation Brush can be used with any type of foundation and works just as well.


2. Concealer Brush
Concealer brush is used to conceal any imperfections on the face. Best to conceal after you have applied foundation, because foundation evens out the complexion and concealer conceals what foundation doesn't. Such as under the eyes on eyelids. If you have acne and you want it to disappear than it's best to use a pointed concealer brush to cover the bump in order to acheive the flawless finish. The brush above is Chanel Ombre #1 Shadow/Concealer. As the name says it can be used for eye shadow, as well as concealer.




 3. Powder/Blush Brush
Powder is a step that is often missed. Powder is just as important as the other two steps mentioned above to get the flawless face. Powder sets your makeup. It's important to powder just like it's important to prime (which I will get to), apply foundation and conceal. Once you powder, any powder product you apply afterwards, like blush could absorb into the foundation and concealer therefore leaving you with crease, blotchiness or seperating of the blush. Blush brush can also be used to powder the face. Blush is ment to be applied on your cheekbones to highlight them. The best way to apply blush is to smile and apply the blush right on the apples of your cheeks (near the nose) lightly sweeping it to your hair line. One last thing, a Blush/Powder Blush is pefect for applying bronzer. Therefore, you don't need to purchase a bronzer brush. It works exackly the same with the same results. Remember, bronzer is meant to give you a sun-kissed look. Meaning bronzer is to be applied where the sun hits your face - forehead, cheeks, chin and ever so lightly on the nose. You don't want a brown dot on your nose. That's not very attractive looking. Apply in a '3' on one side of the face and a backwards '3' on the other side of the face. With very little to almost nothing on the brush apply the bronzer on the nose. The brush above is Dior Blush Brush.





4. Flat Eyeshadow Brush
Use one side of the eyeshadow brush to pat or rub product onto the eye lid. By patting or rubbing the product on your lid prevents your eyeshadow from creasing. Which is what we all want, right?! Then, turn the brush over and use the other side to place the eye shadow on the lid which you are also blending the product in slightly. The brush above is NARS Eyeshadow Brush #3.




5. Small Crease Brush
The small crease brush is meant to be used to blend the eyeshadow wiping off any excess product that's on the eye. It's also perfect to create a smokey eye or cat eyes. the brush above is NARS Domed Crease Brush #13.

6. Eyliner Brush
Eyeliner Brush is perfect to apply eyeliner. Personally, I don't care for pencil eyeliners. I find it does not look natural and it dissolves in a few hours. Which will cause to reapply. Where as using powder (black eyeshadow works just good.) keeps the eyeliner in tact all day and it looks natural. If you are going to use a pencil eyeliner, apply powder eyeshadow of the colour you are using for your eyeliner over top. Some eyeshadows just like Chanel can be used dry or wet. What I mean by wet is on a damp paper towel (make sure it's damp) place your brush into the dampness of the paper towel and then into the product, followed by placing the brush back into the dampness to remove excess product. Lastly, you apply the product onto your eyes as eyeliner. This creates an intense and long-lasting eyeliner/eyeshadow. Eyeliner brushes are just as good for any other eyeliners. The brush pictured is Smashbox Eyeliner Brush.



7. Angle Brush
Angle Brush is perfect for filling in your eyebrows. Just like eyeliner, I use eyebrow powder or even eyeshadow works just as well. Once again, it looks natural and lasts longer than pencil. Eyebrow is a little bit more sturdy, causing it to last longer. If you should run out of your eyebrow gel. Don't get me wrong, both work great. To fill in your eyebrows start where your arch is and work your way out to your tail of your eyebrow (the thin part). With very little product left on the brush fill in the top part of your brow (where your inner eye is). The brush pictured is MAC 226 - Angle Brush.







8. Eyelash Curler
Eyelash curler is very important for women who have straight lashes. It's best to curl your lashes before applying your mascara. Looks like you narutally have curled eyelashes. My sister curled her eyelashes everyday when she was younger, that now she doesn't have to curl them anymore as she has beautifully curled lashes. It's now naturally curled. Does this work for anyone? I can't say. She had straight lashes, now they are curleed. Doesn't hurt to try, maybe you will end up with naturally curled eyelashes. Who knows?! Curled lashes do not only look pretty, it also opens up your eyes. This way we can see your beautiful eyes. The eyelash curler pictured above is Quo Eyelash Curler




9. Lip Brush
Lip Brush is to be used to apply your lipstick/loss. I use a lip brush when I am apply red lipstick. Red lipstick can easily be seen making it visible to see any mistakes or bleeding of the lips. It's important to get in every little place on your lips and for define lips. In other words if you want picture perfect red lips a lip brush is the way to go.

10. Fan Brush

A fan brush is important because it removes any bits of product, like eyeshadow lightly falling under your eyes or face a fan brush lightly sweeps it off. So you don't have to reach for that makeup remover and reapply anything. Small or medium fan brush is perfect for this. Larger fan brush can be used to apply powder, blush and bronzer, such as Laura Mercier Fan Powder Brush, pictured above.

11. Sponges
I'm personally not a fan of applying foundation with a sponge, although you can. I find with a sponge it soaks up like half of your product and when you want to go back to a certain area to touch up you have to apply more product onto your sponge, because your sponge dried up from your last application. Once you touch up one area, you may find that certain area has a bit too much foundation causing you to reapply foundation all over your face just to even it out. Now, you may find you have a lot of product on your face. Well, this is where I use the sponge. I use it as an eraser. Incase you do not tap off enough product a sponge is perfect to remove the excess product and to blend a product like concealer that's under the eyes.



Remember: Tap off your product onto a paper towel. This will remove any excess product. One last thing, I'm not a fan of using my fingers to apply my makeup. Why? Well, I'll tell you why. Simply because the oils in your hands are different than the oils in your face, causing your makeup to seperate within a couple of hours. Yes, the oils mixed into your products will cause bacteria, however there are products to sanitize all your products to prevent any bacteria to creep in. These products are from Beauty So Clean. One is a spray, which is for your powder products - blush, eyeshadow, brow powder etc and then there are wipes, whcih is for the other products that aren't powder, such as lipstick/gloss, concealer, foundation, pencil, cream blush/eyeshadow etc. You can find these sanitizing products at The Bay at pretty much any counter or at http://www.beautysoclean.com/. Lastly, one of the best piece of advice that was given to me almost ten years ago was to alway apply your makeup and remove your makeup in a downward motion so your makeup doesn't get into your pores. When washing your face apply skin care products in an upward so these great products do get into your pores cleaning your face and the products work more effectively.


Have a great day :)

Do you feel fabulous today?!

Beauty Benefits of...Olive Oil

Did You Know?



Skin Moisturizer: Whether applied to face or body, olive oil will penetrate deep into the skin and provide a long-lasting shield of moisture to keep skin smooth and supple. Used either as a night cream or daily moisturizer, it is best applied to damp skin, when water can help reduce any feeling of greasiness. We recommend using extra virgin olive oil.

Exfoliator: If dry and scaly skin is a problem, mix olive oil and sea salt in a rub and massage it into the affected area to slough off dead skin and enrich the healthy layer beneath it. Or add a few tablespoons of olive oil with a drop or two of lavender essential oil in a bath. This is a luxurious way to relax, soothe and moisturize the whole body.

Nail and Cuticle Care: Extra virgin olive oil makes the perfect, simple solution for dry nails and cuticles. Simply rub a few drops into the cuticle area and around the nail. Cuticles stay plump and moist, and nails respond with a natural shine.

Eye Makeup Remover: Just a drop or two of extra virgin olive oil on a cotton pad is all it takes to gently and effectively remove eye makeup without irritating the delicate skin around the eye area. The biggest added advantage is that when used consistently, olive oil can soften the skin around the eyes and smooth out wrinkles.

Expect the natural benefits of olive oil to take a bit longer to be absorbed into the skin than most lightweight packaged skin products. But the advantages can be longer lasting too.

If you have tried any of these, please let me know. You can send the email to stacey@facebystace.com. I would love to hear from you :).
Have a great day :)

Do you feel fabulous today?!

Hot Holiday Trend: Violent Lips aka Lip Tatoos!!!

Why not get your country flag tatooed on your lips?!

About: Created by an entertainment industry veteran and his daughters, Violent Lips is a line of vitamin-enhanced temporary lip tattoos that last 4 - 8 hours. These attention-getting appliqués are applied and sealed with water—then wiped away with baby oil when you're ready to remove. Ranging from from polka-dots to leopard prints to sparkles, all the standout designs have been FDA-approved, certified vegan, and tested on supermodels, not animals. So go ahead, make a statement. Your lips say everything.

What it is formulated WITHOUT:
- Parabens
- Sulfates
- Synthetic Fragrances
- Synthetic Dyes
- Phthalates
- GMOs
- Triclosan

Tip: Exfoliate your lips before applying, this way your liips will be smooth which is what you want in order for the appliques to stay on.

Availability: Sephora

For more information, please visit: http://www.violentlips.com/

Have a great day :)

Do you feel fabulous today?!

Do you have a makeup question that you would like to ask me? Please email them to askstacey@facebystace.com. Thank you! :) Looking forward to hearing from you :)

9 Ways to Wake Up Fabulously Pretty!

1. Prepping Your Locks: Don't you just hate waking up and your hair is oily or just simply greasy? Have you ever wondered how you can prevent this from happening? Why not dry shampoo your hair before bed? The powder in the dry shampoo absorbs the oils in the hair, on the scalp as they are produced. Do not even worry. You will not see any powderyness in the hair. Suave Dry Shampoo (http://www.suave.com/), Marc Anthony 2nd Day Clear Dy Shampoo (http://www.marcanthony.com/).



2. Sleep Time!: Did you know cotton sheets absorb the moisture from your hair and skin? Silk and satin sheets will not soak up any oil from your strands or your skin. It will maintain the moisture you already have.



3. Cleanse, Cleanse and Cleanse some more!: Cleansing cleans out all the dirt from your pores leaving your skin clean. Many people do not even cleanse before going to bed. Don't you want to go to bed with clean skin, without any dirt in your pores?! La Roche Posay Cleansing Gel (http://www.laroche-posay.ca/), Dior Cleanisng Milk with Velvet Peony Extract (http://www.dior.com/). Cleansing wipes: Yes To Cucumbers (http://www.yestocarrots.com/).


4. Moisturize: Once you have clean skin, why not use a moisturizer? With the harsh weather arriving, it's best to bring the moisture right back into your pores. Waking up your skin will look incredible!
Ponds Classic Cold cream (http://www.ponds.us/), Clinique Turnaround Overnight Radiance Moisturizer (http://www.clinique.com/)



5. Make Some Green Tea: It's so good and the best part is Green Tea contains Vitamin C there for it's an additional amount of moisture! This means it helps to prevent fine lines, blemishes, puffiness and dark circles under the eyes.



6. Caffeine For Your Eyes...Absolutely! We all know drinking caffeine is no good for us. It causes us to be dehydrated. However, applying it on our eyes is a different story. Caffeine stimulates blood vessels causing the dark circles to lighten. A product that has caffeine in it such as Garnier Caffeine Anti-dark Circles 2-in-1 Roll On is perfect to lighten the dark circles. Also, Lumiere Bio-Restorative Eye Cream works just as well.





How did 9 Ways to Wake Up Fabulously Pretty work for you? I would love to hear what your thoughts are in regards to this :). You can send your email to stacey@facebystace.com. 

Have a great day :)

Do you feel fabulous today?!

What Can Apples Do For Your Beauty?!

Earlier this week, I made an apple and honey mask. This mask is for normal skin. Apples are packed with  Vitamans A and C, as well as alpha-hydroxy fruit acids. Which means apples are excellent for getting rid of old, tired skin and to rejuvinate, refresh and brighten your skin. Plus, the pactin firms tightens saggy skin and healing inflammations and smoothing lines! OMG, apples are filled with so much goodness.

As for honey, it has natural anti-bacterial properties. Making this perfect for an all natural cleanser and moisturizer to purify your complexion. Anyone who has acne honey is excellent to sooth your skin from the blemishes and removes the blemishes, as well.


Apple & Honey Facial Mask Recipe
Ingredients:
1 apple, cut the skin off and quartered
2 tablespoons of honey
Directions:
In a blender, food processor add in the quarter apple and the honey and mix well. Apply the mixture onto your face and leave it for 30 minutes. Afterwards, remove the mixture and add apply a moisturizer.

Fun Facts: Apple cider vinegar, well here are the beauty benefits:

1. Clears Acne: Contains a large amount of alpha-hydroxy, which can help destroy the unwanted blemishes. You can dilute it with water and drink it, whcih also detoxifies your body to clear the blemishes. Or, you can place the cider right onto your acne, which is what some people do, however it can leave your skin dry.

2. Hair Growth: Apple Cider Vinegar stimulates the hair follicles causing for better hair growth. Anyone who may have dandruff and itchy scalp, the cider is perfect as it treats the scalp to remove the dandruff and the itchy scalp, leaving your hair shiny.

A recipe to treat dandruff:

Ingredients:
1/2 cup or 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 cups of warm water

First, shampoo your hair, next massage it gently into your hair apply it all over from the scalp to the ends. Lastly, rinse with warm water to remove

3. Face Wash: This is a cheap and exxcellent way to wash your face effectively. It removes all the dry, dead skin. It even cleans pores, removes blackheads and can be used as a toner. It also, helps to remove any acne leaving your skin glowing.

4. Mani/Pedi: Believe it or not, Apple Cider Vinegar can even be used to for your manicure and pedicure as it is used to treat fungal infections. The cider leaves yoru hands and feet super soft and clean. It's best to dilute the cider with water for this.

5. Age Spots/Sun Spots/Brown Spots: The cider can fade the age spots. All you have to do is mix 2 tbsp of Apple Cider Vinegar with 1 tbsp of orange juice and apply it to the age spot. Some have found drinking this mixture works to fade the age spot a lot faster.

6. Sunburn: Provides relief from painful sunburns. Apply the vinegar directly to the burn to soothe the skin and prevent itching, blistering and peeling.

7. Soft Skin: By mixing 1 cup of Apple Cider Vinegar and warm water in a spray bottle and spray it on your body. Leave it on for a few minutes, afterwards rinse it away and viola! Super soft skin!

8. Youthfulness: High levels of of beta carotene fights off free radicals and this helps you to remain looking younger.

Oh wow! Apple cider vinegar does a lot!. Incredible!

Did you try any of these remedies? If you have, please send me an e-mail of what your thoughts are. You can send your e-mail to stacey@facebystace.com. I would love to hear from you :).

Do you feel fabulous today?!