Brushing it like pros - the essentials

Remember the time you bought your first eyeshadow pallet and the only tools at your disposal were the spongy applicators? Awesome at packing on color, but horrible for multiple uses and washes. Yep. Been there.

So down the road of self-education I learnt about the world of makeup brushes. So many types for numerous uses; it's very easy to get lost in the boundless choices. I'd find myself ogling at large sets, yearning to have them. Kind of excessive and unnecessary for a non-professional.

Stick to the Basics. Don't over-horde what you don't require.

(Had I known this, a certain drawer of unused brushes wouldn't have existed.)

Trial and error have aided me in narrowing down a small number of brushes I use daily. Pretty much Holy Grail quality, these brushes make makeup application (for me) flawless.

E.L.F Powder Brush - ($3 at eyeslipsface.com)

This brush is dense and incredibly soft. Absolutely no prickly feeling on the skin nor do the bristles splay out or shed. It has gone through the powder and liquid application trial and excelled. In my opinion, this brush is worth more than its current price, but that's also a reason why it's a MUST-HAVE.

Sigma Blending Brush E25 - ($12 at sigmabeauty.com)

As the creator intended, this is a dupe to the MAC 217. Soft white bristles that are packed, yet do a brilliant job of blending eyeshadows. It can give a sheer application on the lid if too much color isn't your thing. Personally, I don't own a 217, but this is still on my MUST-HAVE list.

Spoolie

I honestly don't know what my brows would do without this. I have fairly thick brows that like to splay out this way and that after showering. A spoolie brushes them back in place.

Mikyaji Eyeshadow Brush(es)

One of the very first brushes I owned - and definitely one of my favorites. It picks up color amazingly well and packs it on with as minimal fall out as possible. They come in varying sizes and I love the dense, stiffness for an opaque application.

Mikyaji Small Smudger Brush

This brush head is incredibly small and stiff - perfect for smudging eyeshahow or liner on the top and bottom lashline. It can also be used in detailed eyeshadow application. However, I use it for my gel liner. I can be as precise with the line and wing. Unfortunately, the gel clumps up the bristles after a while so I need to wash it.

5 brushes in total that make up my 'Essential Brushes' list. Only 5? Well, yes, for everyday use. Concealer, foundation, eyeliner and lipbalm. Period. (Eyeshadows for special occasions.)

Less is always more.

An essential brush list varies from person to person, naturally. You don't need the brushes on my list - you may not even need any brushes at all. Your fingers are your best tools. Effective, free of cost, easy to clean and travel friendly.

Yep. Less is definitely more.

-L

Some pictures want words.

He sang to her a song of fire, she a song of ice. 

And every dragon she bore in heat, he slayed with shards of cold. 

Neither gave in. 

But fused together a melody. 

Now they freeze us with their flame. 

“I’ll suck your soul out.”
"I'll drag you down with me."
"I'll fly away."
A human approached.
A shutter snapped, froze the frame, glued the butterfly to the flower.
"Fly away then."

"Will Santa come with presents tonight, Mummy?"

"Only if you're a good boy and sleep early, darling."
Santa never made it in time.
And so we stopped believing.

The sight enraptures us to its beauty;

The greenery and molding of our Earth.

Yet beneath the bewitching image,

We overlook the essence of its birth.

And she gazed upon the distant heavens; the sparkling gems of the sky. 

Nothing obscured her sight. 

Nothing called for her attention. 

She was drawn into the abyss of this glittering spectacle; she fell into the wonder of our lives and our world. 

What a glorious fall it was.

How would the light touch my soul, if I cover my body?

How would the stars feel my skin, if I coat my flesh?

How would I be free, if I live like you.

Battle weary as the years fly by,

Facing the wither and wear of life alone.
Despite many warm lights shining upon you,
You, my warrior, have a heart of stone.

The cheerful laughter that filled its halls,
The happy family that dwelled within.
Now plants slither against its walls.
But those joyful echoes never dimmed.

There is little that can behold the wonders of Mother Nature than the human eye.
Moreover, there is little that can exaggerate that same wonder than the camera lens.


Photo credits: M
Text credits: M & L

A collaboration by M & L