How to | Deep Clean your Makeup Brushes

So you know how important it is to start and end a day with a fresh cleansed face. You’re investing all this time, day in and day out to remove all the dirt and oils that your face encounters throughout the day. But when the first thing to hit your face after a rejuvenating face wash in the morning is a brush filled with built up makeup and dirt, it’s no wonder those clogged pores keep appearing.

Washing your makeup brushes is just as an important step in any beauty routine. There are so many techniques, each beauty guru to their own. Here is the simple cleaning routine I use and all products are easily found in the kitchen of your home! This technique is a deep clean process, which I try to do every 3 weeks.

You will need

• Dish washing liquid
• Olive oil
•  2 Plastic plates

Instructions:

1. Firstly take all your brushes and gently run them under lukewarm water. It’s important to always face your brushes downwards to the water, as you don’t want any water to seep into the handle.  
2. Take a plastic plate; here I have used a standard party plate. These plates have a ripple texture on them that is great for applying pressure between the bristles.                                                          
3. Take the dishwashing detergent and olive oil and pour both onto the plate. There are no exact measurements because you will repeat this step several times whilst cleaning. I focus on having two parts detergent, to one part oil.                                                                                                 
4. Taking one brush at a time swirl your makeup brush through the detergent and oil. This technique is similar to a paintbrush cleaning technique where you essential swirl the color out of the brush. Using the texture base of the plate continue to swirl your brush through the now combined detergent and oil.                                                                                                                             
5. Rinse the brush under lukewarm water and using the second plate, you now swirl the brush against the clean plate under running water. Continue this step until the water runs clear.              
6. Place the cleaned brush in a tall narrow glass, with the bristles facing downwards. Your bushes will need to dry upside down and there are many techniques for this. If you prefer a different way to let the brushes dry then feel free to do so here.                                                                           
7. Repeat to all your brushes and remember to rinse the plate and repeat with detergent and oil after every few brushes.

And there you have fresh cleaned brushes! I usually allow up to 24 hours for the brushes to be completely dry and ready for use.

You may like to know…

Using dishwashing detergent is a completely safe method for cleaning makeup brushes. The detergent works as a cleaner and bacterial remover, eliminating all dirt, oils and pigments all trapped in the brush. The reason for combining olive oil with the detergent is to put natural oil back in the hair of the bristles because the detergent alone can dry the brush hairs out.

Time to grab your brushes and give this cleaning method a go!

Leave a comment below if you try this method out or share your own technique with me!

XO Nat

Review | RUSK Engineering MiraCurl

If you lust after soft swirled waves, defined curls and voluminous locks but seem to be a little curling-impaired... then you need to try out an automatic curler like the RUSK MiraCurl. It’s in the name, MiraCurl… Miracle! 

What is an automatic curler?

A new era of innovative hairstyling tools with revolutionary technology, an automatic curler allows you to create beautiful curls with the press of a button. It's as simple as taking a section of your hair and clipping it to the MiraCurl. The rest is magic. In a vacuum like action, the hair is automatically drawn up into the ceramic curl chamber and in a gentle, quick and easy motion the hair is heated from all directions. In seconds a perfect curl is formed and all you have done is pressed a button.

Working the Magic

I am forever lusting after the 'Victoria Secret' voluminous curls but admit my curling skills have always been limited. When I came across the MiraCurl I needed to see if it was in fact the hair tool to change my curling abilities. 

The MiraCurl promises to create effortless, long-lasting curls with minimal effort. I was surprised at how after a few trail spins, I caught onto how easy this miracle machine was to work. The machine's versatility gives you 3 temperature settings, 3 timer settings and the option to change the direction of the curl. The only real requirement for working this curler is if you can hold a standard hair-straightner. In the same motion you take a section of hair and clasp it to the top of your hair (or as desired depending on where you want the curl to start from). By pressing the MiraCurl together, the hair is automatically drawn up into the ceramic chamber, and depending on your time setting, a beeper will alarm after a few seconds to notify you when to release the hair.

You might be thinking this could easily cause a lot of pulling and tension to the hair, but surprisingly it's not the case. The machine notifies you by beeping continuously if you have selected too big a section of hair to curl, limiting any chances of the hair getting tangled up inside.

The Verdict

I recommend this miracle MiraCurl styling tool for anyone who is looking to create long-lasting beautiful curls with ease. If you struggle to perfect the famous ghd-curls or can never get the same curl twice when using a wand, then this is the styling tool for you! 

This machine allowed me to create salon quality curls in no time and with its simple to use settings the curling possibilities are endless.

SHOP NOW

MIRACURL STYLER BY RUSK from Hair House Warehouse here

Road Test | Formula 10.0.6 Pores Be Pure

Nothing more rejuvenating for your skin than finding a great mud mask. I wanted something simple for a little mid week refreshment when I came across the Formula 10.0.6 Pores Be Pure skin clarifying mud mask. This beauty is made up of a delicious combination of strawberries, yarrow and rosemary.

The thing that sold me on purchasing a facial mask from the Formula 10.0.6 range, aside from the skin-refining and pore cleansing benefits,  was the small sample packs that are available for purchase. Perfect for new face products. There’s nothing worse than spending money on a full bottle of product that you might only use once.

First Impression

After cleansing my skin I opened a packet of the Pores Be Pure to a thick light pink paste. It was hard to tell the texture inside the sachet, but once opened the formula was thick and creamy. I just squeezed the content of the packet out onto my hands and applied it to my face and neck.

First thing was that the Pores Be Pure smells delicious. It’s the perfect scent of strawberry, without being overly sweet. The coolness of my hands was adding to the refreshing feel when spreading the mud around my face. It was very spreadable, smooth and not dripping off my face.

Something to note on the packaging is it does advise you that once applied to the face, the mud mask can cause a small tingling feeling. I definitely felt the light tingling sensation on my face, but it was nothing too drastic or worrying.

After the 15-minute wait, just as expected, the mud mask had dried to my skin. With a warm face towel I washed the mud mask off to reveal a very refreshed face.

The Verdict

Formula 10.0.6 Pores Be Pure mud mask was a quick and easy skin-clarifying facial. After using the product I found my skin complexion to be completely revitalised.

Pros of this product would be the delicious smelling combination of strawberries that are packed with the anti-oxidants your skin needs. I found it did brighten my complexion and left me with smooth refreshed skin.

A slight con would be the tingling sensation once the mask is setting, but it didn’t bother me and in the end was completely harmless. Let’s say the tingles are the strawberry and yarrow working their magic for clear unblocked pores.

For an easy at-home facemask, Pores Be Pure does a great job of eliminating impurities and cleansing pores. The ingredients in the formula work wonders on providing a refreshed complexion. Looks like this is one product I will be returning to the store for the full bottle.

Road Test | Max Factor Dip-in eye shadow

I first came across the Max Factor dip-in eye shadow a couple of months ago and from testing out all the colors in store, I knew I’d eventually give in to purchasing them.

Colors purchased...
Ibiza Sunrise - a shimmer golden bronze
Posh Pink - a soft shimmer pearl pink

First Impression

When I took swatches of the colors in store they seemed very pigmented and very shimmery. I liked the idea of eye shadow in a dip and apply form as the formula of the shadow is very fine and I imagine could create a massive mess if it was in the standard mineral eye shadow casing.

First Application

The small sponge dip worked wonders in applying the shadow to my eyelids. There was only a minimal amount of product excess that had to be cleaned up because the formula is so fine.

I found that not a lot of product had to be on the in sponge, the pigmentation of the color was determined by how much pressure I used when applying to my eyelids.

The finish of the product is very colorant and pearly, giving that extra flash of shimmer and color to the eye shadow look. 

The Verdict

Cons of the dip-in eye shadows would be the size of the actual product. The case is very small, and although the formula itself is very fine, I still think for the price it could be bigger. The consistency of the formula is powdered, unlike most shimmer products, which I prefer that are a creamier and softer formula.

Pros of this product would be the color pigmentation and the products building ability. With the application brush you have complete control to easily build up the color intensity, using soft strokes for a light shimmer coat, or pressured strokes for a dark pigmented coat. 

The Max Factor dip-in eye shadows are great for an overcoat eye shadow. I wouldn't use the shadow just on its own, but found it would be a perfect product to apply on top of a base color to bring out the pigments and add shimmer.

Outfit of the Day : Saturday Wedding

My complete look from a beautiful wedding I attended on the weekend...

The Dress

I went for a stunning black midi dress from Sheike in Melbourne, with a crossover front featuring small slit cutouts around the front and back area. Accompanied by a pair of classic strap heels and a few accessory pieces to match.

I can take wardrobe planning to a new level when organizing my outfit for an event. I won’t be satisfied unless I can picture the entire look prior to the day. That includes jewelry, bags, hairstyles and even lip color.

The Accessories

For this look I wanted to focus on edgy statement pieces to compliment the sharp lines and sophistication of the dress. I stuck to silver statement jewelry pieces, and a small clutch to match.

The Makeup Look 

It was inevitable that I was going to go for a dark smoky eye to complete this look. I used a combination of colors to achieve this gunmetal gold smoky eye look. 

On my eyes I have used Max Factors 'Max Effect dip-in eye shadow' in the colour Ibiza Sunrise and then used a combination of colours from the Stila 'Renaissance eye shadow pallet' to add darkness and drama to the outer corners and crease areas to create the smoky eye effect. 

I wanted a dewy foundation base with high contour lines for a flawless looking face. For this look I used Maybelline Fit Me Foundation, then highlighted with Maybelline Fit Me Concealer and contoured using an Australis matte bronze colour. I then used TooFaced Bronzer in Sunny Bunny on my cheeks with a small amount of Stila cheek cream, in the colour peony, on my cheek bones. My brows were then filled in using Revlon ColourStay Eyebrow Liner and I completed the entire eye look off with a pair of Ardell 105 Black falsies. 

For lips I wore Nars Belle De Jour with Napoleon Merci Collection lipgloss in the shade 'Anna' on top. I prefer nude lips when wearing dark smoky eyes, allowing for a more dramatic emphasis on the eyes.

_______________________________________

You’d never hear me say, “This is just something I threw together”. Whether you think that’s a bad or good thing doesn’t really matter. As long as you remember to dress for yourself. If that means getting ready in less than 10 minutes, than I praise you for that. I myself rarely pull off anything in under 30 minutes. It's such a satisfying feeling when a planned outfit comes together, whether it's for a big event or even just an every day look. In the end it's about being your happy and confident self.

‘People often say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I say that the most liberating thing about beauty is realizing you are the beholder.’ 

- Salma Hayek

XO Nat

Blonde Ambition

Just wanted to share with you a post featuring my hair colour transformation, which started at the end of December last year, when I decided it was time to take a plunge and dip in for some blonde tresses.

Short colour history

I first coloured my hair at the beginning of 2013, riding off my natural dark brown hair for a softer light brown from roots to end. Mid year my roots had returned (shamefully due to not keeping up with hair appointments), but as luck would have it, dark roots were right on trend!

I lengthened my roots with a root-stretch to extend the length of my root colour to blend down into the soft light brown colour. As much as I loved this subtle ombre effect by the time the New Year was approaching I decided my next trip to the salon would see my light brown ends turn golden blonde for the summer time.

Ombre Effect

With my hairstylist I decided to go for the high contrast ombre effect. Essentially keeping my natural dark brown colour from my roots to mid length and then blending out to an ash blonde.

Bellami Hair Extentions

A new colour seemed like the perfect opportunity to invest in a brand new pair of extension. They were going to have to be recoloured to match my custom ombre hair colour. After a lot of research I took the advice of many YouTube beauty gurus and ordered the famous Bellami Hair Extensions.

Believe what you hear about these beauties! The Bellami Hair extensions are currently my most favourite extensions to date. I have been through a number of different brands through the years but nothing has compared to these. The hair quality is amazing and the thickness of each section runs from top to bottom.

I purchased the Bellami Belissima 220g "22, in ash blonde, which were then recoloured by my hairdresser to compliment my own custom colour. I also had the extensions trimmed to a more suitable length in proportion to my body and face.

It’s important to remember that hair all the way down to your backside is not a look that everyone can pull off. The Bellami extensions are amazing for length and thickness, but having them trimmed to better suit your body can be the difference between people thinking your hair is naturally long and full or just plain fake.

It’s been three months now and each trip I have had to the salon since going ombre it seems I am more eager to creep that blonde colour further and further up towards my roots. 

Maybe one day I’ll go the full length but I’m not there yet. For now I love the high contrast between my natural roots and blonde ends.

Don't be afraid to try a new look, whether it's a fresh cut or colour or even if it's just a new hair style for the day. Slick those tresses back or let them out loose, which ever look you chose remember to own it and wear the hair, don't let it wear you.

XO Nat

Accessories of the Day

Good morning beauties! 

Here are some of my finer detail preparations for a wedding I’m attending on this lovely Saturday.

Your accessories, hair and makeup are there to complete your look. What you wear is the canvas, making it just as important to pick the right pieces to add that wow-factor to your painting.

Stay tuned for the complete look featuring a GRWM with dress, hair and makeup of today!

“Every day is a fashion show, and the world is your runway.”

XO Nat

Shop the Look

Lipstick Nars SHOP NOW

Shoes Lipstick SHOP NOW

Clutch Colette Hayman SHOP NOW

Braclete Mimco SHOP NOW

Ring Von Treskow SHOP NOW