(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best face makup brushes & tools

Some of these might be a bit over $5, I apologize in advance.

This Burt's Bees lip balm is great for everyday or regular use. I have the Beeswax flavor and I love it.

This Eos lip balm is wonderful! I have the Vanilla and the Mint flavors (which somebody gifted to me <3) and I just love them. They smell nice, are organic, and are just good all around. Your sister might already have a few of the round ones, but the sticks are also great. I don't think there's a vanilla round one, and that's one of my favorites.

This mascara is great and one I personally use. It's not waterproof, but it's super easy to apply and makes your lashes look longer. It has minimal flaking and lasts all day.

If she wants a waterproof mascara, Great Lash is great but harder to apply and doesn't lengthen your lashes as much as the other one does.

If she's in to nail art, these dotting pens look great. Each of them is a different size and they come in fun colors.

This blender looks great, but I can't personally advocate it. It's cheap and should do the job though.

These face cleaning towelettes are great for removing makeup and cleaning your skin. It might not be the right product for everybody though, so get her a small pack if you do.

This concealer set is cheap and by the reviews, works well!


I think that covers it, good luck!

I'll post my method routine just in case it helps ya.

TIPS:

• You'll need a thick/theatre type concealer. Kryolan's TV Paint Stick is my weapon of choice although I hear Mehron's CreamBlend's are pretty much the same. Oil-based concealers (Dream Matte Mousse, for example) just don't work at all. They ain't kidding when they say that Covergurl doesn't cover boy.
  
• You'll need a sheer concealer. No if, and or but about it.
  
• You'll need disposable spoolies. When your eyebrows are as thick as mine or yours, you need a lot of glue to battle through in getting 'em covered, so if you have a non-disposable spoolie brush it's just going to end up caked in glue and gunk pretty quickly, thus meaning you'll loose spoolie brush surface pretty quickly.
  
• Do one eyebrow at a time. When I do two, I lose focus and one eyebrow always ends up far better than the other. It's a pain in the ass process and takes forever, but you want it done properly.
  
  
  PREP:
  
  
• As a rule of thumb, I wash my face thoroughly and then lightly moisturise, but either way, the space of about a thumb width all around the eyebrows should be clean and free from excess sebum/dirt/etc.
  
• Take a cotton pad soaked in an alcohol-based facial toner and really get in there with it using circular motions; you need to strip the oils from the root of the hair.
  
  STEPS:
  
  Remember: timing is everything.
  
  
• Take your glue and rub it through the eyebrows quite generously, circular motions along the shape of your eyebrow; make sure every hair is coated.
  
• Wait 10-15 seconds and let the glue get slightly tacky. Do not fan/hairdry your face. Let this part dry naturally.
  
• Take a spoolie and, whilst circling the spoolie into the hairs (which will drag glue off, don't worry), brush everything upwards and outwards.
  
• Immediately take your glue stick again and begin applying it from top to bottom in motions that mimic where your eyebrow hair now lays (upwards and outwards). Do this a twice along the whole length of the brow.
  
• Immediately take the back of a spoon or a makeup brush or something with a hard, flat surface and run over where the eyebrow hairs lay, again, mimicking where they lay (upwards and outwards). Do this once or twice, a fair but not extreme amount of pressure. I've found my best result comes from using a super chunky mascara tube.
  
  Tip: anytime you've done this, quickly wipe off the spoon/makeup brush/whatever using a baby wipe. It'll save you having to pry all the dried glue off.
  
  
• Fan the eyebrow (some people hairdrye but it's not my preference) until it has lost almost all of it's tackiness, but not all of it. Literally just a minuscule grip when you press a finger on top. This may vary depending on room temperature, how fast your fanning, the brand of glue, etc.
  
• Immediately stipple a thick amount of powder over the brows.
  
• Give it 10-15 seconds.
  
• Using the same brush, neatly brush excess powder off.
  
  You should now be able to see where the ridges where the brows aren't necessarily laying as flat as they could be / are laid atop another hair and giving a ridge.
  
  
• Take the glue stick and, again, run it over where your eyebrow hairs now lay in an upwards and outwards motion. Do this over the length of the brow maybe 2-3 times.
  
• Fan your eyebrows until the glue is again almost completely without any tackiness.
  
• Immediately stipple a thick amount of powder over the brows.
  
• Give it 10-15 seconds.
  
• Using the same brush, neatly brush excess powder off.
  
  Repeat the above once more. You should now have three layers of glue over the eyebrow. There's a chance you may need a forth layer, but as a rule, three is sufficient as you don't want to build outwards too much.
  
  
• Without dragging too much, apply your concealer, generously, but not too much, over the brow.
  
• Blend using a sponge in circular motions. In my experience, nothing comes close to the texture created by Real Techniques' Miracle Complexion Sponge.
  
• Take a thick layer of orange eyeshadow and stipple over the blue undertone of your eyebrow showing through.
  
• Again, without dragging too much, apply concealer in generous amounts, but without going crazy.
  
• Again, blend using a sponge in circular motions.
  
• Set using a generous amount of powder, then brush off the excess.
  
  Boom.
  
  Let me know how you get on!

I don't even have many "before" pics because I was really insecure about cystic acne on my temples (you can see some PIH and scarring but it's so much better). I also always struggle with super oily skin, but when I showed up to the taping they told me I didn't even need to go through hair and makeup. It feels great and I think I'm well on my way to having clear skin again. Here's my routine:

AM:

• CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser
  
• Stridex Red
  
• OST C20 Vitamin C Serum
  
• Murad Oil Control Mattifier SPF 15
  
• Biore UV Aqua Sunscreen
  
  PM:
  
  
• Mineral Oil OCM
  
• CeraVe Hydrating
  
• St Ives AHA Pads
  
• OST C20 Vitamin C Serum
  
• OST Vitamin Sleep 9 to 5 Vitamin C Crema
  
  Vit C has been amazing for PIH. I wish I added it sooner. The one I use specifically is an asian product. For oily guys, I also recommend the Gatsby Oil Clearing Sheets, they're larger than most (and have very "masculine" packaging) to help keep the shine under control. I blotted right before taping and applied the Murad mattifier and a thin layer of the Biore sunscreen, and that combo really adds brightness (almost a whitecast) and calms redness down, leaving a nice matte look. I'm still pretty tan so the cast isn't that problematic.
  
  Anyway, thanks again SCA, the science-driven approach to bettering one's skin that goes on here is so helpful!

Ok, so I'm a makeup geek.. sorry if this is a long post.

1. CoverGirl Eye Enhancer in French Vanilla: A stable of mine, I love this colour as it will not smudge or budge. Hurry, it's only 1c at the moment!!
   
2. Corrective Concealer Palette: This is professional quality make-up that's only $4! Every girl should have one of these handy, you don't know when you'll have an icky pimple, bad bags under your eyes ect.
   
3. Hair tie 'ribbons': Another must have. They are basically non-traditional hair ties to hair up without pulling/tearing. Another plus? When you take them out, they don't leave an indentation on your hair. You want ANOTHER plus? Oh ok, these can be worn as bracelets when not in hair.
   
4. Beauty Blenders: This little guys are very popular at the moment, very 'in' in the beauty world as they make cosmetics application extremely easy, cheap and best of all, it leaves you with flawless HD effect!
   
5. EOS lip balm in lemon balm: This scent is like a dessert. Cute packaging. Works great. What's not to love?
   
   Other brands to consider
   
   
6. Bourjois: Bourjois are a French makeup company with cute affordable makeup. I don't know how big they are/are they in the US (I'm in Europe), but try find their stuff on amazon. The packaging is Parisian chic with an edge. Bourjois make excellent lipsticks, nail polishes, blushes. Avoid their mascaras.
   
7. Essence: A German super affordable brand that is available in the States (you'll need to look up where, I can't remember >.<). None of their products are more then €10 (about 7 dollars). Buy their eye products, blushes and face powders. Avoid their nail polishes, they chip very easily!
   
8. Etude: Korean makeup is super affordable, esp thanks to ebay and free shipping! Their eye primer is the best stuff I've even tried (I bought it on ebay for $7 w/free shipping)
   
9. NYX: Two words come to mind; BUTTER GLOSS!! My absolute favourite NYX product, it's a highly pigmented, moisturizing and not very expensive. Also, NYX make excellent blushes too.

NYX Blushes

Not exactly makeup, but most makeup ladies I know love to keep up our inner beauty She'll probably need to relax and wind down eventually!


Makeup remover wipes

Concealer

Eyeshadow singles

Creamy eye-shadow

WET N WILD IS AMAZING AND SO CHEAP!

BROWS!

If she prefers something more sheer on her lips

Beauty blenders

If you want to pick something up at a physical store, you can use this thread from MUA for good drugstore brands that run pretty cheap usually :)

If you can't find anything good from this, here's some Brands I suggest:

• Maybelline (lippies [usually], glosses, and the FIT Me foundation & concealer are amazing) Amazon/CVS/Walmart/Rite-Aid/Ulta
  
  
• Wet n Wild (eye shadows, lippies) usually on Amazon w/ free shipping and <$5 so no worries
  
  
• ELF (Studio line brushes [the others are ehhh] and blush) not everything is on Amazon, but the site has lots of deals and sales all the time
  
  
• NYX (lippies, brow kits, eye shadows) CVS/Amazon/Ulta
  
  As you can tell, yes, I'm really really into makeup

Happy Early Birthday! :) Sounds like a great day you have planned!

My birthday is usually a pretty low key event, and I'm OK with it. I'm usually guaranteed a Lemon Meringue pie and a home-cooked meal of my choice (usually Tuna Noodle Casserole, which I'm also totally OK with). I really can't say anything could be more ideal than that, for me anyways :)

I do have a somewhat random story to share...I share a birthday with a certain mammal that checks for shadow once a year. One of my family/friends usually does something with it....like one year I got a cake delivered to school with a large picture of a groundhog on it. Last year my Mom sent me flowers to work, with a large card just reading "Happy Groundhogs Day!". One of my co-workers finally broke down and asked me why I got flowers for groundhogs day, and if I thought it was normal!

If I won I would love to try this! Thanks for hosting! :)

If the redness is mild and widespread, a sheer coverage matte foundation/tinted moisturizer might actually work better for you - easier to cover more area and looks natural. If it's dark and/or just in small areas a more pigmented concealer would be better. I second the recommendation to go to Sephora - they have a lot of brands to pick from and the employees don't work on commission. They'll help you find a match for your skin tone, show you how to apply it and give you samples to try for a couple days before you buy.

For concealer I really like Amazing Cosmetics. It's extremely full coverage and looks natural, and they have a ton of shades to pick from. The 'travel size' tube is more than plenty to last a long time. If you're just putting it on small spots, I find the easiest way to blend it is to dab it on with a finger and then bounce a damp blending sponge over it to blend the edges into your skin.

I'm not as familiar with tinted moisturizer and light coverage foundations, but Paula's Choice makes a tinted moisturizer w/sunscreen that looks like it might work well. I haven't tried it, but Phyrra reviewed it pretty highly, and posted swatches of the different colors. If you'd rather stick to something you can get in store, a lot of people seem to like NARS Sheer Matte.

The number one thing about looking natural though is make sure you get a good color match.

Hey- real life vampire here. Here's my vampire makeup advice, modified for a beginner.

The main thing you wanna focus on here is red, white and black. Make your hair darker, your skin more pale (contour(define)) your cheekbones and put red under your eyes.

Before you start, gather these things:

1. Clown White
   
2. Liquid foundation of some kind (match for your skin or not, doesn't really matter)
   
3. Eyeshadow (with red and black and white) or oil face paints (same colors)
   
4. Possibly a brown/black eyeliner pencil for your eyebrows
   
5. An ashy contour colour (just a brown, greyish color)
   > 6. A contour brush. Some people will insist that you need more brushes but honestly you can probably get away with using your hands.
   
   Tutorial:
   
   
6. Put on some Joy Division. Mix together some of the clown white and foundation and apply it to make your face seem more pale. Try to make it even, and the consistency shouldn't be too thick. If it is, add more foundation. Also, put this over your lips so that they look super pale.
   
7. Put white eyeshadow on your eyelid. Then, take just a bit of black eyeshadow and try to blend them to make grey. The eyeshadow should get darker towards the outer corners.
   
8. Take some of the red eyeshadow (on the tip of your finger) and dab it on the lower lash line (not your waterline. don't try to stick your finger in your eye!!!). Smear that downwards so that it blends in with the foundation you have on. Try to make it look natural, like your eyes are really red. After all, you are a vampire.
   
9. Use the ashy contour colour and the contour brush to make your cheeks look gaunt. This will help you look more dead. Also, contour your temples. Blend it in to the white so that the lines aren't harsh (you don't need to use that much product, and start in the hairline and work out.)
   
10. If you don't have a widow's peak, make one with your eyeshadow and contour. Use the brush for this, and just try to be subtle with it, moving in a swooping heart shape out from the point in the centre. You might need to pack more product in at the hairline.
    
11. If your eyebrows need to be defined, define them. You can make them look more evil/intense by adding a dark line along the bottom and then angling in like this. You don't have to do this though, and you could even white out your eyebrows (not all vamps have them after all.)
    
12. If you want to, do lines of black eyeliner on your eyelids. You can smudge this if you want, and I suggest only doing the top so that on the bottom the main focus is the red.
    
    If you want any more help/explanations don't hesitate to ask, I could send you more pictures if you want. Here is a picture of drag queen Aquaria with a vampy look: she might be a bit too shiny for what we're going for here, but the eye makeup is a good example (and the expression.)
    
    
    

So I don't actually have the Lorac Pro Palette yet, but it's gonna happen...lol. And my fall shade is gonna be Garnet for sure! I mean come on, look at it, it's stunning!


If I get picked I'd like the Sigma Small Contour Brush. I also have my eye on TheBalm Down Boy blush...but surprises are fun too!

I'm gonna tag /u/StormyHiccups, just because :)


Thank you for hosting and happy birthday!!

We have very similar eyes! Down to the coloring and everything—seriously, we could be related. I LOVE the Norvina palette; so flattering. What shades did you use?

Regardless, I agree that this look isn't bringing the best out of your eyes. (Which are gorgeous, if I do say so myself, lol.) Personally, I don't like bringing dark or matte shadow more than 2/3 of the way into my eyes for an everyday look. If it goes past the iris looking straight on, it's not doing anything for you IMO. As for the outside edges, my favorite ever tip for figuring out the right shape and placement actually came from Safiya Nygard—she draws a straight line in concealer from the outer corner to the end of her brow, and that's where she puts her wing. And once she's done, she just blends the concealer away. GENIUS.

I also think that ending your eyeliner halfway through your eye like that, while impressive (dat tiny little line tho), looks a little unfinished. Just a little tightlining to continue the line to the corner would make a huge difference in this look.

I like my eye makeup to make my eyes look even wider, rounder, and more lifted than they already do. I actually wanted to demonstrate, so I did one eye of my go-to look with Norvina so you can see it. (Keep in mind that the pics are of a quick-n-dirty hack job, though. Blend it more than I did. Do as I say, not as I do.)

I generally do: Base all over the lid. (Keep your brush for this handy to buff out any weird-looking edges, especially along the wing edge.) Take Love and kind of stab it straight in the crease, starting on the outer 1/3 and blending to either side, out over orbital bone and into a wing-y shape. (I use a FLUFFY-ASS brush for this; mine is a Wet n Wild one I got on Amazon.) It will fluff up above the crease, which is good—that means the color will still be visible when your eye is open. So to keep there from being a weird dip in the color where my eye socket is, I almost want this color to make a straight line from the middle of my orbital bone out to my wing. Then, I take Incense on the fluffy end of the brush included in the palette and put it in basically the same place; it will just stay in a slightly tighter area because the brush is smaller. Then I use either Volatile or Passion (I used Passion in the pics above) on a denser brush (the other end of the one in the palette will work) and put it in the outer V. It really is a V-shape when I do it, because I don't want to weigh it down with too much color and get too smoky for daytime. I'll take that color a little bit along the lash line and a little bit into the crease, but only just up to about where I started applying color in the first step. Keep it more concentrated than any of the other colors. Then, I'll use one of the fluffier brushes to blend into the lighter colors. Now, up until this point, we've been ignoring the rest of the lid—don't worry! Just take a very small packing brush and brighten it alllll up. You can use any light shade, and it should hide anything weird going on on your lid. (Kind of like a cut crease without the annoying concealer part. Or any of the precision.) I used Dreamer in the pics, but you can use Base, your setting powder, your highlighter, whatever. If you have Subculture, I'm currently a HUGE fan of Cube, and I think it would look BOMB with this look. Finally, I think my eyes look a little naked without ANYTHING on the lower lash line, so I'll put just a little bit of Incense from the outer corner to about halfway in, and do mascara about that far as well.

I honestly wear this look without liner or with just a little tightlining (no wing) most of the time, because it defines my eyes enough and I feel like liner takes it to a more ~evening~ place. But if you want to add liner, I would take your wing out a little farther just so it's a little more present. The way it is now almost blends into your lashes. Don't be afraid to add a little more; you can almost draw a triangle and it will still come out with that nice swoop you have in your pictures because of the way the skin folds when you open your eyes. Just experiment! It's just eyeliner, it's not that serious. You'll wash it off at the end of the day and try again tomorrow, so it's not a huge deal if it's not perfect today.

But in the meantime, mascara (or falsies if you're feeling fancy) will hide most eye makeup sins. In my pics, I'm still wearing this morning's crusty mascara that's half flaked off, but if you put on a totally fresh coat, voila! Beautiful, every time.

That's sebum, or the same oil that's produced by everybody for skin and hair. Ever the smell is normal. The amount you're producing isn't normal.

Now, ideally you'd go to a dermatologist, figure out exactly why it's over producing and get treated. That's really the best choice because they can figure out not only the root cause, but have a wider range of treatment options than you can get over the counter. And since there's several dangerous conditions that can cause it (like the already mentioned kidney issues that give had checked out), you really should see a specialist asap, just to be safe. Combined with the other scent you mention in your breath, I'd lean towards an endocrine imbalance of some kind, but I'm not a doctor, so go see one.

Now, I gotta warn you that unless you're in your twenties or older, there's a good chance it's just temporary from hormonal shifts that occur during puberty. Yeah, you're out of high school based on what you said, but puberty doesn't always finish at graduation. It's very common for it to last as late as the mid twenties, though it's tapering off before that. It's also possible that this is just the level your body produces and you'll have to adjust to it. Regardless of the cause, there are a few things that can help deal with it in the meanwhile.

First, invest in baby wipes and some sandwich bags. Carry a dozen or so in a bag and wipe down during the day until you get a proper diagnosis. If you get the kind with aloe, it's possible your skin will stay moisturized enough that you get less oil production.

For your face and hair, they make these specialty oil absorbing wipes. this is the brand I used to use as an example. You can use them on your hair too, but it gets expensive since they're small.

You may want to change soaps as well. A good moisturizing soap, followed by a low oil lotion after bathing can reduce oil production. I can't really make a recommendation about brands, but if you start with the stuff like cetaphil that's designed for acne, I think you'll find a brand that works for you quicker. A lot of the time, excess oil comes from stripping the skin oil off but not replacing it with anything.

For the scent, I'd try increasing my fruit intake first. Pineapple, apples, citrus first since they tend to change scents of the body faster than others.

Now, I have to again say that I'm not a doctor, and you really need to make sure there's nothing bad underlying as a cause just to be safe. I'm only trying to give you what worked for me until you can get that done, so don't just assume I'm saying it's just because of hormones or whatever, I'm not. I'm saying there's dozens of potential causes that need to be ruled out eventually.

Good job there! Here some improvement tips to make it look smoother:
You can use this board as bases or even building material, it works really well! I've just got at a stopping point of my first scenery pieces: http://imgur.com/a/EuGXa
Super easy, just the board, PVA glue and some pins to hold it in place while it dries. Is about 90% complete, just some touch ups left. But you get the idea. The possibilities are endless, sometimes you just need to see someone doing and go from there!
P.S.
The wedges he uses in the video, for the base of the tank, are here. I've picked mine up at walgreens for a couple of dollars. They look a little nicer than the styrofoam, since it's all bubbly. So maybe look for some things that still work, but give you the ability to work with better! Still, I am super happy that you actually ended up building that!

I've had that happen from a random foundation brush I got at TJ Maxx! My nose started breaking out and peeling and itching; it's like it was exfoliating my skin and I was maybe also allergic to it. Bad times.

Like someone else said, Elf brushes are great! I also LIVE for the basic EcoTools duo and this Wet n Wild blending brush. I can do pretty much all my eye looks with just those three brushes. I've also got a couple from Sonia Kashuk (which I think is Target-exclusive, so hopefully you're in the US) that are quite nice. And, like others have said, Real Techniques is really nice too! I highly recommend their face brushes and their blending sponge. (I do NOT recommend the EcoTools sponge. I've never hated a sponge more.)

You don't have to spend a ton! You can get a really great set of brushes, curated by you for your own needs, just in the drugstore/Target.

Not familiar with that brand, but there are more well known brands in that price range that would be a great gift.

I'd get:

this real techniques set

Along with this one

And maybe add their version of the beauty blender here

**I linked from Amazon UK since I'm assuming that's where you are. You can also get them in Superdrug.

You don't really need to replace your brushes if they aren't raggedy and falling apart or shedding. If you're cleaning and taking care of them regularly t hey should be absolutely fine to keep.


That being said, I think the Elf Studio brushes and Eco tools are great.


This is my favorite foundation brush of all time: http://www.amazon.com/e-l-f-Studio-Powder-Brush-elf/dp/B002B4GGUG


I've replaced them a few times to be honest because it starts shedding after about a year but I love everything about how this brush is designed and how it works. You can really control the amount of coverage, stipple, blend. It works with all textures of foundation from cream to liquid to powder. Love it. 6 bucks!

back when my face was oily (once I passed 30, it turned from super oily to super dry) I used to mix my foundation with sunblock, a kind of DIY tinted moisturizer. I felt like the light application kept my face makeup from sliding off my face and into creases. I also avoided pressed/loose powder on most occasions. Instead, I opted for Palladio rice papers. I prefer the translucent ones personally, they match pretty much all skin tones. (I am super pale, and my bff back then was filipina. We used to split a pack of these...we were broke)

Depends on what she already has, but if she doesn't have any of the following, she might like it.

• Skin Illustrator palettes
  
• Airbrush and compressor (I really like Iwata)
  
• Airbrush makeup (Dinair is pretty good for beauty, Skin Illustrator for FX)
  
• Atlas of Human Anatomy book
  
• Sponges. Wedges, red, stipple <-- even if she has these, she'll need more
  
  edit: You can probably find lower prices than from Amazon, and you can get aquarium filters to cut up for the stipple sponges.

My favorite movie is Jurassic Park :D I was obsessed with dinosaurs growing up and I really do blame this movie for that. Also my love for Jeff Goldblum, he seemed to be in all the cool, actiony films of the 90's lol. I can still sit for a couple hours and get lost in the wonder and excitement I felt when I first watched it. I'd like to win the prize pack for my sister because she went in for a moderately invasive surgery today and it would be a great surprise for her. She'll be stuck in the house for about a month and I'm going to go visit her for a couple days to torture her with my presence(in return she'll torture me with makeup) ;p

This is would be my amazon item: Kabuki brush!. I'm gonna go with Bubble.

This stuff is my favorite! I stock up when I'm in Asia, or you can find these at specialty Japanese or Asian stores. You can also get them on Amazon (Prime eligible). I think these are a better deal than the Clean & Clear ones that are popular in the States.

I got these from Amazon because they were really well reviewed by someone on r/mua. Just got them in so I haven't tried them yet, but they're super cheap! I have the Clean and Clear ones too, and I'm looking forward to trying these paper ones instead of those weird plasticy ones.

I didn't want to spend $20 on a beauty blender either, so instead I purchased a kit from Amazon. The beauty blender kit comes with 2 BBs and the blender cleanser so I caved in. Definitely worth it.

Since that one is sold out, here's the same thing.

$30 for two sponges and a huge thing of cleanser. You'll definitely want the cleanser because it extends the life of the sponge to clean it after every use.

Doooo ittttt, I have one and I love it.

Here is an item I would love that is only $1, free shipping!

Happy labor day, ya'll ~~~

• item
  
  
• Super Junior- yay kpop boy bands!
  
  
• Moon Knight!
  
  Thanks for the contest!

I love the beauty blender for whipped foundations! If you cannot afford the beauty blender, SOHO (sold at Walgreens if you're an Amerian) has a great dupe that I use! You can also find it on Amazon.

A cigarette paper will absorb liquid, and that's what double-reed players use it for.

United States paper currency will absorb liquid more slowly, but they are sort of sticky and sort of slick as the ink will slightly transfer to a clean piece of paper. They're strong enough (made with silk) to be able to pull a minute amount of gunk off of the pad.

A longer-lasting cure for stickiness is "powder paper", which is hideously expensive (but cheaper than an emergency visit to your tech) from Yamaha. It is the same as powder paper for makeup according to a friend who examined my Yamaha powder paper.

Thanks for holding this contest!

I just got a foundation/bb cream and it's the first one that's ever matched me, so now I need something to apply it with :D

These sponges would be so lovely~
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00A51LI1O/ref=aw_ls__2?colid=13I2PKH014VF8&coliid=I2LZWBBWVWB888

If add-on items are okay, then this kabuki would be even better!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00373HS7K/ref=aw_ls__7?colid=13I2PKH014VF8&coliid=I1V0M2X4D1B93V

Please <3

The most inexpensive angled contour brush I can think and love of is actually a drugstore brand. Wet n Wild has this one, and you can find it in stores anywhere from 0.99$ to 2$. It's not as densely packed as others might be, though it is very soft and I find it perfect for contouring under my cheekbones/jawline/the edges of my face.

Edit: It's also only 0.59$ on Amazon, which is a ridiculously good deal to me!

1. Get rice paper blotting tissues, something like this (it doesn't have to be that one, but I know a lot of people like it). This will gently absorb the oil without drying out your skin. You can keep them in your purse and use them throughout the day.
   
   
2. African black soap is harsh and drying. You should switch to a more gentle cleanser. Here is the sub's cleanser recs. Here is the "Holy Grail" thread for cleansers. It may sound counter-intuitive, but you might also consider doing the oil cleansing method.
   
   > tea tree oil on pimples
   
   
3. Make sure you dilute tea tree oil before applying it. It's pretty irritating to skin.
   
   > I'm allergic to salicylic acid
   
   
4. Always check your ingredients, it's sometimes in stuff you wouldn't expect. Avoid any BHAs, iirc they're all related.

Snow White and yes, that's a tomato, got a problem with it?!?!?!??!! LOL

Pretty please

Thanks for hosting, this was fun!!!

thirding the blotting paper suggestions. The clean & clear ones are good, I've also heard about these rice paper ones. Daiso has blotting paper for cheap as well.

I use a stippling brush. One with a lot of bristles and is somewhat sturdy, like this one. I've used it wish all kinds of foundations with success.

Oil-absorbing wipes like these: https://www.amazon.com/Clean-Clear-Oil-Absorbing-Sheets-50-Count/dp/B001E96LSQ

Also, a circular polarizer actually does a pretty good job of reducing face shine.

I wish I had saved the article/blog/what-have-you that I read, but this woman said that she uses one of these refillable compacts that has a cushion in it.

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B0157HF4PQ/?coliid=I3XSKGNEM4SZV&colid=AHEUK47IAQYO&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it&th=1

She fills it with her sunscreen so it absorbs into the cushion and uses the face pad to pat it on over her make up when she needs to reapply her sunscreen.

As to how effective it is, I don't know.

Also, I did a google search for the thing I read, and i am finding a lot of mentions of using a powder or spray mist sunscreen over make up. So those are also options. Just have to find what works for you.

Personally, I've heard powder/mist sunscreen (like the ones that's supposed to be similar to face mists/setting sprays) don't work as effectively. My reference video for that is always this video.

As for my makeup, I don't wear heavy makeup so I can't guarantee this will work 100% -- I just apply a gel sunscreen (Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence) over my spreading it on my hand and lightly padding my skin with it.

I'm also interested/wanting to try the method of using a liquidy-sunscreen into a compact cushion (similar to the MISHA cushion compact), and apply it. There's a video on it here, showing you how to make one and apply. Here's an Amazon DIY compact posted a while ago by another redditor.

for reference, I use BB Cream, powder, blush, and bronzer. Not a lot of any of the powder products though! I do use a setting spray at the very end to melt all the powders together.

Only one thing has ever gotten my beauty blenders and various other sponges 100% clean and stain-free: Daiso Puff Sponge Detergent. If you have a Daiso near you, you can pick it up for I think a little cheaper than Amazon, but it’s like $12 for 3 bottles anyway, and they last forever.

Just take a big fluffy brush, get a little black matte eye shadow, and lightly dust it from the top of your ear down towards the corner of your mouth. I also apply a little bit more black shadow up by my ear and blend it down lightly.

I actually use this Elf Brush. It's loosely packed so it picks up just a little product, and it works fabulously. It's also like a dollar. Lol

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002CL6DTM/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_eiBuub1JHXDZN

I use a sponge cleaner from Daiso that is amazing!

So I bought the [Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzer] (https://www.sephora.com/product/ambient-bronzer-P395697) recently and I have to say I am not impressed whatsoever, especially considering the price. I currently apply it with my [Ecotools bronzing brush] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01BSB5FLI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) but am wondering if anyone has any suggestions for better application? I'm really want to make it work but am considering returning it soon if not.

This is the most popular. http://www.veramona.com/shop Though I'm 95% sure they're just overpriced stipple sponges that you can find at any theatre makeup shop. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B008ND0E02/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1493026214&sr=8-1&keywords=stipple+sponge

I'm going to second the stipple sponge and cream makeup. That way is the easiest imo.

https://www.amazon.com/Mehron-Makeup-Stipple-Sponges-3-Pack/dp/B008ND0E02/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=stipple+sponge&qid=1566857025&s=gateway&sr=8-3

I have also done the mascara wand beard, I used the mascara with fibers and that seemed to do okay.

My favorite way but also the most time consuming and uncomfortable is the spirit gum and crepe wool. The key here is to cut the crepe wool really really fine. I usually outline where I want it with eyeliner and then fill in little by little.
Be careful if you have sensitive skin and use either an actual remover or baby oil when it comes time to take it off.

https://www.amazon.com/Mehron-Spirit-Liquid-Adhesive-Available/dp/B00V20KZQG/ref=mp_s_a_1_9?keywords=spirit+gum+adhesive&qid=1566857131&s=gateway&sprefix=Spirit+gu+&sr=8-9

https://www.amazon.com/Mehron-Makeup-Costume-12-inch-Medium/dp/B008YGF98U/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=crepe+wool&qid=1566857176&s=gateway&sr=8-3

I found that using a cushion pact helps!

My skin is pickier with sunscreen than any other skincare product so I use my go to and DIY with this guy

You just pat the product onto your skin over top of your makeup and it blends right in. Here’s a tutorial by Gothamista for more details.

Monthly: Shampoo using this Daiso cleaner OR OxiClean + Eco Friendly Costco Laundry detergent (the formula doesn't make my face itch)

Between individual uses: Spritz any kind of spray-on antibacterial brush sanitizer a few times onto a half sheet of paper towel, then swirl the brush in the moist part of the towel

Thanks! And I just realized when I read ecotool that I actually have ecotool brushes not RT. I have this set and this set


I'm guessing the one you use is this brush (says for bronzer) or [this brush] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N9BUU73/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_TqNuzbWE8SCZF). Do either look familiar?

I am not too sure about the cause, but I can recommend you to get these Oil-absorbing sheets. These are magical at temporarily wiping your oily skins.

Bring a cart or two, a stick of Arko, and a small kabuki make-up brush like this, and shave like a boss anywhere, any time, with no hassle.

Instead of Q-tips I like to use these foam makeup wedges with my rubbing alcohol. They leave nothing behind unlike the small bits of cotton that a Q-tip leaves.

It's a soft brush, like this one. For this use, the softer, the better. I'm always very careful with hairy guys/hairy areas, but as soft as this brush is, it's much less likely to get tangled in hair (it didn't even happen once in this session). For comparison purposes, I had a feather in a drill that I used on the same sub, and it got tangled in his chest hair once even though only the tip was touching his abs. Fortunately, I take precautions so I can quickly stop things just in case the unforeseen happens, so no damage was done. ;)

I use this one. Its angled and fluffy so I can "shape" the blush well and blend it out too.

I'd really like this ELF kabuki brush, it's $4.29

pesky addons!

Cushion compact: https://www.amazon.com/Its-My-Cushion-cosmetic-internal/dp/B0157HF4PQ

Video tutorial: https://youtu.be/U8ZzWz6UjpQ

https://www.amazon.com/Palladio-Natural-Blotting-Absorbs-Looking/dp/B0013JG3KS

Dab your face with these before going out. Takes all the excess oil off without drying your face out, nothing to apply or rinse off, cheap, can do it anywhere quickly

89!! Because E.L.F rocks

I have oily skin too. Using an alum block will help you more. Directions: Rub the block over wet skin after making your shave passes and before applying aftershave. Alum can be very drying if you leave it on. Most people recommend rinsing it after a minute or so and then apply aftershave. I use an alum block daily with my shave.

I also use a pack of Clean & Clear Oil Absorbing Wipes to control excess oil throughout the day.

my prime pick is this kabuki face brush as I've been in need of new makeup supplies for about a year now, but with a 1 year old and little time, those kinds of things end up by the wayside :(