Reddit mentions: The best makeup brushes & tools

Since /r/ladyshavers is a bit dead, i'll throw in my 2c here as a ladyshaver of a few years now.

Razor: You want to start her off with a long-handled, knurled razor, as both are more ideal for shaving limbs and other places in a shower or bath environment (read: wet, soapy hands). My go-to suggestion for new women DE users is the Merkur 23C, or something like it. As I mentioned elsewhere in the thread, the Parker 96R is also a commonly mentioned razor among women shavers, and their QC seems to have improved recently.


Shaving soaps/creams/sticks: I loved the hard soaps I was getting from Alphy and Becs (small UK-based shop) via their ebay shop, then I got my hubby into DE shaving and tried some of his Taylor's Sandalwood... man, you really can't go wrong with it, can you? It's a luxurious scent/lather experience, even in the shower, so I suggest you choose a scent she'd like from them, choose a scent she'd like from YOUR favorite soap or cream brand, and give her both. Bodyshaving goes through a lot of shaving cream in a shorter period of time, resulting in a much higher cost per shave than face shavers incur, so I mainly use hard soaps to keep costs down, but it's hard to go back to them after the ease and joy of a nice cream like Taylor's.

Shaving sticks are fantastic in the shower as well, though I haven't tried a large variety of them and wouldn't feel right recommending specific ones. Can't hurt to thrown a stick of Arko or EU Palmolive into the kit you're building for her, though. If she likes them but not the stick application, she (or you) can always grate them into a nice bowl, which also further customizes her experience, and might make the bathroom counters look nicer too--which will hopefully make her willing to get even more soaps! The more personal it feels to her, the more she'll be invested in DE shaving, and the more it will become something the both of you share as opposed to something she kind of sort of also does because you do it.

I'm assuming you're US-based, in which case I'd also recommend 2 small soap shops, Chagrin Valley (great people and soaps, but only 2 scents for shaving soaps. Worth giving their normal soaps a browse too, their products are top notch.) and Eva Nestorova's Etsy shop. (The specific soap I linked is supposedly almost identical to the much beloved Klar Kabinette.) Eva also has a soap sampler pack that's a great value, and your wife will almost certainly love at least one of the scents.

Bonus: any soap she doesn't like, you get! And you get to try out some of her new things as well, if she lets you. :D


Blades: Definitely get her a proper sampler pack, don't just buy a couple kinds that you think she'll like. Why? Because the experience and novelty of going through the pack herself over time to figure out what does and doesn't work for her is a part of the gift, and with it you're saying "this is a long-term commitment to this style of shaving, take your time and figure out what's perfect for you" and it will encourage her to shop around a bit before settling on a blade. And she may find that different blades work better or worse depending on how much hair growth she has. For instance, I hate Astras if I haven't shaved in a couple weeks, whereas they're fine when I just ask them to clean up leg stubble. And cleaning up leg stubble is a waste of my feathers blades, etc.

(Also, if she really gets into it, you might want to have her consider a separate razor--or at least blade--for shaving her ladybits, if she chooses to. I'm to the point where once my latest order arrives, I'll be using 2 different razor and blade combos-- 1 mild combo for shaving legs, arms (yes), and stubbly armpits, and 2nd, more aggressive setup for my land down under and seriously overgrown armpits. Both because my particular ladybits laugh at mild razors, and because it means my blades in the first setup last about 5x longer if they don't have to deal with coarser pubic hair as well. That might not be something all women are interested in investing in, but this is a hobby for me like many of the men in this sub, so I don't mind. :) )

Alum: If she's prone to razor burn, this is a must. If she's shaving her ladybits, this is a must. If she has sensitive skin.. you get the picture.

Styptic: I just rub my alum block on the nick until the bleeding stops and don't bother with a pencil, but she may prefer a styptic pencil as it's more aggressive in stopping the bleeding right away.

Brush: Silvertip's extra softness is not beneficial for body shaving, don't waste money on it. Regular badger is fine, boar is fine, and overall I personally think brushes with slightly more backbone are better for body shaving. If she wants a synthetic, I've heard that the Ecotools Bamboo brush, available in many cosmetic shops and drugstores, is absolutely fantastic. I've just ordered a Spanish horsehair brush myself, I'm excited to see how it works out. Ultimately, since we're not using them on skin nearly as sensitive as our faces, brushes (blasphemy!) are much less of a factor for ladyshavers. I suggest buying a decent mid-range non-silvertip brush from wheverever you're getting most of her other kit supplies from.


Other possible accessories: A razor and brush holder, or a double model, a gorgeous wood lather bowl, or frilly antique scuttle, a more practical scuttle, etc (Note: These links are from my wishlist and ladyshaver friends of mine. I haven't tried them out yet myself. But hopefully they're a good starting point.)


Bonus points: Some great lotion to slather over herself after the shave, and clean and crisply scented candles because women love candles. I don't know why, but we do. Well, I love candles because my husband is a fart-machine, but YMMV. Suggestion: A candle that's both candle and massage cream.

TLDR: Merkur 23c, Taylor's Sandalwood/Coconut/Rose, any decent boar or badger brush, alum, razor holder, pretty lather bowl/scuttle in a style she'd like. Sampler pack. Candles and lotion are bonus points for creating a total-package spa-at-home gift experience.

(Edit: heh maybe not the best choice of a first picture to go along with a post titled "tons of goodies", oh well lol)

So I picked up a bunch of stuff tonight and I’m super excited! I wanted to share all the goodies I got, and I’d love to hear any comments that you might have on anything.

Image 1

Picked up some Pixi Glow Tonic, L’Oreal True Match in Light Ivory W2, and WnW Photofocus foundation in soft ivory. I’m not 100% pleased with how my Revlon Colorstay is sitting on my skin, so I wanted to try a few more drugstore items before jumping to something higher end. I’ve heard great things about the glow tonic, but tbh I’m a little nervous to start it!

Image 2

Got a few items from Amazon, this brush set that has a 4.8-star review with over 6,200 votes (for only $14!) and this liquid nail tape to make painting my nails easier, since I’m getting into that a little more. I haven’t used the brushes yet, but they’re super fluffy and soft!

Image 3

On the third try, I finally managed to get the “buy 5 random shadows for $4” from Juvia’s Place last week. Can’t believe how quickly it shipped! I got Taj, Carlota, Nia (three shimmers), Empress, and Ethiopa (two mattes). I’m glad I didn’t get any duplicates, and while green isn’t something I’d normally wear, I think the colors are all pretty and I’m excited to try out the formula (this is my first time getting their shadows).

Image 4-6

I couldn’t resist getting the $20 mystery box from Too Faced last week. I got a sample of BTS mascara (already have one, unfortunately), a Perfect Eyes eyeliner, a Size Queen mascara (the picture doesn’t do it justice, the wand is flipping huge), La crème lipstick (in a neon hot pink lol), and the peanut butter and jelly palette. Given that the palette alone is $36, I’m pretty happy! I would have liked to have received the Just Peachy Mattes palette, but that one’s $46, so it might not even qualify. Plus I’d rather have the jelly palette than the honey one. 😊

Image 7

Ipsy bag this month – unknown brush (very fluffy!), INT cosmetics shadow in Goddess Gold (not magnetic?? Kind of a bummer lol), trufora triple action exfoliator, and a Tarte Sex Kitten liner sample. I see what people mean about black eyeliner and subscription boxes, I got one from Ipsy last month lol.

Image 8/9

Boxycharm this month – PUR eyeshadow palette (check out that blue!!), The Vintage cosmetic company smokey eye brush set, South Mane eye gel packs, Butter London double decker mascara (so much mascara lol), Pretty Vulgar blush in Blush Hush. I see what people mean (again lol) about Pretty Vulgar packaging; it’s cute, but pretty bulky!

Image 10

Colourpop – I’ve been hoping for a “sorry shipping took so long here’s a free gift”! The red metallic lipstick is pretty bright red for me, but it might make a pretty good topper. I wanted to take advantage of the “get 4 single pressed shadows, get a free magnetic palette” deal, so I got (from left to right) Snake Eyes, High Strung, Glass Bull, and Tea Garden. I also got the “Passing Notes” super shock shadows set, since I don’t have any SSS yet and it was on sale. They feel so smooth, almost wet!

Image 11

I was chatting with someone from another sub and mentioned that I’d only tried one foundation. I guess she had a bunch that she doesn’t use anymore, and asked if I’d like to try them. I of course gratefully accepted, but was SUPER pleasantly surprised when the box had a ton of stuff in it, in addition to the foundations!! I don’t actually have any contour products yet, so that palette will be fun to try, and I’ve been meaning to try the WnW setting spray. Most of the foundations look to be about the right shade, though a couple are too light or too dark, so I might try mixing though.

Yay stuff!!! Now that I have so much stuff I haven’t tried, I have NO reason to buy anything else…no reason at all… 😊

When I was in grad school I was super poor, like grad students tend to be. My supervisor came to work with this little pup she found wandering around the the road. He was so sweet, smiling and wagging his tail for us. We spent the day trying to find a home or a rescue organization for him while he hung out in the office with us. He seemed healthy, house trained, we thought maybe he might have a home already, but couldn't find any information. At the end of the day after we had no luck finding a home I told her I would take him home for the night. Well, needless to say, after that night, he found his home, with me. I took him to a rescue organization that offered discount vet care. The doctors there agreed he seemed pretty healthy other than some ear mites and potential mange because he seemed to be itching a lot, and ran some blood work and we played outside while the results came in. Much to our dismay...heartworms :( I've known this dog less than 24 hours and started tearing up. He's such a good dog! So sweet, so loving. We decided to start treatment. Because it was a rescue orgainization they would do it for half price, but would have to cut corners. I had to bring him in to get the shots and then take him home for observation instead of leaving him at the hospital. I forget the details of his treatment, but I remember it was a series of shots into his spine. They were terribly painful and he got really sick during the treatment. Every time I would carry him out of the clinic, take him into work, and he would lay under the desk all day, barely moving. About the time he would feel better it was time for another shot. The doctor kept warning me that there's always a potential of severe negative consequences to the treatment. After the last shot, though, he started getting stronger and stronger. Pretty soon he was back to his old self with a TON more energy. Ultimately, he had too much energy for me to keep him with my grad school schedule, it just wasn't fair. So I begged my Dad to take him in. My dad lives on about 60 acres of fresh air and sunshine. He begrudgingly said he would take my dog, but on the circumstance that I would take him back as soon as humanly possible. He "didn't need another dog." Ok, Dad, ya ya, he's a great dog, you'll love him. So I take Brink (dog's name) on the 10-hour road trip to my Dad's. I tell him he loves to stay outside, but maybe just at night Brink could come in and sleep. My dad gave me the side eye and told me not to push my luck, but thankfully, I'm daddy's little girl. So soon I heard through the grape-vine that Brink was allowed in anytime he wanted, but only into the mud room where he had a fine bed and bowl set up for him. Well, one night, about 10pm my Dad was in his easy chair in the den, and here comes Brink, bed in tow. Brink laid his bed down by my Dad's chair and laid down and went to sleep. That was about 5 years ago and that's where Brink's bed still is. My dad secretly fell in love that night and they have been inseparable ever since. We joke he's the most expensive stray ever, and to be honest, my rent was late the month I paid for his heart-worm treatment, but it's the best money I ever spent. I love that freakin' dog and I think he found his perfect forever home at my Dad's place :)

My FAVORITE vegan food is this Ethiopian vegetarian sampler with Gomen, rice, lentils, all my favorites from a local restaurant called Desta.

Eco Tools Brush Set

Thanks for the contest, you're super awesome! Sorry my story is so long :) hugarabbitday

Hmmm well I'm in the UK but I can recommend stuff I like! I know some of the eyeshadow palettes I like can be found in Walmart/Target sometimes (from what I've read on here).

I got ecotools brushes as my first set and I really like them. The quality is pretty solid and they are cheap - I know MAC brushes are supposed to be the best if you want to start off with the big stuff. I don't use make up that often so it's not a biggie...

One thing to note though is that has a concealer brush - not a foundation one. If you want a foundation one on it's own you can get it in MAC. Fingers would be faster to get the hang of tough to stick to that if you like :) I think brushes are supposed to give more consistency but it's honestly whatever works for you!

You can get loads of really nice multi-coloured palettes here on the cheap by E.L.F.. I got [this palette from Coastal Scents!)[http://www.coastalscents.com/makeup/eyes/eye-palettes/pl-001.html)
I liked it but you need a primer for some of the matte (not sparkly/shiny shades - just the flat colour).

For high quality expensive eyeshadow you could again go to MAC or Sephora :) I'm not sure what budget you are looking at - I'm very much a cheapskate for these things so I go for a balance between price, quality and quantity.

SPEAKING OF PRIMERS....

I have this primer that is also a liner for your eyeshadow! In all honesty the liner didn't last that long...the tip got dirty kinda quick and I only really used it for black. For pretty colours with different eyeshadows I used a nude eye pencil and then my liner brush from ecotools. I'm not a big liner user but if you want to I'd say to just buy a separate liner.

Some people REALLY like the Urban Decay's Primer Potions which are bottom left here. I think you need to go to the stores listed though to buy it.

Honestly the best advice I can give is check the sidebar and post some B&As here - or just your plain face asking for tips. People here are really nice and helpful - they helped me out a lot! :3 Also the sidebar as some good brands with a range in budget from drugstore to the super high-end expensive stuff!

Just start small and work up. The only thing I went big on was the eyeshadows where I bought that 88 palette...but I think that's fair enough for when you are just starting out. Get a primer for the cheaper eyeshadows though since they are not that pigmented (not much colour)!

I'm sorry those were all UK links but when I try to access US versions they switch me over to the UK version...I'm sure there will be an online store with it though :3 Amazon could be your best friend!!

Good luck and happy makeuping :3

How awesome are you! The big question is: what's your budget!?

A couple reactions to your list: honestly if she is just starting out, this brush set is OK (not great, but OK). It does seem to have a lot of eye/detail brushes and not a lot for base. The thing is, she won't know what brushes she's in love with until she tries out a bunch. If she's into it, then she might want to buy better quality brushes in the kind she likes. I'm saying this also because I'm a mua and I use brushes kind of unconventionally and I find a lot of mu enthusiasts/pros are the same way (example--it might say "crease" brush, but I'll use it for buffing out concealer or smudging eyeliner). She won't know until she tries a bunch of different kinds, so I think getting a variety of inexpensive brushes isn't a bad idea. It also depends on the face she's working on?

You might want to splurge on one kinda decent set, too, though if you're saving a ton of money getting a more inexpensive set. This one might be good to start BUTTTTTTT if you have a TJMaxx near you DEFINITELY go check it out. You can get surprisingly decent brush sets there for a great price--you also might be able to feel them before buying to check them out. I got that RT eye brush set for, like, $7.99 or something.

The brush/sponge cleaner--If I were you, I'd save some $$ by just getting a baby shampoo or Dr. Bronner's soap. (Not to say that Eco Tools one is super pricey, but if she's washing her brushes as much as she should, she may run out quick). In my kit, I use Parian Spirit or Cinema Secrets, but it's kind of $$$. If I'm running low, I'll use baby shampoo because it's super gentle. For lip brushes or special fx makeup stuff, I'll even use Dawn. The silicone brush cleaner is a cool gadget, but be warned it can wreak havoc on brushes (esp. cheap brushes!)

The organizer is a good idea and it's cute, but the only thing is that type are kinda tricky in that they don't really hold that much. If she is really getting into it, maybe something more versatile? I'm obsessed with Muji organizers, but $$$. WAIT, just checked and they're having a sale: http://www.muji.us/store/health-beauty/makeup/makeup-storage-box.html

They are wonderful because they are SUPER versatile and all kind of fit together, so you can make your own little set up.

What about a cute vanity mirror? https://www.amazon.com/Daylight-Detachable-Magnification-Convenience-Definition/dp/B06XDNCV4M/ref=pd_sim_201_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=KZM8NMHW9YNTDREEHZDN

Brush holder? https://www.amazon.com/Quality-Acrylic-Makeup-Cosmetic-Holder/dp/B0098TKSLU/ref=sr_1_4_s_it?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1505883877&sr=1-4&keywords=makeup+brush+holder

An amazing book that still has an insane amount of relevant information even 20 years later: https://www.amazon.com/Kevyn-Aucoin-Making-Faces-1st/dp/B00HTJY1KU/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1505884083&sr=8-4&keywords=making+faces

I use this guy for if I know I'm only doing one client. Would be great for personal use, too: https://www.amazon.com/Travelmall-Professional-Cosmetic-Organizer-functional/dp/B01ELDCK9A/ref=sr_1_4_s_it?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1505691979&sr=1-4&th=1

OK, I'm going to bed, haha! Have fun, you are an amazing sister and whatever you get her will be cherished.

Its really hard to tell what your makeup looks like in this shot because of the downward angle and the hair over the face. I'd recommend posting one where there are less shadows and we can see the eyes and eyebrows more since it will allow everyone to see things better to give you better feedback. Eyebrows in particular are essential for framing the face and one of the hardest things to get right but with the hair in the way there's no way to see them well to really give good feedback. The little bit I can see looks very light so you might want to look into getting into brow products to darken it up and shape it. For a cheap starter brow kit to practice with the ELF brow kit is really good and only $3. I still use that one because my brows are dark enough that I don't need too much but if you have lighter/sparser brows you might like something better. Right now the contrast between the light brows and dark hair is pretty stark. Here is a good tutorial for filling in/shaping brows for someone with fair skin and dark hair.

Again its hard to tell about eye makeup but it kind of looks like you've done some smudgy soft brown liner but again the angle makes it hard to tell. I can see that your eyelashes appear really light so I'd definitely recommend a black mascara. Maybelline has really good mascaras if you are looking for something cheap to start with. Curling eyelashes and applying mascara does a lot to open up the eyes and make your whole face brighter, especially if you have very light eyelashes (mine are blonde so I know the struggle).

It looks like you have a hooded eye shape which means that when your eyes are open most of your lid is hidden and tucked into the crease of your eye. Mine are slightly hooded so my eyelids don't show much. Its a bit tricker to work with but you can still do a ton.

Here's a good easy every day tutorial for a similar eye shape. I love the Shade and Light Eye palette that she uses in the video but its a more expensive item and while it is well worth it you might want to look for similar colors from the drugstore. But this should give you are visual for something you could do.

Liner is tough for your eye shape. I find that it makes a big difference on me but you have to be able to apply the line very thin or it will take over the entire lid space that is visible when your eyes are open. This just takes a lot of practice.

Having a good set of brushes helps too. I am in LOVE with this set from Lamora Beauty. They're cheap but great quality and have just about every type of basic eye brush you could ever need.

Your skin looks really beautiful. Only suggestion would be a bit of blush and maybe some color to your lips. The first youtuber I posted has similar coloring to you. She wears kind of mauvey tones for her more natural looks so you could try and find something similar to this, I think that would look nice on you.

If you like something more colorful then go for that too but its always good to master a neutral basic look and then branch out. Hopefully this helps.

UNDER-EYE AREA + CONCEALER

• PUFFINESS: If your eyes are puffy or something you can hold something cold over them (a spoon that's been in the fridge for a bit is a popular choice) to reduce the puffiness.
  
• CONCEALER: I am lazy and just put a bit of BB cream on my dark circles and call it a day, but if you want to make the extra effort I've heard good things about this Maybelline Dream Lumi Concealer although I've never actually used it myself.
  
  CHEEKS + BLUSH
  
  
• REDNESS: I have a ton of redness on my cheeks and I'm not fancy enough for a tone-correcting primer, so after using my regular old ELF Studio primer I dab a bit of this Maybelline green concealer on my cheeks and blend it in with a sponge to cover up the redness.
  
• BLUSH: Blush comes in a variety of forms including pressed, baked, cream, tint, liquid stain, etc. I have no idea how to use blush because my cheeks are already tomatoes but a lot of the gals who ARE into blush on this subreddit have been talking about Sleek blush palettes (because they're nicely pigmented). Again, I don't really understand blush but Robert Jones does so here's his video AGAIN (there's also a little summary about blush if you scroll down which you can read quickly as a little refresher).
  
  LIPS
  
  
• THINGS YOU CAN PUT ON YOUR LIPS: There are a lot of options for lips including balm, tinted balms, glosses, stains, lipsticks, etc. There are also a lot of different finishes especially with lipstick. Remember how eyeshadow how satin and matte? Lipstick does too, and there's a whole slew of other categories which you can see here if you scroll down a bit to the "details" section. MAC has some labels that are unique to their brand, but you get the idea that there are tons of finishes.
  
• MOISTURIZE: Whatever you choose to put on your lips, or even if you choose not to put any color on them, keep them moisturized. You can use Vaseline, Chapstick, Rosebud Salve is pretty popular (it's a tinted balm essentially), etc. Lips look pretty gross when they're flaky and stuff, so do this. Elemis Lip Revive is rather expensive but I love it (they give it out in spa packages if you fly business class on British Airways or else I'd never have discovered it!).
  
• LIP PRIMER: So there's also lip primer, but I just use chapstick instead because I'm not fancy. Just letting you know it exists, though!
  
• LIP LINER: The purpose of lip liner is to define the lips and prevent lipstick from feathering or traveling. It depends on what lipstick you're using (sometimes you won't need to use it), but there is an awesome tutorial on how to use lipliner here. She talks a lot about how to make thin/uneven lips look a little fuller, which is a bonus too!
  
  HOW TO GET ALL OF THIS ON YOUR FACE
  
  
• FINGERS: I just use my fingers for primer and BB cream. It's recommended that you use your fingers for BB cream. Not sure about primer, but again, I'm not fancy.
  
• SPONGES: So there's this thing called the BeautyBlender and a lot of people like it. You're supposed to use it wet (soak it in water, squeeze, then wrap a paper towel in it and squeeze, then use). There are a lot of cheaper dupes on Amazon, and I have a set of four and I think they're okay, but apparently the Beauty Blender really swells up in size when it is wet as you can see here and the knockoffs I have totally do NOT change in size whatsoever when wet, so it's probably not quite the same. What the real thing is supposed to do is give your foundation a really nice finish.
  
• BRUSHES: Brushes are a big frickin' deal, okay? Once I started using the right brushes for the right things (instead of a little concealer brush for everything) my makeup looked a lot better. If you're looking at drugstore options, I use RealTechniques and I like them, but I find them a little bit on the larger size. I know a lot of people like EcoTools and ELF Studio, but if you want to invest in brushes from the get-go you could try looking at a Sigma set. They're on /r/makeupaddiction's HG list for mid-range brushes, especially the Mrs. Bunny set. Considering with the Mrs. Bunny set you get 12 brushes for ~$108, that comes out to essentially $9/brush. Drugstore brushes tend to be about $7-8 a piece, so if you have the money it might make more sense to invest in a nicer set to begin with. I personally have never used a Sigma brush so I can't speak to how good they are, but I just buy everything off HG lists on /r/makeupaddiction and they haven't led me astray yet! There are also a lot of great tutorials on how to use brushes (explaining their different purposes and doing looks with them) on the RT website here and even if you don't use the RT website I think it would still be helpful (since even if you buy Sigma or EcoTools there's still going to be a blush brush, tons of little eye brushes, liner brush, etc.).
  
• FOAM APPLICATORS THAT COME WITH PALETTES: So if you buy a mini eyeshadow palette like a trio or a quad or whatever, you'll likely get a little foam applicator like one of these. Just know, that you can do better than a foam applicator (use brushes!).
  
• CLEAN WHATEVER YOU'RE USING: The Beauty Blender sponge has this "blender cleanser," if you know how to use the internet you should know how to wash your hands, and here's a how-to-clean-your-brushes tutorial.

Heya, welcome to RAoM!! I hope you enjoy it here :D Also, happy birthday c:

I'd definitely recommend picking up the NYX Jumbo Pencil in Milk -- it's a great base that really makes colors pop! It's also really creamy, so it blends out easily.

I also love my Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains. I have Rendezvous (a very orange-y coral) and Lovestick (bright pink), which are perfect for summer. I also have Romantic (pretty true red) and my sister has Crush (a darker plum), which are great for fall. These are really easy to wear because they feel just like lip balms, but they're also very nicely pigmented.

If you want to play around with a lot more colors, I would say go for the Coastal Scents 88 Original Palette -- I use at least one color from this every time I do my make-up! It's not too pricey, but it gives you a lot to experiment with :)

I think it would be a pretty great time to pick up some brushes. Since you're just starting out, I'd probably go with ELF brushes because they're super cheap. Here are a few of my favorites (although I'd recommend looking in store at Target, because the white brushes are only $1 and the black ones are usually only $3; they might be cheaper on the ELF website too):

Eyeshadow Brush -- great for packing on the color
Blending Brush -- because everyone could use a nice blender!
Contouring Brush -- really great for applying color in the crease
12 Piece Set -- I don't actually own all these brushes, but it looks like a great set to start with, especially for only $12!


As for something I'd like...well, I'm currently obsessing over this lipstick in Black Cherry, because it is the PERFECT color for fall, and I don't have any other dark lip colors :3

Oh yea, and Summer Fun !

For acne, I recommend:

a. Whole Foods 365 glycerin soap with vitamin E (that's one of the glycerin soaps they offer), $2/bar, as a pre-shave beard wash. Wash beard at the sink using your hands, then rinse partially with a splash and apply lather.

b. Rinse razor head in high-proof rubbing alcohol before and after each shave.

c. After the final rinse ending the shave, glide a dry alum block over your wet skin, then set block aside and clean up around the sink, put stuff away, etc., with the alum on your beard. After a minute or two, rinse the alum off, dry, and do your usual aftershave. This step is particularly helpful: alum is a mild antiseptic.

d. Use a fresh towel for every shave. You can buy thin, 100% cotton, lint-free towels called "barber towels" or "bar towels" for under $20/dozen. They're easy to launder and a fresh one for each shave helps a lot. Here's an example. A wet towel is a microbe incubator.

e. Buy a bunch of pillowcases from a hotel supply house and use a fresh pillowcase every night.

These are some basic tactics. I have a whole section on acne in my introductory guide to DE shaving---look at the reader reviews to decide whether it would be helpful for you.

Avoid shaving against the grain in areas in which you get ingrowns, though you can shave XTG in both directions for smoothness.

Look at this sub-$50 beginner kit for some ideas. A good start up:

Razor: either the Sodial razor ($2.30 including shipping) or one of the Maggard Razors ($16) or one of the Edwin Jagger DE8x series---the DE86bl (faux-ebony handle) is about $30; prices vary by handle, the heads are all the same. In general, quality increases as price increases, but the Sodial is a good razor and I continue using mine.

For a pre-shave soap, I recommend a high-glycerin soap: wash your beard at the sink, using your hands, rinse partially with a splash, and then apply lather. Here are some good ones: Musgo Real Glyce Lime Oil soap (MR GLO), $6.50/bar, or Whole Foods 365 brand glycerin soap, $2/bar, or Dr. Bronner's liquid or bar soap, or Clearly Natural glycerin soap.

Jlocke98 came up with the idea of adding 2 tsp of lanolin oil (liquid) to 1/4 c Dr. Bronner's liquid soap and using some of that as a pre-shave beard wash. It works quite well.

Try samples of shaving creams and shaving soaps: Garry's Sample Shop or Wet Shaving Sample Shop or All Lathered Up all offer samples of mainline products, and the artisanal soapmakers sell excellent products at modest prices.

Here are some brush possibilities, in ascending order by price:

The Ecotools Bamboo Finishing Kabuki brush, which makes a terrific shaving brush; you can pick it up for $7.50 in the cosmetics section of (e.g.) Walgreens.

In the $8-$14 range, any of the Omega boar brushes would do a good job, and those are available from many sources. I prefer the brushes without the dyed band---the plain white brushes---but both work well. Read this beginner's guide to boar brushes on proper use. These are soaked before each use: just wet well with hot water and leave it sitting while you shower. I really like the Pro 48 (10048); it's large, but I still find it comfortable for face lathering.

The Omega 11047 boar/badger brush, which you soak for boar content, but then acts like a badger---and makes a good travel brush as well as an everyday brush. $17 plus shipping, but you can buy something in addition for little or no extra shipping charge.

One of the HJM black synthetic brushes from ConnaughtShaving.com for $25, including shipping. (US residents do not pay VAT.) This is a supeb brush, as gentle as any silvertip and quite efficient at lather creation.

The Whipped Dog silvertip badger: $26 including shipping with your choice of resin handle. The 22mm size is the best all-round size.

For afterhave, try samples from Saint Charles Shave aftershaves and The Shave Den Shop: pick those that look interesting, then get a full bottle of the one(s) you like.

You didn't ask about blades, but that's probably because you think they make sense. They don't. Read this post for more info. Use the first brand that works for you for at least two months. By keeping the brand of blade constant, variation from shave to shave is (probably) due to prep and technique, so you can focus more on perfecting those by not changing the razor or brand of blade. Also, after two months, you'll really know what that brand of blade feels like so when you try a new brand the differences are highlighted.

Here are artisanal soapmakers whose products I've found to be good (by buying and using them):

• Al's Shaving
• Barrister & Mann
• Bathhouse Soap
• Em’s Shave Place
• Ginger’s Garden
• Green Mountain Soap
• The Holy Black
• Honeybee Soaps
• Kell’s Original
• Mama Bear (also at Amazon)
• Mike's Natural (lather requires more water than you expect)
• Mystic Water
• Nanny’s Silly Soap Company (in the UK)
• Prairie Creations
• QED
• Queen Charlotte Soaps
• Saint Charles Shave
• Scodioli
• The Shave Den
• The Strop Shoppe

Ugh. I know how frustrating it can be to not know where to start. Hopefully we can help you!


I would agree with the previous comment. Go to Sephora and get color matched for a foundation and a color-correcting undereye concealer. You have beautiful skin and I think a light coverage, but Dewey foundation would be the best (I really like the Bare Minerals liquid foundation).


As for blush, I would stick to warmer colors to best flatter your skin tone. This Sleek blush palette in Lace would be a great place to start. Great value, great colors, and it will give you an idea about what you like.


Invest in a quality eyelash curler (important!). Curl as close to the roots as possible and work your way up. Find a drugstore mascara you love.


I'm pretty ignorant about eyeshadow, but I think the Naked 3 palette or any rose-gold palette would look gorgeous on you. You can use a concealer as an eyeshadow primer.


As far as lips go, it's a matter of experimentation. I think warm, rosy colors would look incredible on you, especially if they have a hydrating formula. Ask a Sephora makeup artist to show you different shades, and you can find similar ones at the drugstore.


Quality brushes are essential when starting out. Don't skimp and you'll never look back. You will need a foundation brush, a crease brush (you can easily use this in crease and on lid until you get a flat shader brush specifically for the lid -- just clean in between colors), and a blush brush. Later, you can invest in a fluffy crease brush
for better blending and a flat shader brush.


I hope this helps! Try some things out, and post a picture when you're gone so we can give you CC. I would use a better quality picture next time, so we can see :)


Have fun!

I'm not entering but just wanted to give some recommendations because this is really sweet.

For brushes, Real Techniques makes some fabulous sets(you could perhaps get the eyes and core collection to get someone started), ELF Studio makes a nice set, and I have heard good things about this one.

For lipsticks, I'm a big fan of the Rimmel Kate Moss line and NYX Round Case lipsticks with Tea rose being one of my favorite colors. If you're interested in buying one non drugstore item, a MAC lipstick would be an amazing gift.

For the face trio, Sleek makes this amazing palette with a contour powder, highlighter, and blush. I also highly recommend their single blushers. Individual items I would recommend from the drugstore are the NYC Sunny bronzer or NYX Taupe, Wet n Wild Reserve Your Cabana highlighter or the Boots liquid illuminator, and NYX powder/cream blushes.

For shadows, I'm going to recommend Sleek again. They make fabulous 12 pan palettes called i-divine. Some favorites of mine are the Original, Au Natural, and Oh So Special.

Some other products I love that would be great for a beginner are the NYX milk pencil, Maybelline Color Tattoos, Covergirl Clump Crusher, Revlon lip butters, and an Asian bb cream(Missha, Skinfood, and Holika Holika make some good ones).

No pics since I'm not at home.. but here's what I've gotten recently with reviews!!

• ELF Cream Eyliner in Black - This liner is AMAZING!! So pigmented, creamy, easy to use, and lasted all day. I was actually able to make a decent wing with this..which is a big deal for me!
  
  
• bareMinerals Eyeshadow in Nude Beach - This. Is. The. Most. BEAUTIFUL. Eyeshadow. Ever. Seriously amazing..wear it every day now!! IN LOVE GO GET IT NOW!
  
  
• real Techniques Starter Set - These brushes, like everyone says, are amazing. Great quality, super soft, no complaints at all!!
  
  
• NYX Makeup Setting Spray Dewy Finish - I used an Urban Decay MSS before this, but this one seems just as good as sooo much cheaper! I have dry skin, so this is great to keep my skin moisturized and not have dry, patchy areas.
  
  
• Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey - Since everyone and their mom has raved about this I thought I'd try it, and it is really great! The color is gorgeous and you can get so many looks from it. It looks really natural on me and not like I'm wearing anything on my lips at all, more of a stained look. I'm not a fan of the scent though..
  
  
• MUFE Aqua Eyes in Champagne 23L - This was a dud for me..not a fan of the color (very, very light..doesn't show up on my eyes at all), not very creamy, so I really have no use for it. Will be returned unfortunately!!
  
  
• Maybelline Great Lash BIG - I know people are 50/50 on this but I've always loved the regular Great Lash for bottom lashes or for very natural lashes! I really love this one..for me it works like Bad Gal Lash but about 1/5 of the price! Will keep wearing this! I also got Clump Crusher but haven't opened it yet :)

I think my best advice would honestly be to work on honing your skills. I used to be able to do pretty okay shadows cause I never really learned about blending and pretty much stuck to one colour shadow at a time. But now I live for blending. It honestly makes such a difference. Even with just one shadow, blending out the edges makes it look so much better. I like really fluffy brushes that really blur things dramatically, but it's really up to you. The Real Techniques eye set of 4 brushes is good for "tighter" blending brushes. The fluffy one I love is from a coastal scents 22 piece brush set, they don't sell it individually and it does not have a name printed on, unfortunately.

So yeah, I'd suggest working on skills more than anything. But I will try and answer what you actually asked for haha. My fave palettes are the too faced chocolate bar and naked basics 2. I also love inglot shadows because I like the customization they offer (you buy the shadows in singles and can build your own duos or palettes), and they make really good, blendable mattes. Mattes are notorious for generally being harder to blend than shimmery or glittery colours sort of across most brands, but the inglot matte ones are very good. Naked 3 palette might work really nicely for you as well, but I think the semi-sweet chocolate bar palette would be the best. Nice shadow quality, nice range of shades, but I think they would look especially nice with brown eyes and your skin tone. I would recommend naked basics for the purpose of having a nice set of strong, basic (ha ha) matte shades. But yeah, semi-sweet chocolate bar!

There's not a single makeup wearing person out there who didn't have to practice their eye makeup a LOT before finally getting the hang of it, so don't give up yet!! I have a few tips to offer that helped me improve my own eyeshadow skills. First things first, investing in a good quality set of eyeshadow brushes will make a big difference. There's absolutely no need to buy the most expensive ones available, just look for brushes with synthetic fibers and a set that offers a decent range of sizes and shapes. (an ideal starter set should at least include a medium/large fluffy blending brush, a crease brush, a lid brush, a shader brush, an angled blending brush and perhaps a small liner brush) I've bought great brushes on Amazon for super cheap that I happen to like even better than some of the more expensive ones I own. Morphe also has really nice brushes that are pretty affordable. Good brushes make applying eyeshadow effortless, and with a little practice and trial and error you'll be a pro! Next, make sure you're using something to prime your eyelids before applying any shadow. I find that a thin layer of concealer on your eyelid/brow bone, set with a little translucent powder, works great for this purpose. It's not really necessary to buy a primer just for eyeshadow, in my opinion (unless it's glitter based, you'll need a specific primer for that). Make sure you're starting with the lightest shades first and ending with dark shades. Apply a only little bit of shadow at a time with very light pressure, and blend, blend, blend it out good using small, circular motions. I like to clean my brush off on a dry towel before applying each new shadow color to prevent the shades from becoming muddy. While thorough blending is the key to gorgeous shadow looks, it is very possible to blend your eye makeup too much, so be mindful to not overdo it. You want each shade to look seamless among one another, rather than just solid blocks of color on your eyelid. I would try out some simple eye looks that use just 2-3 basic shades, and once you've mastered those, start experimenting with more adventurous shadow colors and textures. Now, on to eyeliner. It's important to know what styles of liner will flatter your eye shape the best. I, for one, have never been able to make winged liner work with my eye shape, despite many attempts (sadly). Try out different eyeliner formulas, like liquid, pencil or gel to figure out what you like the best. Always take your sweet time while applying eyeliner, rushing may result in uneven and shaky lines which are hard to fix without messing up the rest of your eye makeup. Lastly, just have fun with it. Makeup is all about creativity and self expression! Hope these tips help you, keep trying and I promise you'll see improvement!!

I think I saw some other people suggest this on here, but you could spend some time trying to make your cubicle less...cubiclely! Decorate it, make it cute and stuff. DIY some simple things that you're able to do at work- fabric covered memo board, origami decorations, inspirational quote printables, etc.

You can also exercise your mind! Try sudoku or crosswords or search the App store or Google Play for some logic puzzles. One of my absolute favorites is Unblock Me! So fun!

Become an expert on something! Research Ancient Egyptian history, the Sonic the Hedgehog gene, or learn all about Theodore Roosevelt!

And you can always go on Pinterest and pin-binge on delicious and cute cupcake recipes to make at home later. ;D

You can also do some discreet exercises in your cubicle. Might as well get paid to work out, haha! One thing that I like to do sometimes that strengthens and stretches out your legs and feet is to trace the alphabet in the air with both feet. Don't like, put your leg up in the air, just while you're sitting in your chair at your desk, just lift up your foot off the ground just enough so you aren't touching it anymore and trace through each letter of the alphabet.

You could also use your spare time to do some creative writing or drawing projects if you're into that sort of thing!

I hope some of these ideas help to break you out of your Cubicle Coma! Thank you so much for this contest!! If I win, I would love this brush! Thanks again! =D

Sounds like the brush isn't blending the powder very well.

I'm fond of the Real Techniques blush brush. It picks up a good amount of products and lays it down evenly. My issue with this guy is that he doesn't blend as well as some others because he's pretty soft so I found myself applying the blush and then reaching for another to finish the job. But if you're light handed to begin with, he's a cool little dude.

Sephora's Full Coverage Airbrush is my favorite right now for blush. I originally got him for blending out my bb cream but I like him a lot better with powder than liquid. It blends powders out so nicely. My only issue is that he's surprisingly small. I wish the handle were longer.

I just got these brandless brushes off Amazon on Saturday. So far the angled kabuki is really nice for blending powders as well. I like it almost as much as the Sephora one to be honest. The only reason why it falls a little behind is I prefer the slimmer shape of Sephora's a bit more.

Another Sephora brush is their Pro Visionary Face Blender. The shape is pretty funky but the curve of it hugs your face. I like this, but I prefer to use it for contour more than blush. I'm just adding it in as an option because the thinness of it lets you get pretty precise placement of the powder which is useful.

My recommendations for a starter kit:

Category | Products
---|---
Foundation | this is very dependent on skin type but there're good options in the drugstore for any, the big brands being L'Oreal and Maybelline; I have dry skin and prefer the True Match Lumi Healthy Luminous from L'Oreal
Concealer | Tarte Shape Tape OR the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer - the Tarte Shape Tape is more expensive but a much better bang for your buck
Bronzer | Physician's Formula Murumuru Butter Bronzer
Blush | Luminoso by Milani OR a Tarte blush
Eye Primer | Milani Eyeshadow Primer
Eyeshadow Palette | Kat Von D Shade + Light Eye (neutrals are best for a starter kit, but you could also get an eyeshadow palette from Juvia's Place or ColourPop)
Gel Eyeliner | Infallible Gel Lacquer Liner
Mascara | L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara or Lash Paradise
Brows | Anastasia Beverly Hills - this brand is the brand for brow products; I prefer their dipbrow but they have powder and pencil products
Highlighter | ColourPop Super Shock Highlighters (Lunch Money, Glazed, Flexitarian, Wisp, Monster are best-sellers); Essence Pure Nude is also a very popular highlighter now
Lipstick | ColourPop Ultra Satins or Lippie Stix
Lip Liner | ColourPop Lip Liners
Beauty Sponge | Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge; two is more than enough
Eye Brushes | I will never not recommended this Lamora brush set. It's what I mostly use on my eyes.
Face Brushes | brand-wise, Real Techniques and EcoTools
Makeup Remover | hands-down, Pond's Cold Cream; for spot cleaning, Garnier SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Water
Brush Cleaner | EcoTools Makeup Brush Cleansing Shampoo


In regards to what you're thinking about buying - do not buy a silicone sponge. Silicone beauty blenders have very poor reviews - search 'silicone sponge review' on YouTube and you'll find a pretty concrete consensus that they're terrible. They do a poor job of actually blending out your foundation and they make your foundation "sit" atop your skin in a pretty unflattering way. Stick with a regular beauty blender, they're fantastic multitaskers (blend foundation, concealer, cream blush, cream bronzer, liquid highlighter, etc).

For makeup bags, does your sister travel a lot? If not, there's really no point in buying her a makeup bag since it's going to sit in her bathroom gathering dust until the off chance that she needs it. A lot of brands provide complimentary makeup bags with your order (Glossier and Milk Makeup come to mind) so there's really no immediate need to get her a makeup bag unless she travels often.

Congrats on getting into makeup! It's going to change your life!

Since you're just starting, I would go and get my brows cleaned up a little so you know what shape you're working with. Read reviews of brow places and such before you go - I personally prefer threading over waxing, and make sure to communicate that you don't want them thin, just cleaned up. I can't tell from the picture, but you may also want to get your lip threaded if it's noticeable. I like to have a clean look in this regard because then the makeup looks even better.

I would also look into a quality moisturizer and facial cleanser if you don't have those already. Also makeup remover and makeup brushes. All that good stuff. I recently bought [this set of brushes] (http://www.amazon.com/Coastal-Scents-Piece-Brush-Set/dp/B005UBN5AQ) from Coastal Scents which are pretty good quality in my opinion.

When I really started getting into makeup techniques I watched a bunch of youtube tutorials. I lurked MUA as well for product recommendations inspiration, but watching videos made it easier for me to get the techniques down. At first it will be a lot of trial and error and figuring out what's "too much," etc, but you'll develop the skills over time with practice and feedback. Don't get discouraged like I used to. It just takes time. Luckily it will take less time with the right resources, which I unfortunately never looked into years ago!

I included a few links to some youtube tutorials below. Not saying you should replicate any of these particular looks exactly, but they will help you get used to what you should be doing. I'm not sure which foundation is best for your complexion, so I can't really give advice on that. I have been using Makeup Forever HD Invisible Cover Foundation for years because it just seems to work for me. I also like the Hello Flawless powder from Benefit. For eyeshadows, brow powder, and liner, I first tried those out with cheaper makeup, from ELF or the drugstore, and then researched and bought the better ones once I got the hang of it and had more of an idea of the right colors for me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvKymDP85JI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SC0NiHiZ3n8

https://www.youtube.com/user/MichellePhan/videos?sort=p&view=0&flow=grid

Hope this helps!

Edit: formatting

yeah like someone else said, i’m not super sure what look you were going for. personally, if ur just starting w makeup i’d just start w a bb cream as foundation (depending on what level of coverage u need), mascara, and a lip colour. unless ur in a transphobic or homophobic area, definitely don’t be afraid to go to a local drug store and ask whoever’s at the makeup counter for help finding a good foundation shade!! they’re usually really friendly. unlike another commenter, i wouldn’t recommend trying contouring. it’s really hard to get right, especially if ur inexperienced. eyebrows can be tricky too bc going too dark can be very masculinizing. in terms of eyeshadow and eyebrows, watching some youtube videos or, if you can afford it, getting just a half hour makeup lesson can be really helpful. you can look up the definitions cuz it’s hard to describe without pictures, but ultimately all you need is a transition shade for your crease, a shade to go on your eyelid, and a darker shade for your outer “crease” if you want to deepen the look. (a n eye primer can be very helpful for blending out your eyeshadow and getting the brightest colour. the last i’ll say is remember that the way ur face looks in the lighting of ur bedroom is not how it’ll look outside in the sunlight. i’d recommend doing ur makeup in the brightest light in ur home. finally, if the time comes that you want a full-ish brush set, i’ve heard this one is really good if ur on a budget. sorry if this is wayyyy too much. makeup can be intimidating at first, but youtube will be ur best friend for the first little bit. the most important thing is to practice. hope this could be of some help :). ultimately makeup is about having fun, feeling confident, and expressing yourself.

This is just what I do so obviously you don't have to listen to any or all of my advice.

If your looking for good brushes but not super expensive then I'd recommend this Real Techniques brush set. It's on sale right now on Amazon or I think Ulta is doing some type of buy 1 get 1 50% off something or other. If you want individual brushes I'd go for Morphe or Coastal Scents. For simple looks I think an all over lid brush, a crease brush, and a blending brush is great to start with. I feel like with those three you can use them for a lot of looks until you're ready to build up your collection.

For shadows you can pick up E.L.F, Coastal Scents, Nyx, and BH Palettes are nice starters. Some shades aren't the greatest quality but if your practicing and don't want to spend a lot then it'll go far. They have palettes for several different styles depending on what color you want to go. Or if you don't want tons of shades and want singles you can try MakeupGeek or Coastal Scents. They sell single pans so you only have what you want in your collection. I'd also pick up a primer if you have the funds. You can get Nyx eyelid primer for about $7.00 and it'll help your shadows stay on your lids without creasing.

For eyeshadow tutorials I feel like picture tutorials are best. Videos for me are awful because I hate pausing to finish my step to get to the next step because they're faster than me. Picture tutorials are great because I can pull it up on my phone in my bathroom zoom in on the step and move onto the next one. Not saying I only use picture tutorials because I watch Youtube videos to learn blending techniques etc. You can always search Pinterest for picture tutorials

Typically what I do for the pics you linked is:

(For this example let's say I'm using Twilight, Prom Night, and Sensuous from [This MakeupGeek swatches]) for hopefully an easy follow through)

1: Prime the lids and let it sit for a moment unless it states otherwise. Some things like glitter glue etc need to be tacky.

2: Take a crease (or similar brush) and take a light color like Twilight and put it in your crease. I'd swipe the brush back and forth on your crease until you've reached the opacity you like. You can always bring it higher than your crease if you like that look as well.

3: Take an all over lid brush (or similar) and put another color such as Prom Night all over the lid but not above the crease. Again put on as much or as little as you want until you've reached the opacity you'd like.

4: I like to go back with a crease brush and apply more Twilight to the crease and blending them together so there's no harsh line.

5: If you want to take the look further you can take the crease brush once more and apply Sensuous to the crease from the outside of your eye towards the inside until about halfway or your desired spot.

6: Blend it out so there are no harsh lines and apply more Twilight to your crease if necessary.

I hope you find what your looking for and hopefully this helped a little bit!

i strongly suggest going over to /r/HoodedEyes. there are some good techniques there, and practice every day an eye look. I HIGHLY recommend watching this Wayne Goss tutorial on hooded eyes: the straight line technique. I think this will be especially beneficial to your eye shape.

I'd also highly recommend that you learn tightlining. That's actually a pretty simple technique to master but will make your eyes pop.

As for colors for your eyeshadow, i think you'll be most happy with a light base plus one or two darker brown colors, just enough to give the illusion of an eye lift, but nothing terribly dark to make you cringe years later after you have mastered the technique. I personally like to use a light beige base color plus another brown that is basically a contour color because that basically contours the eye in a pretty nice shape but is not noticeable.

As for tools, I was really impressed with this set as a beginner's set. The blending brush is definitely nice.

Now, as for the other stuff, your eyebrows are very nice. They're pretty neat as it is, so it's no big deal. You probably don't even need anything done with those.

As for foundation... honestly, go to sephora/nordstrom/ulta as many times as you can and get color matched. Get samples. Test at home, ask for opinions both IRL and on here, if desired. Go again, and try to get different color matchers each time. Also, avoid that stupid Sephora IQ gimmick device. If you have any redness at all, it'll match you to an incredibly dark color.

To help you answer your questions about tone... ask yourself what colors look best on you. It's a bit difficult for me to get a decent idea of your tone with one photo. But wearing different colors and seeing how your skin looks can give you a decent indication. If you have trouble figuring out what tone the clothing is, you can probably google it and see what others say.

But... going off the one photo, you look more warm.

i am not really sure what you mean about the eyelid thing, maybe a picture would help?

i have never used costal scents, but ive seen a few girls here make some nice looks with it. no idea on the quality. i know you said ELF is too expensive, but this palette is only 10 pounds. i have it and i like it. they are pretty good quality for a cheaper eye shadow palette. if you can afford some eye primer, the colors will look even better. i use urban decay primer potion, but that sounds like its a little out of your budget, maybe someone can recommend a cheap one!

i have combination skin (oily and dry! ughhh) and I always use liquid foundation. Powder can make the dry spots look really flaky. Revlon Colorstay is a good drugstore brand, I like it, it has good coverage and staying power, and I hear a lot of people mention it on here.

[edit] i see you are a teen and have youthful skin. if you dont get many breakouts and dont have a lot of unevenness in your skin tone, you could probably get away with a tinted moisterizer or a BB cream instead of a full coverage foundation. i recently got a sample of loreals BB cream and I was a big fan!

i really like ecotools brushes. They are good quality and relatively cheap!

Good luck!

I think the best way to think about your theme is, just the things that make us feel pampered, loved, and beautiful. What gifts can you buy that could put self-love back into someone's life? Maybe it's just giving someone a few things to alleviate stress, like some nice bath products or a subtle candle scent. Or maybe you could just look for items that accentuate femininity and grace, like a embroidered handkerchief! Here is a list of things that will give the ladies in your life some help giving back to themselves:

1. Soap miniatures
   
2. Face masks
   
3. Elf brushes:
   e.l.f. Cosmetics 12 Piece Brush Set https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001HKR6WM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_GqlDwb1AXC858
   
4. Coconut oil samples: Found some at World Market in those wood bins in the food section
   
5. Miniature shampoo/conditioner: found in the travel sections at most any store like Target or Walmart
   
6. Facial exfoliating brush (non-electric) or sponge:
   Konjac Sponge (3 Pack) Activated Bamboo Charcoal. Facial Cleansing & Exfoliating Beauty Sponges https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WFSBHO8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_thlDwbXZ3YMEQ
   
7. razors and a nice shaving cream
   
8. loofa and body wash
   
9. Stud earrings: Authentic Freshwater Cultured Pearl Set of Five White,Grey,Peach,Pink,Peacock Pearl Earrings with Stainless Steel Backs (6-6.5mm) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OZVCRBA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_6xlDwbMKZ8A0K
   
10. Small makeup bags: you can also get these for like 1-3 bucks at the discount bins in Target and Michael's or at paper/pen stores. Set of 4 - ZICOME New Cute Candy Colored Travel Theme Memories Pastorable Style Pencil Case Coin Makeup Bag Purse Case https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0181YIDXC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_sDlDwb6JHV8YT
    
11. Chocolates (because they make us feel good)
    12 discount panties (like 6 for 20.00 or less at target
    
12. Pumice stones, foot file, pedicure set
    
13. Bath bombs, bath salts, bath pearls
    
14. Aloe Vera socks
    
15. Burt's Bees miniature set:
    Burt's Bees Fabulous Mini's Travel Set https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00V0XQAU0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_yXlDwbYEBEK56
    
16. A pack of tea (so good for you) and tea cup!
    
17. Summer's Eve Cleanser or cleansing wipes: Hail to the V y'all, cause this stuff is AMAZING!!!
    
18. Oil blotting paper or face cleansing wipes
    
19. Nail polish remover pads:
    6 LA Colors Nail Polish Remover Pads Aceton Free Fruit Scent 6 Different Ones (Total 199 pADSs https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007TXJKES/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_WdmDwbNM22R2N
    

You need some brushes! Real Techniques is a great brand to start with. They have some nice kits for eyes or face and great single brushes like the expert face brush and blush brush. EcoTools is another inexpensive brand for good quality brushes. Have you tried a lipstick before? Try the brand NYX. I'm around your age and I honestly used to think lipstick was for older ladies (sorry!), but I'm digging it now. Like others have said, primer, concealer, and color tattoos would be good items to add to your collection as well. Update us on what you end up choosing and happy birthday!

Summer Fun

edit: For the prize, if I do happen to win, you can surprise me. =) Thanks for hosting!

Hi, I have pretty similar coloring to you (very fair skin with strawberry blonde hair) to you so here's stuff I like to use:

• Urban Decay Naked Basics palette - I love this palette as the shades look beautiful on anyone. I use the Real Techniques Eye Brush set, I do a layer of Foxy all over my lid first (makes blending super easy), then Faint on my outer socket, then blend it in with Naked 2 over the rest of the lid. I finish it up with Venus under my eyebrow arch. Personally I love the Real Techniques brushes, I think the eye set is great as it makes smokey eye really easy.
  
• For primer I use Benefit Porefessional, however I'm pretty sure this L'Oreal one is a dupe for it and is half the price. However if your skin is oily I'd recommend No7 Beautifully Matte, my mum has super oily skin and this is the only one that works for her, it's almost chalky in consistency and really sticks to the skin. Primer makes the world of difference, I even wear it when I can't be bothered to do actual makeup as it smooths my skin out.
  
• I just bought some L'Oreal BB Powder and am loving it, it works with or without makeup. Everyday I use it over primer and it also makes foundation look natural over the top.
  
• I shape my eyebrows myself (it's turned into an obsession) and when I fill them in I use Benefit Brow Zings in light. It works amazingly well for my hair colour, however yours is a bit darker so you might want to look for a specific redhead brow product. If you are using a powder product I love the brow brush in the above mentioned Real Techniques Eye set.
  
• For blush I use Benetint, if you have reddish hair I think it looks amazing.
  
• Have you ever tried contouring? It's something that has changed my life. I use the contouring brush from the Real techniques core collection with Hoola. A lot of bronzer has shimmer in it which isn't great for contouring. I learn't how to do it via youtube videos, Pixiwoo and Lisa Elridge are the ones I seem to remember being good.
  
• I agree with the other comments about the lower lid liner, I think just the flick on top looks better. I say this as a former kohl addict. But if you want to continue wearing it i'd thicken the line a tiny bit so it's not just on your waterline.
  
• Lips wise there's a Nide range by L'Oreal, the Julianne Moore one is for redheads and is the only nude I've found that works with my hair.
  
  Hope all or some of these are helpful and i'm sure the other addicts here will have some great advice. Also I love your piercings, especially your septum, it's one i've always wanted but i'm not sure that my nose is a good shape for it. Yours looks rad.

So, honestly, I think you should gift /u/meowbabymeow.

I have a few reasons and here I will list them for you. :)

• She's smoking hot. I mean, hello?! Have you seen her?!
  
  
• She and I became friends on here- little did we know, we ended up living just minutes from one another and had never known of each other's existence.
  
  
• When I was in the hospital for 10 days just recently, she surprised me with flowers, a milkshake, and balloons! It was super sweet. Because my sister and I were bored out of our minds, she brought up board games for the three of us to play together. (She may or may not have whooped my butt once or twice- but I'll always claim to be the #1 winner.)
  
  
• She recently saved a lady's life. She stopped and made sure the woman received help before heading to her destination. Then, followed up with the lady and family to be sure that she was alright. In my book, that is pretty damn amazing.
  
  
• She's a 2 time cancer survivor.
  
  
• She's a total badass and I love her. I want her to be happy and have everything she could ever want in life or more. <3 <3 She deserves it.
  
  I would choose that it all goes to her- and with that said, this is what I'd give.

How much time do you have? I bought a ton of nail art supplies off of ebay that shipped from china that cost a couple dollars each. The quality is good but it takes about a month's ship time to get to the states.
Shapes
Tape - best for painting lines
Gold/Silver dots
Brushes for next level designs
Neon shapes
Glitters
Dotting tools
Fimo shapes
That's a lot of suggestions but you can pick and choose based on what she likes. Just searching for "nail art" brings up SO many things!
If you want makeup I highly suggest
Too Faced Neutral Eyes even if she's not great with makeup this is wonderful. It's got colors for day, fancy, and night.
Revlon Just Bitten Balm Stains are great for a girl who doesn't wear lipstick but likes chapstick. Feels like chapstick but gives all day color
Eco Tools Brush Set is great for beginners.
OR ELF brush set which I recommend more than eco tools. (I had to replace my Eco Tools fairly quickly, but you can buy them at the same place you get the Toofaced pallet and Balm stains).
I also really like their Eye Primer in Sheer
I hope these give you some ideas!

Ah love...what a wonderous thing. I have my own little love story....Once upon a time...wait, wrong story. Ok...

5 years Ago I met and fell in "love" with a man who I thought was the best thing since sliced bread...the cats pajamas if you will. About a year into the relationship i moved in and he started treating me like a slave, telling me when I had to go to bed, when I could come and go and then eventually began to hit me. Behind his back I was searching for a roommate so I could go somewhere else, and leave him far behind. I finally found a roommate and moved in soon after, he became my best friend, and showed me how to love again...we've been together for 5 years now and I adore every moment with him :)

Here is what I would love if I win...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00538TSMU/ref=aw_ls__7?colid=1VIZUF29KYEU&coliid=I20GIGS4X5Z9WR

Thanks for the contest :) LOVE YOUS TOOS!!

I'm not quite sure if what you bought from Amazon was real/decent or not, since I don't know the actual products you bought.

What I can say is, when I'm buying products on Amazon, I read the reviews and look at the seller. If many people in the reviews are saying that the product or the seller is shitty, than I will skip it altogether. I usually just buy products that are sold from Amazon.com (not to be confused with 'Fulfilled by Amazon').

Personally, I would suggest these Real Techniques brushes. I know you said you bought an Elf brush set, which is a great starter for you, but these brushes are relatively cheap and will last you a long long time. Many people on here recommend them and I have a bunch of them as well.

I'm not quite sure what your budget is, but I would definitely invest on a decent palette. In my opinion, it's better to go for higher end palettes that will last you a long time and are of better quality. You can find this palette here on Amazon, called the Lorac Pro Palette. Again, from Amazon.com, so no worries there. I bought my Lorac Pro on Amazon and had no issues with the shipping or anything. The eyeshadows are buttery, pigmented and there are many many color combinations with this palette, specifically neutral colors (if that's what you're into.)

Lastly, I would recommend looking into a lot of NYX products. They have a wide variety, which you can look through here. Many of their products are decent for the price and probably one (if not the best) of the best drugstore brands out there.

So basically, I would suggest looking at items that say "Ships from and sold by Amazon.com". In my opinion, that's the best way to know you're getting the real deal. If you want to take the chance, I would look up the sellers and at the reviews to see if what you're getting is good.

Read this pretty long post about DE shaving. The "HERE" link inside that post has good information as well.

Some comments about the products you have chosen:


> So I've been looking into buying a DE starter kit and looked at all the suggestions and I've sorted out this much so far.
Razor: DE86bl
Blades: Sampler
Pre-Shave Soap: Glycerine
Alum: Alum
Styptic: Clubman Pinaud

The Edwin Jagger is a very good razor.

The sampler comes only with 2 blades per brand, which could be enough but in my opinion 5 blades per brand would be better. Blade samplers in amazon are somewhat expensive.

Clearly natural is a pre-shave soap which is not necessary, but some people do find them helpful. You use it to wash your face before you lather your shaving cream/soap. You are missing the shaving cream/soap from your list.

Alum again not necessary, but some users like it.

Styptic pencil, do you bleed a lot? I ask because I hardly ever bleed, my blood coagulates really fast. So I have never seen a use for a styptic pencil.

> So for brushes it sounds like boar or badger, which I believe is preferred, hair is the way to go, but then the recommendation for the $75 level is bamboo and at the $100 one of the 2 recommended is synthetic.

The Ecotools bamboo brush is a women's makeup brush. Using it for shaving seems rather extreme. However I'm not sure how its making process differs from a shaving brush, do they use different glue or what. But I have seen threads posted where people say that the brush has died on them. If you are on a very tight budget and want a very soft brush that you can also find locally, then I think the Ecotools is a good option. That being said you can get Omega boar brush for about $10 from various online stores.

> I was looking through some of the threads and somewhere I found someone recommend this set which seemed nice, has a badger brush a little cup for lathering and a thing to hang the brush on to dry and comes with little starter shaving soap (although I have no idea if the soap is any good). So thoughts on that set and any inputs on brushes would be appreciated.

I don't think that recommendation had many upvotes. The brush is a pure badger brush and it's also prone to excessive shedding. The soap is nothing special. A brush stand isn't necessary. After you are done shaving thoroughly rinse the brush with running water from the tap, shake out the excess water, and use a towel to dry the tips of the brush, leave the brush standing on its base in a open space to air dry. The apothecary mug is not necessary either. It's mainly intended to hold the soap puck. However most shaving soaps will come in their own containers. The mug can also be quite small so when you are loading your brush you end up banging your fingers against the sides. I wouldn't recommend this set.

> And then lastly, how important are aftershaves? Are they just to smell nice or does it help you skin take a breather after threateningly rubbing sharp stuff all over it? My main mental picture of aftershave never having used it before is the scene from Home Alone, so feel free to educate me.

There are many different kinds of aftershave products; alum block, afershave splash, aftershave balm, moisturizing cream, moisturizing oil like jojoba oil, unrefined shea butter, and witch hazel. You pretty much have to try which works for you, but I'd start with a cheap aftershave balm like the Nivea sensitive aftershave balm (if you get satisfactory results with it you don't have to explore the other options unless you want to).

In the Home Alone he used aftershave splash. I'm not really a fan of these, the alcohol can be too drying for your skin and they are often more heavily scented which can irritate your skin. Some users do love them though, but I'd say they are for normal to oily skin. I like to use the other type of products, such as the aftershave balm, it soothes/heals and moisturizes your skin.

I appreciate all women who commit to their shoes. I am the type who will keep their shoes on the entire time their out but will also accept if someone offers me a piggy back ride to the car.

I use mac cork as my eyebrow color and my casual every day crease color all the time. The mac naked essential palette has a color I use too. Pencils look better using the same tip to top method but I just can't make pencil look good on me so I stay with powder then gel.

On the contouring I'm happy to say I've also had that issue and I've figured it out I use a flat top kabuki brush to make very solid thin lines with the side of the brush then use the flat top part to buff it out. I bought these on a whim before christmas and they actually are pretty solid and a good choice. I have to condition them after washing but it worth the extra work for how well they work/the price

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HSE4WJG/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944579862&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B00F008GFQ&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=19WB2Q6684RFVH40BJSK

The brushes that are recommended are so for a reason, the VDH set contains a brush that is supposedly inferior to the ones recommended. Quotes from the two recommendations thread $75 and $100:

> HJM black synthetic brushes from ConnaughtShaving.com. (US residents do not pay VAT.)

>The Whipped Dog silvertip badger with your choice of resin handle (I like the octagonal best). The 22mm size is the best all-round size.



>Brush - $7.50 at Walgreens - The Ecotools Bamboo Finishing Kabuki brush is also available from Amazon.com, currently for $17 for two brushes. I suggest getting one locally in a drugstore. This cosmetics brush makes a truly excellent shaving brush---one that I use regularly. This brush is much better than the wretched Tweezerman and Escoli brushes. OPTION: For $19.64 including shipping the Vie-Long 11737C "Bombitoo" boar brush is an extremely good brush. While soft, it is an efficient lathermaker with excellent capacity. Wet it well before you shower, and it will be ready to go when you're done. Feels more like horsehair than boar.

Personally I'd recommend getting an Omega Boar brush which I find to offer good value for money :). I own two from the professional series and they're really good.
ShoeBox ShaveShop, Maggard razors and West coast shaving.

Everyday Minerals. I swear by them. Been using it for years and my makeup looks so sheer and natural, yet I can cover any flaws I need to. It just melts into my skin. And they have free samples (well you pay shipping, a couple bucks) and can try a bunch of foundation shades before committing to a full size. I don't know what your skintone is, but their concealers are also fantastic if you have the right brush...

Which leads me to coastal scents. If they still have a brush called the 'mini detail' buy that right now. As someone who has dealt with cystic acne and regular acne..its the best thing ever. A teeny tiny brush that will dab on foundation/concealer (liquid, cream, mineral, whatever you end up using) with precision on top of blemishes. Its amazing and works better than anything else. You need to be able to blend and dab product right on that spot without getting it everywhere around it. As for blush and thicker brushes...I still recommend EcoTools. Try to find one of their travel sets with the half size brushes, they have the best blush brushes that work with mineral makeup, blush, bronzer, highlighter...I bought a couple packs and use that mini blush brush for everything. its fluffy and not stiff and seems to pick up the exact right amount of powder on every product.
This is the set I have
http://www.amazon.com/Authentic-Organic-Natural-EcoTools-Starter/dp/B00DFQP06U/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1422389989&sr=8-11&keywords=ecotools+travel+set

And this one also looks good

http://www.amazon.com/ecoTOOLS-Make-Up-Kabuki-Brush-Set/dp/B005TKZS76/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1422389989&sr=8-6&keywords=ecotools+travel+set

This is one of my favorite questions to ask people! My husband and I are big on paying it forward.

Last christmas, the Doc Mcstuffins doll was one of the hot toys. We were lucky enough to get one for our niece, but it turned out that she already had one. People were selling it on eBay and Craigslist for 3 times its worth because it was in such high demand. We decided to list our doll on cl for the price we paid ($50, I believe). The woman who inquired first seemed so happy to find the doll... When she showed up to pick it up, she handed me the cash. I handed it back to her and said, "No charge. Merry Christmas." She shed a few tears and thanked me profusely. It was awesome.

The items I'd most like to have are: Eco Tools 6 Piece Eye Set, Coastal Scents To Go Palette Beijing, or Sleek I Divine Oh So Special palette

Thanks For hosting... Great question! How about you?

Stalk her makeup collection to see what she already has, so you don't buy doubles.

If you want to go for fancy presentation, I think you should get a few types of product, like brushes, some lip things, and some eye things.

Real techniques brushes are great, and you can get them in stores or on Amazon; here's a couple [sets] (http://www.amazon.com/real-Techniques-Core-Collection-Set/dp/B004TSFBNK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1397668617&sr=8-3&keywords=real+techniques+brushes).

The Sleek palettes are well thought of and cheap, and I don't think she'd object to getting this.

Lipstick is based a lot on skin tone, so if you want to get anything like that you should try to figure out what her undertones are. Before you panic, an easy way to guess is if she wears

gold
yellows/oranges
warm, autumnal colors

She's probably got warm undertones. You can also take a peek at her foundation to see if it has anything on there like "warm" or "neutral" or "cool" - then you can maybe take a look at the lipstick labels and compare. If a red says "true red" it's may have some blue undertones.

Ideally, you'll be able to ask a sales rep somewhere, and maybe you can bring pictures taken in natural lighting for them to get a good idea.

If you don't want to do all that, a nice assortment of tinted lipbalms (people here seem to like the baby lips ones, and they're at basically all drugstores/makeup sections in stores that have makeup sections)

And you can't go wrong with a good primer. Go to Sephora or something and pick up one of the travel size Smashbox photo-finish face primers (the travel size is a better deal, ounce per ounce) and add a few things of chocolate for good measure.

You don't absolutely need to have brushes, they just greatly help over your finger. Try either a small set like this Ecotools one, which you can find at most Walgreens/Walmart/Kmart/etc. Alternatively, elf has many $1 and $3 eyeshadow brushes, some of which are excellent.

From elf, I would recommend the eyeshadow, blending, crease, and smudge (smudge brush not sponge!) brushes of their $1 Essential line, and the eyeshadow "C", small angled, contour, angled contour and flawless concealer brushes of their $3 Studio line.

Second, the main thing that you're going to need to do to make eyeshadow (applies to all makeup really) is:

• practice
  
• learn what color schemes you like mixed together
  
• watch youtube videos
  
• browse on here and its imgur site
  
• pay attention to what other people are doing if you like what they've done
  
• find out if you like certain eyeshadows applied wet or dry
  
• invest in a cheap primer that works for you. This will help your eyeshadow adhere to your lid much better.
  
• if you use brushes, make sure they're clean first
  
  Learn how much pressure you need to use to build color: start lightly at first, you can always add more. The "c" shaped eyeshadow brushes are great for patting color on. You want to use the blending/contouring ones in a windshield-wiping motion to blend across things like your crease or blend out a color line, so that it doesn't look harsh.
  
  It will all look very weird and harsh on you at first. That because you're not used to seeing yourself with that appearance. I know it's a lot to start with, but these are things that I wish I had known to ask in retrospect. I hope this helped, rather than overwhelmed you. Good luck and have fun playing around with it!

The first thing I learned about makeup is that you NEED to invest in GOOD brushes. Real Techniques is the way to go 100%.
Eye brush set.
Expert face brush.
The only other brush set I can recommend is Coastal Scents.

I think as far as lipsticks go, pinky MLBB shades are a good place to start. Wet N Wild has very cheap (but pigmented) colors to try and if she doesn't like them, then it's not much money wasted. I'd not want to buy a more expensive brand and her not like it. /: You know what I mean?

The ELF blush/contour kit. I've always heard great reviews of this little kit.

NYX Natural palette is a must imo. Very pigmented and all the nudes you need to pull off any natural eye look. Not to mention, the lightest shades can be used as a highlight and some of the darker shades can be used as a brow filler.

Hope this helps! Good luck to you and invite your friend here. <: SrslyGlammin

EDIT: Also. I great youtube channel for a lot of drugstore reviews (Don't buys and Do buys) is here and here. Same lady. Does awesome and informative reviews!

1. Now this is a goblet worthy of a queen. And honey you should see me in a crown.
   
   
2. Every witch should look her best. These face brooms should help me out!
   
   
3. Sure, the hat completes my look, but this will make sure that the hair underneath is just as fabulous.
   
   
4. Sure, this may not be much of a stretch as far as explanations go, but how much more fitting could you get? (PS - It was even on my wishlist before today!).
   
   
5. I would be HORRIFIED if my chest were to look like just any one I could have snagged at Amazon-Alley. This will ensure that I can customize it to be completely unique!
   
   Bonus: This is one classy cape. I have to look my best when I'm off campus!

This is so lame, but the Gallagher Series by Nora Roberts. They are quick, easy, fun, and sexy/romantic. Romance novels are my guilty pleasure, and she is a master! I think I have to check out some Neil Gaiman though, so I don't feel too bad about my guilty pleasure. Thanks for hosting!

I would love these! http://www.amazon.com/Beauty-Flawless-Blender-Foundation-Sponges/dp/B00BQ76XK2/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=2T11EQPO1RDV4&coliid=ICM0VJJDKE5ND

You definitely don't have to go for a full face everyday. As stated below, most people here love makeup, so they tend to go all out for their FOTD. I, on the other hand, never wear any foundation/blush/bronzer/etc and only stick with concealer, eye makeup, and the occasional lip.

I find brushes make a huge difference for me in terms of makeup application, Real Techniques is a great affordable brand that you can easily find on Amazon. Their [core set] (http://www.amazon.com/real-Techniques-Core-Collection-Set/dp/B004TSFBNK/ref=sr_1_1?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1416153636&sr=1-1&keywords=real+techniques+brushes&pebp=1416153637537) has some good face brushes, and then the [Starter set] (http://www.amazon.com/Real-Techniques-RLT-1406-real-Starter/dp/B004TSFE28/ref=sr_1_2?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1416153636&sr=1-2&keywords=real+techniques+brushes) has a good variety of eye brushes.

For lips, Nyx is great, as are products from Revlon (particularly their lip butters and super lustrous lipsticks). I haven't found a good drug store product that doesn't need to be touched up every 3 or 4 hours though. I personally rarely wear lipliner unless its with a bright shade or a liquid lipstick, so I think if you're starting out with easy to use colors you can probably skip it for now. I haven't found a great drug store lip liner, but my holy grail is the [Sephora Brand clear liner] (http://www.sephora.com/universal-lip-liner-P379324) which is only $10.

For mascara, it is definitely up to personal preference, but some of the most popular drug store items are probably [Maybelline's the Rocket] (http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=xlsImpprod4950087) or [Cover Girl's Clump Crusher] (http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=xlsImpprod4690213).

As far as eyeliner, it depends on what kind of formula you want. The only drug store eyeliner I really use is [Revlon's ColorStay] (http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=VP10744) which is a basic twist up pencil liner.

As someone else mentioned, we can't really suggest any color products without seeing a picture or at least knowing you skin tone.

Thanks for the response! For brushes do you think just ordering something like this or this would be good? I have no idea what half of them are for but ~$1 per brush (+case on the one) seems like a pretty good deal. Like it looks like the case one has one of those little angle brushes which I think I've seen used with eyeliner goop stuff I think but the other doesn't. And for eye shadow do you think just getting a giant thing like this would be smart? It seems cheap and there are so many colors so I'd have no problem figuring out which ones I like hahaha.

I bought the Coastal Scents 22 piece set from Amazon a while back and I really like it, great variety. I've never used high end brushes like Sigma so I can't compare but I haven't had a major problem with shedding or anything like that. Real Techniques is great too and they're on sale on Amazon right now. I also really like Sephora's Daily Brush Cleaner Spray, super convenient!

Woohoo, congrats on the BIG MONEY! :)

I've had Velvet Teddy on my Wishlist for such a longgg time, it looks so pretty when I see it posted in FOTD's!

And a look posted by CosmicOlive not too long ago made me lust after the NYX Adorable Palette as well :)

I would also like to try this Ardell Brush Duo, as I recently bought some Dipbrow and am having some serious struggles with my current tools.

Thank you so much for hosting, and awesome job on the record shattering work! :)

Cheer up buttercup!

I know it's not ideal, and I hope you are feeling better, but at least it's still exciting news!!

Here are a few things I thought you would like:

Mom/Dad/Baby picture frame

New Mom mixology book

the BEST beauty makeup blender

Yoga workout cards

That is AWESOME! Great job! :)

If I were to win I would love this amazing Sigma brush! :)

edit - BIG MONEY!

My random user is /u/sweetbeauty

I had TONS of things in common with my match. She likes lisa frank and I like lisa frank. She likes adorable necklaces and so do it! She likes kinder hippos and I love those damn things!! They are on one of my wishlists. She wants this and I bought that exact same set on 01/30 of this year. She likes Rachael Ray and that is my favorite cookware set. I have her plates in green! She likes colorful knives, guess who bought that set back in March? She has contacts and I have contacts! I just added that to my wish list too. She likes makeup and I love makeup. Those brushes are amazing, btw. She also had quite a few makeup items that I liked, but I wasn't about to link all those. Ditto with books!! My random person is pretty awesome.

Also, welcome!!

RAOAs before foes

Kat Von D Lock It Tattoo Foundation - Simply amazing.
Equate Cleansing Towlettes (Thick and bigger than hand size makeup wipes) - Great for only $4 at Walmart.
Covergirl Clump Crusher - Cannot live without it.
MAC Coral Bliss - I LOVE CORAL LIPSTICK!
OCC Lip Tar in Stalker- Amazing, I need more of these.

Wishlist Item

I got 5 on it

I just bought this set from amazon, and I really like them. I don't own very many high-end brushes, so maybe I don't know what I'm missing, but this set has good variety and they're soft and easy to clean. Also, they cost quite a bit less than your budget and are eligible for super-saver shipping!

I also like the eco tools brushes from the drugstore; they're so soft and nice, and don't cost an arm and a leg :)

Thanks! I'm a big fan of the well-reviewed Amazon sets like this one. I like Coastal Scents' synthetic brushes. Real Techniques' whole line is fantastic. Sephora Collection does a really good job. On the cheaper side, I haven't had any problems with my ecoTools brushes after over a year. Also, around Christmas walgreens always releases a brush set from their Studio 35 beauty line. It's a six piece set, five brushes and a pouch. It's usually pink or orange, and those bristles are HEAVENLY SOFT. They're made of baby angel hair or something, and the set is like $10-$15.

Sorry for the delay in replying! So I got the brushes from this link: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I3VHKVK/ and this link: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01EWBYUDU/ for a great variety of basic eye and face brushes. Paid about 16 bucks total, and that should still be the price! The bristles on the first set are so dense that I needed a separate dusting brush for brushing off loose powder/finishing my foundation beat, and luckily i already had one. If you don't, this one looks excellent: https://smile.amazon.com/EcoTools-Sustainable-Materials-Synthetic-Packaging/dp/B001KYVLSU/

As far as wigs are concerned, I look at wigs marketed to both white women and women of color, since they both have different, excellent attributes. If you want something silky and smooth that you can style yoursef, do a search for K'ryssma wigs and pay attention to the reviews! I got this one: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XJ3BGJC/, and it was gorgeous. Needed some work on the hairline (I plucked out some of the hair from the lace so the hairline looked more natural). K'ryssma wigs are machine made and come in a wide range of styles. The one I got had a LOT of hair, which was great! I was looking for a base wig to stack on and style myself, so the straight/slightly wavy style was perfect for me.

Many of the wigs for black women's hair have phenomenal texture (like straightened kinky hair) which gives them great body and fullness. Not as much movement, but not everyone needs that! The one I got for myself was the NEESHA wig (tons of YouTube reviews! this one is very popular) at this link:https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01B3GZTBO/. Haven't tried to stye it yet, and the lace is quite stiff/hard but this wig has a TON of hair.

BEFORE YOU BUY A WIG decide if you are going to try to style it yourself or if you need one that's mostly good right out of the box. That way you can avoid ending up with a wig you can't use without buying a ton of other styling products. Check out onlinekyne on YouTube--he has a ton of styling and baby queen tutorials, and isn't so experienced that his stuff is intimidating to watch. I also watch Mr. Villberg's wig transformation tutorials for ideas.

That's all I have time for now, but I will try to get back to you later today with more info! Best of luck, and let me know if you have any other questions!

This is the brush I use. However, I may be in the minority in what I like in an eyebrow brush. The bristles are not very stiff, but I love this as it's very easy to get short, feathery, natural strokes! If I'm going for a bolder brow, I use a small Sonia Kashuk angled liner brush from the anniversary set that was out over the summer - it looks pretty similar to a SK brush someone posted earlier!

I have a few colors in mind for this fall, but the one I'm most excited about is Limecrime Salem. I know they're controversial, but this color was calling to me, so I ordered it from Urban Outfitters. Here's a swatch on my lips (if that's ok).

I'm going to tag /u/Elle_Woods to do this giveaway!

If I won, I'd want this Sigma brush or this Anastasia Beauty Genius.

Thanks for the giveaway :)

thank you so much for the reply! I think my blending is ok? I feel like I see other people blend on youtube and it looks smoother than my blending. I have to spend a long time on blending. It's good to hear a brush can help with that! I will look at that brush incase I ever catch the chance to buy it. I'll go look into the IT cosmetic brush line now :)!

edit: Are they these?: https://www.amazon.com/Makeup-Eye-Brush-Set-Eyeshadow/dp/B00MNMQKPC?th=1#customerReviews
They have amazing reviews!! I think I might have to get them if they have such a great quality for that price.

I think Ebony should work fine! I use the Ardell Duo Brow Brush to apply.

The steps are pretty easy but it takes practise to get the shape you like!

I spoolie my brows first to get them to go in one direction, then I draw the outline (shape) of the brow that I want.

I'll fill in from the back of the brow inwards so the inner of my brow won't be as harsh as the outer :-) Something like this! Haha I'm still far from an expert for my brows - but currently I like how it looks.

• My defining moment of my life was definitely when I moved from Korea to America. It completely changed my life. I was 11 years old when I moved and spoke very little english. Being in America made me more confident, gave me more opportunities (i play the cello, work with rare moths and butterflies, etc). Although I have gone through hard times because of this huge shift in my life, I am thankful my family decided to move.
  
• I want this soo much. There's no way my parents will buy me this any time soon :(. If it's too pricey, this is wonderful too :)
  
• I_Define_Me
  Thank you for hosting this contest!

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.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00I3VHKVK/ref=mp_s_a_1_sc_1?qid=1450500276&sr=8-1-spell&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70&keywords=bbsmall


Go for it! What's to lose?! It's life changing lol. The link I sent you is AMAZING. I've never tried "high end" brushes but bought these and they are honestly amazing. They're so soft & are definitely well made!

hopscotch! Well, my boyfriend likes to make funny faces. so here are two pics of us being silly together. I'd really like these brushes. I don't have good quality brushes at all, and since I just got some nice new eyeshadow it would be great to have nice brushes to use on it. :)

Wow! This is amazing of you, thanks!!

If I were to somehow win, I'd love this Too Faced milk chocolate bronzer and these brushes

I'm probably going to continue to job hunt this weekend. Maybe go see a movie and have dinner with my fiancé. I'm working on a couple art projects also!


1.21 Gigawatts

Happy birthday to you!!! I hope you have a good day!

If it was my birthday, I would love to have more brushes, like this set of RT Starter Set because at the moment I have about three brushes for eyeshadow, and I want to practice doing my eyeshadow with different brushes! And this NYX eyebrow cake powder so that I can practice doing my black eyebrows! I bought an ELF brow kit in medium which is definitely not my color, because I have black hair :( It's my party!

I made a shopping list. Pick one substitute instead of a splurge and you come in under $250. The splurges I picked are well worth the cost, though. Note also that the chocolate bar palette is the only one I listed because it's pretty much the be-all-end-all of palettes for its simultaneous pops of flattering colors and neutrality. I also believe everyone should have a gorgeous red lippie. Enjoy!

Brushes:

• Real Techniques Starter Set - $13.49 on Amazon, normally $17.99
  
• Real Techniques Core Collection - $13.49 on Amazon, normally $17.99
  
  Foundations:
  
  
• Maybelline New York Baby Skin Primer, $5.99 on Amazon
  
• Pond's Luminous Finish BB Cream, $8.95 on Amazon, normally $10.00
  
• Splurge item: Too Faced Cocoa Powder Foundation, $34 at toofaced.com
  
• Strong Substitute: ULTA Mineral Powder Foundation, $14 at ULTA
  
  Face & Contouring:
  
  
• ULTA Baked Bronzer, $10 at ULTA
  
• theBalm Bahama Mama $14 at Amazon
  
• Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush Pink Plum, $5.59 at Amazon
  
• If you don't like cream blush, NYX Powder Blush in Desert Rose, $6 on Amazon
  
• e.l.f. Shimmering Facial Whip LILAC PETAL, $5-6 on Amazon, but I think it's like $3 at Target
  
  Eyes:
  
  
• Splurge item: Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette, $49 at toofaced.com
  
• Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion, $12 sample size at urbandecay.com (the sample size has lasted me forever)
  
• Splurge item: Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara, $23 at toofaced.com
  
• Substitute: Rimmel Scandal Eyes Mascara, $6.99 on Amazon
  
• NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil set with Black Bean,Milk, and Yogurt, $13 on Amazon
  
• Splurge item: stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner, $20 on Amazon
  
• Substitute: NYX Felt Tip Liner, $8 on Amazon
  
• NYX Eyebrow Cake Powder, $6 on Amazon
  
  Lippies:
  
  
• Splurge: MAC Russian Red, $16 at MACcosmetics.com
  
• Substitute: Revlon Really Red - I couldn't find this on Amazon reliably, but check drug stores.
  
• Basically any NYX lippie is great to start out and they range from about $4-8. Find one in your fave color at target or ULTA.
  
  
  Edit: Forgot eyebrows. Darn. Still can come under $250 with the right substitutions.

I like Real Techniques for their face brushes, but I think their eye brushes are a bit wonky-shaped. If you use Amazon, Lamora is super cheap and high quality. I love their eye brushes. I have both the 7 brush kit and the smokey eye kit. I've had them for over a year and they've survived washing once a week without shedding and they're just as soft as when I got them.

I have extremely oily skin. The best thing you can do is incorporate salicylic acid (referred to as bha). People on this sub love stridex because it's effective and cheap. Salicylic acid is important for oily skin because it's the only acid that goes inside the pore and cleans oil.

I actually don't think Proactiv is that bad. The best thing you can do for your skin is understand ingredients & what they do for you, then analyze your products based on that. I think a good routine could consist of: PM: Cleanse face, use stridex AM: (rinse face, optional), use a spf/moisturizer. My favorite moisturizers/spf are Blue Lizard, Olay spf 30, and Kao Biore Sunscreen. The last Biore sunscreen isn't moisturizing, really it's more mattifying.

Unfortunately there is no topical skin treatment that reduces how much oil you produce. Accutane will lessen it, but that's a serious drug. You'll see people here claim niacinamide reduces oil production, but there is no evidence for that. Speaking as someone that genetically has oily skin, the best thing I've done is use stridex, moisturize in the morning, and blot my makeup during the day with this If your a guy just using a napkin to blot would be fine.

If your oiliness has increased since starting Proactive, you may be able to help it by moisturizing more. Excessively drying out your skin can damage the moisture barrier & trigger more oil production. If it's genetic then you really have to just cope with it & rely on a good routine.

THESE! By Ecotools! It is the perfect eye set. The Crease brush works as a totally decent blending brush, which is a super big must-have.

They also sell this little set that I also own and adore. I mostly only use the buffing brush from bronzer and the powder brush for blush! Liquid foundation can be applied pretty well with just fingertips, unless you're like me and you've got calluses. Icky pooey.

Congrats on being awesome :) Looking at your pic... I really think the lipstick from the MAC Heirloom Mix Holiday Colour Collection in Rebel and Tribalist would look fantastic on you!!

As for me I've had my eyes on this brush set :)

The mini kabuki set is indeed special--it's "limited edition" but has been sold for forever so idk what's up with the LE designation. Anyway. Can't get it in stores, at least in my experience, amazon has it for 10 USD

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005TKZS76?pc_redir=1414271858&robot_redir=1

Even the designs are supposedly special.

The handles are aluminum and have a certain weight to them, which takes away the "cheap" feeling, and all brushes are sufficiently dense and fluffy (especially the concealer brush, which is the magic finger I referred to). If you choose to get them, I hope you'll like them :)

What razor blades are you using? Different people have different skin and hair types, and find that different blades work for them. If you're cutting up your face like that, maybe try a different brand of blade. I'd suggest getting a sampler pack so that you can try a bunch and figure out which ones work the best for your skin.

For example: http://www.amazon.com/FEATHER-Oclock-BLUEBIRD-Blade-Sampler/dp/B007OL72B8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422349875&sr=8-1&keywords=safety+razor+sample+pack

It took me a bit of practice and a bunch of razors to get it right, since some tugged on my skin and others were too sharp (hello nick city). My favorite is Blue Bird, they work perfectly for me. Skin prep is really important too! I use Arko shave sticks and an Ecotools brush. The shave sticks lather nicely and last forever (one stick lasted me about 4 months of shaving my legs).

http://www.amazon.com/Arko-Shaving-Stick-White-Count/dp/B000VAWZ2U/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1422349852&sr=8-2&keywords=arko+shave+stick

http://www.amazon.com/Ecotools-Bamboo-Finishing-Kabuki-Pounds/dp/B004W17O7A/ref=sr_1_21?ie=UTF8&qid=1422349923&sr=8-21&keywords=ecotools+brush

Here's a couple good options for palettes: http://www.amazon.com/theBalm-Balm-Jovi-Rockstar-Palette/dp/B0096OBH4Y/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1416330457&sr=8-3&keywords=makeup+rockstar

http://www.amazon.com/theBalm-NUDE-tude-Eyeshadow-Palette/dp/B00OSNMWJW/ref=pd_sbs_bt_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0N2YFE65FM6P51GASP2F

and brushes- the ELF aren't so bad, some are better than others, but I really like ecotools. Real Techniques are also good but will cost you a little more.

http://www.amazon.com/EcoTools-Piece-Essential-Eye-Brush/dp/B0030HMQTS/ref=sr_1_1?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1416330506&sr=1-1&keywords=ecotools

http://www.amazon.com/Real-Techniques-RLT-1406-real-Starter/dp/B004TSFE28/ref=sr_1_22?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1416330506&sr=1-22&keywords=ecotools

I have the rockstar palette and love it.

I recently got brushes these off amazon after reading tons of reviews and they’re great it’s a smaller set but you do have some essential eye brushes in there, they blend shadows like a dream also great price point. However if you’re looking for a bigger set BH is good for that

I know you said cost isn't a factor, so it might seem silly to link a $12 set of brushes, but I ordered these a few weeks ago because if they ended up sucking I was only out a whole $12 and I actually really love them. They're really soft, they wash well, and overall I've just been really pleased with them. Well, the face brushes more so than the eye brushes. The face brushes were why I ordered this set and I only use 1 or 2 of the eye brushes. The eye brushes aren't bad, I just have plenty of other eye brushes.

http://www.amazon.com/BS-MALL-Synthetic-Cosmetics-Foundation-Blending/dp/B00I3VHKVK

1. I own these make up brushes and by golly, I adore them. Up until I got those, I was basically using my fingers for everything...and when I put on my foundation for the very first time using the foundation brush I just about fainted from how good it looked.
   
2. Infinitly Improbable Pink is GORGEOUS ! And looks neutral enough that I can sneak it on my fingers for work, mwahahaha.
   
3. My goal would probably to take a womans self defense class. I have a tiny 1 session one on Sunday, but I feel like I wanna know/learn more. Hopefully sign up for a multi session one afterwards.
   
4. poppin bottles
   
   Thanks for the contest c:

To be honest, the indian version of the DE razor - the sasta waala 100 rupee ones are quite .. harsh - they present a LOT MORE of the double-edge blade, and when using it for shaving, you will find it to be very .. aggressive. It may even scare you away from your first steps into a new style of shaving.

Before moving on, I would definitely recommend learning how to shave properly with your cartridge razor - there are certain techniques that carry over to the DE/SE razor shaving that you would be wise to learn as soon as possible. The problem with cartridge razor shaving is that it encourages one to use pressure to knock off the facial hair - and pressure is the biggest culprit to poor shaving experience. I am trying to catch hold of one youtube video where it was neatly outlined - once I find that video, I will definitely link it here.

I should warn you - the initial investment of getting in DE razor based shaving is a little expensive. About 35USD for a good quality DE razor, a blade sampler pack (typically packs about 50 to 100 blades of various brands) for about 20 USD, a decent shaving brush for about 20 USD (I personally use this Ecotools Bamboo Finishing Kabuki brush - and it's served me well for more than two years now).

Shaving creams, you get good stuff in India itself - I currently use Palmolive (kyunki, Palmolive ka jawaaab hee nahi - remember that Kapil Dev ad :D)

After shave lotion - I have sensitive skin, so I use Nivea's shave balm, L'oreal's shave balm, and one more - whose name I forget at the moment.

Why a blade sampler pack that contains 50-100 blades, you might ask - well, there are different types of blades, each with a different cut (the machining process). Some are mild, some are fucking aggressive. Different people's skin are different, and react differently to different blades. You may want to figure out which blade works best for you. I didn't go through this process - I directly picked up this Derby Extra Double Edge Razor Blades (100 Blades) - in September 2012 - and I split it 50-50 with a friend. The pack comes in 20 packs of 5 blades each, and until now, I have used about 4 packs (I think). The way it's going, I think I may have to buy a new set of blades only in 2016. Trust me - the long term savings really pay off once you get over the initial -- and seemingly daunting -- investment.

Do you know anybody coming down from the US any time in the near future? If so, I suggest you get them to pick up the items for you, and until then, learn the technique of proper shaving with the cartridge razor.

Face Kit: http://www.amazon.com/real-Techniques-Core-Collection-Set/dp/B004TSFBNK/ref=pd_cart_rp_1_p?ie=UTF8&refRID=0SMWEKQY24VEQNQYR303

Eye Kit: http://www.amazon.com/Real-Techniques-RLT-1406-real-Starter/dp/B004TSFE28/ref=pd_cart_rp_2_p?ie=UTF8&refRID=0SMWEKQY24VEQNQYR303

Pretty good price, too! Definitely cheaper than Ulta. I've been using them almost every day since I got them about a week ago and I love them; they feel so nice, and my makeup looks SO much better. I've been using the bareMinerals brushes I got with my startup kit and I don't think my mineral powder foundation EVER looked this good.