Photo by MR+G

Reach for those thinking caps, ladies, because Alice needs our help!

Hi Karen,

At home I apply MAC Blot [MAC Blot Pressed Powder] with the 188 Small Duo Fibre Brush, but I was wondering if there’s a way to bring the brush along without having to buy a brush roll. Is it okay to use the powder puff that comes with the compact? I’ve heard that’s very unsanitary.

Thank you!

Hi Alice,

To borrow a line from Mariah (love ya, Mimi!), I can’t live, if living is without my MAC Blot Pressed Powder.

My compact is like a Hollywood starlet’s dog — It goes everywhere with me.

When I head out of the house, though, I’ll use it with a retractable drugstore brush like the EcoTools Recycled Retractable Kabuki Brush ($10).

It’s light, portable and delivers a natural veil of powder on the skin (perfect for touch-ups).

And it’s way cheaper than a $45 MAC Brush Roll, which means not having to stress as much about potentially losing it.

And I think powder puffs are fine if you’re conscientious about regularly cleaning them. I’ll thoroughly hand wash mine every few days with shampoo to remove any built up oil or powder, and then I’ll let it air dry on a clean surface.

Keep in mind that applying powder with a puff can result in heavier coverage, so be mindful of that when you’re doing touch-ups between classes.

Ladies, what do you use to apply powder when you’re out and about?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. I can’t believe it, but I spaced out and forgot about last night’s premier of America’s Best Dance Crew Season 4!

Continue Reading…

I’ll tell you what bothers me: mascaras that won’t hold a curl. That, and ones that smudge. Grrr…

I know it’s a crowd pleaser, but Maybelline Great Lash smudges on me like crazy, unlike my current favorite, Urban Decay Skyscraper Multi-Benefit Mascara, $22.

How to apply mascara

1. Start by curling your lashes with your trusty eyelash curler. NOTE: If you curl your lashes after you’ve already applied your mascara, you run the risk of ripping some of them out! I’m guilty of having done it before… but it’s a big no-no that probably isn’t worth the risk.
2. With your mascara wand in hand, remove any excess product from the wand by brushing it lightly against a clean tissue.
3. Now, apply your first one or two coats.
4. For better definition and more length, use a lash comb, getting in there *before your mascara dries*.
5. For super-deluxe-crazy-dramatic length, apply one or two additional coats of mascara, but only to the tips of your lashes. Then, reach for your eyelash comb again, and run it through once more.
6. Clean up any mess with Q-Tips or a tissue.

What's your biggest mascara gripe?

• Clumps
• Inability to hold a curl
• Flaking/smudging
• Insufficient length/thickness
• Other (I'll tell you in the comments)

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Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. For more fun with lashes, check out 11 Luscious Lash Tips.

When I’m not pressed for time, I’ll wipe down the brush heads with a Wet Ones Wipe after each use.

Then, about every other weekend, I’ll clean them more thoroughly with shampoo (I’ve gotten good results with Aussie’s Opposites Attract Protect + Soften; it breaks up dried and caked product fast).

I haven’t cleaned my brushes with shampoo in a couple weeks, though, relying instead on those quickie cleanups with Wet Ones Wipes, but my brush heads are getting pretty gunky (gross!)…

How often do you clean your makeup brushes?

• After each use
• Every so often
• Never
• Other -- I'll tell you in the comments!

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Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

No matter how hard I try, I’m awful when it comes to controlling how much product I use with my loose powder jars.

It’s not like I’m devoid of muscle control, or like I’m shakin’ the jars like a Polaroid picture.

I don’t know, but every time I gently shake a jar to load the sifter tray, mayhem ensues; powder gets everywhere, and I’m sent down the same product-wastin’ path…

The wastefulness starts with the excess of powder in the tray. It’s why my brush gets overloaded with powder, which I end up blowing off or tapping away when I go to dilute the brush before application.

A lot product gets wasted in the process, and that makes me kind of cranky.

Makeup McGyver!

I finally found a way to doctor those jars of loose powder to cut back on waste.

It’s a cheap and easy trick that takes less than three minutes to do, and it makes it easier to control the amount of powder that feeds through those built-in sifters, consequently reducing the amount of product that gets lost to the wind.

What you’ll need

• A jar of loose powder (the kind that comes with a sifter)
• Scotch Tape
• Q-Tips

Step by step, oh baby…

First, create a clean surface for the tape by removing the powder from the holes in the sifter area with a Q-tip.

Next, grab a small piece of tape from the dispenser; place it on top of a few of the holes in the sifter.

Continue Reading…

Whether to use a brush or a puff to apply powder depends on the kind of coverage you’d like (click here to see the video).

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen