DIY Brush Cleaner Spray

Clean brushes are essential to getting the makeup look and colour pay off you want but cleaning your brushes is no fun. Even more importantly, dirty brushes lead to break outs and blackheads so deep cleaning your brushes is necessary. Sometimes, a quicker solution is necessary - Enter brush cleaner spray. It's a quickie way of cleaning your brushes. Just spray, wipe & dry.

 I did some research and some experimenting and what I've listed below is the best DIY brush cleaner solution that I've found. It didn't irritate my skin or leave behind residue on my brush or leave a film in the product I was using. 

You will need:

1 Cup of filtered room temperature water
1/4 Cup Isopropyl Alcohol (The kind you use to clean piercings. Remember you are trying to kill bacteria here)
1Teaspoon Hand Soap/Liquid Soap (try to use something unscented and clear it will have less irritants)
1 Teaspoon Baby Shampoo I recommend using baby shampoo if possible.
1 Tablespoon Conditioner
1 Empty Clean Spray Bottle 

Method

1. Pour all the ingredients into a glass or ceramic bowl making sure to pour in the alcohol last
2. Mix together making sure everything is now liquid. The conditioner may be lumpy so make sure to whisk to get it out
3. Pour into the empty spray bottle and shake up really hard.
4. Do a test spray onto your wrist. If no lumps come out then your good to go. If lumps come out then stick into the microwave and nuke for 15 seconds and shake again. You should be fine then

Use

1. Spray the solution onto a paper towel or a clean dry wash cloth 
2. Rub the brush back and forth until all the colour disappears.
3. Wipe the brush firmly with a dry cloth and voila you have a clean brush again!

Shelf life

This can last for up to three months. After this, I would recommend you rinse out the spray bottle and the nozzle with warm water and make a fresh batch.

If you prefer the factory-made kind, MAC and Cinema Secrets and said to be the best in the business right now. You can pick up a bottle here.

Will you be trying this? Let me know how it works out for you.

Till later,

*Jane

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Review: Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream

BB creams - supposedly the perfect compromise between skin care and makeup, there has been a big buzz about them this summer. They promise fresh faced makeup that provides moisture and sun protection while visibly blurring imperfections.   

Now, I am very skeptical about anything that promises to be a multi-tasker, and even more skeptical about any product that promises not to be cakey in this Caribbean heat BUT after seeing all the raves in the Youtube community I decided to do some of my own research. A few of the complaints were that the cream didn't provide full coverage and that they didn't have lasting power and I must admit that this seems to be true - at least for the more affordable ones. So if you are looking for something that works as well as your foundation, a BB cream is not your answer. That said if you want something that feels like you're wearing nothing but still evens out your skin tone and moisturizes, then a BB cream should be in your collection. 

Let's get into the review shall we?

Packaging:

 

 The packaging borders on very simple. It comes in a flatter squeeze tube that's more ergonomic to getting all the product out. It's 1.0 Fl oz which is plenty for at least six weeks worth. The packaging is pretty sturdy, I've hunked it around in my bag, left it my car and dropped it dozens of time and it hasn't exploded on me or curdled up on the inside. In Jamaican heat I consider that to be an excellent feat. It's not super pretty but the light coloured packaging makes it easy to spot in your makeup bag. I got it in 'Deep'.

Pricing:
I picked this up for around $800 at Discount Pharmacy in Manor Park but I have also seen this for as high as $1300. As a replacement for a foundation though I would consider this pretty affordable. Thanks to the bff for spotting this and letting me know.

Application:
Again, this is not full coverage, the package even describes it as a 'sheer tint'. When applying you need to shake the product up (with the lid on) really well and then squeeze a pearl sized amount onto clean fingers and apply as you would your moisturizer. Be sure to blend with your fingers along your hairline and jaw line because once it sets it stays pretty well put. The product is the perfect middle line between runny and goopy and blends pretty much like a dream (ha-ha dream fresh!) . Though it is sheer it is pretty buildable too so that if you want more coverage in one area you can always reapply another layer without worrying that it looks too cake-y.

Durability:
This can last all day for sure if you spend most of your time indoors. If you are out in the sun I would say max 6 hours before it starts to fade. If you want it to last longer use gel moisturizer instead of cream or skip it completely. It can get a little glow-y throughout the day but I don't mind a glow-y look. If you're on the oilier side or if you like the matte look then dusting some powder over it will solve the problem. I've noticed that if I use my MAC MSF natural over this I can make this last for almost ten hours.

Results
This thankfully did not break me out and I really liked that I didn't have to do that extra step of applying sunscreen. It evened out my complexion pretty well and the colour wasn't too red or orange. It doesn't have any distinct smell that pissed me off throughout the day and it literally felt like I wasn't wearing anything on my face. All in all, I loved it and I will be repurchasing this as soon as it runs out. 

Have you tried this yet? What did you think of it?

Comments give me a happy!

Till later,
**Jane

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Orange You Lovely - Spring/Summer Makeup Trend

A trend I am loving for this Spring/Summer is orange. A long time fan of the amazing wonders of orange blush I was glad to see everyone grabbing at it. I have said this more than once and I will say it again - any blush with an orange base is a black woman's best friend. Please add this to your collection, you will not be sorry.

Alright, that said if you're new to the trend it can be intimidating. It's best to apply with a light hand and focus on one area of your face before you go 'pro'. 

Lips

Orange lips are really hot right now and luckily, you can pick up a tube of lipstick for as little as $300 to test out the trend. For a subtle look, dot on the colour and smooth out with your fingers. A sheer golden or nude gloss will also make it a little more wearable. 

If you live life on the bolder side, apply the colour with a lip brush over nude lipliner and wear out with a dark cat eye and bold brows.

Try m'orange from MAC or Haute topic from Sacha Cosmetics.

Blush

I am trying my hardest not to ramble on and on about this but it is HARD. Orange blush does double duty, it gives you that glow from within as well as the effect of a contour or bronzer. Applied with a light hand it has the effect of candlelit glow and it's colour on dark skin when subtle is not as noticeable as pink based blushes. The golden element in the blush will also give a nice glow without looking greasy.

If you want a bolder look go easy on the eyes and the lips and let the blush take centre stage. You will look rosy and fresh-faced. If you end up going too heavy then you can always pare it down by adding gold highlighter.

Try Golden Sunset from Arista or Nars Taj Mahal.

Eyeshadow

Now this is where it can get tricky. Go for an eyeshadow that has more of a gold base or a coppery base. It will look less harsh especially when blended out with a matte brown shadow. And, if you want a bolder look, wet your brush and pat it on then blend out around the edges with a golden colour.

Try NYX I dream of St Lucia  or MAC Rule

I'm pretty excited to see this trend out and about. Will you be giving it a try? Leave a comment and let me know.

Till later,

**Jane

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High End vs Low End : Concealers - Mac vs Black Opal

Concealers can be a girl's best friend. It can make us look awake, healthy and glowing while being invisible or as discreet as possible. Finding the right concealer can be a nightmarish experiment that may result with people walking up to you to brush 'something off your face' or inquiring when you start 'bleach'. 

I have found two concealers that supply shades that suit myself and most of the women I know - MAC and Black Opal. I thought it would be useful to do a side-by-side comparison of the two so you can make an educated choice the next time you're in the market for a concealer.

Packaging

Mac                                                                              Black Opal

                   

source                                                                      source

The MAC concealer comes in a round pot and black casing. You will need to use a brush or your fingers to apply this. I use a flat concealer brush to apply this and blend it in and I enjoy the finish that this provides. I don't like using my fingers for cream products because the oils from your finger can mess with the consistency of the product and turn it wonky. No thanks!

The Black Opal concealer comes in a twist tube similar to a lipstick with a clear cover. Again, this is a cream product and though you can apply straight from the tube to your skin (which is pretty convenient) I like using my concealer brush just because applying straight from the tube deposits too much product for me and prolongs the blending. 

Convenience wise though, if you are applying with your fingers, the Black Opal is the winner on packaging because you can apply straight from the tube and blend in with your fingers. If you are using a brush then MAC wins as you don't have to twist up which would be an added step in the process. 

Staying Power

MAC studio finish concealer

This concealer has my admiration. This can last 8-10 hours, even if you're in the blazing sun. With other concealers I have always noticed fading after the third hour or so as well sinking into the fine lines under my eyes or sweating of the product in the heat. This product stays creamy, does not flake off and has SPF in it which I LOVE.  I don't use setting powder really so I can be sure that this product, applied with a brush stays put. 

Black Opal

This can stand up to the sun for about 3 hours. Longer than that and it starts to melt but really, I live on a tropical island and melting products is a norm here. If you apply setting powder it should last longer but I never do. If you aren't really in the sun then six hours is the longest this product will go before fading. What I dislike about Black Opal when it fades though is that it takes on a grey shade that is very unflattering. So if you tend to refresh your makeup during the day keep an eye on it.

Longevity of the Product

MAC Studio finish concealer

I purchased this in the airport in London and carried it back with me and had it wrapped up for three days by the window before I remembered to take it out of its packaging. There was slight sweating on the top of the concealer when I opened it but it had kept its consistency and colour throughout and did not get streaky. Loved that.

Black Opal

The heat in Jamaica is a serious factor and we need to keep this in mind when we are buying cream products. I made the unfortunate mistake of leaving my concealer stick in the car and when I returned it had melted down into the bottom of the tube and the top of it had darkened. The texture was noticeably harder but it wasn't hard to work with but I was disappointed that it had not maintained its colour.

Application

MAC concealer is creamy, has the right undertones and dries to a powder finish.

Black Opal is creamy but a tad less so, it has a tinge of a grey undertone but dries to a beautiful powder finish even when you get overzealous and apply a bit too much.

Price

MAC studio finish concealer retails for $18 USD online. I will update this figure in Jamaican dollars when I visit the now open MAC store.

Black Opal retails for $189 JMD at Lee's Pharmacy and around $200 at other pharmacies around Kingston.

If you aren't fussy and are looking for a quick fix concealer to wear for short periods of time then Black Opal will be an okay pick. If you want an exact match to you skin with long lasting wear and spf protection then MAC studio finish concealer will give you joy.

Let me know what concealer you enjoy wearing or you want to try out and I'll give it a whirl myself. Also, if you want to see how I apply concealer to fix various blemishes and imperfections leave a comment and I'll film a video on that.

Seasons Greetings!

Jane

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MAC-aholism

Hi, I'm Jane and I would like to invite you to join me in MAC world coming to Kingston, Jamaica soon!!! Here's why...

There are certain things you shouldn't scrimp on when it comes to makeup. Now my philosophy is is that if I'm gonna have it for less than a year then there is no reason to pay the higher price when I can pay a lower price for acceptable quality.

And I live by this daily. However, there are exceptions to every rule. In this case, for makeup, I will always have to consider that I am a Jamaican and  a woman of colour. Why does this matter you may say. Well, simply put, as Jamaicans, and women of colour our skin ( a melting pot of different races) is rarer and more varied than women of other ethnicities around the world- this makes it hard to duplicate. Another factor is our climate. Heat makes things melt, or in the case of powder, absorb moisture and clump together resulting in that cake-y appearance that makes us all cringe. (Cringe already! yes, it's supposed to bother you).

So, we have to be careful when choosing makeup that is supposed to mimic our skin or cover our blemishes. Specifically, foundation (or base as anyone before the eighties call it) and concealer. Firstly, most companies make make-up that caters to a largely caucasian consumer base. Now, before we go off on racist rants, I will take a page out of Iman's book and say graciously that this is because most Caucasian women are sorely dissatisfied with their skin and are always seeking to improve it; whereas women of colour generally age slower and have less issues with skin. However, this is now a dated view. More than ever, women of colour have been having issues with discolouration or uneven skin tone, acne and scarring. Considering the pollution and the vast amounts of unhealthy (*ahem yummy fast food) food we are consuming because we are on the go, and the stress and lack of sleep, it is fair to say that everyone, no matter where you are will have an issue with their skin at some point.

It is for this reason that women have been flocking to cosmetic counters and drugstores aka pharmacies for the promise of 'dewy' skin with an all-over even skin tone or matte, velevety complexions. Unfortunately, Jamaica's make-up market has yet to explode. It is slowly getting there but we ain't quite there yet. I am yet to find a match for my skin tone in any of our stores here as many stores carry limited qualities and do not restock goods with enough regularity, and those that do, carry a small selection and very often fail to set out testers. With our no return, no exchange, no refund policy (very customer-oriented aren't we?) women are usually hesitant to buy a foundation they can't be sure will match them. See the problem now?

Well.....dry your mascara-coated eyes ladies! MAC (makeup Artistry Cosmetics) yes THE MAC is coming to Jamaica! Why does this make me so giddy and excited? (if you were following me on twitter when I found out from Monique / Irie Diva you would have seen real excitement) MAC has numerous shades for us. In fact, when I got the opportunity to travel this month I popped by a MAC counter and found my current shade AND decided to wait to buy it here when the store opens just so I could show MAC my full appreciation that they have finally answered my feverish pleas to come to my beautiful island and sell to us. ( I didn't walk away from the concealer though).

The MAC store will be opening in Sovereign Centre some time in December (I'm assuming in time for Christmas) and I expect that the standard will be the same as their numerous stores and counters across the United States and Europe. In other words, testers!!! I am looking forward to running through the doors with a friend or two and a list in hand to defend myself against shopper's remorse. 

Mac PRO Senior Artist Gisele Cavillo - Photo credit - http://m.jamaicaobserver.com/mobile/lifestyle/Cocktails-with---Gisel-Calvillo_12584205

I am also pondering a giveaway for the blog to say "thanks for reading!" to one of my makeup newbies or pros out there. Leave a comment if you want a MAC giveaway in the comment box below and stay tuned for a review of my current MAC items and my MAC wish list. 

Till later!

Jane

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