Makeup Brushes: Cleansing Tutorial

It may have never occurred to you, but it's so super important to make sure you're cleaning your makeup brushes on a regular basis.  Go take a look at them right now and I'm sure you'll see eyeshadows and bronzer dusted over the tops, and probably even caked in deep within the bristles if you've never cleaned them before.  But today's the day you start taking care of them as you would the hair on your own head.  Two reasons why it's important to take good care of your brushes are:

1.  To prolong their life!  You paid so much for that really awesome set of brushes that polish off your look perfectly, so cleaning them regularly will help them last way longer than they normally would.  A well kept makeup brush can last anywhere from six months to two years, so you should want to get the most life out of each of your expensive little beauty tools.

2.  For your own health!  With the constant buildup of makeup day after day, this can cause bacteria to grow, leading to clogged pores and unwanted breakouts. If you're all of a sudden noticing an array of acne popping up and can't pinpoint the culprit, take a close look at your brushes and you might find that they're long overdue for a cleaning.

Don't put it off any longer, because it's so super easy to clean them.  You can either buy a brush shampoo at beauty stores like Sephora or Ulta, or you can mix one of your facial cleansers with water and create your own wash. I like to use Sephora's Purifying Brush Shampoo available in stores for $6.

1.  Gather up all your brushes that are due for a cleaning.  You definitely want to grab the ones that you use everyday, and all others that have any makeup caked up in them.  If you've never cleaned your brushes before, definitely clean all of them now.

2.  Focusing on just one brush at a time, dampen it lightly with warm water.  You don't want it to be soaking wet, so just run it under the faucet for a few seconds.

3.  In a small bowl {I like to use my mini latte bowls from Anthropologie}, squeeze out some brush shampoo.  A little goes a long way so I only use two pumps for each brush, one if it's a smaller one like my eyeshadow brush.

Swirl your brush around in the bowl rotating between clockwise and counter-clockwise.  You'll start to see all the makeup coming out of the brush and collecting in the bottom of the bowl.

4.  Run your brush under the faucet again {using warm water} and use your fingers to rub the bristles to get off any excess makeup that may still be in them.

5.  Use a paper towel to squeeze out all the water from the brush.  Make sure it's as dry as you can get it!  Reshape the bristles and lay your brush flat to dry.

It'll be a while before your brushes dry completely, so an ideal time to start is right after you've applied your makeup in the morning so that they'll be dry and ready for you to use the next day.

Happy cleaning!

Fall Favorites

Fall is already completely in full swing, and I still can't decide how I feel about it.  Still in disbelief that summer just came and went so quickly, but there's just something about the Fall that gives me a nice feeling inside. I'm not quite ready to let go of summer just yet, so I decided to cheer myself up by making a list of things I really love about the Fall:

C. Wonder Hits Columbus Circle

Two weeks ago, The Shops at Columbus Circle proudly welcomed a new addition to their atmosphere with the grand opening of C. Wonder, the chic lifestyle brand by J. Christopher Burch.  The store is in rare form with only ten locations throughout the country as of now, making this one their second in New York City. {You can find their Flagship store in Soho between Spring St. and Crosby}.

The brand is very reminiscent of the Tory Burch style, making their main aesthetic "affordable glamour" for women with an eye for fashion.  And you certainly can't bypass the store without being lured in by their vibrant colors and exciting window displays.  The stores are beautifully merchandised with a variety of colorful products like clothing, jewelry, housewares, electronics, and other accessories, many of which can be monogrammed with your initials to add a personal touch.

After taking a few laps around the store and mentally noting everything that I want, I came up with my own list of the top 5 most fabulous items in the store:

1.  Pebbled Leather and Chain Double Wrap Bracelet - $58

2.  Small Ikat Cosmetics Pouch - $28

3.  City Bike in Fuschia - $249

4.  Enamel Initial Cuff - $48

5.  Large Nylon Easy Tote in Black - $78

MK

So I recently took a walk into the Michael Kors store and stopped in my tracks. Nearly everything for their fall collection is to die for, and I'm not one to carry bags, {I have last year's Uptown Astor Shoulder Tote sitting in my closet untouched} but I'd definitely make the exception for one of these beauty's. This year I have my eye on the Hamilton. Although I've seen this bag worn by many people, it's a piece that I wouldn't mind getting because there's such a variety of colors and styles, that the chances of someone else having an identical one as yours is slim. It's such a classic bag that's timeless and versatile. The hardest decision to make though is choosing which one. So many options! Burnished leather or python embossed? Black with gold hardware or navy with silver? Woven finish or studded detail?! For now I can't decide.. but what I do know is that my birthday's coming up and this bag is certainly at the top of my wish list :)

{via}

Microbead Mani

Remember back in March when I talked about the Caviar Manicure and how I couldn't wait to try it?  Well it finally became available at Sephora, but when it came down to it I really couldn't justify paying $25 for the kit.  I've been really into DIY projects lately, so that combined with my Pinterest obsession lead to my discovery of a more affordable way to try out this trend.  Instead of using the pricy stuff from Ciaté, I used Recollections brand microbeads that I got from Michaels for $3.99! They had shelves filled with all different colors, so I will definitely be making another trip back to grab some more.

Before starting, I prepped my nails with a nail strengthener and a base coat, and made sure I had my topcoat all ready for afterwards.

I only wanted to do an accent nail with the microbeads this first time, so for the other nails I chose a color that would pair well with it.  I used Essie's Little Brown Dress and Antique Copper microbeads.

After doing two coats of the polish, quickly dip your nail into the microbeads while it's still wet.  Flatten down the beads with your finger and gently wipe away any excess ones that have gathered around the edges or on top.  I didn't put a topcoat over this nail, but you can for extra durability.  

And, voila!

AG for Anthropologie

Yesterday I was lucky enough to get invited to attend a training event for AG Denim.  If you're a frequent Anthro customer, you're definitely familiar with the brand and probably have a pair or three in your wardrobe. Something that may sound familiar is our best seller, the Stevie, which is made exclusively for Anthropologie and is not sold anywhere else!

Anyway, a few co-workers and I went to this training seminar to get to know the brand a little better.  It was so interesting to learn about all the work that goes into producing something as simple as a pair of pants, and so exciting to see samples of the new styles set to hit stores for Fall in just a few weeks!

Another fabulous part of the day was getting to finally check out our newest location in the Walt Whitman Mall.  It opened back in June of this year and I've only heard great things about it since it's debut, so I'd been dying to get over there to check it out.  And I have to say, if you haven't gotten the chance to see it yet, I suggest you make it your job to go visit because the store is absolutely gorgeous!  I went a little crazy with my camera...

So come into Anthropologie and try on a pair of AG's!  I'll be happy to teach you all I learned about the brand :)

FNO Satisfaction

Last time we left off I was getting ready to celebrate Fashion's Night Out, and what a successful night it turned out to be!  My girlfriends and I decided to spend the night down in SoHo and check out all the commotion over there.  From Spring Street to Grand and in between we walked the cobblestone streets peeking into the various shops seeing what they had to offer and checking out the various outfits worn by all the little fashionistas passing us along the way. Our main event of the night lead us to Wooster Street where we got to attend the Piperlime grand opening party!  This new shop is the first in NYC.

Rev Run was the guest DJ for the night and he really set the mood with awesome mixes of classic songs.  After a little dancing and a free show we drifted towards the back of the store and were pleasantly surprised to find Olivia Palermo casually chatting away with fans!  Before long it was our turn to meet her, which was so exciting!  Rachel Zoe was another guest of honor that evening but unfortunately she was gone by the time we arrived.  But that didn't stop us from indulging in Zoe-tini's, the bartenders own take on the classic Martini, inspired by Rachel Zoe herself.  We also found our way over to a photo booth where we got to dress up with fun accessories and have a mini photo shoot to remember the night.  We all had a blast and I'm happy to say it was yet another successful FNO.  Can't wait to see what's in store for next year!