How To: Deep Clean Your Brushes

(this brush was wet, that's why it looks so grimy fyi !)

 

1. When cleaning your brushes always have your water at room temperature, water that is too hot can damage the fibers of the brush

- if your water is "hard" meaning you have a well system, opt for bottled water instead. Hard water is high in minerals and just like how it can be detrimental to your hair, it can be to your brushes

2. There are many brush shampoos that you can purchase, however using a light shampoo such as Johnson & Johnson baby shampoo or Dial soap is completely fine

- purchasing a shampoo created specifically for brushes is perfectly ok, I just find I save quite a bit more money by sticking to baby shampoo or just regular Dial handsoap

3. When washing your brushes, make sure you treat them with care. Avoid getting water anywhere besides the bristles. Water can loosen the glue that binds the handle of the brush.

- Use back and forth motions like you are actually using the brush, this prevents damaging the brush bristles and keeping them properly shaped

4. After thoroughly rinsing the brushes to ensure no soap is left over, place them on a paper towel to air dry

- some brushes come with brush guards, such as Sigma brushes. If your brushes do, have them dry with the guards on. Although it will take them ten times longer to dry, they will maintain their shape and stay in perfect condition

Things to avoid:

- drying your brushes with a blow dryer, no matter how low the setting is, or how careful you are being, it is very easy to ruin the shape of a brush. Just don't risk it

- never use a clarifying shampoo to wash your brushes, this can cause the dye in the bristles to seep out

How often do you do a deep clean of your brushes? Every week, every few weeks? Do you buy a brush shampoo, or make use of products you have at home? Let me know

 xoebc

In & Out of the Week

 

http://fashion.elle.com/fashion/insider/2010/02/22/fashion-week-fall-2010-runway-visions-isaac-mizrahi/

In

Enjoying a weekend with friends, Saturday a friend and I enjoyed sushi together at a local restaurant

A new hairstyle I discovered with my short(er) hair..I will attempt to make a tutorial post on it

Newly discovered eyeshadow combinations, I love my Urban Decay Naked palette

 Babies! I was able to spend time with my best friends god son and my cousins son (fat babies are the best)

Being a confident woman

The temperature yesterday

New beginnings

Out

The week long bout of rain we recently had..blah

Headaches (I have one right now)

My eyesight getting worse..my contacts are definitely no longer doing their job

xoebc

 

Stacks on Stacks on Stacks: Layering Your Jewelry

Layering jewelry can often times be difficult if you are just starting to experiment with your pieces. There are steps you can take in order to make the process a whole lot easier, and to get a feel for what looks good together.

1. Pick a single piece that you want to begin with. I chose my navy leather chain bracelet that I recently purchased from Target. You want your piece that you work around to be the focal point and to make a statement

2. Based on your statement piece, find other bracelets that correspond by color, material, or texture. Although I find this to make the process of picking and choosing easier, there are no rules to layering jewelry. Your look can be as coordinated or crazy as you like

3. I chose to pair my chain bracelet with three tortoise shell bangles from Jcrew, and an Alex and Ani bracelet that I received as a gift from a friend

4. The Alex and Ani "Path of Life" bangle was gold in color which matched the gold links on the leather bracelet, and added a delicate feel that contrasted with the harder edge of the other two bracelets

5. And lastly the three tortoise shell bracelets introduced an unexpected dimension to the stack, making it unique

xoebc

Beauty Essential: Lip Scrub

Nothing looks worse then dried, flaking lips. There are many products such as chapsticks and Vaseline that can heal chapped lips, but what both products fail to do is exfoliate. There are a wide array of lip exfoliators on the market such as Smashbox's Emulsion Lip Exfoliant, Korres Lemon Lip Scrub, and Fresh's Brown Sugar Lip Polish (all of these can be found at Sephora). I recently purchased C.O. Bigelow's Mentha Lip Buffer from Bath and Body Works. Bigelow is a 168 year old company based in NYC and prides itself on it's high quality ingredients they use in their products, many of which are celebrity favorites (plus they do not test on animals). The Mentha Lip Buffer is made of 100% natural mint, peppermint oil, shea butter, cocoa butter, sugar crystals, avacado oil, jojoba oil, and many other fabulous ingredients. By squeezing out a pea sized amount of the Lip Buffer, and rubbing it with your index finger along your lips, you are guaranteed a totally sexy, and completely kissable pout.

xoebc

In & Out of the Week

http://www.liveinternet.ru/users/elena_prikhodko/post111157110/

In

Makeup organization! (a post on this is in the near future)

Spring cleaning, I did a complete overhaul of my room..so refreshing

An ingenious way I discovered to whiten your teeth at a fraction of the cost

Inspiration for creativity

Memory boxes, I love going back and looking at all the important things I have saved

Salmon and rice..a fabulous dinner that is low in fat and high in omega threes

Out

Sally Hansen Diamond Strength Base & Top Coat (absolutely terrible)

Hail.....it just started hailing here on the East Coast ugh

And on that note, the awful weather in general that my state is in store for this week

A lack of motivation, I hate feeling lazy

xoebc

Spring Trend 2011: Wedges

I have always been a wedge lover and this year is no exception. Wedges are a great way to turn a simple outfit of a tshirt and shorts to a more fashion friendly alternative. Wedges also elongate the leg especially if you rock a nude toned pair. One thing wedges do not have to be is expensive and out of any girls reach. The wedges I displayed above range in the 50-100 dollar range. Now you may find such prices still too expensive, however a quality pair of wedges will last you more then just one summer, making it a great piece to "invest" in.

1. Steve Madden shoes are always a great way to achieve a runway look in a more affordable manner. Madden's "Riddgge" sandals come in three colors including "Blush Patent", a great nude color, "Black", and "Natural". The heel is 4 1/2 inches with a 1/2 inch platform. "Riddgge" sandals can be bought on Piperlime for $100 or on Ebay for $89.95 (this seller only has the "blush patent" available however)

2. DV by Dolce Vita is a brand that I am a huge fan of. DV has affordable shoes that are always fashion forward and fabulous. DV's "Toni" wedge is just that. "Toni" is absolutely gorgeous with a tassel zipper closer (tassels are very hot right now), an espadrille style wedge, and a 4 1/4 inch heel and 3/4 platform. "Toni" is available in "Coral Suede", "Turquoise Suede", "Black Suede", and "Natural Suede". "Natural Suede", "Black Suede", and "Turquoise Suede" can all be purchased from Nordstrom's for $78.95. "Coral Suede" can be purchased for significantly cheaper from Reflection for $69.99

3. A second pair of Steve Madden wedges is their "Fantasik" sandal. "Fantasik" has a golden buckle closure and braided straps. "Fantasik" comes in "Khaki" and "Black". Endless was the site I found to have the cheapest prices for Madden's "Fantasik" sandal at $69.95, ten dollars less then any other store selling them

4. Max Studio's "Faviene" wedge is a great buy with it's stylish cutouts, 4 inch heel and 1 inch platform, and it's leather lining. "Faviene" is available in "Cuoio", a more natural color with a dark brown wedge, and "Canapa", a lighter brown with a light brown wedge. "Faviene" can be purchased from Piperlime for $79.99

5. Tinley Road's "Capri" sandal has unique detailing with a faux leather border around the base of the shoe, a woven wedge, and a buckle closure. "Capri" comes in three colors including "Black", "Cognac", and "Nude". "Capri" is sold on Piperlime for $55

xoebc