Tag: beauty tools

My Top 5 Makeup Brushes | What I Use Daily

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Wednesday! Today I thought it would be fun to share with you my favorite makeup brushes. I noticed that I use the same brushes every day for the most part, and they work really well for me. In true Adventures in Polishland fashion, all of these brushes are super fabulous and affordable with the exception of one splurge that I think is worth every penny. Let me share with you my top five makeup brushes in no particular order!

My Top 5 Makeup Brushes | What I Use Daily

1. BeautyBlender – $20 [BUY]

Let’s jump right in with the splurge item, which is the BeautyBlender. I’m sure you’ve heard of this cult favorite by now. It is the $20 sponge that somehow is formulated to apply liquid and cream products flawlessly. I avoided the BeautyBlender for a while because I couldn’t justify the price. I even went so far as to purchase a BeautyBlender “dupe” from Ricky’s NYC (see my comparison post HERE). When I received the real deal in a PopSugar box, I couldn’t believe it. The BeautyBlender is truly worth the money, and I use it to apply foundation and blend out concealer daily. I need to pick up a new one after a couple years of constant use and washing.

2. EcoTools Angled Eyeliner Brush – $3.99 [BUY]

I haven’t had much luck with the brand EcoTools, but one brush I do really love is the Angled Eyeliner Brush, which I use for my eyebrows. The brush size is great, and I like have the long handle that my eyebrow kits do not. The bristles are tightly packed in order to give a precise application, too. It’s a really great brush for an affordable price.

3. Real Techniques Setting Brush – $7.99 [BUY]

When it comes to highlighter, I always use the Setting Brush from Real Techniques. It is the perfect size, and I love that the bristles are fluffy so I can blend everything out well. This brush can be used for many other purposes as well, such as setting concealer or blending out cream products. I highly recommend it for highlighter, though!

4. Real Techniques Buffing Brush – $8.99 [BUY]

Another Real Techniques brush I love is the Buffing Brush, which is essentially a small kabuki. I use it to apply my translucent powder, and it does an excellent job. The flat top helps to blend and get a nice, even finish. It’s also great for mineral foundations if that’s your cup of tea.

5. elf Angled Blush Brush – $3.00 [BUY]

Last but not least is the elf Angled Blush Brush, which should come as no surprise to regular readers of my blog. This $3 brush is beyond amazing. It is super soft, but applies any blush I own beautifully. The angle allows me to control the product more, and can also double as a contouring brush. You need this brush in your collection!

That wraps up my favorite makeup brushes! As you can see, I stick with affordable brushes but add in a splurge product where it counts. I think that’s a great way to build your beauty collection, whether it be makeup products or tools. Definitely let me know in the comments what makeup brushes you use daily. I would love to hear your recommendations as well!

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Huge Makeup Destash! | How to Clean Out Your Beauty Collection

Posted on by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Saturday! I recently went through my entire makeup collection and decided to get rid of a lot of products. My main focus was throwing away things that were expired, but I also tossed products that I never use and couldn’t be given away to a friend. I’m moving in about two months, so the less I have to pack the better. I thought it would be fun to quickly show you all of the products I destashed, and share some tips on how I choose to get rid of things!

Huge Makeup Destash! | Adventures in PolishlandHere you can see the big box of products I decided to let go. I’ll show you the products by type so you can get a better idea of what I threw away, but I won’t mention each product specifically (that would take a long time!). Feel free to ask me any questions in the comments about a specific product!

EYE PRODUCTS

Eye Products | Huge Makeup Destash!The easiest place to start with any beauty destash is with your eye products. Mascaras should be thrown away after three to four months of use. I regularly toss the mascaras I use on a daily basis, but colored mascaras tend to stay in my collection longer because I don’t use them often. It was time to get rid of this Maybelline Great Lash! Similarly, eyeliners tend to dry out even if they aren’t necessarily expired. This occurs most often with gel eyeliners, such as the ones here from Cailyn. I also tossed some pencils that were old and unusable.

Eyeshadows | Huge Makeup Destash!It’s a bit more difficult to get rid of eyeshadows. I first destashed what was broken. Here, a NYX shadow was missing a lid, and my NYC palette was broken resulting in a messy compact that I didn’t think was salvageable. Then, I got rid of old eyeshadows, such as the Sephora single. Finally, I took out products I never use. I got the JCat and bhCosmetics palettes in subscription boxes, and they need to go!

LIP PRODUCTS 

Lip Products | Huge Beauty Destash!Lip products also tend to have a long shelf life, especially if they do not contain ingredients like SPF that expire quickly. First, I took out any lip stains and lip glosses because they were clearly expired and separating in the tube (yuck!). Then, I tossed the Cailyn lip products that were dried out. Finally, I simply reached for products that do not suit my skintone. I own more lip products than anything else, so I was really happy to get rid of a bunch!

FACE PRODUCTS AND TOOLS

Face Products and Tools | Huge Beauty Destash!Last but not least, I threw out a face product that was expired, and some broken beauty tools. This was easy! If they don’t work, throw them away! There is no use to keep products that are taking up space and serve no utilitarian function. Make room for better things!

All in all, I hope you liked seeing what makeup I destashed. The products in this post were not bad products, but they simply needed to be thrown out because they were expired, old, or not in use. I felt so good after getting rid of all these products! It allowed me to see all of the useable products I own better, and gave me a better idea of what products, if any, I need to buy. I highly recommend going through your stash at least 1-2 times per year.

Do you have any tips for destashing your makeup collection? Share them in the comments!