How to Tutorial Guides

How to Guides

How to guides, tutorials, and step-by-step directions. Beauty tips and hacks for the best mascara application, How to correctly use Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat, How to clean makeup brushes, How to use a mascara fan brush, etc.

The Essentials of Essential Oils Part 2: Alexa Moore’s Essential Oils

February 28, 2016 · Leave a Comment

Alexa Moore’s Essential Oils for Beginners is a quick and easy read for those new to DIY Essential Oil mixes.

The book covers the basics of Essential Oils – a short history, how they can be used, and answers questions, such as How are Essential Oils different from regular oils? The recipes themselves are easy to follow and the step by step instructions are easy to follow. I especially like the Feel Fresh Shaving Cream – a homemade alternative to regular shaving cream is a nice luxurious treat and is very moisturizing. The Almond and Vanilla Foot Scrub is also lovely and natural – crushed almonds and granulated sugar combined with oils is wonderful as an exfoliant.

There is certain information in the book that should probably be run by your doctor if you are on any medications or have any medical conditions. The book advocates for the use of essential oils versus medicine in some cases, and while that is certainly an option for those who choose it, oils can be as powerful as any drug – and some drugs are derived from the same plants – so caution needs to be taken as with any natural remedy. I believe the author’s enthusiasm has caused her to hyperbolize some statements – her advocacy for the benefits of the oils is admirable and I’m sure in some cases the statements are true but categorical statements should be given with caution. But otherwise this book is an excellent primer on Essential Oils and worth a read.

Find Essential Oils at Amazon.com.

Essential Oils

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my review.

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How to Find a Good Mascara Fan Brush

December 15, 2015 · Leave a Comment

WHERE TO BUY A GOOD MASCARA FAN BRUSH

Here is our round up of the good and the bad when it comes to Mascara Fan Brushes. There is a wide variety of quality and prices when it comes to finding a good Mascara Fan Brush. Here are a few we have tried:

The most popular mascara fan brushes are both around $20. These are the Mac 205 Mascara Fan Brush, and the Paula Dorf Perfect Mascara Fan Brush.

The Paula Dorf is one of my favorites because it is the widest and longest, the right combo of soft enough to maneuver around lashes while stiff enough to “paint” and the easiest to wield. Found mostly on eBay.
Mac 205 Mascara Fan Brush
Mac 205 Mascara Fan Brush. Frequently used by bridal makeup artists, the MAC 205 brush is probably 40% smaller, but has tiny soft wispy guard bristles that make it easier to remove clumps. The MAC is:
- Easier for those with the steady hands of a true makeup artist than a regular makeup fanatic like myself to use. But a little practice went a long way.
- When using the MAC 205, try to load the mascara onto the shorter fan bristles, not the longer guard bristles. Do this by bending and holding the longer guard bristles away from the shorter bristles with your finger while only coating the short bristles with mascara.
  - At eBay
  - On Amazon, third party seller
  - The Mac Cosmetics 205 Mascara Fan Brush is generally available at Mac, $20.

Other Mascara fan brushes:

SEPHORA COLLECTION: Pro Lash Fan #34, $21. Not very fan-like, but quality bristles, good shape for a beginner to load mascara onto the lash, doesn’t have the ability to create wispy lashes like the Paula Dorf, Claudio Riaz or Mac 205. But, this brush can do cream and cake mascara much easier than the other fan brushes.

Surprisingly, there was only one kind of Mascara Fan brush at Sephora at this time. That seems weird. Does anyone else think that is weird?

Claudio Riaz Lash Touch Brush, at Barney’s, for $65.
- The Mercedes Benz/Rolls Royce/Jaguar of Mascara Fan Brushes.
- A bit steep, but a VERY good brush with nice heft and ease of handling, which is good for klutzes like myself. Nice width to the fan which covers about half the lash line.
- Bristles are high quality and easy to work with, easy to get fluttery, wispy lashes with this one. I could argue buying a cheaper mascara or not being loyal to any one mascara or in a mascara emergency, using a drugstore brand (gasp!) and still getting a nice high-end look with the ease of use on getting a nice, clump-free look with this brush.
Royal and Langnickel BX-145 Revolution Fan Mascara Brush
- hard to find stateside, but ships to North America
- reasonably priced
- nice gentle guide feature on the bristles
- Easier to de-clump with, harder to get “wispy” lashes.
Ben Nye also makes a Mascara fan brush, it is around $8, haven’t tried it yet.

So far, I have not found a drugstore/beauty chain store version of a Mascara fan brush that I like. Most are too stiff to apply mascara or to wiggle it into the root of the lash line, and it is not really a fan shape, more like an eyeliner push brush.

For this reason we cannot recommend the Bdellium Tools Makeup Cosmetic Beauty Brush Travel Line – Mascara Fan Brush 731. Most drugstore and beauty supply store fan brushes seemed a variant of this overly rigid push liner brush style, but I would be happy to find a good basic mascara fan brush if anyone knows of a good one.

How to Wash your Hair in Space

May 1, 2015 · Leave a Comment

Because if you never wondered, you should have.

Trying out Red with Janine Jarman

October 20, 2011 · Leave a Comment

Seems like there is red hair on everyone lately. Not sure if you are ready to take the plunge? Let Janine Jarman show you how to try out a red color before taking a complete Joan from Mad Men plunge:

Red Hair Copyright Antonuk Fotolia dot com Want to test drive red color without a long term commitment? Ask your stylist for a Sebastian Professional cellophane treatment. These ammonia-free colorizing gloss treatments last for 6-10 washes and are a great way to ease into a new hue. For the brunette bombshells out there, try a Sebastian Texture Tandem treatment and a brown cellophane to keep your locks healthy and vibrant. This silkening, re-texturizing treatment will amp up your brown while smoothing and sealing your locks.

How to style an Undone Beehive by Janine Jarman

October 19, 2011 · Leave a Comment

This week we are happy to have Janine Jarman, owner of Hairroin Salon, as a guest contributor. Today she tells us how to get an undone beehive look:

Wanna get the fun undone beehive at home? I suggest getting a micro crimper to help achieve this look. This tiny crimp iron makes the crimping virtually undetectable and super effective when done at the roots for volume.
Sebastian Texturizer 1. Prep wet hair with Sebastian Volupt Spray and Texturizer to help build grip, texture and volume.
2. Micro crimp hair at the roots, then pull apart and brush out. Part from ear to ear and leave out.
3. Gather hair in a light French twist and secure with bobby pins.
4. Back comb the front ear-to-ear section. Drop out the fringe and some bits on the side. Secure to the top of the French twist.
5. Finish with Sebastian Re-Shaper hairspray.