My Essential Makeup Tools: MAC 217 Blending Brush and Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler

Beauty tools are not my favorite things to buy, I just don’t find them as exciting as a new lip gloss. I also honestly believe you can find great affordable options from the drugstore like the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush. Nonetheless, some things are worth investing in, so today I have rounded up my favorites tools that are worth the higher price tag: the MAC 217 Blending Brush and the Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler. 

The Mac 217 Blending Brush is a cult favorite and worth every penny. I tried several blending brushes before finally caving and purchasing this baby. Well I should have just gotten it the first time, it would have saved me a lot of frustration over poor quality brushes that don’t know what “blending” is. This brush helps define you crease like nothing else, blends away harsh lines without making your shadows disappear and you can also use it to apply a simple wash of color all over. You really can do everything with the 217 and it is one of the rare eyeshadow brushes that is hard to dupe with something of lesser quality. As for how it holds up, it is easy to clean (I use the Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soap) and it does not shed. I believe it will last a very long time and for the quality, it is a well worth investing in. 

Next is the Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler, the Cadillac of eyelash curling and the most raved about curler. I honestly waited for years before buying this because I didn’t think it could be that amazing. It is just an eyelash curler after all. How wrong was I… Unlike cheaper offerings, the Shu Uemura one does pinch your lash or bend them at an odd angle, leaving a kink in them. It always gives me an eye opening curl that lasts all day, that longevity was a surprise to me because other curlers did not give me the same results. I also found I don’t need to press as hard to get a good curl which is better for your lashes and it does not pull them out either. I really think this is worth investing in, especially considering it comes with a backup silicone pad which doubles the lifetime of the curler. Also if you are interested in more Shu Uemura products, the eyelash curler is sometimes included as part of sets like this one, so you can try multiple products.

The MAC 217 Blending Brush is available from any MAC counter as well as on their website. As for the Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler you can get it from the Shu Uemura website, any of their counters and at Sephora.

Dr. Bronner’s Unscented Baby-Mild Castile Liquid Soap: The Best Way to Clean Makeup Brushes

When it comes to beauty I am pretty good at following the rules, I always take my makeup off before going to bed, I don’t wash my hair every day, etc. However, I am not so diligent when it comes to washing my makeup brushes, I know this is a bad habit and I don’t like to use dirty brushes full of bacteria, but I always put it off. I used different soaps and even shampoo to get my brushes clean but the process was never enjoyable or fast. Well now, the laziness is gone, my brushes are clean and the whole process is super quick thanks to my new ally: Dr. Bronner’s Unscented Baby-Mild Castile Liquid Soap.

This is an organic and Fair Trade soap that can be used for a myriad of uses, from basic house cleaning to hand washing. I personally have only used this to wash my brushes and I was really impressed by how great it works. This soap left no residue and all the makeup was thoroughly removed, even brushes with white bristles looked as good as new. While this is powerful (you only need a little), it did not dry out the brushes or alter the bristles in any way. I also found that it took less time and rubbing to remove the makeup and it washed away very quickly, unlike other soaps that keep foaming.

I went for the mild unscented version because I did not when my brushes to be scented since I’m using them on my face and eyes and I would not want to use anything that could be irritating. There are however different scents to choose from so I you are looking for a great multipurpose soap to use around the house, you can opt for something I bit more fun like peppermint, rose, lavender or citrus orange and there are also 3 more scents to the line.

I found the Dr. Bronner’s Unscented Baby-Mild Castile Liquid Soap in my local health food store but you can get it on the Dr. Bronners website and if you scroll to the bottom you can find a list of international stockist.