The Resurrection of Chasing Beauty

Instagram Mini Moments from the past six months.

I bet, you thought you'd never hear from me again. That possibly, I dropped off the planet, and completely abandoned this blog?  Well, it has been a while, but Chasing Beauty has never been far from my mind. Although I haven't been active here, I've still been interacting with all of my bloggy friends. You see,  a little app called Instagram has completely reignited my love for blogging, and reminded me of the community that I had been missing!   For the past few months now, I've been quietly plotting my return, and a total reboot of Chasing Beauty! Version 2.0 isn't quite ready yet, and probably won't be until Summer, but I wanted to let you all know that it's coming!  I also wanted to keep you posted on where you find me in the meantime. 

Recently, I teamed up with Jamie (of glamlatte.com) and Mel (of modanistajunkie.com), otherwise known as The Wear To Go Girls. In case you are just hearing about WTGG for the first time, Jamie and Mel have created a really fun website, to find out where to go shop, eat, drink, get pampered, socialize and what to wear to go! They are featuring weekly hair and makeup "how to's," and guess who's doing the makeup tutorials? 

ME!!! 

Check out my Individual false lash tutorial HERE, and keep checking back for more hair and makeup tips!

You can also follow me on:

Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Instagram: on the actual app my user is @chasingbeauty

I'll be posting here too, just not as frequently as I had before, but stay tuned. There's exciting things to come!

xoxo,

Bren

Spring Cleaning

I’ve already been working on my closet, but Spring is also the perfect time to go through your makeup/skin care, and toss anything old or broken. We all know that makeup and skin care products don’t last forever, so it’s important to know their shelf life.

Here's a general guide:

• Skin Care: Anti-aging and acne treatments: Three months to a year. Antioxidants can oxidize, so be on the lookout for any changes in color.
• Body lotion: Two to three years, particularly if it’s in a pump container.
• Shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel: About three years.
• Bath oil: One year.
• Sunscreen: Check the package for an expiration date.
• Mascara and liquid eyeliner: Three to four months. Make sure you’re diligent about replacing these items to prevent contamination and infections.
• Eye and lip pencils: Three to five years. Pencils should be sharpened before each use as a way to preserve them and keep them clean.
• Lipstick and lip gloss: Two to three years.
• Foundation: About two years.
• Perfume: About two years. Resist the temptation to display a pretty bottle on your vanity. It will last longer if stored in a cool, dark place.
• Nail polish: One year.
• Hairstyling products: Three to five years. Most are alcohol-based, which helps preserve the formula.

Some products may expire sooner depending on how they're stored, so use your best judgement. If it looks bad, and smells bad...it's probably bad. For more info on product expiration dates, check out this great article.

How To: Clean Makeup Brushes

Cleaning your makeup brushes is a bit like flossing. We all know it’s important, but we don’t do it as much as we should. As a busy makeup artist, part of my job is maintaining clean tools. Makeup brushes can become dirty with makeup residue alone. Add body oils and dead skin, and they turn into havens for bacteria. Not only will that decrease the life of your brush, but can affect the makeup application and cause skin problems, including infection. I recommend that cleaning be done after each application, but let’s face it...unless you’ve got extra time in your morning routine (and who does), the once a week/once a month rule is probably more do-able.

  

Weekly

Once a week, use a brush cleaner spray to maintain your brushes. I like to use the environmentally friendly, Parian Spirit. It thoroughly and gently cleans, while conditioning and disinfecting brush hair, leaving behind a clean citrus scent.
 

Step 1: Spritz paper towel generously with with cleaner.

Step 2: Swish brush back and forth on sprayed paper towel until it wipes clean, adding more cleaner if needed.

Step 3: Lay brush flat to dry

Step 4: Repeat until all brushes are clean

Monthly

Run the tips of the bristles under warm water. Pour a little baby shampoo into the palm of one hand. (For synthetic brushes I prefer to use dish soap) Holding the brush in the other hand, swirl the bristles around in the baby shampoo. Rinse the brush in warm water until water runs clear. (Tip: Be sure not to submerge your brush to the base of the bristles. This can break down the glue that binds the bristles together.) Use a towel to wipe the brush clean; then lay it flat on a clean towel to dry. Approximate drying time is 12-24 hours.

Good brushes can really make a difference in application, but they’re expensive, so protect your investment by keeping them clean.