What can you get for P250 bucks? An appetizer at a nice resto, a Starbucks drink with a cookie on the side,  a really cute notebook (or two), or a muli-tasking brush like the e.l.f Studio Blush Brush! I think e.l.f should rename this to well, anything else but "blush brush". If one doesn't know much about makeup then one wouldn't be able to truly maximize this interesting tool!

This cheapo brush has taklon, surprisingly fine and soft hair. These bristles are densely-packed in a small, flat-ish brush head. Yes, small and flat, about the size of a regular foundation brush - just slightly fluffier. This shape allows for a more precise application of cheek color and contour, but it also opens up a world of possibilities.

You can use this e.l.f brush for applying heavy coverage powder and liquid foundation, as well as cream colors on the cheeks.

Take a makeup sponge, then try to imagine why it should possibly cost a thousand bucks. Can you? I couldn't. I've said several times before that I am skeptical when it comes to the Beauty Blender hype. Until I got my own, that is! This was a surprise from Digital Traincase after attending her workshop with Jigs Mayuga (more on that soon).

Anyway, now I know why makeup artists adore the Beauty Blender. It blends wet makeup (liquid or cream) onto the skin seamlessly! I've tried brushes that blend makeup seamlessly before, sure, but the process is not as effortless and simple as using the Beauty Blender. With brushes, I end up blending and patting several times to achieve what Beauty Blender can do in two passes. This stuff really works!

What makes the Beauty Blender so different...and so expensive?

This sponge is non-latex, non-comedogenic, and doesn't have that weird chemical smell from cheap sponges. I didn't break out from using this at all! The shape is also ergonomic so it fits into the awkward corners of the face.

But that's just superficial, and obviously easy to copy. The difference lies in the material of this sponge. It swells up to twice its size when its wet, thus becoming exponentially softer and increasing its ability to deposit and blend the makeup perfectly. With little effort, might I add!

Seamless and well-blended makeup is the best kind. To achieve it, use a stiff, buffing brush that can work the product into your skin, diffusing the pigments in the formula until they look practically invisible. One brush that is made for exactly that kind of thing is the Shiseido Perfect Foundation Brush (P1,500). This is so famous that a lot of other Asian brands have copied it already!

I've already done a full review of the brush, so this time I'll just be showing you a detailed step-by-step tutorial on how to use it and what you can use it with. It's a great brush not only for applying foundation and concealer, but for putting on liquid highlighter and blush as well. Let's get started!

Step 1: Pick your favorite liquid, cream, or in this case, mousse foundation. Apply the foundation in streaks all over your face. Then, spread the product all over your face with the brush. You're just aiming for coverage at this point. Add more on your problem areas but keep it sheer where your good skin is.

You know I gotta mention the Beauty Blender sponge here, right? It's only proper. :P I've never tried it before so unfortunately I can't compare, but I was just never convinced by the hype. Sure the sponge is conveniently shaped for reaching awkward areas around the face, but a thousand bucks for one sponge? Hmm, I don't think so. Maybe I'll change my mind in the future. Until then, I'll go for more reasonable alternatives!

The Too Cool For School Marshmallow Puff Sponge (P279) has been sitting on my vanity since March. I never got around to using it after my first try though, because I felt that the sponge just ate the liquid foundation and didn't do a good job of applying it. BUT! I was just using the Puff all wrong, it seems.

Instead of sheer watery foundations, the TCFS works amazingly with cream compact and thick liquid foundations. It does a wonderful job of buffing in such formulas seamlessly!

I have a new hobby - crafting. I love doing things with paper, but I'm partial towards cardmaking. It is ridiculously fun! It's like I'm building my makeup collection all over again, this time with cutting tools, adhesives, and paper. It allows me to indulge in the process of creating something with my bare hands. I don't often get to do that in my line of work, but I believe that making something - any thing - is crucial to my sanity and happiness. So I do it when I can.

Anyway, while I was looking for more supplies to add to my crafting collection, I came across this set of Royal & Langnickel art brushes. I found them in Deovir in Megamall (Megamall A, 5th Level)! I wanted to have reaaaallly precise brushes for my acrylics and gouache paints; these three taclon brushes look perfect. And guess what - I only paid P120 for the whole set!

Royal & Langnickel is famous for their cosmetics brushes, but their other business is art tools. Their basic makeup brushes actually aren't expensive, but the ones from the luxe lines - whoa. They're gorgeous and will gouge a hole in your wallet. I wish they're available here though! I would love to try them someday. For now I'm happy to have these three.

So wait why am I writing about these art brushes in my beauty blog? Three guesses. ;)

Thought I'd end foundation week with a tool instead of makeup! The Charm Pro Angled Foundation Brush (P700) is the latest creation from the popular local brush brand. It's a flat brush with a gentle angle to it that allows you to blend in liquid foundation even in tight spots. It's super easy to use, and works best with watery foundations and BB creams to get maximum coverage.

The brush has soft synthetic hair that's dense and stiff at the base. It's pliable on the tapered edge, which gives it this nice blending action if you swipe it back and forth. I wouldn't recommend it for heavy-coverage, thick foundations since you will need a denser, rounder brush to get those properly worked onto the skin. This however is perfect for light foundations that have sheer coverage - it somehow increases the opacity of these types of foundations, and give them a smoother finish. 

I'm sure you've heard about the fabled Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler before. I have too, but I never seriously considered buying one before because it was so expensive for a curler! At P1,000+ locally, it's too much compared to curlers that never go beyond P300. I thought there must be some reason it was so pricey, but whatever it was, I couldn't see how the cost could justify it.

Oh, how wrong I was.

I got to try it because of my advanced makeup class at the Shu Uemura Atelier (in Rockwell) a couple of weeks ago. John Pagaduan, Shu's accredited makeup artist, lent me his eyelash curler. It was love at first use. I immediately bought my own after the class!

Why I LOVE the product

• It curls like no other. The curl looks natural and not awkwardly crimped. It lasts for hours on end, even without mascara! I counted four hours minimum. Mind blowing.

I am a big believer in fingers when it comes to applying concealer and liquid foundation, but for other products, I have a small coterie of brushes that I prefer to use on a regular basis. I have other similar brushes that I reach out for but this set is always my first choice! 

If you're into makeup for personal use, then you don't really need an elaborate set of specialized brushes to apply your products. Just get few basic brushes and you're good to go for everyday looks. Like me. :P

So, here are my favorite brushes!

From left to right: Sigma E55 / E40 duo, Estee Lauder lid brush I got from a set, fake NARS crease brush, Charm blending brush (from the Charm Travel Pro V3 brush set)

The Clinique Party last Saturday was a blast! United by a mutual love for Clinique, bloggers and their guests got to hang out over makeovers and dinner. I'll talk more about it soon, but for now I want to share a cool tip I got from a makeup artist who did the makeovers at the counter.

Mina, my date to the party, and the makeup artist (didn't catch her name, dang it!)

I was watching the MUA do Mina's face when I noticed this sponge in her kit. I wasn't sure what it was for exactly - could be foundation or just for blending - but I thought this type of holey sponge is an odd choice for those purposes. So I asked her.

It's what she uses as a lip scrub! She said that the whole look doesn't come out right if the client has dry lips under the lipstick. I totally agree with that.