Giorgio Armani Blender Brush

Good makeup application is all about having the right tool for the right product, which is why those of us who amass serious collection of color products also tend to get excited about unique brushes. Now, as much as I love most of what Giorgio Armani Beauty has to offer, the brushes I have from this line (a lip brush and the eye shader brush) never rocked my world. I mean, a lip brush is really hard to mess up but also not something about which I get excited, and the eye shader brush is not as good as the ones I have from Chanel, NARS or Edward Bess.

Giorgio Armani Blender Brush is a whole new game. It's an odd little brush, one you wouldn't necessarily suspect was actually designed to apply foundation. It's made of natural sable and is shaped like a flat paddle. I have other beloved foundation brushes that aren't huge (CoverFX, Alison Raffaele), but the Armani is the shortest and most flat, and has a different density and texture. Which, apparently, makes it ideal for thinner formulas of liquid foundations and tinted moisturizers, especially if you've found that applying them with a stippling brush is not ideal for some reason.

I get an excellent coverage even from tinted moisturizers when using the blender brush and can also navigate and manipulate the product when I don't want to paint my entire face, just certain areas, and still get an even airbrushed look. The brush is ideal for narrow areas and wherever I need precise work. It feels softer than I expected from the way it looks and I'm not even bothered by the short and compact handle.

Is this a must-have? It depends. Do you collect and experiment with interesting brush shapes and foundation textures? If you do, then there's a good chance you'd enjoy and use this Armani brush. If you're more conservative in your foundation application practice and already have a holy grail brush, then you can live without it, but if you're still not 100% happy with whatever you're using, head over to the Armani counter and give it a swirl.

Giorgio Armani Blender Brush ($48) is available from Saks, Barneys and Nordstrom, as well as from the company's website.

All photos are mine.

Giorgio Armani Blender Brush

Good makeup application is all about having the right tool for the right product, which is why those of us who amass serious collection of color products also tend to get excited about unique brushes. Now, as much as I love most of what Giorgio Armani Beauty has to offer, the brushes I have from this line (a lip brush and the eye shader brush) never rocked my world. I mean, a lip brush is really hard to mess up but also not something about which I get excited, and the eye shader brush is not as good as the ones I have from Chanel, NARS or Edward Bess.

Giorgio Armani Blender Brush is a whole new game. It's an odd little brush, one you wouldn't necessarily suspect was actually designed to apply foundation. It's made of natural sable and is shaped like a flat paddle. I have other beloved foundation brushes that aren't huge (CoverFX, Alison Raffaele), but the Armani is the shortest and most flat, and has a different density and texture. Which, apparently, makes it ideal for thinner formulas of liquid foundations and tinted moisturizers, especially if you've found that applying them with a stippling brush is not ideal for some reason.

I get an excellent coverage even from tinted moisturizers when using the blender brush and can also navigate and manipulate the product when I don't want to paint my entire face, just certain areas, and still get an even airbrushed look. The brush is ideal for narrow areas and wherever I need precise work. It feels softer than I expected from the way it looks and I'm not even bothered by the short and compact handle.

Is this a must-have? It depends. Do you collect and experiment with interesting brush shapes and foundation textures? If you do, then there's a good chance you'd enjoy and use this Armani brush. If you're more conservative in your foundation application practice and already have a holy grail brush, then you can live without it, but if you're still not 100% happy with whatever you're using, head over to the Armani counter and give it a swirl.

Giorgio Armani Blender Brush ($48) is available from Saks, Barneys and Nordstrom, as well as from the company's website.

All photos are mine.

Giorgio Armani Blender Brush

Good makeup application is all about having the right tool for the right product, which is why those of us who amass serious collection of color products also tend to get excited about unique brushes. Now, as much as I love most of what Giorgio Armani Beauty has to offer, the brushes I have from this line (a lip brush and the eye shader brush) never rocked my world. I mean, a lip brush is really hard to mess up but also not something about which I get excited, and the eye shader brush is not as good as the ones I have from Chanel, NARS or Edward Bess.

Giorgio Armani Blender Brush is a whole new game. It's an odd little brush, one you wouldn't necessarily suspect was actually designed to apply foundation. It's made of natural sable and is shaped like a flat paddle. I have other beloved foundation brushes that aren't huge (CoverFX, Alison Raffaele), but the Armani is the shortest and most flat, and has a different density and texture. Which, apparently, makes it ideal for thinner formulas of liquid foundations and tinted moisturizers, especially if you've found that applying them with a stippling brush is not ideal for some reason.

I get an excellent coverage even from tinted moisturizers when using the blender brush and can also navigate and manipulate the product when I don't want to paint my entire face, just certain areas, and still get an even airbrushed look. The brush is ideal for narrow areas and wherever I need precise work. It feels softer than I expected from the way it looks and I'm not even bothered by the short and compact handle.

Is this a must-have? It depends. Do you collect and experiment with interesting brush shapes and foundation textures? If you do, then there's a good chance you'd enjoy and use this Armani brush. If you're more conservative in your foundation application practice and already have a holy grail brush, then you can live without it, but if you're still not 100% happy with whatever you're using, head over to the Armani counter and give it a swirl.

Giorgio Armani Blender Brush ($48) is available from Saks, Barneys and Nordstrom, as well as from the company's website.

All photos are mine.

NARS Wide Contour Brush #16

My Sephora brand angled contour eye brush (this particular shape and size has been discontinued for a while now) reached the end of its too-short life. It held for about three or four years, but was obviously not as well-made as I would have liked (it was from the regular line, not the Professional Platinum). But I loved it because the density, angle and the small-medium size were not only unusual but also incredibly efficient. But we're not here to talk about my dead brush but about my (unsuccessful yet) effort to replace it.

NARS Wide Contour Brush #16 is too big and wide to be a true contour brush or to fit in the crease as my old brush did, but it's a great tool otherwise. It's incredibly soft but till dense enough to pick the right amount of color for the entire lid. It can give a wash of a base color and even under the bone highlighting (I have enough lid space to land an airplane) and also does a good job blending whatever I throw at it. NARS No. 16 feels nice on skin and steady in my hand and delivers great results especially for soft and natural looks.

What doesn't NARS Wide Contour Brush #16 do? Real contouring. Or any precise and detailed work, especially with dark colors. It's just too wide and soft for this. But other than misnaming it, I don't have any complaints for NARS regarding this brush.

Bottom Line: Not an essential if you already have enough wide blending brushes, but nice to have, especially because of the somewhat unusual shape.

NARS Wide Contour Brush #16 ($33) is available from some department stores and narscosmetics.com.

All photos are mine.

NARS Wide Contour Brush #16

My Sephora brand angled contour eye brush (this particular shape and size has been discontinued for a while now) reached the end of its too-short life. It held for about three or four years, but was obviously not as well-made as I would have liked (it was from the regular line, not the Professional Platinum). But I loved it because the density, angle and the small-medium size were not only unusual but also incredibly efficient. But we're not here to talk about my dead brush but about my (unsuccessful yet) effort to replace it.

NARS Wide Contour Brush #16 is too big and wide to be a true contour brush or to fit in the crease as my old brush did, but it's a great tool otherwise. It's incredibly soft but till dense enough to pick the right amount of color for the entire lid. It can give a wash of a base color and even under the bone highlighting (I have enough lid space to land an airplane) and also does a good job blending whatever I throw at it. NARS No. 16 feels nice on skin and steady in my hand and delivers great results especially for soft and natural looks.

What doesn't NARS Wide Contour Brush #16 do? Real contouring. Or any precise and detailed work, especially with dark colors. It's just too wide and soft for this. But other than misnaming it, I don't have any complaints for NARS regarding this brush.

Bottom Line: Not an essential if you already have enough wide blending brushes, but nice to have, especially because of the somewhat unusual shape.

NARS Wide Contour Brush #16 ($33) is available from some department stores and narscosmetics.com.

All photos are mine.

NARS Wide Contour Brush #16

My Sephora brand angled contour eye brush (this particular shape and size has been discontinued for a while now) reached the end of its too-short life. It held for about three or four years, but was obviously not as well-made as I would have liked (it was from the regular line, not the Professional Platinum). But I loved it because the density, angle and the small-medium size were not only unusual but also incredibly efficient. But we're not here to talk about my dead brush but about my (unsuccessful yet) effort to replace it.

NARS Wide Contour Brush #16 is too big and wide to be a true contour brush or to fit in the crease as my old brush did, but it's a great tool otherwise. It's incredibly soft but till dense enough to pick the right amount of color for the entire lid. It can give a wash of a base color and even under the bone highlighting (I have enough lid space to land an airplane) and also does a good job blending whatever I throw at it. NARS No. 16 feels nice on skin and steady in my hand and delivers great results especially for soft and natural looks.

What doesn't NARS Wide Contour Brush #16 do? Real contouring. Or any precise and detailed work, especially with dark colors. It's just too wide and soft for this. But other than misnaming it, I don't have any complaints for NARS regarding this brush.

Bottom Line: Not an essential if you already have enough wide blending brushes, but nice to have, especially because of the somewhat unusual shape.

NARS Wide Contour Brush #16 ($33) is available from some department stores and narscosmetics.com.

All photos are mine.

Smashbox Eye Definer Brush No. 15

I picked Smashbox Eye Definer Brush No. 15 on a whim at Ulta because I was looking for a small domed brush for my travel brush roll to do detailed crease work and maybe also a little lash line smudging. I liked Smashbox #15 because it's quite dense and the shape is very well-defined. The brush is almost pencil-like while still soft and pleasant to use. It fits right where I need it- in the crease or right above my lashes, so I find myself using it very often, especially for really dark colors.

What the brush doesn't do: It's not the right tool for blending, at least the way I work- too small and tapered for the task. I'd also avoid using it with a cream shadow, despite what it says on Smashbox website. The brush is made of natural squirrel hair which I think is too porous for cream products. There are enough synthetic brushes better for this task.

Smashbox Eye Definer Brush No. 15 ($24) is available from Ulta and smashbox.com.

All photos are mine, models are Sophie and Giselle.

Smashbox Eye Definer Brush No. 15

I picked Smashbox Eye Definer Brush No. 15 on a whim at Ulta because I was looking for a small domed brush for my travel brush roll to do detailed crease work and maybe also a little lash line smudging. I liked Smashbox #15 because it's quite dense and the shape is very well-defined. The brush is almost pencil-like while still soft and pleasant to use. It fits right where I need it- in the crease or right above my lashes, so I find myself using it very often, especially for really dark colors.

What the brush doesn't do: It's not the right tool for blending, at least the way I work- too small and tapered for the task. I'd also avoid using it with a cream shadow, despite what it says on Smashbox website. The brush is made of natural squirrel hair which I think is too porous for cream products. There are enough synthetic brushes better for this task.

Smashbox Eye Definer Brush No. 15 ($24) is available from Ulta and smashbox.com.

All photos are mine, models are Sophie and Giselle.

Smashbox Eye Definer Brush No. 15

I picked Smashbox Eye Definer Brush No. 15 on a whim at Ulta because I was looking for a small domed brush for my travel brush roll to do detailed crease work and maybe also a little lash line smudging. I liked Smashbox #15 because it's quite dense and the shape is very well-defined. The brush is almost pencil-like while still soft and pleasant to use. It fits right where I need it- in the crease or right above my lashes, so I find myself using it very often, especially for really dark colors.

What the brush doesn't do: It's not the right tool for blending, at least the way I work- too small and tapered for the task. I'd also avoid using it with a cream shadow, despite what it says on Smashbox website. The brush is made of natural squirrel hair which I think is too porous for cream products. There are enough synthetic brushes better for this task.

Smashbox Eye Definer Brush No. 15 ($24) is available from Ulta and smashbox.com.

All photos are mine, models are Sophie and Giselle.

Nars Small Domed Eye Brush #12

As someone with large lids and a deep crease, my favorite eye brushes are quite big and wide as to not create harsh lines and edges. But sometimes there's a need for a more precision in the crease or lid, especially when applying very pigmented dark colors to the outer corner. This is where Nars #12 Small Domed brush comes into play.

The unique thing about Nars #12 is that unlike many small brushes for detailed work it is fluffy and not very dense, so it won't pick too much color. The small dome fits into small spaces (which is why this brush is usually a top pick for Asian eyes) and deposits the right amount of dark color where you need it. The fluffiness makes it ideal for blending, and since it's small enough, the color will stay in the right place and won't spread too far.

Less pigmented colors and dramatic contrasts require a denser brush, but for certain colors and looks this is the best brush I've come across.

Nars Small Domed Eye Brush #12 ($27) is available from narscosmetics.com.

All photos by me with the help of Sophie and Giselle.

Nars Small Domed Eye Brush #12

As someone with large lids and a deep crease, my favorite eye brushes are quite big and wide as to not create harsh lines and edges. But sometimes there's a need for a more precision in the crease or lid, especially when applying very pigmented dark colors to the outer corner. This is where Nars #12 Small Domed brush comes into play.

The unique thing about Nars #12 is that unlike many small brushes for detailed work it is fluffy and not very dense, so it won't pick too much color. The small dome fits into small spaces (which is why this brush is usually a top pick for Asian eyes) and deposits the right amount of dark color where you need it. The fluffiness makes it ideal for blending, and since it's small enough, the color will stay in the right place and won't spread too far.

Less pigmented colors and dramatic contrasts require a denser brush, but for certain colors and looks this is the best brush I've come across.

Nars Small Domed Eye Brush #12 ($27) is available from narscosmetics.com.

All photos by me with the help of Sophie and Giselle.

Nars Small Domed Eye Brush #12

As someone with large lids and a deep crease, my favorite eye brushes are quite big and wide as to not create harsh lines and edges. But sometimes there's a need for a more precision in the crease or lid, especially when applying very pigmented dark colors to the outer corner. This is where Nars #12 Small Domed brush comes into play.

The unique thing about Nars #12 is that unlike many small brushes for detailed work it is fluffy and not very dense, so it won't pick too much color. The small dome fits into small spaces (which is why this brush is usually a top pick for Asian eyes) and deposits the right amount of dark color where you need it. The fluffiness makes it ideal for blending, and since it's small enough, the color will stay in the right place and won't spread too far.

Less pigmented colors and dramatic contrasts require a denser brush, but for certain colors and looks this is the best brush I've come across.

Nars Small Domed Eye Brush #12 ($27) is available from narscosmetics.com.

All photos by me with the help of Sophie and Giselle.

Le Metier de Beaute Dualistic Eyelash Curler

I've been using the ubiquitous Shu Uemura eyelash curler ever since I got over my mortal fear of these contraptions. It was never the most comfortable thing in the world and required some maneuvering but the results were pretty. The Shu curler felt better in my hand than several others I've tried over the years, even if I'm quite sure its designer didn't have the shape of my eyes in mind when engineering it.

Now that Shu Uemura has left our shores, Le Metier de Beaute is stepping up and bringing us their own version of an eyelash curler, and like everything they do, it's excellent. Amy from Cafe Makeup has an extensive side-by-side comparison of the two curlers, so I won't repeat it here since I pretty much agree with every word. The Le Metier curler fits my eyes better and requires far less fiddling. The rubber padding is more cushy and feels gentler while providing excellent curling. Just as Amy said, it works exactly as an eyelash curler should. Funny how we (or I, at least) stopped expecting that ages ago.

I've been using mine for about a month now and it's the best one I've come across. It's important to remember that it's all about compatibility of the curler to an individual eye shape. I have roundish deep-set eyes and the Le Metier is the first eyelash curler that never causes me any pinching or pulling and gets most of my fringe in one attempt (that alone is golden).

Bottom Line: Shu who?

Le Metier de Beaute Dualistic Eyelash Curler is available at Bergdorf Goodman. Other locations are due to have it in December. I received mine from Dustin, the rockstar of Bergdorf.

Top image of Uma Thurman curling her lashes from the now defunct Fabulon website.
All other photos are mine.

Le Metier de Beaute Dualistic Eyelash Curler

I've been using the ubiquitous Shu Uemura eyelash curler ever since I got over my mortal fear of these contraptions. It was never the most comfortable thing in the world and required some maneuvering but the results were pretty. The Shu curler felt better in my hand than several others I've tried over the years, even if I'm quite sure its designer didn't have the shape of my eyes in mind when engineering it.

Now that Shu Uemura has left our shores, Le Metier de Beaute is stepping up and bringing us their own version of an eyelash curler, and like everything they do, it's excellent. Amy from Cafe Makeup has an extensive side-by-side comparison of the two curlers, so I won't repeat it here since I pretty much agree with every word. The Le Metier curler fits my eyes better and requires far less fiddling. The rubber padding is more cushy and feels gentler while providing excellent curling. Just as Amy said, it works exactly as an eyelash curler should. Funny how we (or I, at least) stopped expecting that ages ago.

I've been using mine for about a month now and it's the best one I've come across. It's important to remember that it's all about compatibility of the curler to an individual eye shape. I have roundish deep-set eyes and the Le Metier is the first eyelash curler that never causes me any pinching or pulling and gets most of my fringe in one attempt (that alone is golden).

Bottom Line: Shu who?

Le Metier de Beaute Dualistic Eyelash Curler is available at Bergdorf Goodman. Other locations are due to have it in December. I received mine from Dustin, the rockstar of Bergdorf.

Top image of Uma Thurman curling her lashes from the now defunct Fabulon website.
All other photos are mine.

Le Metier de Beaute Dualistic Eyelash Curler

I've been using the ubiquitous Shu Uemura eyelash curler ever since I got over my mortal fear of these contraptions. It was never the most comfortable thing in the world and required some maneuvering but the results were pretty. The Shu curler felt better in my hand than several others I've tried over the years, even if I'm quite sure its designer didn't have the shape of my eyes in mind when engineering it.

Now that Shu Uemura has left our shores, Le Metier de Beaute is stepping up and bringing us their own version of an eyelash curler, and like everything they do, it's excellent. Amy from Cafe Makeup has an extensive side-by-side comparison of the two curlers, so I won't repeat it here since I pretty much agree with every word. The Le Metier curler fits my eyes better and requires far less fiddling. The rubber padding is more cushy and feels gentler while providing excellent curling. Just as Amy said, it works exactly as an eyelash curler should. Funny how we (or I, at least) stopped expecting that ages ago.

I've been using mine for about a month now and it's the best one I've come across. It's important to remember that it's all about compatibility of the curler to an individual eye shape. I have roundish deep-set eyes and the Le Metier is the first eyelash curler that never causes me any pinching or pulling and gets most of my fringe in one attempt (that alone is golden).

Bottom Line: Shu who?

Le Metier de Beaute Dualistic Eyelash Curler is available at Bergdorf Goodman. Other locations are due to have it in December. I received mine from Dustin, the rockstar of Bergdorf.

Top image of Uma Thurman curling her lashes from the now defunct Fabulon website.
All other photos are mine.