Hello Spring!

The new season is the perfect time to breathe a little new life into your beauty routine. Winter was all about moody colours, dark pigments and floating eyeliner designs, Spring is all about growth and adventure with bolder eyes, lips, and brow styles. These are just a few fun Spring looks for you to try out.

There are a few looks and styles that are always popular, like winged and smoky liner, but there are also a lot of new looks that are making their way to the social media feeds of those in the know. . From colorful eyes to subtle accents, these are just a few of our favourite popular spring looks. 

Dewy Skin

The theme this spring is less is more. By opting for lighter foundation, it means that your skin is able to breathe more and you are able to create a lighter more natural look, which is very growing in popularity. 

To create the dewy skin look, you can use a water-infused tinted moisturizer and then when you apply the lightweight foundation, you can use a beauty blender to stipple on product when your skin is still slightly damp from the moisturizer. 

You can add an extra dewy look by adding a bright blush, creating fresh flush to your cheeks. 

Thick brows

If you follow celebs like Dua Lipa and Lily Collins, you will have seen this full brow trend. When you create thick, fluffy arches they work perfectly to frame your face. To keep your bushy brows in place, you can apply some full control hairspray to keep them in place all day long.  When you are applying your brow products, do so in strokes so that they mimic your natural hairs, brush with a clear hair gel that will both fluff and set them. 

Smoky Liner

Heavy eyeliners are making a big comeback and they are so easy to replicate. All you need is a black eyeliner pencil and a heavy hand – meaning that  both makeup newbies and artists alike can replicate this look. 

To create this look pack on bold liner around your eyes and then soften it out on the edges. 

Bold Colours

Spring is all about being bright and bold, right? So pack away the dark winter colours and haul out more vibrant pigments like yellow, greens and blues. To create the clean, structure eye look that is going to be popular in Spring, use a little micellar water to clean up your look. If you don’t have one already, invest in a pallette that features some fun vibrant colours. 

Colour Blocking

Spring is all about bold colours – you don’t have to stick to just one colour, you can combine a few successfully. Colour blocking allows you to incorporate fun, bold looks into your everyday makeup. To pull this look off, pair two shades and the buff one of them out while still keeping the other colour clean and structured.

Which one of these looks is your favourite?

“The simplest things are often the truest.” -Richard Bach

Creating minimal looks is becoming more and more popular as minimalist lifestyles grow in popularity. 

Minimalistic looks focus on enhancing your natural beauty. It does not mean you use no makeup, instead it means using less makeup more strategically to let your natural features really shine. 

Start at the beginning: reduce your makeup collection

If you use makeup daily you probably have a rather large collection of makeup – a lot of it probably collecting dust. Take some time to clear it. 

• Check the expiration dates of the products and get rid of anything that is past its expiration date. (Make up generally lasts about 6-12 months). 
• Get rid of the products you don’t use any more. Very often we buy something thinking we like it or need it, only to discover we don’t but it sits in our collections, gathering dust. Get rid of it. 
• Start a routine using just the basics. There are a few items of makeup that you will use every day, put a list together and focus on those items only. 

Minimalist Makeup Tips

Stock up on the basics.

You need a cleanser, makeup remover and moisturizer – this is where your makeup journey begins, regardless of whether you are going minimal or not. Making sure you are looking after your skin properly means you will need less foundation and makeup in general. 

Our reusable makeup erasers are the perfect addition to your minimal makeup collection. 

Go makeup free for a day.

If you do currently wear makeup every day it might seem impossible to go “naked” but it is often the best thing for your skin. Not only does it allow your skin to breathe better, it is also a good way to cut back on the makeup you are using. 

Bronzers are your friend.

A good bronzer can take your look to the next level.  Investing in a matte bronzer will help you contour your face while still keeping your look natural.

Eyebrows frame everything.

We have spoken about eyebrows a lot, that is because they are so important.  Your eyebrows frame your whole face – don’t neglect them. Use our brow brush to help you create the look you want using very little (if any makeup).

You can do amazing things with mascara.

If you have a good mascara, using it on its own can be more powerful than you think. It can open your eyes up and make them the focal point of your face. 

Its all in the lips.

A fun idea is to keep the makeup on your face minimal and then brighten things up with a bold lip colour. But that said, adding a tinted lip balm or a lip gloss can be just as effective. 

Never minimize the SPF

Sunscreen is never an option – it is always essential. 

Your skin type is important.

If you don’t know what your skin type is, you need to find out. It will make a difference in the products you buy and how you use them so it is more important than you think. 

Stick to the basics. 

Once you have cleared your collection, focus on keeping just the items you actually use on a regular basis.  

Maintaining a daily skin care routine can be hard. Most women do wash their face daily but often skip the toning, cleansing or even moisturizing. If you lead a busy life it you might feel like you just don’t have the time. While this may be true, the reality is that the more you attention you give to your give, the better the results you will see.

Your skin takes a beating during the day without you even feeling it – pollution, dust, dirt, makeup and harsh weather conditions all have an impact on your skin and if you aren’t cleaning your skin properly every day you are basically leaving all of that nasty stuff on your face.

We know, deep down, you know how important a good skin care routine is but we also know it can be hard finding the right one for you and your specific needs.

So we have put together some simple routines for all different types of skins.

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Skincare Routine: Normal Skin

1. Cleansing: This is the most important step. It is the step that you use to remove bacteria and dirt. It should be done twice a day. When you are choosing a cleanser, make sure you find one that is for normal skin.
2. Exfoliating: Exfoliating allows you to remove excess dead skin from your skin so that the new skin cells can grow. If dead cells are not removed they clog up your pores and this can lead to blackheads and breakouts (and no one wants that). This does not need to be done daily but rather only 2-3 times a year.
3. Toning: Using a toner helps you to keep your skins pH at 7. The alkalinity of your skin is what leads it to becoming dry or oily, which is why it is a good idea to apply toner daily.
4. Moisturize: This is also a very important part of your skin care regime. Invest in a good moisturizer that has been formulated for your skin type.
5. Protection: Sunscreen is not optional, even in winter. Once you have applied your moisturizer, apply a sunscreen that is SPF 50.

Skincare Routine: Dry Skin

1. Cleansing: If you have dry skin, avoid using harsh cleaners as these will dry your skin out even more. Try to find a lotion based cleanser that has been designed to hydrate your skin.
2. Exfoliating: While it is important to exfoliate, those with dry skins need to find gentle exfoliators, you can even consider making your own scrubs as these are generally gentler on your skin.
3. Facial oils: These oils are ideal for hydrating your skin. These oils have been designed to moisturize your skin without making your skin overly oily. When you apply the oils, massage them into your skin.
4. Moisturize: Moisturizing your skin is not optional if you have dry skin. You must make sure you apply a moisturizer for dry skin in the morning and in the evening before you go to bed.
5. Protection: Like with normal skin this step is so very important, don’t skip it.

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Skincare Routine: Oily Skin

1. 1. Cleansing: When it comes to oily skin, double cleansing is a great way to help clean oily skin. This involves switching between oil based cleansers and water cleaners. The oil based cleansers will clean dirt and makeup and they also help to break down excess oil. Water based cleansers draw out sweat, dirt and excess oils.
   2. Clay or Charcoal face masks:  Those with oily skins need to add clay or charcoal face masks or scrubs to their routine, this works well to exfoliate your skin. Remember when you are looking for a mask, make sure you use one that has been formulated for oily skin.
   3. Moisturize: It might seem logical to skip this step if you have oily skin but this is simply not true. If your skin lacks hydration it will start producing more sebum, so applying moisturizer will actually prevent extra sebum from being produced. It is important to opt for a lightweight moisturizer though, again one that has been designed for oily skins.
   4. Protection: It doesn’t really matter your skin type, you always need to apply sunscreen!.

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You may not know this, but your eyebrows can impact the shape of your whole face. It doesn’t matter how you chose to wear them; your eyebrows will factor in to deciding how your makeup looks. It can feel too risky taking control of your brows yourself, but can you really risk leaving them to grow wild?

If you are considering shaping your own brows, keep reading to learn how to pluck the perfect set of brows every time.

We have put together a few different ways you can create a stunning pair of eyebrows.

1. Tweezing is essential.

No one really enjoys tweezing their eyebrows, but it must be done. To make the process easier and less painful, do it directly after you have had a hot shower or bath. The reason for this is that the warm water will open up the follicles and this will make it easier to pull the hair out.

2. Make sure you have good light

Trying to pluck your eyebrows in poor light is a recipe for disaster. Natural light is your best option but if you don’t have that in your bathroom, use a smaller mirror and proper lighting to pluck any brows.

3. Keep it trim.

You can use a little nose hair scissor to trim the front part of your brows. This will help them to look fresh, neat, and tidy. Don’t be tempted to use a large pair of scissors, this could be disastrous.

4. Pay attention to the direction of your hair growth.

When you tweezed your hair, make sure that you pluck the hair in the direction of your hair growth. The reason for this is so that you can pull the whole strand out easily. Once you have plucked the hair, if you can still see a black whole you have not plucked the entire hair.

5. Avoid magnifying

Using a mirror that magnifies your eyebrows might seem like a logical thing to do but it can actually work against you. By magnifying your eyebrows, you distort the view, and this could lead you to plucking the wrong hairs.

6. Get the shape and alignment right.

To make this part of the process easier, use a brow pencil to guide you and help you to find the beginning, end, and the arch of your brows. Hold your brow pencil against the bridge of your nose vertically, right where your nostril begins – this is the starting point. The natural arch can be found by placing the pencil on the tip of your nose and angle it straight across your pupil. For the end of the brow, angle the brow pencil against the end of your nose and eye. If your eyebrow is longer than this angle, tweeze those hairs.

7. Fill them in if you need to.

For the best possible brows, you might need to fill them in a little bit. Make sure you find the right colour to complement your brows and then go slow, you don’t want to make it obvious you have coloured them in, just highlight the colour.

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After the year we have all had, we are all about the little hacks to make things a little easier. When it comes to your beauty regime there are so many old wives tales that do actually work and make life so much easier. 

We have found a few hacks that we think are ingenious and know that they will make your life a little easier and your skin a little brighter. 

Remove blackheads with Epsom Salt

Epsom salt is one of those items that should always be in your cupboard. It has so many uses, not only for your skin but for your plants and easing aching muscles. If you are struggling with blackheads, mix one cup of boiling water with one teaspoon of Epsom salt and 3 drops of iodine. Once it has cooled, let a cotton wool ball soak in it and then dab the cotton wool on the blackheads. This will loosen them and then you can squeeze them out with a gauze pad.  

Use Apple Cider Vinegar for Shiny Hair

If you can get past the smell, then this is a great way to get a little extra shine for your hair. After you have washed your hair, pour some apple cider vinegar on it, use your fingers to work it through thoroughly and then rinse it off.Once you hair has dried, you will not smell the vinegar at all. 

Need Anti-Chafe? Use deodorant. 

Summer is here which means shorts and skirts are out. Don’t let chafing ruin your summer vibe. Simply rub some deodorant onto your thighs and say goodbye to chafing. 

DIY Lip Scrub

Chapped lips are never attractive. Make a quick scrub using vaseline and brown sugar. Use it once a week to keep your lips looking smooth and shiny. 

Baby Powder + Mascara = Longer Lashes

Before you dismiss this hack, give it a try! Apply a coat of mascara and then using an ear bud, wipe some powder across your lashes. Apply another coat of mascara, it will adhere to the powder and you will have gorgeous, long, full lashes. Give it a try and let us know. 

Need nails to dry – spray with cooking spray!

Yup we are serious. No one has time to wait for nails polish to dry! Spray your freshly polished nails with cooking spray and they will set instantly and they will not crack. Double bonus.

Witch Hazel – the perfect astringent.

This is another one of those products you should always have in stock. It can help with a range of things from bug buts to razor burn thanks to its anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. It works to soothe your skin, maintain your skin’s elasticity and lock in moisture. If you want to use it as an astringent, simply apply it to your skin after you have washed it and then apply your moisturiser as normal. 

Eye drops can reduce redness 

This hack won’t make your pimples smaller but it will help to reduce the redness and conceal them for a while. Use an earbud to apply some eye drops to your pimple, hold it there for a few minutes and it won’t be as obvious. 

We are all about these kinds of hacks that make life so much easier and use products that are easy to find and have multiple uses.

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1. Stop testing your foundation shade on your arm.

Next time you are testing what shade of foundation you need, don’t test it on your arm. It makes absolutely no sense to test it on your arm because you won’t be wearing the foundation on your arm.

2. Use a foundation to set your foundation and concealer.

Setting your foundation and concealer with a powder means that your face won’t be shiny and slippery. Adding a powder means that your makeup will stay in place all day long.

3. Pick your bronzer, blush and highlighter carefully, it is important.

It is important to take some time to pick the tone of a blush, bronzer or highlighter. Look for shades that will compliment your skin tone. It is better to shades that match your skin tone, eye and hair color.

4. Make your eyes appear brighter by highlighting the corner of your eyes.

Adding some bright and shimmery eyeshadow to the inner corner of your eyes. Doing this will help to make your eyes stand out and look amazing.

5. Fill and shape your eyebrows, it is important.

Taking care of your eyebrows is important. If you are not sure how to shape them yourself, get some help but make sure that you focus on shaping them and filling them to enhance your look.

6. Bronzer needs to go just below your cheekbones.

Use your bronzer to enhance the natural shadows of your face.  Feel for your cheekbones and apply your bronzer, just below the cheekbones.

7. Apply blush to the apples of your cheeks.

Create a natural look with your blush by smiling and dabbing some blush onto the apples of your cheeks and then blending it in.

8. Set your eye makeup with foundation, concealer.

When you apply your makeup, you want to focus on your eyes so that they really pop out and grab everyone’s attention. To do this means you want to create a look that lasts and to do this make sure you set your eye makeup with foundation or concealer.

9. Lipstick needs lipliner.

Lipliner is important to create a defined, bold set of lips. Lipliner also helps to prevent lipstick from bleeding, so make sure you apply lipliner before you apply your lipstick.

10. Apply concealer over foundation.

The reason for this is that your foundation can cover up a lot more than concealer. So when you apply your concealer first, you will cover up blemishes or anything else you want to hide and the concealer will just seal it all in.

11. Opt for a concealer a shade or two lighter than your foundation.

When your concealer is lighter than your foundation you can blend it in nicely so that you aren’t left with dark spots or blotches.

12. Always wash your makeup off! Always!

Yeah it is a pain! But don’t be lazy, just do it!

13. Use the right brushes and other tools

When you use the right tools, it makes everything easier. Invest in the right brushes, it will make applying your makeup much easier and you will be able to create the look you want.

14. Blend, blend, blend. And then you need to blend some more.  

Blending allows you to create a softer, cohesive look that features soft lines and a smooth, gorgeous look.

15. Moisturize and exfoliate your lips.

Are you looking after your lips? Before you apply your lipstick and lipliner, spend some time exfoliating your lips and once you have done that apply moisturizer. This will prevent cracks in your lips and will allow you to apply lipstick.

When applied correctly, mascara can make a huge difference in your look. More often than not the clumps and smudging is not because of the product you are using but rather the way you are using it. While practise does make perfect, we have a few tips to help you apply your mascara right every time.

Have you added lash care to your beauty regime? Adding a lash and brow serum can help to promote lash growth and create gorgeous, thick, lush lashes. A good serum contains vitamins A,C and E which feed your lashes, helping to strengthen them.

1. Apply your mascara last

Applying your mascara last offers the best results. So put on your eye shadow, eye liner and any other eye products and then add your mascara. If you add your mascara first, you increase the chances of smudging it, instantly messing up your lashes. It is also tricky trying to add your eye shadow once your mascara has been added because you are focused on avoiding it, so definitely add everything first and then the mascara as the final step.

2. Curl your lashes first.

Even though you are applying your mascara last, make sure you curl your lashes first. Use your eyelash curler to create beautiful elegant curls. Trying to curl at the end is pointless, your mascara will just smudge and clump. To get the perfect curl, hold your curl gently clamped down for around 10 seconds on each eye. If you heat your curler up with your hair dryer first, applying it when it is hot will help get an even better curl.

3. Avoid pumping your brush in the tube.

When you pump your brush in and out of the tube it actually causes the brush to dry out quicker. So rather than pumping it in and out, swirl the brush around gently and then pull it out.

4. Clean off any excess mascara

Before you apply your mascara, wipe off any excess mascara that might be on the brush. This way you won’t get clumps coming off on your eye lashes, instead it will go on smoothly. You can just wipe off the excess on the side of the mascara tube.

5. Look down for the first few layers

When you start applying your mascara, don’t look upwards, instead look downwards. Not only is it easier doing it this way but when you do this you are less likely to get any excess product on your lids.

6. Move the brush backwards and forwards

If you want to avoid clumps when you apply your mascara, wiggle your brush backwards and forwards as you are applying it. This means the motion goes up and then side-to-side while you are applying it. Do this a few times until you have covered all of your eye lashes.

7. Catch any lashes you missed

Once you have done all of the above, look down and apply mascara with the tip of the brush, focusing on catching any lashes you might have missed. Your outer and inner lashes can be tricky to reach so hold your brush vertically when applying your mascara to those areas.

8. Clean up mistakes

Mistakes and smudges do invariable happen, and it can be frustrating ending your look only to find you have smudged it or there are clumps somewhere. If this happens, don’t fret, grab a cotton swab, add some petroleum jelly and wipe the mess away. It works well every time and will have you looking spick n span in no time.

It is that simple to get the perfect set of thick, lush lashes.

We have a stunning black mascara for you to try these tips out with.

https://www.burstmakeupbrushes.co.za/Makeup-Brushes/nc-3-black-mascara/

This is another f our firm favorites. It doubles up as a makeup brush and mascara wand!

https://www.burstmakeupbrushes.co.za/Makeup-Brushes/eb-04-angled-brow-lash-brush/

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Browse our selection of brushes online!