It is so important to keep your brushes clean. Dirty brushes can make your makeup application muddy, can cause your brushes to age prematurely and most concerning cause skin irritation. Which is why it is so important to clean your brushes properly. I try to do a nice deep clean for my brushes at least once a month.

Personally find that good old fashion Dawn Dish Soap, the Anti-bacterial one, NOT the Bleach One, is the best brush cleaner.  It’s gentle on the brushes, doesn’t damage them, and breaks down the oils that build up in them and best of all its cheap!  So, if you want to go that route, here’s a quick recipe for deep cleaning your brushes with Dawn Dish Soap (Not all dish soap works as well, but you can use other brands in a pinch).

• Put a half inch of scalding hot water in the bottom of a small cup.
• Squeeze in a small squirt of Dawn dish soap, swirl it and the water together.
• Place in all brushes, making sure that the water doesn’t come up too high on the actual wood of the brush.
• Allow to soak for no more than 10 minutes.  If you soak too long the water can absorb up into the wooden handles which can cause them to expand.  Once they are expanded and start to dry they can constrict and crack.
• After they have soaked, swirl the brushes in your palm to scrub out the makeup.
• Rinse well in scalding hot water.
• Squeeze the water out of the brush, shape them into their proper shape and lay out on a towel to air dry.
• Allow to dry overnight.

And there you have it!

Method Makeup Academy, Sacramento’s Makeup School

For those of you who have always wanted to do that perfect Cut Crease, here are some step by step instructions:

Full Cut Crease

1. Base (Lite color across entire lid & up to eyebrow) * This is Step 1 for EVERY Eyeshadow Look.
2. Blend a Med/Dark color up into crease and softly onto brow bone.
3. Apply dark color into crease and blend up into the Med/Dark brown to soft, leaving most of the dark in the deepest part of the crease.
4. Cut your crease on lid according to the shape of their eye with concealer or eye primer
5. Pack lite/Med color of choice(or shimmer or glitter) onto the eye lid.

Optional Step – If needed apply Highlight to inner Tear Duct and at Arch of Eyebrow.

Method Makeup Academy, Sacramento’s Makeup School

1. In ancient Babylon, unwanted facial hair was sanded off with a rough pumice stone.
2. Women in Edwardian England swallowed tapeworms to keep themselves slim and trim. The parasite would digest most of the food the women ate, helping them maintain a slender appearance, but it also destroyed their health.
3. Beautiful blonde highlights in the hair were achieved by Venetian ladies by pouring lion urine on their tresses before sitting out in the sun. (Now I’ve used lemon juice under sunlight, but lion urine?  I think that’s a tad extreme.
4. Early Japanese geishas and Kabuki actors used nightingale droppings to remove the thick make-up from their faces.
5. Roman ladies rubbed brown seaweed on their faces as rouge, which did them no harm. But the white powder made from lead they rubbed on their faces gave them a slow death by lead poisoning as surely as it delighted their admirers.
6. Italian ladies of the past used to apply deadly nightshade to enhance their eyes. The poison dilates the pupils and makes people’s peepers look enormous and glowing.
7. Arabian ladies loved sleek and shiny hair, so they used camel urine to dip their raven-black hair in.
8. In the England of Queen Elizabeth I, great beauties of the time owed the rich red color of their lips to bugs. The squashed remains of insects were rubbed on the mouth for a ruby-red luster. (We still use the red from bugs in food and cosmetics.  Don’t believe me?  Look for cochineal, carmine, or carminic acid in your food, it’s made from the ground up bodies of the female Dactylopius coccus bug.)
9. Face painting with white lead powder was also popular in Elizabeth’s time. The beauty secret caused the premature demise of a number of 16th century lovelies.
10. Crocodile dung made into a paste with donkey’s milk kept Cleopatra’s skin looking lovely in the Egyptian heat. She used it as a face mask – when Caesar wasn’t around.

Method Makeup Academy, Sacramento’s Makeup School

When we think of makeup we don’t usually think of the Bible for fashion tips! Seriously that’s not the first thing that pops into my mind.  However, makeup has been widely used by men and women for thousands of years and in ancient Israel makeup was used for adornment as well as medicinal purposes. 

Israel was a nation amid nations, standing apart from the cultures that surrounded them, being relatively nomadic during their earliest history, and being the birthplace of one of the first monotheistic religions in the world.

While they stood apart in many ways, they were however much influenced by the cultures around them and much of their fashion was derived through assimilation.

One of the sources of information we have on the ancient practices of the Israelites comes from the Talmud, the central text of Rabbinic Judaism.  It mentions the uses of dyes of blue-black (kalal) for the eyes.  “These are permitted in woman’s adornments: she treats her eyes with kohl.” (Talmud, Babylonian. Moed Kattan 9b).

Like in other cultures of the day, kohl had more than cosmetic purposes, also being used for healing purposes, it was believed to restore poor eyesight and reduce eye infection.  With the use of mirrors made of highly polished silver and copper and small sticks, ancient Israeli women lined their eyes and eyebrows heavily with kohl.  The upper and lower eyelids were painted in a line that extended past the ends of the eye, creating a more almond shape. Aside from being cosmetically appealing the kohl also worked to repel irritating insects that could transmit eye irritation and inflammation. Many of the uses of cosmetics were strictly codified by the laws of the Talmud, one of which was the uses of kohl.  It was forbidden on the Sabbath, as it was considered a form of work much like cooking and other daily chores.

They used many other items other than kohl, such as rouge called sarak, violet for shadows called pikas, white to lighten their faces and other colors to tint their hair and nails, all of which are mentioned in the Talmud.  They also used an evening mask to remove blemishes. It was made from flour mixed with fragrant spices.  It was worn all night and washed away in the morning with milk.

The Talmud urged cleanliness and one was supposed to wash their hands each morning and evening before prayer.  Women and men took great pains in their cleanliness, washing daily in rivers or from basins of water and using oils and cleansing creams made from animal or vegetable oil mixed with powdered lime and perfume which worked as soap.   Another item pertaining to Biblical hygiene required that adults remove all body hair from the underarms, arms, legs and pubic area.

Teeth and breath were freshened by chewing on pellets made of ground tamarisk leaves. Although there is no evidence of toothbrushes or toothpaste it was known that people washed or wiped their teeth with cloths, cleaned between their teeth with cedar toothpicks and rinsed their mouths with salt water.

Head hair on both men and women was given great importance, shaven heads and beards were a sign of great disgrace and dishonor.  Long hair was a mark of beauty, worn by men and women alike.  The women of Israel kept their hair skillfully braided, in tight cornrows and they even used wigs and extensions to give themselves the thick hair they desired.  Hair was only worn down by women on their wedding day as a sign of their purity. 

Since the beginning of time makeup and fashion has found its place in every culture, religion and practice, Israel was no different.

Method Makeup Academy, Sacramento’s Makeup School

Having a hard time getting your hair to grow? These 4 Tips are sure to help:

1. Have a Good Balanced Diet. Meaning eat those veggies!
2. Stay Hydrated! Drink at least 32oz of H20 each day.
3. Condition your hair with Virgin Coconut Oil. I know that seems crazy, but it works.  Coconut is amazing, protein rich and will stimulate thicker hair growth. I recommend running some coconut oil lightly through your hair before bed, braiding it nice and secure and going to sleep. The next day, wash and condition as usual.  It will make a BIG difference.

And Last but NOT Least:

4. Take your Supplements. We all know Vitamins are essential for health, but did you know that Biotin actually makes hair and nails grow stronger and longer? So Add Biotin and Vitamins H & B7 to your diet to get long luscious locks!

And there you have it; four helpful tips to get those luscious locks to grow!

Method Makeup Academy, Sacramento’s Makeup School

Got to send out a little love to the boys and what’s better than to talk about: Full beards, five o’clock shadow and Fu Manchu’s, that’s right, I am talking facial hair!

What’s in, what’s out and what a woman wants, can sometimes be one and the same.  Some women totally dig a man with a full manly beard, while others can’t stand even a thin mustache.  It’s a lot about preference, but seriously, it’s YOUR face.  And what you like should matter most.  However, there ARE some simple do’s and don’ts.

Do: Groom.  That means, trim, clean, shape, whatever facial hair design you got growing.

Don’t: Grow a beard if you don’t have enough hair to pull it off.  Seriously, if it’s a straggly mess you’re just going to look like a kid in puberty.

Do: Change it up.  Change your style sometimes, pay attention to what’s in, but don’t obsess.  If you like a full beard with red or blue tips, go for it.  But stay aware of what’s out there.  You don’t want to date yourself or get too stuck.  Change is good.

Do: Use the proper tools.  Use real scissors, not the kiddie plastic handle paper scissors you found lying around.  The right tools will make grooming and maintenance much easier.

Don’t: Trim your beard or mustache when it’s wet.  When your hair is wet the strands appear longer and if you trim at that time you’ll end up with stubby facial hair.  So trim when it’s dry so you can see how it’s really going to look.

Do: Use good product on your facial hair.  Use a good shampoo and even a conditioner.  It will keep the hairs from drying out, from breaking and will make it softer against a lady’s face. Beard Oils are a thing, a MUST. I suggest checking out the BadAss Beard Care. These Guys know beards!

Do: Seek professional help!  That’s right, utilize the skills of a professional Barber. He knows what he’s doing and he will hook you up right! Also it’s a real treat to let yourself be pampered every once and a while. 

So what’s in right now?  A smooth clean face is always nice when kissing, however a little roughness, some stubble gives a guy a sexy edge.  And you know how girl’s like their bad boys.

Goatee’s are always in, different shapes, with or without an attached or even unattached mustache.  Side burns, beards, different colors, it’s all up to you.  What’s in seems to be personal expression.  So try it out, experiment and find what fits you.

Method Makeup Academy, Sacramento’s Makeup School

Ok, so the other day I taught you how to use Hot Rollers to get volume along your crown.  Now here’s how to get that sexy Victoria Secret Bed head!

Section out your bangs, you don’t want them to get curled back into the rest of your hair.  You can always curl and style them at the end.

Now, section your hair into three parts, the center from just behind your bangs, straight back to the base of your neck and then each side above the ear.

Now, using your hot rollers create a Mohawk down the center of your head.  This is going to give you volume and amazing curls.  Make sure you to the curlers straight up and not just around the crown.  You want a Mohawk otherwise say good bye to volume.

Now, on the sides you are going to want to section out the hair just in front of your ears.  This you are going to want to leave out of the hot rollers unless you want Farah Fawcett hair.  Just sayin’ might not be your goal right now.

Once you have the hair section out, you’re going to do hot rollers at an angle back towards the back of your head.  You don’t want to roll straight down or straight back.  You want a slanted angle on the sides of your head.

Now that all three sections of your hair are rolled, light spray with hair spray, let sit until cool to the touch then you can remove.

If you want to keep the curls and not just have volume, unroll them with a spiraling motion, this will preserve the curl.  If not just pull out and run your fingers through.

If keeping the curl, spiral out until all hot rollers are removed, lightly spritzing each spiral curl with a working hair spray or styling spray.  My recommendation is using Enjoy Hair Care’s Styling Spray.  It will give control without making each curl too stiff.  Once your whole head is unrolled you can flip your head over and do that wonderful head shake.

This will loosen up the curls without making them all drop out.  Flip your head back up, use a curling iron to finish up your bangs and the sectioned off hair around your face.  You can add some light back combing at the back of your crown to help maintain the volume, then spray with a good hair spray.

There you go, hot sexy Victoria Secret Bed Head!

Method Makeup Academy, Sacramento’s Makeup School

Recently I found mascara that blows the competition out of the water.  It doesn’t get the hype that other mascaras you see plastered all over the internet, magazines and TV screen.  But this little gem is so worth finding.

I’ve always liked Maybelline Mascara, its good quality and hey, it’s the first one that ever hit the market back in 1915 when T.L. Williams combined Vaseline and coal dust to create the first manufactured lash darkener and named it after his sister Maybelle who was his first customer and inspiration.

Well recently I discovered Maybelline’s Volum’ Express line (it’s been out a while, but you tend to stay with a single brand until something falls in your lap), and one in particular:

The Falsies in Black Drama.  It’s amazing!  Two coats and you get thick, long, luscious lashes, with no clumping, none of that spidery look and even after a 12 hour day you’re not going to have much flaking under your eyes. Definitely a long lasting, all day wear mascara that you’re going to love!

Here’s why Maybelline says you’ll love it and I agree:

Why you’ll Love It

The most dramatic false lash fab volume!
• Patented Spoon brush reaches lashes from corner-to-corner, while Black Drama formula fills in every gap.
• Matte black lashes from corner-to-corner.
• No gaps from any angle.
• Contact lens safe and Ophthalmologist tested.
• Washable; also available in waterproof formula. 

So if you’re looking for a new mascara that you’ll love try Maybelline’s The Falsies in Black Drama.  It’s just a small investment of $12.18 at Wal-Mart and more than worth a try.

Method Makeup Academy, Sacramento’s Makeup School

We’ve had one heck of a weird summer!  We’ve got hot weather where is should be cold, we’ve got cold weather when it should be hot.  We’ve got rain instead of shine and now we’re sweltering in over 100 degree weather! It’s wreaking some serious havoc on our summer tanning!

Personally I can’t tan to save my life, however, for those of you who can hold a lovely golden tan, this tumultuous weather can be very discouraging.  The sun hasn’t been out in a steady fashion, so you’re pale and beginning to consider if you should go Goth or not.  Well, before you decide something that drastic, here are a few tips that may brighten up your day.

Tanning Beds.  Ok, if your budget doesn’t allow, or you’re afraid of developing wrinkles, this may not be the option for you, but it’s still a good and valid choice over pale skin.  For one it helps your body produce Vitamin D, which is a great mood enhancer and something your body craves.  However!  This is important; you do not need to expose your body to long periods in a Tanning Bed.  It’s the same as lying out in the sun and you risk more than just getting sunburned.  You do not need to risk a melanoma just to get a little color.  So fifteen minutes max a few times a week will boost your Vitamin D levels and get a little golden going.

Fake Tanner.  So, if you don’t want to risk any form of skin damage that you might encounter with the tanning bed, you can always go the way of the fake tanner.  Now I know some of you are screaming NO!  I understand you have grave misgivings about using anything that comes in a squeeze bottle and boasts an even golden tan.  You’ve seen or experienced all the orange, streaky skin you care to.  Well, I have a product that is amazing and if you apply it properly you will not have to worry about either of those.  It’s called Vichy Self-Tanning Cream.  This stuff is amazing!  Made in France you can find it online at Amazon and other places, but I don’t think you’ll be able to find it at your local Rite Aid.  This stuff gives you an amazing streak free tan with none of that annoying orange shade you so fear.  It’s a healthy and beautiful way to get a summer sun kissed look.

Spray Tanning.  This third option can be a very nice, if somewhat pricey choice.  In average a spray tan can be anywhere from $25 to $50 a go.  Good news is it will last a good week.  Sometimes longer if you happen to have dry skin.  There is one disclaimer I will say though.  Do NOT go to the tanning booths.  These sprays on tans are not even and leave strange little places that are as white as you don’t want to be.  So, find yourself a personalized custom spray tanner.  These will give you a smooth, even and beautiful tan.  You might even be able to get them to do a little creative contouring!

So, hopefully these tips have helped you on your quest for a beautiful beachy tan.

Method Makeup Academy, Sacramento’s Makeup School

Summer is hell on hair. I’m sure you’ve heard and know that the heat can frizz out any good head of hair, that chlorine can turn bleached blonde hair green, but do you realize that the heat, the sun and everything else makes your color fade as well?

Like most women, I am sure you play with color throughout the year and summer is no exception. Whether it’s a few highlights, or like me a new vibrant color every other month you still have to deal with fading and the other ravages of summer. None of us want to spend the entire summer hiding from the sun and heat just to make a color job last. For one it’s impractical and for two, it’s just no fun!

So, you might ask, just what are we supposed to do about it? Fear not my fabulous friends! I am about to pass on a few hair care tips that will save your hair AND your budget.

1. Don’t wash your hair every day. I know, I know, sounds pretty impossible, especially to those of you currently yelling, “My hair will get oily!” I know this, but here’s the simple truth, you’re over washing your hair people! Try spreading it out to every other day, longer if you can last without plotting my destruction.

2. Stop using Pantene! And Herbal Essences and Suave and….Hopefully you get the picture. Sure they all smell really great, but they are hell on your hair. Stop the madness people! Love your hair and it will love you. Give it what you need. Do some research and find yourself a Sulfate Free shampoo and conditioner that will save your luscious locks.

3. Use a Heat Protectant. If you are using heat to style your hair, Blow Dryer, Flat iron, Curling iron, you need to use a hair protectant. And not just any, some of these so called heat protectants or shine serums actually contain isopropyl alcohol which dries the hair and splits the cuticle wide open causing even more damage than heat alone. My suggestion: It’s a 10 Shine Spray. I love this little blue bottle; it’s an addiction I know is good for me.

4. Indulge yourself. No, not just on those fabulous shoes you saw the other day at the mall (though I do encourage that too) I mean treat your hair to a deep conditioning treatment. Give it what it’s craving, protein and moisture. You won’t regret it. Some Virgin Coconut Oil lightly worked through your hair, braided and left overnight will nourish, strengthen, hydrate AND cause increased hair growth.

So, now that you’re armed with these jewels of wisdom, head out there and have a great summer!

Method Makeup Academy, Sacramento’s Makeup School