the i.t. crowd

i don't apply make-up often, only when the occasion calls for it.  but for all you makeup junkies out there looking for new brushes, look no further.  the new I.T. Brushes at Sephora are my favorite tools i’ve found in a long time.  (and those who know me, know i’m not one to get excited about brushes, so you know it’s serious when i want to write about them).
the I.T. Brushes are a collection of 15 different brushes that were designed by world-renowned architect Philippe Di Meo and tested by the Sephora PRO Beauty Team both backstage and in the studio (www.sephora.com).   you can’t get a better pedigree than that, right?  when using your brushes, the way you position your hand makes all the difference, so on these brushes, the handles were made from ultra-light aluminum and are longer than on most other makeup brushes i’ve seen.  this way, you can hold them close to the bristles for very precise application or by the other end for a less intense look (www.sephora.com).

the brushes all have a metallic finish in interesting, fun colors – pinks, purples and blues – that not only make them pretty to look at but easy to find in my makeup drawer.   but my absolute favorite thing about them is that each brush comes with its own individual cap that slides closed over the bristles.   none of the other brushes i’ve ever owned had this and it makes a world of difference.  with the cap, the bristles don’t get caught anywhere, but even more importantly, when i travel with them, they’re totally protected and the bristles don’t get bent or twisted at all.  so, so important when you’re spending your bucks on brushes.


i love all the brushes – you can tell that they’re high quality just from looking at them and they make application a breeze, but if i had to pick a few key brushes to invest in, i’d go for these couple.

• The Large Powder Brush ($40) is great for applying the finishing touches of powder or bronzer.  Some large brushes pile up the color in one section of your face, but this one distributes really evenly and makes my skin look nearly flawless.
• The Concealer Brush ($28) is easy to use to get concealer only where you need it, without building it up or making it look unnatural.
• The Slanted Eyeliner Brush ($18) is perfect for using shadow as eyeliner or for helping to define pencil liner.
• The Smudge Shadow Brush ($22) helps to create the perfect smokey eye – you can smudge the color into the crease or underneath your eye to make it look dramatic without being too much.  Love this one!

You can pick up a set of your own at Sephora stores or on www.sephora.com.

xx
-d