5 Make-Up Tools You Shouldn’t Be Without

Article by BR Georgiana

Does your beauty bag look like a slightly more glam version of the Tower of Babel? There are many chances that your answer is yes, and in this case the important thing is whether your case contains the right stuff or not. And by this we don’t mean just rich lipsticks, creamy foundations and enhancing mascaras, but also some great make-up tools. It is pretty useless to have the perfect products if they are not applied correctly, and this is why we would love to take a peek at the tools forming your beauty arsenal and tell you what it’s missing.

Truth is many of us are guilty of a smudged liner, ugly lines of unblended foundation or blush that looks clowny when we see it reflected in a fitting room mirror. Huh… We really hope you never had such unpleasant surprises but, in case you did, just know that with the right make-up tools you can prevent similar make-up malfunctions.

Read on to find out which are the ones you should invest in without spending too much on a slew of unnecessary tools. With these beauty darlings you will save time, achieve a flawless and expensive look, and experiment even more. Ladies, here are the contestants:

 1.  Tweezers – the Brow Sculptor

The bushier the better - power brows are having a moment, and you can blame it on Brit It girl Cara, who boasts naturally thick brows, or on the make-up artists who obsessively emphasize models’ brows, giving them an empowering look. Being a hot beauty element, brows need to be groomed and really well-shaped to complement each woman’s facial features. Over-plucked brows are so passé, so get ahold of yourself when you happen to hold a pair of tweezers. We know the temptation to pluck hairs is huge, but you really need to tame it if you want an impactful expression.

A great pair of slanted tweezers is a must-have. Perfect to remove stray, small hairs in no time and create a cleanly shaped eyebrow, this tool is worth investing in. Precise tweezers can remove even more hairs at one time and you will find it also useful to remove facial hair (the chin or the upper lip area also need a little grooming once in a while). Unruly hairs be gone!

2.  The Eyelash Curler – the Eye Enchanter

Ask any woman what she considers sexy and feminine in terms of make-up, and one out of two will reply: long, full, stare-don’t-look lashes. Mascara is a can’t-live-without beauty product and, with a little secret help from the curler, it wins the title of miracle maker hands down.

While the lash curler might look a little intimidating at first, we guarantee you’ll be surprised at how easy to use and painless it really is. If you want a Hollywood diva pair of eyes, you will need this precious tool which makes your lashes look longer, curling them upward in the most irresistible way. Absolutely flattering!

However, not all women use this tool properly, and many make a fundamental mistake. But make-up artist Laura Mercier has the golden beauty tip for all the lash curler freaks out there: use the tool on your lashes BEFORE applying mascara, not after. Lashes are much more vulnerable and easier to be pulled out when they are coated with mascara, so curl them while they are still make-up free. To get a natural curl, don’t keep your lashes in the curler for more than 3-4 seconds lest they should crimp. Hear that? Your beauty bag is already raving about this tool!

3.  The Blender Sponge –the Canvas Applicator

A big beauty no-no is applying foundation with your fingers. You risk getting an uneven result and you slather on more product than you really need. What will do the trick is a blender sponge that helps you control the amount of foundation you dab on.

You should go for an oval one, and let us tell you why. Its egg shape is the best for applying foundation, whether you use the creamy or the liquid version. Roll it across your skin; it will blend the product in a very natural way, applying it flawlessly, without leaving streaky marks like foundation brushes. Its tip can be used to apply foundation in difficult areas, such as your hair line, the edges of your nose or around your eyes. Remember to wash your sponge after each use in order to keep bacteria at bay and maintain a healthy-looking skin.

Beauty gurus wouldn’t trade this sponge for anything else. Interested?

4.  The Magnifying Mirror – the Thorough Examiner

If you are an avid make-up user, you will agree that once you have “colour” on, you need a mirror to check it (discretely, if you will) from time to time in order to avoid unfortunate beauty mishaps. Do things such as lipstick on teeth, eyeliner run into the inner corner of the eye, foundation streaks or creased eye shadow (just to name a few) sound familiar? Most probably yes, and this is why your compact mirror can be a life-saviour so many times. But think how many more things you can discover (and repair) with a magnifying mirror! You would really be amazed at the number of details you can miss with a normal mirror, so we decided that one of the must-own beauty tools is definitely a LED-lit double compact mirror with a normal mirror on one side and one that magnifies up to 10 times on the other side, allowing you to get close-ups of every little imperfection. This will prove more valuable than you might think. Winner.

5.  The Pencil Sharpener – the Fine Tuner

This is a beauty tool you really want to have if you are regularly using cosmetic pencils. And we know almost each and every woman has a lip, eye or brow pencil that she uses to trace those fine and precise lines that create a superb finishing touch. Whether you own a chunky or a regular pencil, your pencil sharpener should have two or even three openings to accommodate all pencil sizes. A good one will sharpen your crayons to a precise point, instead of just chewing up the wood and the core. Modern sharpeners come with their own plastic cap and a cleaner which removes the excess product inside the blade. Easy, right?

Blunt cosmetic pencils are annoying and, even worse, some have thin wood spikes sticking out that could scratch and infect your skin. Keep your pencils in tip-top shape at all times and enjoy pro precision

This being said, ladies, these are the 5 make-up tools you should stop ignoring right now because you really need them. To make sure you don’t overspend on these products take your time first to read some online reviews and see what the beauty mavens recommend to be the best tools and brands.

Include these items in your go-to beauty tool list, whether you are a pro or an amateur. And thank us later.

photo credits: womanandhome.com, barbiesbeauty.com, beautyblender, magellans.com, designythings.com,