Cleaning your makeup brushes on the regular should be the most important part of your beauty routine. A clean brush is essential for taking care of your skin when you apply makeup. If your brush is dirty, your face will be dirty. So clean your brushes! The process is not as tedious as you might think. This guide serves as a quick reference for cleaning up your brushes daily, with tips on the best bi-weekly deep cleaning. First, gather the brushes you need to clean, MAC Cosmetics Brush Cleaner and some paper towels.

1. For round brushes (like a bronzer brush or blending brush): Apply brush cleaner directly to paper towel and twirl the top of a round brush in a circular motion on the cleaner soaked towel. You should see makeup come off the brush as you twirl it. Repeat this process until no more makeup is left behind on your towel. Lay brush out to dry over night. 
2. For flat brushes (like a fan brush or eye shadow brush): Apply brush cleaner directly to paper towel and brush your brush in a back and forth motion across the cleaner soaked region to remove makeup. Repeat this until no makeup is left behind on the towel when you brush it. Lay brush out to dry over night.
3. For bi-weekly deep cleaning your brushes, Step 1: Wet the tip of your brush with water. not to get any water into the bottom of the brush where it meets its metal handle because the handle will rust if it gets wet.
4. For bi-weekly deep cleaning your brushes, Step 2: Apply dish soap to the wet brush top(organic dish soap is best). Clean the soap soaked brush on a paper towel until no more makeup comes off of it onto the towel. Rinse the cleaned brush thoroughly with water. Set out to dry over night.

Voila! Your brushes are squeaky clean and ready for a beauty bash!

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Dry and cracked lips are painful, uncomfortable and unattractive. Here’s a quick solution using stuff at home to help those of us who are suffering from chapped lips this season.

1. Gather your ingredients. Many of these can be found in your kitchen.
2. Pour out one tablespoon of regular granulated sugar into the mixing bowl.
3. Add one tablespoon of honey to the sugar.
4. Scoop out one teaspoon of Vaseline and add it to the mixture.
5. Mix everything together with a spoon.
6. Apply the mixture with your fingers to your lips and scrub them gently in small circular motions.
7. Wash the mixture off with water and pat dry with the towel, this will help remove any excess dry skin.
8. Apply a chapstick to keep your lips moisturized and flake free.

If you have some left over, this scrub works great for exfoliating hands and nail cuticles as well. It’s surprising how many beauty remedies can be found within your pantry!

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Winter is finally starting to slowly creep upon us, which means our skin is beginning to need a bit more of protection from the elements. With the nipping cold, dry air, the skin on our body is just begging for more moisture. With some simple tips and tricks, you can kiss dry, flaky winter skin goodbye.

First, swap out your regular bar soap or wash for a more moisturizing body gel. Look for ingredients like natural oils (jojoba, coconut, almond) that will make sure your skin gets all of the moisture it needs this coming winter.

Next, invest in a thick body balm instead of your usual lotion. The best time to apply it is right out of the shower while your skin is still damp. This maximizes the moisture absorption.

Another great tip for the winter is to exfoliate the body. St. Ives Apricot Scrub, while too abrasive for the skin on the face, is perfect for the skin on your body; however, brown sugar and lemon work just as well. Exfoliating will keep your skin smooth and supple and prepared to soak in the moisture from the body balm.

As for our faces, a good moisturizer never goes out of season. Reach for something a bit thicker and even pick up a night cream if you have especially dry skin. Now, let’s not neglect the eye area. Winter is the perfect time of year to finally get a hydrating eye cream to keep flakiness at bay.

Just like with our bodies, we must exfoliate the face. During this time, I prefer chemical exfoliants rather than physical ones, as they do not tear the dermis and accentuate flakiness. An AHA cream is perfect because not only does it exfoliate rather gently, it also acts as a humectant (moisture!). If you wear makeup, look for moisturizing formulas; tinted moisturizers are still fantastic for this time of year. Or better yet, mix some of your winter moisturizer with your foundation, and let’s not forget the importance of a good SPF. Even with overcast, the sun’s harmful rays still peak through.

So there you have it, ladies! Simple steps to keep your skin looking glowy, smooth and as moisturized as possible.

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Water works wonders, not only does it increase fat burning and reduce your cravings, but it also gives you more energy, and healthier skin! It’s almost as if water is the only medicine we’ll ever need, right?

The question is how does water do all this! It has been proven that the less water you drink, the faster fat deposits will increase. What this means is that water is ultimately suppressing your appetite in a natural manner while helping your body metabolize stored fat. It’s also a great replacement for snacking on those chips that your girlfriends just brought outside while you soak up the sun!

Water is wonderful for our energy system in so many ways. A mild dehydration can sap all of your energy and make you feel extremely tired. The minute you start thinking that you’re thirsty; you’re already sort of dehydrated because the thirst will only lead your muscles to weaken, and you may become dizzy and fatigued.

Lastly, water is a great foundation! How so? It is the best way for your skin to remain hydrated and healthy! Drinking water helps to clear up skin as well as give your skin a glow that you will notice! Although this doesn’t happen overnight, so much as we’d love it to, it’s important to keep drinking the water in order for your skin to show some results.

There are only so many different ways for you to take care of yourself! Let the first step be right here, right now – go to your kitchen and get a glass water, even if it’s your first or 10th of the day. You know you want to!

The post Wonderful Water! The Perks of Drinking Eight Glasses a Day appeared first on Kouturekiss - Your One Stop Everything Beauty Spot - kouturekiss.com.