Brush love

Ah brushes.  Some see a necessary tool to get through your tangles, or, when it comes to makeup brushes,  some might deem them entirely unnecessary when they have a perfectly good set of hands attached to their body.
You know what I see?  The tools that can create GENIUS work.  A brush can help you turn lackluster, limp locks into a brilliant up-do.  Makeup brushes can take a splotchy face and make it runway-worthy in minutes.  I know not everyone gets as excited as I do about brushes, but before you decide brushes are boring, check out some cool new innovations in the brush world that might pique your interest.

Goody Quik Style Paddle Brush ($11.99)- This brush has a built-in towel in it, and I'm not even kidding.  Ok, maybe a slight exaggeration.  It actually has absorbent microfiber bristles to help reduce drying time, but in my mind it's built-in towel.  The microfiber bristles are super soft so it doesn't rip my fine hair, and now I don't have to feel bad brushing my wet hair.  Another cool feature to the brush is that it's vented and has anti-microbial properties so you don't have to worry about your brush getting all nasty.  I'm so in love with this brush already, I don't know if I can even do it justice.

Royal and Langnickel's new [R]evolution brush collection- If you're not a pro makeup artist R&L may not be a household name to you, but it should be.  They are the makers of quality and affordable makeup brushes for decades now.  But if you've never experienced their brushes, now may be the time with the launch of their new [R]evolution collection.  The 32-piece collection starts at $7.99 and goes up to $49.99 for brushes made of high-quality synthetic fibers that are made to pick up pigments as well as natural hair brushes (natural hair = animal hair).  The benefits of synthetic fibers (besides me being a hippie and not wanting to use animal hair brushes) usually involve easier clean-up and longer lasting brushes, but R&L made synthetics that are actually soft and luxurious as well. Besides the feel and quality of the brush hairs, they put quite a bit of thought into the durability of the ferrule, which is that metal part of the brush where the hairs and the handle meet.  The number 1 way people destroy their makeup brushes is by not cleaning them properly, and then water gets into the ferrule making the hairs fall out or the wooden handle fall off.  The [R]evolution brushes have an acrylic handle so it won't absorb water, especially since it's attached to a nickel-plated brass ferrule that is pretty much indestructible.  The R&L website also has great tips on cleaning or caring for your existing brushes or for your new [R]evolution brushes.