So I finally decided to do a DIY project I've seen on so many blogs and videos online--- the sushi mat brush roll. I wanted to make one specifically for my eye makeup brushes because I hate rummaging through my jars and kits for my blending, crease, and shadow brushes. I like protecting my makeup tools from dust otherwise all that dirt's gonna end up on my face and will defeat the purpose of my regular brush cleaning. Hello, breakouts and allergies!

  For this project, I simply used the following items--- 1. A sushi mat, 2. black elastic, 3. black ribbon, 4. A cutter, and 5. my trusty glue gun. Read on if you want to know how I made my version of this popular DIY project.

1. Lay out your sushi mat and measure out some black elastic at least twice the mat's length.

2. Choose where in the mat you want the brush bands to be. I decided to put mine in the middle to make a single line come together with the ribbon for holding the brush roll once it's finished. You can place it anywhere but I like seeing a single line at the back once the mat's rolled up.  If the bamboo sticks are tightly bound together, create the needed gap by using a cutter. Insert at least 2 inches of the elastic into the mat's edge.




3. Use a glue gun to secure the end of the elastic at behind the mat or the portion which will not hold the brushes.


4. Using the brushes you intend to put in the roll as your guide for slack and tension, weave through the mat until you get enough loops to hold your tools. Make them snug enough to hold the brushes in place but not overly taught. This will ensure that the mat will stay flat when laid out. Regarding the spacing, three was my magic number with my eye brushes. Three sticks for the loop over and three for the space between each loop. It will depend on how big you brushes are. Secure the end of the elastic at the back as shown on step 3 only this time, leave the mat's last 2 sticks at the edge free for the ribbon that's going to hold the mat when rolled up. You will need at least 15 inches of ribbon, depending on how thick your roll's going to be with the brushes inside and how big you want your bow to be. I like putting the ribbon at the edge so I have the option of making a loop and hanging it up.

                  


5. Cover the elastic at the back with a strip of ribbon to create a finished look.



  Et voíla! You have your very own brush roll made with a sushi mat!

  I hope you found this blog helpful and enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed making this project. May the glam always be with you! :)

  I would often grimace when the brushes I put outside my vanity table's drawers get a film of dust over them- especially when I just washed them. I'm so allergic to dust that it causes me to break out in hives and makes my nose runny. I try to minimize my exposure by damp dusting and securing some of my brushes inside drawers encased in their brush guards and by washing them regularly.

  However, keeping them inside the vanity's drawers cocooned in their guards makes it extra hard to find them and to tell them apart. I have a favorite pencil brush that I use to smoke out my liner and it takes a few tries because the brush guard's mesh obscures the brush head's appearance. I decided to look for containers online so I can finally put them on top of the table and immediately see and use the brushes I need without having to worry about them getting dusty.

  Some sold the dust free acrylic brush holders for 50 dollars per case and some for 26 but the cheaper ones were out of stock so I decided to go down the DIY path for my predicament.



   I got three generic candy/pasta jars and put in some acrylic crystal fillers and voìla--- Instant brush holders that keep dust away. Each jar costs about 5 dollars each and the crystals around 2 dollars. I spent 26 dollars for all three jars including the crystals. You can find candy/pasta jars at any store selling kitchen stuff and the crystals at any place selling home decor. You can also use grain, marbles, and stones. I just really liked how the crystals look so much like pink and clear ice. I simply washed the jars and the crystals with dish soap, dried them and added my brushes. They look way better than the acrylic ones I was planning to buy and they blend seemlessly in my vanity setup.

  I would recommend this over the acrylic organizers available because they look better and they are a lot cheaper than the acrylic ones. So if you want to save some cash or just feel like being creative, give this DIY project a try.

  May the glam be with you!

  If you're crazy about contouring, like me, you definitely have to check out these products I'm about to write about in today's blog. The best thing about them? Most of them are stuff you can get on the cheap. I have MAC's sculpt and shape compact but truth be told, I reach for the pocket friendly alternatives more. :)

1. MAC Lightsweep Shadester Sculpt and Shape Powder- very fine, smooth, and buttery on the skin. Bronzing/contouring powder is a straightforward brown, more taupe than the usual orange tinged bronzers. While the highlighter has no shimmer at all. Best for sombre contouring and classic makeup. Highlighter and contouring powder are both matte and color payoff is subtle but buildable. Great for basic motds and stays put all day. It retails for about 26 dollars and is currently the priciest contour item I have. I only use this for my classic motds that have a serious all-matte vibe to them.

  Maybelline just had a buy 2 take one promo for some of their products and as it happens, I was curious about their liquid mattes. Each one retails for about 350 pesos or about 8-9 dollars. I got MAT 5 (a bright orange), MAT 11 (a dark red), and MAT 10 (a fuschia).

   The packaging is beautiful and sturdy. It's like looking through an acrylic cover with a typical bullet of lipstick inside. The colors look vibrant and the wand inside was pretty unique and impressive. The usual wands are often just straight with a curved end or a brush. The wand in Maybelline's lippies have flat middle body that is flicked like a small tongue with its narrow tip. This makes precision application a breeze.


    The colors look rich and vibrant on my arm but the real test is on the lips. The formula felt very creamy and mousse -like. They felt hydrating on the lips but do not seem to be completely matte. Not super shiny but definitely not the kind of matte you get from Mac's matte lippies nor Colourpop's Ultramattes. They behave more like pigmented matte balms than lipsticks, reminiscent of the Revlon Matte Balms. They don't dry into a velvety matte finish and are certainly not long wearing. The colors do not translate as vividly on the lips as they do with swatches on my arm.

   I've never tried liquid lispticks before and I have to say the three I recently acquired are definitely great finds. I usually go for MAC, Estèe Lauder, or Clinique but at about 10 dollars (more or less) a piece, how could I not give them a go?

 
   The lippies left-right are LAsplash Ghoulish, Colourpop in Lumiere 2, and Colourpop Limbo. The Lumiere 2 in the middle is a current fave, hence, the rubbed off label.



  They are pretty amazing. The colors look rich and they dry into a lovely velvety matte finish. Among the three, the LAsplash Ghoulish has the longest wear but it has an unpleasant smell and a much tackier feel to it. Sort of like glue. It's not a good idea to retouch it, but you can tap some of the product on spots where you need it when it gets patchy after a meal. It was also a little more expensive than the other two lippies. The Colourpop lipsticks feel great on the lips and retouching is not a problem because they don't clump like Ghoulish.

  All in all, I am thinking of repurchasing from Colourpop again and exploring their other colors but probably not from LAsplash liquid lipsticks because I just don't like the smell even though it is long wearing :)