Zoe Foster Friday 24 August 2012 6:28pm

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Zoe

by ZOE FOSTER

Sometimes you have lots of little things you want to write about, but no logical way to string them together, so you create an odd post with lot of little tidbits in it.

This is one of those posts.

1. Make-up brushes.

Just on the topic of makeup brushes, (ssshh) a lot of you have asked HOW to clean your makeup brushes, which is a great question (and crucial in order to prolong the life of your probably-rather-pricey brushes, get the best possible coverage/use, and avoid them growing bacteria and creating breakouts). So here’s how it’s done:

1. Wet your brush under the tap, using warm water

2. Drip a pea amount of baby shampoo onto the brush

3. Gently, so as not to make your brush all wonky donkey/out of shape, massage the brush gently onto the palm of your hand, til there is a good lather. Do not get water or shampoo in/on the metal bit! Brush hair only, thank you

4. Rinse the brush in warm water so thoroughly that you might die of boredom

5. Gently blot your brushes on a towel, being WILDLY OBSESSIVE about not disturbing their natural shape or fanning them out

6. Lay them flat on a towel overnight, or even better, on the edge of a sink or windowsill so the brushes are able to air dry thoroughly.

As for how often, you gotta do it at LEAST monthly. But spot clean them too, either by wiping the brush a few times on a Wet One to clean the colour/product off the brush, (great if you’re going to use a light shadow after a dark one, or a powder after a cream) or a little more thoroughly with a spray/liquid brush cleaner and then wiping the residue off with a tissue until it’s clean. This will refresh their fluffiness, and get rid of any bacteria. Which is what you want.

2. Nail polish.

…. Mecca has very very very very lovely nude-pink-flesh nail polish (extremely on trend but perfectly classic) – Rosaline -  which has become my new This Is My Favouite Polish and I Will Never, Ever Wear Any Other Colour on My Nails Again, Colour, which is complete hyperbole obviously, but that shouldn’t take anything away from how great a colour it is.

The perfect blend of almondy-nude-soft pink. Lasts well, too. Fun fact: The dame who introduced me to this shade, grand priestess of Omnilux and facials, Jocelyn Petroni, does Miranda Kerr‘s nails, and Rosaline is her pick of the bunch too. So, you know, we’re essentially bezzies.

3. Primer.

… Primer was created to keep your makeup in place, for longer. But I also use mine (DermaQuest DermaPerfection Primer – which is a velvety, silicone style texture) to plump up and fill in my undereye crinkles, mixing a little with my cream concealer (MAC) and dabbing it on after my foundation. You can also touch up in the afternoon with just the primer as a kind of face-refreshing, line-reducing spac filler.

4. Invisalign. 

… I finished my dingin’ Invisalign! I did my six months (mine was Invisalign Lite, which is corrective but also preventative) and finally had my attachers removed from my teeth and no longer need to wear my trays 22 hours a day. (I now only wear them at night; it blows me away how much my teeth move even in one day.) My teeth are crazy straight now. Both top and bottom.

Before and After

I feel a bit bad that I’m not hosting a quiz show, it seems wasteful. My overbite is much smaller. My teeth aren’t able to grind like they used to. And now, now I won’t need adult braces. (Cute as they are.) I recommend it, I recommend it, I recommend it.

It’s extremely subtle – no one even knew I had Invisalign until I was disgusting and removed my trays at the table before eating -  and it’s very effective. My tooth doctor, Dr Angelo Lazaris (http://www.sydneycosmeticdentist.com/) is excellent. He’s clever, he’s fun and he is kind enough not to make me wear a wire to keep my bottom teeth in line.

Zoe Foster is an author, columnist and porridge fan. Her books include the beauty bible Amazing Face, dating and relationship guide Textbook Romance, and three novels, Air Kisses, Playing The Field and The Younger Man. Find more info on Zoe Foster here, or supervise on her daily procrastination here and here.

Please understand that Zoë Foster cannot respond to ALL your questions – but never fear, there are readers that are bound to know the answers, so don’t be afraid to ask.

Any beauty tips you would like to share?