Whether it’s the height of summer or the middle of winter, changing your look with a little colour is always a great way to boost your self-confidence and shake up your style. Today’s bronzers and self-tanning products are scientifically advanced and easy to use, making it simple for anyone to develop a healthy “tan” in seconds flat.

Although today’s self-tanners can produce beautiful, subtle results with proper application, it takes a bit of planning and preparation to get the flawless, even bronze tone that you’re after. If you follow these steps, you’ll avoid embarrassing streaks and lines and achieve a tan so natural looking that everyone will be asking you where you went on holiday!

Exfoliate every day. Beauty experts say that the number-one culprit behind self-tanning mishaps is the accumulation of dead skin cells. Because human skin is constantly regenerating itself, we shed skin cells all the time. If you apply self-tanner on top of loose dead skin, you’ll end up with streaks, uneven colour, and less-than-perfect results. To avoid this problem, get into the habit of exfoliating your entire body every day. In the shower, rub your skin vigorously and methodically with a simple loofah brush or sponge. Just this one step can work wonders for improving the quality of your sunless tan.

Keep your skin moisturized. Another way to make sure that you achieve a smooth, flawless self-tan is to get into the habit of applying moisturiser every day. After you’ve exfoliated your skin, applying a layer of moisturizer will help you achieve an even smoother skin surface. The smoother your skin, the more likely it will be that you’ll be able to get excellent results from your sunless tanner.

Choose the right shade. Many women who want to self-tan make the mistake of selecting the darkest shade available in order to achieve dramatic results. Experts recommend being very conservative with your shade selection, choosing the range that most closely reflects your natural colouring.

Don’t get caught orange-handed. It’s hard to play off your tan as natural when your hands are bright orange! There are several ways to avoid this telltale clue. You can wear disposable latex gloves while you are applying sunless tanner, wash your hands repeatedly during the application process, or use baby wipes to remove excess lotion.

Use hydrogen peroxide to erase mistakes. No matter how many precautions you take, it’s still possible to slip up and be left with an unsightly dark spot or blotch. If you’ve got a trouble spot you’d like to remove, dip a cotton swab or ball in hydrogen peroxide and lightly dab it on the area where you made a mistake. It should lighten enough to blend in with the rest of your skin within a few minutes.

Looking for a little summer fun in a bottle? Don’t forget to check out Blush’s selection of sunless tanning products here .

With the global economy hitting the skids, many ladies are finding that they have less left over at the end of the month to spend on little extras like lipstick and nail lacquer.

Here at Blush Cosmetics, we’re all about beauty bargains. With a little ingenuity, it’s definitely possible to look your best without breaking the bank. Here are a few tips to help you get the most bang for your makeup buck.

Try do-it-yourself manicures and pedicures. Sure, it feels great to walk out of the salon with perfect fingernails and toenails. But when the cost of your weekly manicure and pedicure starts to eat into your grocery money, it might be time to scale back a bit. The good news is that there are hundreds of clever and user-friendly manicure and pedicure tools on the market today that make it easy for even first-timers to get the salon look at home. Browse through our manicure and pedicure supplies here.

Use professional applicators. Believe it or not, the way that you put on your makeup can make a big difference in determining how long it will last. Experts say that professional applicators that are designed to spread makeup evenly on the skin can really stretch out your supply, especially when it comes to pricey foundations and concealers. You can see Blush’s selection of professional applicators and brushes here.

Spend strategically. A great way to scale back your makeup costs temporarily is to spend more on a few key products and switch to less expensive brands for your other makeup. For example, if you have problem skin, it may make sense to splurge on top-of-the-line foundation and choose cheaper brands of eye shadow and mascara.

Stick to the basics for the time being. If you added up all of the impulse and misguided beauty buys you make in a year, the total would probably astound you. If you’re trying to cope with a temporary budget crunch, try to stick with tried-and-true products and shades that you’re absolutely sure will work with your colouring, skin type, and lifestyle.

Shop sales. Sales and promotions are always a great way to make your money work harder. If a product that you like happens to be on sale, be sure to stock up on extras. Here at Blush Cosmetics, our everyday prices are already substantially lower than those you’d encounter at your local department store. Be sure to browse our sale section for even deeper discounts!

Don’t let tight finances put a damper on your poise and self-confidence. If you dedicate a little extra thought to your beauty and cosmetics investments and choose products wisely, you can look like a million $$$ on even the most minuscule budget.

In the world of luxury makeup, few names garner as much respect and recognition as Lancôme. Known today primarily for its advanced skin care products and cosmetics, Lancôme began as a manufacturer of fragrances in France.

Eccentric entrepreneur Armand Petitjean was visiting the ruins of an ancient castle in rural France when the idea for a new company first took root. The tangle of wild roses outside the castle provided both the distinctive logo for the company and the inspiration for one its first signature scents. Petitjean took the name of his new venture from the name of the castle, Le Château de Lancosme.

At the 1935 World’s Fair, the newly minted Lancôme line exhibited five fragrances that were met with widespread interest and acclaim. After World War II, the company began to focus more of its attention on expanding its nascent skin care and cosmetics line. Today, the company remains a sales leader in the category of luxury beauty products.

Over the last several decades, Lancôme has made headlines with a series of glamorous spokeswomen, including Isabella Rossellini, Juliette Binoche, Uma Thurman, Mena Suvari, Shalom Harlow, Drew Barrymore, and Marie Gillain. The addition of Clive Owen to the Lancôme spokesmodel team in 2007 coincided with the brand’s foray into men’s skin care products.

Don’t miss out on Blush Cosmetic’s selection of deeply discounted Lancôme products. Click here to browse our collection.

Although the dog days of summer are starting to fade away, there’s still enough heat in the air to put a serious crimp in your style. Let’s face it — it’s hard to look your best when you’re dealing with droopy hair, runny makeup, and dry skin.

The good news? With just a few small changes, you can supercharge your summer beauty routine to adapt to the changing weather. Use these expert tips to keep your cool even when the temperature’s soaring.

Stay hydrated. When the weather is warm, it becomes more difficult for your body to retain moisture. This can result in a dizzying array of beauty dilemmas, ranging from frizzy hair to dry skin. You can nip most of these problems in the bud by upping your daily H20 consumption. If you’re on the go, avoid the cost and potentially dangerous chemicals of bottled water by toting your own tap water in a hip stainless steel bottle.

Moisturise, moisturise, moisturise. As soon as the darling buds of spring begin to appear, it’s time to ramp up your moisturising routine so that you’ll avoid the curse of dry summer skin. When you step out of the shower or bath, lightly pat yourself dry with a towel. Then, apply a generous layer of body lotion while your skin is still slightly damp. Follow up with a facial moisturiser that’s specially formulated for your skin type. Browse our line of moisturisers and skin care products here.

Lighten up. Summer glamour is best achieved with a more casual, natural approach to makeup. Because you’re likely to be spending more time outdoors, a heavy application of makeup may leave you in a runny puddle of foundation and mascara. Beauty experts suggest a summer makeup routine that revolves around sheer, light colours applied sparingly. If you decide to stick with your normal products and palettes, apply them with a light touch. Lip gloss is a great way to achieve a light, flirty summer look – check out our line of Lip glosses here.

Go for the gold. A bronzed, sun-kissed look is always a hit during the summer months. Skip dangerous tanning booths and opt instead for self-tanner products. With proper application, today’s crèmes and powders will give you a subtle glow, rather than an unnatural orange sheen. Browse our line of self-tanners here.

Ditch your baggage. An unfortunate side effect of summer dehydration often shows up in larger-than-usual under-eye bags and dark circles. Late nights out on the town can make this problem even worse. Beauty experts say it’s easy to camouflage these common summer problems with a high-quality concealer. Opt for a shade that’s a very close match with your natural skin tone. For an even application, dab the concealer on in dots, rather than smearing it on in streaks. Take a look at our concealers here.

Fight frizz and droop. Almost every woman out there encounters hair problems that are brought on by warmer weather. If you hair has a coarse or curly texture, you’re likely to have problems with frizzy, hard-to-control hair during the summer months. If you have straight or fine hair, you’re more likely to be stuck with wilting, droopy hair when the weather is warm or humid. If frizz is your foe, use extra conditioner and anti-frizz serum. If droopy hair has got you down, switch to a lighter shampoo and conditioner formula for the summer, and try to minimize the amount of heavily-textured styling products you use in your hair. A new brush may help you wrangle your ‘do during the summer months; take a look at our hair care products here.

Summer doesn’t have to be a beauty bummer. With just a few small tweaks to your normal routine, you can fix even your most stubborn warm-weather dilemmas in no time at all.

For many savvy cosmetics consumers, the name ‘MAC’ is synonymous with unbeatable style. Although the products offered by this premium brand are typically more expensive than those you’ll find in basic drugstore lines, buyers love the glamorous and fashion-forward palettes and cutting-edge scientific formulas that are used to create MAC products.

In an industry that’s often dominated by corporate behemoths with decades-long histories, MAC is a relative newcomer. Founded in Toronto in 1984, Makeup Art Cosmetics originally catered exclusively to high-fashion photographers and their models. Founders Frank Toskan and Frank Angelo developed a line of bold, brightly hued cosmetics designed to hold up under the less-than-favourable conditions that often prevail during extended photo shoots.

Before long, news spread about the wonders of the new MAC products, and the cosmetics line quickly began to gain a following outside of the fashion industry. This early popularity was achieved solely through word-of-mouth and personal recommendations, a remarkable feat that university marketing students continue to study and analyze even today.

In 1994, the brand became a subsidiary of industry giant Estee Lauder, allowing MAC to achieve even broader distribution. With this leap, MAC cosmetics became more widely available in finer department stores throughout the US and Europe.

Although the company has come to be associated with a series of high-profile glamour girls like spokeswomen Dita Von Teese and Pamela Anderson, MAC isn’t all about beauty and glamour. MAC is also involved in a number social justice campaigns and charity initiatives, including MAC Cruelty-Free Beauty, Back to MAC Recycling, MAC Kids Helping Kids, and The MAC AIDS Fund.

Blush Cosmetics is proud to offer an array of MAC products at our trademark discount prices. Check out our latest MAC offerings here!

You’re the type of girl who takes looking good seriously, so you’ve spent a bunch of time, money, and effort putting together the perfect cosmetic kit. Now, you’re the proud owner of an arsenal of tools that would put a professional makeup artist to shame. What’s next?Just as you spend time tending carefully to your skin, hair, and nails, it’s also important to get into the habit of taking care of your makeup brushes and applicators, especially if you’ve invested in a higher-quality set (and we certainly hope that you have!).

Top makeup artists and medical doctors alike urge women to keep their makeup brushes and applicators squeaky-clean. Here are just a few reasons why regular makeup tool maintenance is so important:

Improved application. Want to guarantee that your makeup goes on smoothly and beautifully? A clean, well-tended brush is the best way to ensure a perfect application, each and every time.

Longer life. If you’ve invested in a high-quality makeup brush set, you want it to last as long as possible, right? Beauty experts say you can double or even triple the life of your beauty tools with a regular cleaning and maintenance routine.

Guard your health. Believe it or not, your average makeup applicator is teeming with icky bacteria. You can protect your precious eyes and skin from infection and other illnesses by making sure that your brushes and applicators are always as clean as possible.

If you’re thinking that the process of cleaning and maintaining your brushes is going to be too time-consuming, don’t worry. Once you get the elements of a basic routine in place, you should be able to run through it in no more than a few minutes. Here are a few simple steps that will help you keep your makeup brushes in tip-top condition.

1. Fill your sink with a few inches of lukewarm water. Lightly twirl your brushes in the basin, but take care not to saturate them. Using too much water may harm the structural integrity of the applicator.

2. Use shampoo or a mild body soap to wash the brush or sponge. Gently work up a slight lather, kneading the applicator tip with your fingers. If you have trouble removing all the debris and residue, use a weak baking soda solution or a specially formulated brush cleaner.

3. Air-dry over night. Gently return the bristles or applicator tips to their original configuration, and then lay your brushes and applicators on their side on a small washcloth or tea towel. In the morning, they’ll be as good as new!

If you’re in the market for a top-quality set of professional makeup brushes, don’t miss Blush’s signature line of cosmetic tools.

There are some things in life you just shouldn’t skimp on. For example, if you’ve ever tried to slash your remodelling budget by buying the cheapest paintbrushes available, that’s a mistake you’ll probably never make again. After you’ve dealt with disintegrating bristles, gloppy drips, and uneven application, saving what amounts to the cost of a medium latté suddenly doesn’t seem like such an amazing bargain.The same principle applies to cosmetic brushes, as well. If you want to look your best and you spend a considerable amount of time and money stocking your makeup bag with just the right products, shades, and formulas, it just doesn’t make sense to use low-quality brushes to apply your makeup.

In fact, some leading makeup artists even say that the quality of your brush matters more in the end than the quality of your cosmetics. In other words, it’s fairly easy to achieve a great look using so-so cosmetics and fabulous brushes. Using high-quality cosmetics with discount-store brushes, on the other hand? Not so much.

Even if you’re on a budget, saving up for a set of top-quality professional brushes is beauty investment that’s well worth it. With just a little bit of care and maintenance, you’ll be able to make your professional brushes last for years to come, and the improvements you’ll see in the quality of your makeup application will amaze you. Here are just a few of the benefits you’ll get with better-quality makeup brushes:

Better blending. High-quality brushes make it easier for you to blend foundation, powder, eye shadow, and blusher. When you use better brushes to apply your cosmetics, you’ll say goodbye to harsh streaks and unnatural contours.

Improved control. Do you have a hard time keeping your hands steady when you’re applying mascara, liner, and shadow? Believe it or not, low-quality brushes might be part of the problem. Most professional sets are ergonomically designed to fit the contours of the human hand, making a clean, crisp application much easier.

Natural beauty. When properly applied, makeup should highlight and improve on your natural beauty, rather than drawing attention to itself. A high-quality brush set makes it easier for you to achieve a more subtle application, so your makeup won’t draw the wrong kind of attention.

Less waste. With high-quality brushes, a little makeup goes a long way. Because the bristles used on professional brushes are specially formulated to hold and dispense makeup evenly, you’ll probably find yourself going through your makeup a lot more slowly than you used to.

Need a beauty boost? Check out Blush’s signature line of professional quality cosmetics brushes.

If you think nail files are just for bored secretaries, think again. According to top beauty experts, regular filing is the key to keeping your fingernails healthy, beautiful, and strong. If you want your nails to have that glossy, shapely just-left-the-salon look, a quick daily filing session can definitely help you get there.

But not all nail files are equally effective. If you’ve been sawing away at your fingernails with a cheap drugstore file, you might actually be doing more harm than good. A low-quality file can actually make your nails look worse, leaving behind unsightly ridges, ragged edges, and other fingernail fashion faux pas.

If you’re going to dedicate precious time to a daily nail care routine, it makes sense to ensure that you’re doing it right. Check out these nail filing tips from some of the world’s top manicurists and beauty experts.

Choose a salon-quality nail file. Nix dime-a-dozen drugstore files and stay far, far away from your granny’s metal nail-torture device. Instead, stick with a soft, generously-sized file that is easy to handle.

Clip first, then shape. If you’ve got a lot of excess length to take off, use clippers to get your nails down to a manageable size before you begin to use a file. If you try to take off too much length with a file, you could wind up doing damage to your nails.

Focus on the tip. Experts say it’s best to stay well away from your nails’ “stress point” when you’re filing, so try to keep the file at least two to three millimetres above the beginning of the outer white curve of your nails. If you venture below this point, you could injure your nail bed and impede future growth.

Move corner to centre. Many women file their nails with a side-to-side motion, but according to nail care experts, this stroke is actually a manicure no-no. Instead, move from the corner to the centre with soft, even strokes, switching sides to finish each nail.

Think squoval. Although the shape of your hands and fingers will likely determine the best look for your nails, experts recommend that most women aimfor what is called a “squoval.” As you probably guessed, this refers to a squared-off oval look that manicurists say is flattering to the majority of common hand shapes.

Don’t forget to stock up on nail care supplies from Blush’s signature collection. If you could use some extra sparkle in your life, glam up your manicure kit with our Swarovski Crystal nail files.