November Contest: Billy B. Beauty Makeup Brushes…
Posted by Lianne on November 5, 2007 · View Comments
UPDATE: Contest closed see the winner here!
It’s that time ladies, TheMakeupGirl’s monthly contest is here! This time I am giving away a FULL set of Billy B. Beauty makeup brushes valued at $250!! I use these brushes professionally and personally – so I know how great they are.
I also had the privilege of seeing Billy use them in person last month when I attended the Powder Group’s American Beauty Tour. If you are a regular reader, you know how much I think using makeup brushes are important – here is your chance to win a full set for yourself.
In order to enter and ultimately win, you have to tell me a little about you.
Criteria:
In the comments section of this post tell me why you think using makeup brushes is important, tell me a little about yourself and why you would like to win them.
Official Rules:
If
you are in my family or you are in my phone book you cannot enter (sorry…but I have to be fair), I will read each and every one of your submissions so let’s make this interesting ladies! Write as much as you want, only one entry per person please!
I will go over the submissions and choose a winner. The contest is open all month long so this would be a great opportunity to win a holiday gift for yourself or a friend (a good friend…lol)
Stay Pretty!!
Hey. I’m Tian, a college student from NYC. I’ve learned from experience that using brushes is the only way to apply makeup if you want a gorgeous, flawless application. The results really speak for themselves, no explanation required. If I had the choice, I would have a giant brush arsenal for my every makeup whim. Sadly, being a broke college student limits my options. Here’s hoping I win this contest.
Hello my name is Tygeria Drayton. I want to be a makeup artist more than anything in the world. I guess you can say my parents need help right now watching my sister who is 5 years old and going through money issues we have to wait till i can achieve my goal. Makeup brushes are important becuase it the only way to blend colors and have the makeup go on your face just right. I have used so much cheap makeup that come with the sponge looking things on these little sticks and when I used a brush my makeup was flawless.
brushing on makeup is a lot natural looking than liquid make-up
Why are they important? It’s simple if you want a professional finish you just have to use them!
My makeup brushes are my tools. Like a writer needs his pen or a surgeon needs his knives or a builder needs tools. My first memory with makeup was when I was 4 years old and I got into my grandmothers blush and put it all over not only myself, but the entire bathroom. It was love from there. I started wearing makeup at a very young age, so young that I had to wait till I got to school to put it on. And wipe it off before my mom picked me up in the afternoon.
More recently I have taken my skills to make others feel better about themselves. I use my brushes to help bring out the beauty that every woman has in them. I love working with makeup and to me it is not even a job. My grandfather used to tell me when you find an occupation that you love you will never work another day in your life. And that is so true, cause makeup does not feel like work at all.
I love to be able to show mature women how to enhance her features or make a bride glow on her wedding day. When you can make a girl feel like a million bucks, you cannot put a price tag on that.
And for a set of Billy B brushes, that would be even more delightful!
Hi, I am not a professional make-up artist, but I love to play with different colors and textures. I love to do all of my friends make-up, but I really don’t know how to get in the make-up business professionally. Make-up brushes are necessary for blending and fluidity. You need at least 3 brushes alone for a great smokey eye. The right tools are important to make a great look come together. I would really like to start doing makeovers and I know these brushes would be vital to my endeavor. There are a few women at my job that don’t even know how to apply make-up. I am dying to beat their faces!!! But I want to make sure I am well prepared before I approach anyone.I really want to start a before and after portfolio of my work. I love the looks Billy B. has done and I hope one day to reach that upper echelon, but my favorite makeup artist is still Kevyn Aucoin ( Lord rest his soul). Between yourself and and the sista from Scandalous Beauty ( I honestly don’t know her name), I am learning even more tips and tricks. So thank you for creating this awesome blog. I read it every single day.
I’m not a make-up artist (my sister is the cosmetologist), but I love to play around with my own make-up and I believe brushes are the best thing to use if you want to get a better and more professional look. Thanks for the great giveaway!
Well MakeupGirl, I don’t envy you right now! So many interesting stories – some of them really compelling. My story: I’m 52, have worn makeup on and off since I was in my 30s. I’m not a makeup artist, nor am I recovering from an incurable disease. My own disease was absolutely curable. I call it “I give up syndrome.” Its effects were nontheless, both real and devastating. Thankfully, I am on the road back and am once again taking care of myself in a manner that befits me. I’ve lost weight, bought new clothes, etc. Interestingly, in the course of my journey back to being my real self, I’ve become obsessed with makeup and it’s effect on one’s self-esteem. I read many of the makeup and skin care blogs, subscribe to Allure, and haunt my local Sephora. I’ve had my makeup done by the pros a number of times and have definitely seen the amazing difference really good brushes can make. Applying makeup correctly involves skill – but it seems like the better the brushes, the better the application. Frankly, Makeupgirl, my first thought when I saw your contest was that I shouldn’t bother – but then that was my problem for a long time. I had given up on myself and didn’t bother. So I’m entering the contest and declaring “I deserve those gorgeous Billy B. brushes,” and if I win will treasure them enough to use them well enough to make you, Billy B., and myself proud.
Good makeup brushes are important for the same reasons any good tools are essential: they make the task at hand easier, better, and more directly relate to the intent we are trying to express. A professional set of makeup brushes may not compensate for a lack of skill but professional results will not be had without them.
About me: I’m 32, a wife, a mom, a daydreamer, a government worker bee, a woman who struggles to find even five minutes to herself most days (but I keep struggling), a frustrated artist whose creative outlet has become makeup, a sister, a friend, an amateur makeup artist.
Why I deserve these Billy B. brushes: I am a makeup ambassador. I would (and sometimes do) spread blush on the cheeks of the pallid and put lipstick on that woman who barely bothers to brush her hair. I’ve been known to create addictions (not to mention feeding my own). I believe that makeup lets us express who we are and who we want to be. Makeup doesn’t have a size restriction. It empowers us on days when we are needy and lets us glow on days we are confident. I love makeup and it loves me back.
I am a 65 year old woman who likes to think of herself as a kid still. That doesn’t mean I wear short skirts or skimpy outfits, but I still dress like I did in the 50′s with tights, leggings, black turtlenecks, jeans, Ts, etc.
I have always loved make-up and seem to enjoy it even more these days. I use brushes to get an even application and to add color to small areas, as well as brightness in the inner eye and the outer edges of the eye and upper cheekbone.
My co-workers remark on my make-up — it’s usually very natural, but the brushes help make it that way — and I am constantly showing them the latest item I have purchased and how to get the best look for them. I am crazy about vivid eye shadows and always use mascara to make the most of my eyes. I may be a little eccentric, but I can pull it off without looking garish, thanks to good brushes.
I would love to have the Billy B brushes, as they would make my job even easier and would help keep me 16 years old (in my dreams).
My name is Diahna(deeb0307@yahoo.com). I’m 22 and I live in Alexandria. I’ve worked at George Washington University for the last 3 years. I’m a makeup lover on the smallest budget ever. I’m not a snob though. I like things I’ve seen at MAC and NARS but I also love things I’ve found in the cosmetics section of WalMart. I believe brushes are important because of the precision they give. I was told that they minimize the amount of product you use(compared to a sponge) and since you can clean them, I know they are better for your skin. I would love to win these brushes. Brushes can be some of the most expensive things to buy for makeup. I’ve wanted concealer for the longest time. I always balked on buying it because I couldn’t afford the brush that goes with it. As I get more into beauty blogs and read the how-to’s I realize I don’t have any of the brushes that are talked about and I don’t even have a similar one. It would be cool to know I’ve always got the right brush for the occasion.
Hi. I’m a 31year-old woman. I had a breakdown last year so I can not work or go to school at this time. My doctor has deemed me ‘unemployable’ for at least 9-12 more months. It’s been a tough adjustment.
I keep myself busy by reading, exercising (trying to get back some strength that I lost while in the hospital for 6 weeks early this year), spending time with friends and family.
About 2 months ago, I went out to a dance club for the first time in over a year. It was a tough experience, but also really good for my psyche. I hadn’t worn makeup much and got to vamp it up a bit. I guess I was out of practice, it took me a long time!
I’ve been using brushes for my eye, cheek and lip makeup for years. I find that the product stays on much longer, and you get less creasing when you apply with a brush. Plus, you end up using less to achieve the look you want. Recently I started using a concealer and a foundation brush as well. It REALLY makes a difference. The makeup doesn’t settle into my fine lines as much, and it is better blended into my skin. I don’t use as much product either so I save money (super important right now as I’m on social assistance!).
Well, thanks for this opportunity to share. I think it’s really important to let people know that mental issues such as depression and anxiety like I’m battling, are very real. I’ve accepted that this is my life right now. I have a positive outlook for the future and am not embarrassed or ashamed of what I’m going through. Life hits you hard sometimes, hit it right back with a fabulous face and great smile!
To keep the ick off your face?
I’m a stay at home mom and most of my time and money is focused on kid stuff. I have come to the realization that I need to try harder on myself… I feel like I have given up on looking good and that kind of automatically makes me look awful. I have never been good with makeup but I promise to try and learn if I win!
Hi! My name is Lindsay and I’m a local fashion and beauty addict in Richmond, VA. I’ve always been into makeup but my obsession and skills didn’t start until about 4 years ago. I now mix both high-end and drugstore brands with both makeup and my brushes. I have brushes from MAC, Sephora brand, Smashbox, and then my drugstore fave brush brand “Essence of Beauty” from C.V.S. My Mom and I usually share product knowledge and if she buys something she doesn’t like, she’ll give it to me and vice versa. I think this brush set would be awesome for us to share, I’d let her pick whichever brushes she wanted and would use the most and I’d take the “leftovers” because I know I’d find good use for all of them. So this brush set seems like it has all the essentials and I think this would be a nice surprise for my Mom. We’re both dealing with my sister having leukemia and my Mom just doesn’t treat herself because she is so focused on my sister. I have to treat myself every now to stay sane and I feel my mother could use a treat as well!
makeup brushes is as important as paint brushes to a painter or a set of screwdrivers and wrenches to a handyman…i just got into makeup recently and to really properly apply pigement on your face wiith the most control and flexibility, brushes are the way to go…and not just cheap brushes that shed during application…but the really nice quality ones!
Hello,
I am new to the makeup scene…in the past 6 months I have become addicted with the ART of makeup application. I have spent money that I truly don’t have on nothing but makeup. I do not always have the money to buy Mac, Nars, or other high end brands but I make due with what I’ve got and what I can afford. About 3 months ago I purchased a set of 12 makeup brushes that I found on E-Bay for about $15, so you can imagine the quality! BUT, what I have learned is the importance of using brushes as opposed to the applicators that usually come with your makeup. While my brushes are cheap and can sometimes be scratchy, I can see the difference that they make in how my makeup looks. I surf the web everyday and I always see high- quality makeup brushes that I would LOVE to call my own, but as a college sophomore working part-time with rent to pay–I can’t afford to purchase those. I love that people such as yourself have blogs that give beginners [like me] the opportunity to imitate your FOTD’s and give us ideas as to what our next purchase should be. I appreciate the the fact that you have given me the CHANCE to win brushes as nice as these, and I trust that you will choose the best recipient!
Hello
My name is Devin Harvey. I live here in Houston, Tx and am an aspiring makeup artist. If you would have asked me this five years ago, I would have told you that I barely knew how to put on makeup, let alone become a makeup artist. Somehow here I am, doing bridal work and getting ready to do my first photoshoot. I had a chance to go to the Billy B. tour in Dallas and I loooooved it! He is the most humble, talented, wonderful man! I didn’t get a chance to purchase his set, because finances would not allow, but I wish that I could have and certainly have them on my wishlist. I know that brushes are invaluable to makeup and the application. It can make or break a look. Cheap tools just won’t get it done and shed and break apart, and just don’t apply the makeup smoothly and evenly like good brushes can. I have been hearing the raves on the Billy B. brushes and wishing everyday that I could get a chance to purchase them when the finances allow. I wish you the best on your decision and thank you for being kind enough to award such a wonderful gift. God bless!
Hi I am a wife and new mother. I would love to win the Billy B. brushes because I haven’t had a new makeup item in a while and I definitely need new brushes! My husband is currently getting his second masters degree and with bills on top of that I can’t afford any luxuries. This would definitely be one! Thanks for considering me!
All my Best-
Growing up, I’ve always admired the artistry of make up as I watched my mother flawlessly powdered her skin with a touch of pink to her cheeks and lips for a rosy touch. The little 5 year old that I was, I found myself sneaking in my mom’s room and glancing through her makeup like it was a chest full of toys. Today, make up still remains as my obsession and personal treasury. When I pick up my an eyeshadow palette, I enjoy the fun out of coloring my eyes like I did with my coloring books as a kid. A big tomboy in my middle to high school years from playing sports and loving the feel of basketball shorts, my joy for makeup always kept me feeling feminine with a touch of elegance through the occasional shimmers on my eyes and cheeks. Through years just plain playing around with different makeup for the fun of it, I’ve realized that the quality and touch of a brush can make a big difference in the result and final finish of a look. On a low college budget, I’ve been fortunate enough to have own a fine quality eyeshadow brush to blend colors over my lids to a cute kabuki brush to give me a soft touch over the years. It would be awesome to have a Billy B. Make Up brush set to enjoy as well as add to my personal treasure chest as the one I’ve always see and admired of my mother’s.
Hello LiannE,
How are you?
I’m from Holland and i love your website, it gives me so much advice on make-up products. I am starting as a make-up artist, because this is what i love to do. since i was a little girl i had a passion for beauty, because i was nerdy myself, no one did look at me.
When i got older i began to understand more of make-up and fashion and this girl turned from a ugly duckly into a swan. I want to make woman beautiful because i know a little make-up can make a difference for an example to put the focus on the parts of your face and body that are beautiful…
Well everything is going great, i have the talent for make-up, i have the make-up, but i don’t have the right tools. I want to buy it but i can’t afford it because my husband has lost his job so i have to use al my saving money
Well i hope I’ll win so i can start my carreer in a good way, with the right tools.
If i don’t win, i still love you make-up girl!!
Love,
Nathalie
Several years ago, at age 38, I found out that I have a progressive, crippling, and incurable genetic disease called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. Strangely enough, it was actually one of the best things that could have happened to me, as it made me re-evaluate my life and my priorities. I decided, almost on a whim, to take up art. It allows me to be expressive about what’s beautiful in life, even when I can’t get out of bed. Naturally, like any artist, I treasure my brushes.
Coincidentally, I also discovered mineral makeup right around the same time (who could miss all those infomercials?). And naturally, I fell in love immediately with makeup brushes. As in painting, the tools you are not only important to the final product, but to the whole process of making art. Elegant, effective tools make for a delightful experience.
I think the biggest breakthrough was seeing my *face* as my canvas. Sometimes people only see me as the wheelchair, or the limp, or the disabled parking permit. With my newfound artistic flair, I can “paint” my face and feel as good an expressive as I do painting on canvas or paper, and I feel like I’m WEARING and MANIFESTING art! It lets me be more confident about my disability, and I just know sometimes people are thinking, “Okay, she’s in a wheelchair, but her face is just glowing!”
This looks to be a beautiful set of brushes. Some of them I can only guess at how to use, as I only have a Frankenstein-esque set of the very basics. I know that I will get the same pleasure from experimenting with them that I do after returning from the art supply store with a new brush: “What beautiful things can I do with this new treasured tool?”
N.B. Thanks so much for running this contest. It’s been great reading all these entries!! XOXO
HI!
Not here to enter the contest because I have plenty of brushes and heaps of make-up.. But I did want to compliment Marie R. I really enjoyed reading your story!
Also, in response to Adina’s 8 brushes for $10.. It is IN the tools, baby! It’s akin to preparing food with dull knives. It’s not smooth and effortless, and it ain’t fun. And it’s usually not pretty.
My two cents: I hope the winner of these brushes isn’t chosen based on their sob story, but their creativity and their capacity to share their creativity with others through these fine tools!
peace & love,
kate
hi
im jess i use make up a lot.But i dont many have brushes (the ones i do have are really cheap),untill i read some of the other comments above i never knew that having brushes was so important. i grew up with my dad and brother and they didn’t know much about make up so i taught myself how to apply it.
So I didn’t “get” makeup until recently — turns out the difference was using a brush. Up until recently I used whatever came with the product, and if it came without a brush I used my fingers. To the detriment of my wallet, makeup makes sense now that I’m applying with brushes. Concealer, blush, eyeshadow — how was I even wearing them before? Thanks to the professional makeup artists who have brought me out of the dark ages. You don’t know how much I have appreciated your lessons.
Hi
My name is Amanda, I am an esthetician. I work with make-up every day…it is my life. I certainly know the importance of using good quality make-up brushes. It makes the application flawless. At work we use beautiful brushes….but at home, I’m still using my brushes from school. Which definitly need replaced. I refuse to buy cheap brushes, and need to invest in some new ones.
take care.
hi I’m Ashley and I am currently a theatre arts student so I know the importance of using the proper brushes for my stage make-up. It really does make applying make-up easier and is more accurately done when you have the proper tools to work with. Also obtaining better definition when applying make-up that has to be precise is a must. The quality is very important. You get what you pay for basically, because I had purchased a set of make-up brushes (from wal-mart) for the very first show I was in and ended up picking the brush bristles out of my makeup before I could go on stage. It was horrible! I would really love to have those brushes as part of my theatrical make-up kit!
A few years ago, I bought one MAC brush on a whim and fell in love with brushes. They make a huge difference when applying your makeup. I think nice brushes give a more polished / finished look to your make up application.
Unfortunately, as a mom of six (four girls in the bunch), I can’t afford to buy more of the expensive brushes. The rest are cheap and the overall look isn’t as nice as it could be.
I do the best I can with them as I teach my daughter’s how to artfully apply their makeup. We love to experiment and improve our ‘look’.
I am a makeup artist who is looking to break into the industry. My passion, love and respect is for the art of makeup and I want nothing more than to be a part of it all. I have always been a believer of brushes and their use. I want to paint and create with brushes. There is a world of possiblities when using brushes and I by using a professional set such as Billy’s I know I would be able to create a masterpiece. I want take tips and ideas from the best and I believe this is a way to do that.
Thanks,
Genevieve
Hello Lianne,
I am Prezzy, i’m 21 and make-up and beauty is my passion.
It’s really important to have the right tools i know that, right now i use cheap brushes, but i need brushes from real hair, they are softer, smoother and apply your make-up flawless. It looks like your skin is like satin. My brushes doesn’t do that at all…
I always wanted to buy the brushes from M.A.C. but unfortunately i don’t have a money tree in my yard… haha
I want to start with beauty school, but those tools are way to expensive for me, so i have to save my money a little longer, but the Billy B. set would be a great start
Thanx for this chance to win this great set Lianne!!
My name is Ashlen, and i actually just found this site when i was searching for a site that offered makeup contests! I am newer to makeup and my collection is slowly growing! Brushes are definitely a guilty pleasure, but i just can’t afford them! I would love to get some by mac but i can’t bring myself to pay so much money that i don’t have for just one brush! As a college student books, UNFORTUNATELY,are more of a priority than makeup, which quite frankly STINKS! So my collection is growing slowly and mainly with cheap makeup and i even bought cheap paint brushes instead of real makeup brushes. Brushes are the foundation to what makeup can achieve! With the right brushes, makeup can be transformed! Not using brushes can many times leave sharp lines and lack of blending. Also concealer brushes are completely necessary for helping your concealer work to its full potential, especially when you have a nasty blemish. My favorite brush of all for some reason is the blush brush. I love love love blush brushes!! (say that five times fast!! haha) i just have a weak spot for them for some reason and i even love them somehow more than eyeshadow brushes. All in all though, you need face brushes, concealer brushes, and eye brushes to really reach your full potential of beauty! I would love to be a makeup artist, it’s kind of one of those dreams that seems unrealistic and it’s just something you dream about rather than aspire to do because of how impossible it seems. But if i win this brush set, for whatever reason you choose, i think i will go down a different path towards my future and change my dream to an aspiration!
Those brushes could really help me boost the self esteems of plenty of bay area women! Let me explain…
Last year I went through a really painful divorce. I had been married barely nine months when my husband very suddenly decided to call it quits and kicked me out with nothing more than two suitcases of clothes. Needless to say, he was married again to someone else the day the divorce went legal. All in all, my finances and more importantly my self esteem took a huge dive. I couldn’t afford to buy badly needed new clothing and my cosmetic drawer got painfully empty at times. Of course this just increased the downward spiral of my self esteem. I wanted so badly to heal and put myself back out there, but I would look in the mirror and feel awful about what I saw. I when I felt awful about how I looked, it affected my whole day.
A year later, I have learned so much about myself. I have healed and grown and even found new love. Learning about who I am on my own and seeing myself grow from hardship gave me such a confidence boost. With my finances starting to get back on track, I decided to start a home business to take my love of beauty and fashion, and help other women find their own confidence boosts. So Steph’s Beauty Buzz was born. I have read so many books on fashion consulting, dressing different body types, personal shopping, and cosmetic techniques. I even got some training in makeup application. So now I run a service to help woman work with what they’ve got, very a la “what not to wear.” In the beginning it felt great to be doing something I love and having it help my finances. But lately, I have found so many women who my heart goes out to, who can barely afford to go shopping at all let alone pay for my services, and I just want to help them so much. I remember how much that confidence boost would have meant to me when I was struggling so much. And so pro bono work has become a regular part of my business. I would say at least 25% of my clients each month are women with great stories who deserve that little extra boost and I choose to help for free. Whether they are recovering from cancer or getting through their own divorce, I feel luck to show them how beautiful they really are and to see how a new found confidence can change anyones direction.
A professional set of brushes like this could REALLY help me provide women with a new way to look at themselves, and hopefully a new way of looking at life. Right now I’m working with much lower budget brushes, as my business IS starting to make a profit now, but not enough to commit to pricier products. Most of our budget goes into the makeup and hair products, but a good set of brushes can change the look of any product. This would really be the boost my business needs, so that I can continue boost the self esteem of deserving women.
Why are makeup brushes important? Gee, so that my fingers aren’t covered with foundation, eyeshadow, and concealer causing me to smear my handiwork and ruin my clothing?!
Well, that seems to be the obvious answer but I’m sure that there is a “right” answer that I’m just not familiar with or into.
I’m a 35 year old single mom, working and going to school, and recently I (re)discovered makeup and have adopted the attitude “that makeup makes everything okay” and it does. When I’m feeling low, unsure of myself, or need a pick me up in the morning makeup has made everything okay.
I’m thinking now that maybe a great set of brushes will enhance that experience and encourage me to become more daring and experiment with color and application.
Hope you pick me!
Hi! I’m Melissa and I am junior college student. I am obsessed with make-up and have been since I was in middle school. I’ve learned the hard way that good brushes are essential to flawless makeup. When I began using cheap makeup in high school, I used cheap brushes as well and look back on those pictures in complete horror!! (I looked like a painters palette!) I convinced my mother to splurge and invest in quality brushes for me but they are nearing their end now. I have taken very good care of them and clean regularly but as I am a broke college student it is hard for me to buy a new set! I would love a new set because I have interned in client relations and volunteer at the Career Center on campus so personal appearance is very important to me. New brushes would not only do wonders for my face but my pocket as well! Thanks.
Hi, My name is Amber and I’ll be fiteen December 6th of this year. Ever since I was about seven years old I’ve been interested in makeup, hair, and fashion. My mother never really understood my infatuation with these things since she believes makeup is bad for your skin, she feels an expensive brush set like Billy B.’s is a waste of money,and never really wore much more than lipstick on special occasions.
It’s because of this reason that I depend on sites and blogs such as yours and many more like yours to give me guidance on beauty news, beauty products, and how to use those products as both a makeup lover and as a woman of color. I frequent these sites and blogs and I have such passion for all things beauty that I hope to pursue a career in cosmetology or as journalist for a women’s magazine such as Allure or Lucky. I also take much inspiration from these websites for ideas on makeup looks.
I believe Billy B’s makeup brushes will allow me to expand on my makeup skills, as much of the way I learned and the way I am learning is by myself with the direction from websites. Many times I struggle with contouring cheeks and eye looks that need to be blended since most of the time I use my fingertips to apply eye-makeup and my blush brushes are a little cheap and don’t distribute color in concentration enough to do contours. I hope these makeup brushes can help me perfect the looks I admire and create more looks of my own. Plus, these makeup brushes are so beautiful and versatile, yet basic and easy to use; I especially love brushes eight, nine, ten and thirteen. Who knew a brush could apply mascara to your bottom lashes? Overall, I hope these brushes will help me expand on my passion for makeup, not to mention it would make the best birthday gift. Thank you for your time.
I hope you choose me!
Amber
Hi, My name is Daphne. I’m a 30 year old wife and stay at home mother to two young children who frankly has let herself go. I love my life as wife and mother but somewhere along those lines i forgot about myself. I am just now rediscovering who I was, who I am and who I want to be. I also recently discovered sites such as yours even existed. I love them. It allows me to reenter that world i had put aside in a fun and informative way. I would love to win those Billy b brushes because as a mother to two young kids I just can’t justify spending that much money on makeup brushes. Plus, it would be a lot of fun to say I won them. Thanks
Hi!!!!!!!I’m Raxita. I don’t use makeup and lately I’m not feeling pretty at all.(I think- I look like a boy, but my friends don’t think so. Maybe they are being nice.) I have been surfing online, trying to learn about makeup and how to apply them. Therefore I think this is going to be great beauty tools to get professional look.
Hi, my name is Eleanor. I really got into makeup about two years ago when I had my makeup done at a MAC counter for my cousin’s wedding. It looked amazing and I bought everything the MUA used at that time.
Since then I have gone on to purchase quite a lot of makeup mainly eyeshadows. I am fascinated with the different looks possible with the same three colours. I also bought quite a few blushes and this is for a girl who just used to put on a bit of powder. The change a bit of makeup can have on your appearance and self-esteem is amazing.
I am currently using body shop brushes and although they do the job, they dont the the best job. However, they are all I can afford right now. Having the Billy B brushes would be a dream come true and will take my makeup application to the next level.
[Picture this:]
Shanghai in the first blush of its “huang feng”: the hot, oppressive and strangely lovely crush of August. There’s a girl digging through a suitcase on the fourth floor of an apartment in the eastern part of the city, where the dark labyrinth corridors of old Shanghai compounds twist around the guts of tarnished new millennium buildings. She’s got black hair,
dark eyes, and is clearly Asian in descent.
Any native resident could tell you she’s a visitor. Maybe it’s the bold, piercing way she meets your eyes–here is a girl with no fear. Grandmothers warm their grandsons against tiger women, and her deceptive low-hipped prowl is decidedly feline. Maybe it’s the hair–good Chinese girls don’t crop their hair shorter than a boy’s, all messy spikes and careless swirls.
Maybe it’s the impeccably applied emerald green eyeshadow.
She’s frowning, her full mouth (NARS Gipsy, blotted twice) twisting. Someone, probably airport security from Logan, has unended her carefully arranged suitcase. Neat as a well-constructed bento box when she left Boston early Tuesday, her clothes are now twisted around, toiletries pawed through.
It’s violating. And her fat little brush case is gone.
She’s barely twenty, and it’s taken two years to build up a respectable collection of good brushes. Independent and fiercely unwilling to spend the money of her hard-working parents, she’s researched all the brushes for the best quality/price ratio. All of them have been paid for out of her own pocket.
There were humble little workhorse brushes from the drugstore, a pampered expensive kabuki brush, an obscenely soft powder brush that she had saved up for three months for. There was a bright little pair of newly sharped tweezers, a cantankerous old eyelash curler that she was inordinately attached to.
All gone.
[Close to black.]
You don’t realize how attached you get to your makeup brushes. I’m still at the stage where I could be ready to leave with one suitcase, leaving behind the stages of my life like shed chrysalises. But I need my toiletries for the regularity, the preparation that enable me to face the morning.
With my brushes and my pigments and my paints I can be a kohl-eyed modern-day Mata Hari. I can announce my exceptional character with a slash of red lipstick, “no” scrawled on my cheekbone with liquid liner. I can draw on my stripes with black shadow, give myself tiger eyes with amber shimmer.
Without them, the tools of my trade of transformation, I’m only a lonely, tired girl, slumped over a scarred and rifled suitcase, half a world away from home and as vulnerable as I never allow myself to be.
My name is Jenn and, at the age of thirty-five, I have watched all of my friends get married, have children, and some even get divorces. I have chosen not to go down that route – turned down two proposals – but am also not waiting for the right man to “start” my life. I have happily built my own life over the years – house, car, career, and the proverbial cats. I believe that both inner and outer beauty are important and do my best to nurture both. I put effort into my daily routine to ensure that I always put my best foot forward. I work hard, I play hard – and I love to indulge in a warm bubble bath at the end of a long day. I am simultaneously hard and soft.
Wow! So many comments to read!
Well, my name is Nmachi. I’m a graduate student who is crazy about makeup but cannot afford to buy many. My latest buy was a $2 drugstore blush that I thought would work for me in the store only to come home and find that it blended completely into my skin! Needless to say, I was very disappointed.
I would like to win the makeup brushes because:
1) I have a lot of acne and hyperpigmentation scars and I use makeup to cover most of them but my makeup sometimes comes out shabby because I use my fingers to apply them and I think I aggravate my acne scars in the process:(.
2) If I tried to buy the brushes on my own it would take me YEARS to get a complete set. YEARS! Right now I just have foundation and blush brushes…and that’s after planning for about a year to get those! The funny thing is when I finally have the money to buy a brush I go for a cheap brand and I regret it immediately I get home. I would like a nice, quality set that will last me a very long time.
3) I would like to be able to use my interest in makeup to earn extra money on the side by hopefully working as a freelance makeup artist sometime in the near future. I already help out my friends with makeup now and I can only imagine what I’ll be able to do with a nice kit. At least I’ll be able to advertise my own face everyday!
4) It would make a really nice birthday and Christmas present for me
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Wanted to keep it short but I really want the brushes…Sorry…
Makeup brushes are so important in applying makeup because they make all the difference in the world. Every single brush has it’s own purpose and it seems that makeup just doesn’t look right without using them. Of course, once upon a time, we all bought cheap eyeshadow applicators and brushes with bristles that either hurt to use or fell out all over our faces when we used them. Unfortunately, the brushes that fit in my budget are the ones I mentioned above. I would love to win a really nice set of brushes that I can use for a long time. Brushes are the most important to me because my main pet peeve is when people don’t blend their makeup. I’d also like to learn how to use more brushes and, well, what better way than to have a really nice set to work on?
I am terrible with make-up – to the point where I just rarely wear it. If I had some proper application brushes I would try it more.
Just a girl with inspiration from those that have shown me that dreams can come true. That by honoring yourself and the values you have set for you; life will take you as far as you will let it. Sometimes further than you dream. I am Rebekah Jean model/beginning makeup artist and I plan on being noticed. It would be nice to have one complete set of really nice brushes to put to good use instead of some of this brand and some from that. It is important that my brushes be soft, oiled often, and that the application be even and smooth. That my client see the difference in my talent and that quality in product matters! Both in the makeup used and THE BRUSHES! You can have a steady hand, a good eye, and a great mind to exercise creativity…but without the BRUSHES; the face cannot take on the start of a great masterpiece. The brushes are the greatest tools for any talented artist. The inspiration becomes the dream through the BRUSHES!!!!
I plan on becoming great in the eyes of those I love and hope to inspire others with the love for beauty and color. The expression of ones character shows in the face and what better way of expressing it than through the use of color. Our true color always shines through and enhancement of ones beauty is magnified through the hand of the artist. Again, the most important tool of the hand is the gentle application of color through the use of good brushes. I hope to achieve the art of mastering ones self through my constant desire to create the face of perfection. That one face that says to you, “This is my life long face of faces and my masterpiece of masterpieces.” That day I can contribute it all to THE BRUSHES OF BRUSHES and inspire with beauty and color!
Thank you for this opportunity and thank you for taking the time to read this. It is truely a deep passion for me and an expression of my sole. I love it, crave it, and live it. It would be an honor to use your brilliant set of brushes through the years of makeup design. Thank you for your inspiration to the world and to me in color and design.
Beat wishes, Rebekah Jean; KolorMeBeautiful