I have to clean my brushes everytime I use them. As a professional, I can't show up to a job with dirty brushes. It's just gross.

After years of doing it I think I've got it down to a fine art.

I do this so many times every week depending how often I'm working. I try to do it as soon as I get home if I have no more clients for the day but more often than not I will remember when I'm about to jump in to bed and have an early client the next morning. Typical.

For home use I recommend using this method on your personal brushes at least once a month and more often on your foundation type brushes.

Here's the easiest and most hassle free yet effective way I clean my brushes.

I don't buy any special brush cleansers or shampoos. I use my trusty bar of Palmolive naturals soap. It is AMAZING (and soooo cheap). It gets everything out of my white foundations brushes, gets red lipstick out of my lip brushes and black eyeliner out of my eyeliner brushes.

All I do is run the tap on a warm temperature and swirl the brush around on the bar of soap. Then swirl it round on the palm of my hand and foam it up to get the soap deep down into the bristles then do the same again under the water continuously squeezing the water out until the water runs clear. And VIOLA - clean brush, leaving it so clean and bacteria free.

I then dry them by squeezing the excess water into towel and lay it flat on the towel, making sure it's back to its intended shape. Then, just to be on the safe side, I spritz them all with a hospital grade sanitizer.

Then I put them in the hot water cupboard overnight and they are always dry by the morning. A couple of the denser kabuki brushes may take a bit longer. Just make sure they are spread out on the towel not all bunched together.

In between clients on a busy day I clean most of my brushes with isopropyl alcohol on a paper towel. This kills any bacteria and gets most of the product off and leaves it dry enough to be able to use again instantly, but it doesn't bring the brush back to its original colour so the first method I do everynight after work.

For really stubborn stains my last resort is good old sard wonder soap which I'm sure everyone has in their laundry, this stuff isn't just great for getting stains out of your white clothes, it has a gentle bleaching agent so makes your white brushes as white as when you first bought them, But most of the time the pamolive soap works wonders.

If you have anything you think I should add or any questions please don't hesitate to comment below.

I had heard the hype about this product so naturally I had to try it. And I gotta say, I wasn't sure it would do much for my sparse brows.

It's described as a brow volumizing fibre gel. It has tiny fibres in the coloured gel which helps to add volume.

To my delight it has now become a product a can't do without. In 10 seconds it volumizes, darkens, tidies and fills in my brows.

It has kind of a matte texture so your brows still look natural, not shiny and waxy.

It is great on its own when I am just popping out to supermarket or gym. Just brush through you brows with an upward/outward motion. Then add a pop of mascara and a bit of concealer where needed.

Or with a full face of makeup using brow powder or my favourite, the Anastasia Beverly Hills dipbrow pomade to fill in and get a more glam shape. And then finish with the gimme brow to add volume.

Hopefully you can see from the pictures the difference it makes.

I have the light/medium shade. I have naturally medium blonde eyebrows. It's also available in medium/deep.

I had the pleasure of doing Emily's hair and makeup again this year for her school ball and, lucky me, she had her family friend Neeley come and take some amazing photos of her before she left for her pre ball. Usually for school ball hair and makeup work we only get pictures on our iPhones or shots from the ball photographers, which are great but don't usually show much detail in the hair and makeup. I totally loved her elegant look and dress, just so gorgeous.

Photography by Neeley photography www.neeleyphotography.net

Earlier this year Aimee and Dan got married in an evening ceremony at Aimee's beautiful family home in Kaukapkapa. I swear this place was an actual wedding venue. So Stunning.

I've just been going through all her amazing photos by the talented Jen at Nova photography. It was so hard choosing so I got soooo many.

Enjoy!

Had to add a picture of the handsome little page boy Boston. What a cutie.

I love their idea of lanterns instead of flowers. So cool.

Assisted as usual by my amazing sister Paula. We make a great team if I don't say so myself :)

Check out more by Nova photography at www.novaphotography.co.nz