Makeup brushes: which one is needed for what
Despite the fact that today the rules of makeup allow you to use sponges, airbrushing, and even fingers as a tool for applying cosmetics, you cannot do without a basic set of brushes.
But how do you choose the right makeup brushes? Which makeup brush should I choose, synthetic or natural bristle? How to properly care for makeup brushes with different types of bristles? What is the shelf life of makeup brushes? All these and other questions about make-up tools were answered by Alexey Rutkovskiy, the official makeup artist of Maybelline New York in Ukraine, the founder of the Al.Rutkovskiy makeup brush brand.
After watching a video interview with a makeup artist, we offer you to figure out which specific brushes are designed for different makeup products.
The choice of an individual set of makeup brushes depends on the needs: it is clear that foundation brushes will not be needed for those who use only mineral powder products, and the most fluffy eye brushes will not help if you apply only cream shadows. However, there are general recommendations that will help to assemble a basic set. It is best to choose each beauty device according to its purpose. That is why we have compiled this guide. If you don't know which brush to use for what, keep our guide for yourself.
Face brushes
Face brushes can be divided into several categories:
- for foundation
- for concealer
- for powder textures
Of course, the set of professional makeup artists includes many more types of brushes, but three types of brushes are enough for home makeup: for foundation and concealer, for powder, for blush. If you use contouring tools and highlighters, then you need to get brushes for them, since it is not recommended to apply dark and light products with the same tool – you will get a very dirty and sloppy make-up, especially if the textures of these tools do not match.
For foundation
For cream, liquid textures and cream powder, you will need three different brushes. For example, for very light fluids, it is better to use a flat synthetic spatula brush, and for the densest cream powder texture, a kabuki brush is useful. Kabuki brushes, with the thickest ball-shaped bristles, are good at distributing mineral tonal foundations of a powdery consistency, and they also manage to achieve the effect of “polished" and “retouched” skin, so it is better to apply products that are complex in texture like cream powder with just such a brush.
Giorgio Armani Maestro Shaping Foundation Brush
Foundation Brush — Clarins
Guerlain Skin Lingerie Brush
La Mer Foundation Brush
For all other tonal means, it is customary to use a spatula brush or a “tongue” brush with a beveled cut. The second, thick synthetic fiber brushes with a flat end are reminiscent of kabuki with the top cut off. They perfectly drive even the most dense foundations, the most viscous textures into the skin, and with this brush it is simply impossible to leave non-blended stripes of makeup, and flat spatula brushes often sin with this. By the way, the “tongue” brush also helps to create the effect of “blurred” skin. With its help, you can distribute the foundation as thinly as possible or layer the product with driving movements.
By Terry Tool Expert Stencil Foundation Brush
For concealer
Concealer brushes are similar to foundation tools, only they are much smaller. As a rule, flat brushes made of synthetic bristles are used for dense creamy correctors, and fluffy ones are used for liquid textures. However, the choice of brush can be dictated by the purpose. For example, using a small flat spatula is much more convenient to correct small imperfections on the face.
Giorgio Armani Maestro Concealer Brush
Real Techniques Expert Concealer Brush
For powder
Moderately wide and fluffy brush with natural bristles perfectly picks up powdery textures. Such a tool should be soft so as not to take too much money and not remove the applied tone. Fluffy brushes very quickly carry the powder over the face, and in a very thin layer.
Naturally, with such brushes you can apply bronzer, blush, and highlighter, the main thing is to choose your tool of the required size for each product. For example, even the largest brush is suitable for fixing a make-up, but for contouring you need something more miniature. Some handy highlighter brushes are nothing more than scaled-down versions of powder brushes.
Important: in order to fix the makeup and not remove the layer of foundation, use patting movements with a brush, do not wave it over your face like a broom.
Chanel Les Pinceaux de Chanel Powder Brush
Deborah Maxi Face Brush
Mary Kay All-Over Powder
Shiseido Powder Brush
Smashbox Face Cheek Brush №2
For blush, highlighter, bronzer
As we have already said, the powder brush should be moderately fluffy so that it does not pick up a lot of product. This is especially important for blushes and bronzers, as this is a fairly pigmented product. The dry texture blush and contouring brush should be made from natural bristles. It is smaller than for powder, because it is intended for local application of the product. These instruments often have a beveled edge, especially those used for contouring, which makes it much easier to distribute the product.
CHILLY DASH Face Brush 2man
Givenchy Le Pinceau Blush Brush
Lancome cheek brush 7
Mary Kay cheek brush
ViSTUDIO brush 104
For cream and liquid products, it is worth choosing tools with synthetic fibers, preferably duo-fiber. Synthetic bristles do not absorb cream textures, so these brushes allow you to control the amount of product applied and blend the pigment into a light haze.
Stila Cosmetics Custom Contour Brush
Yves Saint Laurent Complexion Perfecting Brush
Lip brushes
Lipstick, especially liquid, is convenient to apply directly from the tube, but it can take too much time to accurately stain. For this, it is better to use a brush. For cream and liquid lipsticks, any small brush with artificial bristles will do. It is most convenient to use a compact folding version with a cap that allows you to carry the brush with you in your purse. Depending on personal preferences, you can choose brushes with a beveled end or a smooth, slightly convex cut in the center.
Chanel Les Pinceaux Lip Brush
Eye brushes
Lots of eye brushes. You need separate fluffy tools for shading eye shadow, thick and short for shading pencil, beveled for drawing eyebrows and for eyeliner, flat ones for applying pigment to the eyelid. In general, there are a lot of brushes for the eyes.
The beveled brush is easy to draw even for makeup beginners – this shape is ingenious and allows you to draw clear lines. Naturally, you can also simply bring the lower and upper eyelids with it, as well as paint your eyebrows. By the way, this is why they are often created with a brush for combing eyebrows at the second end.
Make Up For Ever eyebrow brush
For shading, it is best to choose fluffy natural bristle brushes, and the size of such tools varies from the smallest in diameter to the size of a highlighter brush. These help to blend complex transitions of shades and make that very haze in smoky eyes. When choosing such a brush, pay attention to several factors: it should be both soft, but quite elastic, fluffy, but with a collected edge.
NYX Eyeshadow brushes
The Balm Crease, Love and Happiness Brush
A flat brush with natural or artificial bristles is perfect for spreading cream shadows, blending a pencil. It can be of different sizes, the main thing is that the pile is tightly knocked down. Such a tool is useful for both glitter and colored shadows – the pigment will show up more strongly before your eyes.
Bobbi Brown Touch Up Brush
A slightly fluffy medium-sized flat brush is a versatile option, as it is suitable for spreading shadows on the eyelids, and for blending them into the creases of the eyelids.
M.A.C Synthetic Fluffy Eye Brush
Sets
If you are new to makeup and do not know where to start, it makes sense to purchase ready-made sets of brushes – they usually have the necessary minimum, which is quite enough for a non-professional. There are kits for a full-fledged make-up of the face, eyes and lips, and there are narrowly specialized ones, for example, a set of brushes for the eyes or a set just for contouring.
As with makeup, manufacturers also create mini versions of brushes for travel kits. They often have both a pencil case for brushes and a mirror. And it is very convenient when traveling.
Dior set brush 2018
Real Techniques Enhanced Eye Set
Sephora Get Glowing Highlighting Brush Set
Chanel set brush travel
Kiko Milano Brush Travel Set