Makeup like painting requires a lot of brushwork. An artist is precise about what brushes they use and for what material. Likewise, a makeup artist carries a lot of brushes with different uses and for specific makeup materials. Choosing the right brush is critical to accomplishing the finish you are going for. However, you do not need to carry a hundred brushes on your person on your next project. You will need a basic set of brushes you can use in the most versatile ways.
- A Foundation brush with sturdy soft and thick bristles. This can come in full rounded, dome-shaped and even pinched shapes. Start by applying the foundation in the middle of the face and blend outwards in quick even strokes.
- Blending Sponge is used to smooth out the brush strokes which can leave lines on the makeup. You can get a basic teardrop shape or a double dome-shaped blender. Saturate with water and squeeze the water out thoroughly. Use the round base for broad areas of the face and the teardrop end to blend in the crevices like eyelids and around the nose and lips
- Concealer Brush a thin flat brush is excellent for applying spot concealer and blending it into the surrounding skin. Dab a small amount of concealer with the brush right onto the spot you want to cover. Then gently blend into the skin without disturbing surrounding foundation.
- Powder Brush needs long and dense bristles to keep the powder from flying away. Pick up a fine layer of the powder with the brush and tap against the powder box to remove excess powder. Dust lightly over the T zone and under the eyes as this is where the oils tend to accumulate.
- Bronzer/ Blush Brush you can use a single brush for both applications as long as you keep the brush clean. Choose the fluffiest brushes as this product needs to be applied lightly. In case of bronzer gently sweep it across your cheekbone and along the jawline. When using blush you will need to dab it into the fleshiest part of your cheek.
- Contour brush this brush needs a slanted edge and can be less fluffy than your bronzer brush. Pick up the contour with the brush and tap gently to remove the excess. Apply with a sweeping motion along the natural contours of your face to enhance them.
- Highlighter brush yes, you need to have a different brush for highlighter as the product is translucent and you cannot risk it getting mixed up with other products. Use a long bristled brush with a domed head to pick up the highlighter. Lightly dust over the cheekbones and brow bones and if you are feeling really good dust a little over the nose.
- Eye shadow Brush is a small thin bristled flat brush. This can be used to apply as well as blend but only if you are confident enough to handle it. Gently press and blend the eyeshadow over the eyelids in long steady strokes.
- Pencil Brush is a very small fine brush with a flat head. You can use it to rectify any spot corrections and apply lip and eye colors. This brush is also perfect to blend in a Smokey eye. This brush can be used as a pencil and smudger combination to both apply in neat lines and then smudge them out for the blurred effect.
- Eyebrow/Eyelash brush has dual ends one with a mascara comb and the other with a fine angled flat head applicator. It can be used to comb out your lashes and brows and even draw in natural-looking eyebrows. It adds definition and shape to your eyelashes.
