MakeUp Brushes are one of thee most fundamental items, a MakeUp Artist or a MakeUp enthusiast can have in their Kits/Bags!!
There are so many MakeUp Brushes now available, it's hard to decipher which ones do the best for each job!
With many MakeUp Brush tried and tested, varying brands, and a few years of application of MakeUp under my belt, I regard myself quite knowledgable, meaning I am able to hopefully enlighten some of my readers, and steer them in the direction of quality rather than brand name when choosing which MakeUp Brush to buy...
Now I apply my MakeUp Eyes first...so we will start with the Eye Brushes!
Every kit needs a shadow application brush, a blending brush or 4, an eyeliner brush, a smudger, and an eyebrow brush/comb!
Within my kit I have a variety of brands, I specifically use Crown Brushes, MAC Brushes, and ELF Brushes, as I mentioned previously, I have tried and tested a few brands and these are my 3 faves, when it comes to Brush Manufacture!
Shadow application brush, this needs to be a relatively small brush, that fits comfortably in the space of the eyelid, now of course everybody's eyelid shape is different, so I recommend getting a smaller shadow applicator so that you can cater for most eye shapes and sizes! Or have more than one...Like me :)
In my Kit I have these two which I use regularly, one is from ELF and the other is from MAC, the one from ELF is slightly fluffier but allows a nice all over application of shadow, it does create a little drop of the shadow but nothing you can't easily clean up...hence doing the eyes first to ensure you don't ruin your face makeup! ThisELF brush is also only £1.50...Can't complain!
Now the other shadow brush I use regularly is a MAC brush, its a small flat shader (231), which allows you to place the shadow, this is an extremely useful technique if your trying to get a more prominent colour, it gives a denser colour, in comparison to the fluffy brush which disperses the pigment, making it not as sharp colour application wise!
Once you have applied your shadow with either of the above brushes, you need a blending brush to blend out the edges, ensuring there is no definitive line of shadow (unless that is what your trying to achieve) but we do not want any sharp edges present...seamless flawless application is what we are aiming for!
Blending brushes, need to be soft and fluffy and of good quality!
My favourite blending brushes are by mac (217, 224) of which I have 3 of each...Essential :) These are extremely versatile brushes that have many uses hence my need for more than one! You can apply any cream based or powder product with these, and because they are small it will give you precise application of say, concealer or a highlighting powder!
I have recently bought myself some Crown Blending brushes and have found them to be just as good, but for a fraction of the price! They are soft and fluffy, providing you with a tool that will blend shadow into the desired shape you want without creating a lot of shadow fall :) always a plus!
Eyeliner Brushes for me have to be thin, to enable you to get close to the lash root, and it also ensures neat and precise application! The ones that I have recently found to be brilliant are the Crown Brush ones...They come in a variety of sizes but the three smallest ones are great for applying gel eyeliner! If you make a slight mistake it is easily fixed using one of these teeny things! (C250 -0,1,2)
Brows remember need to be perfectly groomed, so to aid with this you need an eyeshadow comb/brush! If you use pencil then this is also fine, but it is advised to recieve optimum lift on your brows, you need to have a comb. Comb the eyebrow in an upwards motion and then apply your medium of choice, shadow, pencil, gel etc!
Your eyebrow Brush needs to be rather stiff, but then not to stiff to enable product movement.
I have tried a few eyebrow brushes out but my favourite one is a MAC 266 Eyebrow Brush, it came in a set I got for Christmas, and it's been great! It's an angled brush, and the bristles are quite soft, but still tough enough to enable precise application of the shadow! Make sure you have enough product on your brushes when applying! :)
An eyebrow comb/wand can be purchased from any brush manufacturer, due to them not containing bristles, the quality of them isn't essential! This is a good one from ELF does the job for an exceptionally low price. The only thing to be weary of with these is the handles, just don't be too heavy handed with them, otherwise you may be having to spend another £1.50!!!
The final eye brush I'm going to talk about is a smudger, I decided to include this as I have just bought thisINCREDIBLE one from Crown, it is so small, and it was such a bargain that I couldn't not tell you about it, it would have been so selfish of me! This brush is a versatile brush, but I mostly use it to smudge, this may be gel liner, pencil liner, you could even use it how I did recently on my sugar skull, to blend my cheek bone interest, it can also be used to create ombre lips (blog to follow soon) Using this small smudger will allow you to blend out the colours on your lips creating that exciting look that is very in at present, and penultimately it will enable you to create real smoulder around your eyes, when lined on top or the bottom or both! This brush is a true, tiny gem, and when you order yourselves one (which you must) you will see what I mean by tiny :) Enjoyyy
Now onto the face, Each kit should contain a foundation brush (Stipple brush is my preference) a concealer brush, and a powder brush (contouring brush)
I used to buy all my brushes from MAC, without fail, but now having attending MakeUp School, and Beauty events, it has opened my eyes to other brands that are available, that the professionals use every day!
For example foundation wise, depending on how you like to apply your foundation whether it be with a flat brush, a stipple brush, or maybe even a sponge, there are lots of suppliers out there, catering for your needs and budget!
I used to apply my foundation on myself and clients with MAC's large stipple foundation brush, I now still apply my foundation with the same brush, just made by a different manufacturer...Crown Brushes. The stipple brush provides the client/you with an all over, natural looking flawless coverage! It really is a must have brush. With the flat brush I find you get brush marks on the face and then have to buff the foundation in with either your stipple brush or a buffing brush. So why not cut out a step and just purchase the stippler :)
For your concealer I couldn't recommend a better brush than this one, ELF's Flawless Concealer Brush...this brush I use for almost everything...blending shadow, applying concealer, buffing foundation, softening eyebrows, contouring..the list is endless! If there was one brush I could truly say you must have it is this one, and for £3.75 why are you still reading this... :)
For your powder, I would also recommend an ELF brush...I did have the large MAC powder brush, but the hairs continually fell out :( slightly disappointing...
But this ELF complexion brush is another steal for again £3.75, it's part of their studio brush collection and I think I'm going to have to buy the entire collection and dedicate a blog to just ELF brushes alone, as they really are great value for money, with exceptional quality!
Other brushes that I think would be a great asset to your kit, is a lip brush! I have just bought two lip brushes from Crown, they provide precision on the lip line, and also allow you to then fill in the remainder of the lip, the hairs are soft but compact ensuring definitive application!
As I said at the beginning of this blog, your tools are key to your application. This is one of the few times I disagree with the saying 'you get what you pay for' as I truly believe that some of the brushes mentioned in this blog today, match and most of them even outdo the competition for the more expensive brands!
When choosing your tools do shop around, and do read blogs like these, as they will provide you with some insightful tips! I hope you have found this blog useful, please comment, and get in touch if you have any question regards this blog or any others!
Lots of Love
Alex
xXx
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