Brushes…Wow where to start,
there are sooo many things I have to say about brushes, regards material, brand,
use, cleaning, purpose etc., but this blog will focus solely on the types
available and some techniques, for blogs to do with the other aspects visit my
blog page!!!
First of all let me say
that Brushes are key to your makeup application…for those of you out there that
use your fingers, shame on you!! (My mother is one of them) Your fingers are
not for applying makeup! Lip balms…yes great use your fingers, patting
glitter/pigments etc. yes fine…but when applying face, and eye makeups please
invest in some brushes! Hopefully this blog will enlighten you as to why its
beneficial, and I assure you that if you read other blogs from my website, I will
show you that you don’t have to spend silly amounts of money for good quality
brushes!
So what types of brushes
are available? You have different brushes for different aspects of the face. We
have face brushes, which split down into complexion brushes, contouring
brushes, foundation brushes, concealer brushes, and blusher brushes. Each of
the mentioned brushes prior then have different varieties within their category,
for example foundation brushes, you can have flat, or duo fibre brushes. It’s
all about preference and what you are used to. In this blog I am going to talk
to you about the brushes I prefer to use, why I prefer them to some of the
other options, and the techniques to use when applying your makeup with them.
So lets start with the
face…Face brushes that are must haves are;
A foundation brush, now I
prefer the duo fibre brushes over the flat brushes, purely and simply because I
feel you get a more flawless, seamless application with the stipple brushes,
the flat brushes can leave brush strokes on your face, which isn’t desirable. This
brush can be used with all types of foundation, cream, liquid, powder. To avoid
build up on the tip of the brush, apply the foundation to your face, or to your
hand, or even onto a silver palette first and then blend the foundation over
the desired area in circular motions, buffing it onto the skin. This really
will leave your face with a flawless finish; build up to the coverage you
desire and your good to go…
TIP
– Get yourself a short duo fibre brush aswell for a more controlled buffing
action
Concealer isn’t something I
use a lot myself as my skin usually doesn’t need much covering, but if I’m
doing a shoot, or for those of you with slight blemishes, a concealer brush
will be perfect for covering those imperfections. A firm, but fluffy brush should
be used, now I know that sounds controversial, but finding the right brush for
the job is so important, so for the concealer brush you want something firm
that will allow you control when applying concealer, but you also require it to
be fluffy so that it will blend your product, again using circular motions to
buff in the concealer, the concealer should also be of similar shade to your
foundation to ensure the application isn’t obvious and looks as natural as
possible.
TIP
– Apply concealer under and over your foundation for that extra coverage
A powder/complexion brush
again needs to be firm to ensure even application but also fluffy to ensure
blending. Large powder brushes are easy to come by, and usually not all that
expensive, you want one that doesn’t hold too much product in one place on the
brush, you want a brush that picks up the product evenly allowing even
application over the face, ensure that your powder brush is dome shaped, and
again move in circular motions, which acts as a buffing technique.
TIP – Clean after every use to ensure that it doesn’t get clogged up with
powder/cream-based products
For contouring, you can use
an angled brush, which will also team up as a blusher brush, just ensure that
you clean your brushes in between uses. The angle of the contouring/blushes
brush, allows you to apply product, following the natural shape of the cheekbone,
in an upwards-diagonal motion towards the centre of the forehead. This brush
will be workable, meaning that the brush hairs will be quite firm but again
soft in texture, allowing you to move the powder, or cream based product
around, you want it to be comfortable on your face, and if the brush is too
hard you will just drag the powder/cream around the area, instead of buffing it
into the region in which you want the colour, which will look all together more
natural.
TIP – Use a dome shaped brush on the apple of your cheeks for a flush
of colour
We then have eye brushes…now
this facial aspect has sooo many different brushes available its quite insane!
I am going to talk about the few you would need to create any look your wanting
to J
A base is essential to make
your shadows applied last for a long period of time, use a flat, firm brush to
apply a creamy base that you intend for your shadow product to adhere to.
Once you have applied your
base, you will need a fluffier flat brush to apply your base shadow, this brush
can be different sizes depending on the shape and size of your lid. They are
often round in shape to blend and move with the natural contours of your eye. The
fluffy brush will allow a seamless application of a light base shadow over your
creamy base applied prior.
TIP – Pat on the shadow to ensure it adheres to the creamy base you
applied earlier
Now for eye makeup
application I think you need 5 brushes…
A small shader, for
applying the shadow, the small shader should be quite firm allowing definitive
application of the shadow, the technique to use with this brush is a placing
motion, you place and pat the eyeshadow onto the lid rather than buffing it on.
TIP – Keep building up the shadow until you achieve the desired
colour/depth of shadow
You then need a blending
brush, which will enable you to blend the harsh edges of the shadow, and if
your applying more than one colour, then it will blend the edges of the colours
together, meaning a seamless application. One thing to remember is not to over blend,
although blending is key to flawless makeup application, over blending on the
eye makeup can make it look silly, and like one big mass of colour. You just
want to blend the edges, so that it is all smooth, seamless and sultry!
Beautiful!!
TIP – Get yourself more than one blending brush, you can never have too
many, especially if more than one colour is in use!
A crease brush is also
essential, with this dome shaped, shorted bristled brush you can apply a darker
shadow into the natural crease of your eye, the socket. This will emphasise the
shape of your eye, acting as a contour. The brush needs to be fluffy, but the
compact bristle arrangement will mean you have control over the product you are
applying! This brush can also double up as a general blending brush!
TIP – Use this brush to blend, it allows precision blending
A smudger is also an
essential brush to have when you are doing a Smokey eye, or any look in which
you don’t want any harsh, definite edges. This brush needs to have short brush
hairs, and be quite firm, this will allow you to move any product that you wish
to smudge, for example under the eye, if you line the eye with liner, take your
smudger and buff over the liner, this will smoke it up! Giving you an instant
sultry look!
TIP – This brush can also be used to apply highlighter to the inner
corner of your eye!
Finally for the eyes an
eyeliner brush is key!! There are different variety’s again, Angled, flat, fine
tipped! I have tried using each of them, and for me the fine tip is the key to
that definitive, neat, precise eyeliner application! Starting in the middle of
the eye, ensuring you have enough product on the brush, and sweep your brush
out to the point in which you want your eyeliner to finish, ensuring that it
tapers off, rather than just stopping! Then get your client/yourself to look
down into the opposite corner and fill in the inside corner, matching it up to
your starting point in the middle! Patience and a steady hand is key when
applying the gel liner! Take your time, have cotton buds handy to eradicate any
mistake, and keep practising…do not give up! J
TIP – Make a dot on the outside of your eye for you to follow, when
drawing your flick, this dot will be the point at which your liner will stop,
this will give you your symmetry!
Other brushes that I
believe to be essentials are…a lip brush these brushes have a rounded tip with
a slight point, they allow a precise lip line to be created, which can then be
filled in using the wider flatter base part of the brush.
TIP – Use a lip liner first to prevent any feathering of the lipstick
you apply, and then use the brush!
A brow spoolie is also essential;
I am obsessed with eyebrows being groomed. I never used to be bothered about my
brows, but now I cannot stand having them un-groomed! It offends me, as it is
so easy to do…Get yourself a brow spoolie, one end will have a spoolie on it
which you can also use for your lashes, and the other end will have a firm
angled, short haired brush on it! This is the end you use to apply your brow
medium, whether that is a cream, a gel or a powder!
Firstly you will take your
spoolie end and comb your eyebrows upwards creating maximum lift, neatening up
the edges, ready for colour application. Then take your brow brush, and
starting at the inside corner, draw a line, following the natural line of the
underside of the brow till you come to the outer point, and then do the same on
the top, filling in the gaps in the middle of the brow, ensuring they look as
natural as possible J
TIP – Make sure that once you have finished your brows, apply a brow
gel or wax to keep them in your desired position
Now the coolest brush I
have come across recently is one for you glitter, sequin, and pigment lovers!
It’s a silicon applicator that ensure precise application of your loose medium,
onto either lips, eyes or the face in general, it is made from a soft plastic
that the products stick to, allowing you control and achieve precise
application! This is a new brush to my kit and I can’t wait to use it, and
review it for you guys! But anybody that loves playing around with makeup I
would definitely advise purchasing!
TIP – If your using glitter/pigments etc. keep sticky tape handy to
remove any fall that drops down onto the face!
Finally do look after your
brushes, if you are using them regularly do clean them often, a baby shampoo is
great, keeping the bristles clean, soft and hydrated, means that they remain
supple for a long time if you keep looking after them J
My final point to make
is…Brushes shouldn’t be deemed to have one use. I have so many brushes within
my kit that I use for different jobs…for example I use my concealer brush to
buff foundation, or blend shadows, I also use blending shadow brushes to conceal,
brushes are versatile items, and you should use them for whatever you see fit! As
long as you get the desired look and finish then this is all that matters!
For brand specifics, please
visit my blog for more details!
Hope this has been useful!
Thanks for reading!
Your feedback and comments
are welcome!
Lots of Love
Alexandra Louise
xXx
Name: Alex Singleton MUA
Twitter Name:
@AlexLouiseMUA
Website & Blog: www.alexandralouisemua.co.uk
Facebook Page: MakeUp Artistry by Alexandra
Louise
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