Makeup Brushes 101

Many of us know applying makeup is not an easy feat. There are about a thousand things that can go wrong during the process: unevenness, smudges, creasing, etc. These makeup faux pas, thank goodness, are easily preventable with the help of makeup brushes. Makeup brushes are really the magic wands of the cosmetic world because using them can create a look both enchanting and flawless.

Synthetic Hair Vs. Real Hair

Brushes made of real hair are all around better than any synthetic you can find, but that doesn't mean that synthetics aren't worth your while. Brushes made of artificial hair can often mimic the quality of real hair so much that they work just as well. The downside to buying fake hair brushes in that they tend to lose its shape faster than real hair, becoming stiff and unusable. Faux-hair brushes are best suited for liquid and cream makeup, so that can include anything from foundation brushes to lip brushes.

Brushes using real hair can be made from all sorts of animals like sable, badger, goat, pony and squirrel. Real hair has the unique ability to pick up dry makeup with ease as well as spread it evenly onto the surface of your skin. Natural hair is often much softer than synthetic causing less skin irritation, although people have often switched to synthetics because of allergies. Real hair is significantly more expensive than synthetic hair, but it's a great investment. When cared for properly, brushes made of natural hair can last a very long time.

Foundation

Its densely packed bristles distinguish the foundation brush from other face brushes. The denser the bristles, the less chance that streaking will occur. Badger hair is often used in these types of brushes which you can see in the two toned color. Another brush used in foundation application is the stipple brush or duo fibre brush. This brush can be used with either wet or dry makeup.

Concealer

This brush, also known as the camouflage brush, is similar in shape to the foundation brush only much smaller and with softer bristles. Use this brush to cover blemishes, uneven skin tone, dark circles and broken capillaries.

Powder

This brush is large and fluffy so it can blend large areas of the face quickly and easily. Use this to set powder on your face, allowing your makeup to last longer. Kabuki brushes have a short base so it's easy to carry around. Flat top buffing brushes are great for blending mineral foundations. Fan brushes, looking nothing like powder brushes whatsoever, are great for applying powder in a thin coverage and sweeping away loose eye shadow.

Contour

The angled face brush allows you to sweep color into the hollows of your cheeks, temple and jaw line contouring the face for a slimmer look. It can also double as a blush brush.
Blush brushes look like a smaller version of the powder brush.

Eye Shadow

The soft dome brush is the perfect tool for blending eye shadows. Pack color onto the lid with a flat stiff brush and feather out the colors with a stiff dome brush. Pencil brushes can smudge eye shadows or liners for a smoky eye look or can be used to accentuate the crease.

Eyeliner

The bent liner brush is perfect for applying gel liners. It's the same thing as a fine point eyeliner brush only the metal tip just before the bristles is bent at an angle making it easier to control. Flat eyeliner brushes make it easier to wedge color into the lash line and also work great for coloring eyebrows.

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