Makeup brushes come in all different sizes, angles, shapes, and uses. What are the brushes that you need for the products that you use? I hope to help you with that. Simplifying the “makeup world” just a little, here are a few essential brushes to have in your kit.
Eye Brushes
Eye brushes can become overwhelming when you are looking for ones to purchase. There’s many different brush options for your eyes to the point where you sometimes don’t know which one to get. There are four staple eye brushes that are each used for a different part of your eye.
Flat Stiff Brush
The flat stiff brush is used to pack eye shadow onto the lid. While applying your makeup, make sure the brush is flat, so it presses the eye shadow directly onto the eye primer evenly. The brush needs to be stiff to pick up a lot of color. Depending on what size you get, they all work the same. Although it is important to get a brush size that will work with the size of your eyelid.
Stiff Dome Brush
Another eye shadow brush, a stiff dome brush, is used for applying color in the crease. A stiff dome brush is used to do a smokey eye, going in a circular motion, and feathering in darker shades of eye shadow. The stiffer the brush, the more color it picks up, and the darker the look.
Soft Dome Brush
Another essential makeup brush is called the soft dome brush, which is used to apply shadow under the brow and crease. Apply loose powder under the eye using this brush, so there’s no creasing, creating a soft look. Also, it is used to create a light, airy finish and for blending. The size of the soft dome brush is based on the size of your eye.
Pencil Brush
A pencil brush is another makeup brush that is used to smudge eye shadow under the lower lash line. By smudging eye shadow or eyeliner, it’s creating a softer look. On the other hand, you can define the ‘outer v’ of the eye, or create a strong crease using this brush as well.
Face Brushes
Not only are there multiple eye shadow brushes, but there are just as many face brushes. Like eye shadow brushes, there are different angled brushes, contour brushes, firm brushes, etc. Here are a few essential face brushes to include in your every day makeup kit.
Stippling Brush
One essential face brush for your makeup kit is the stippling brush. Since it has stiff bristles that are shorter, it creates an airbrush finish when applying foundation.
Angled Blush Brush
An angled blush brush is used to apply powder to the apples of your cheeks. This brush has softer bristles so it doesn’t pick up a lot of color. It is angled so it lays on your face nicely while applying, and is angled to blend color to the temple to make it look natural.
Contour Brush
This year, contouring has become more and more common. Although it is optional, it does create a put together look. This brush is used to contour under your cheek bones and around your face. With this brush, it is easy to contour and shape, but doesn’t create a streak. The bristles used for this brush are stiffer, to get a defined line.
Highlighter Brush
The last essential brush that should be included in your makeup kit is a highlighter brush. While using highlighter, take a light shimmery color and apply it on the top of the cheek bones. This brush can also be used to apply blush to the apples of the cheeks, but because the brush is smaller, it becomes more focused, instead of a natural look.
Extra Brushes
When you’re choosing brushes, some aren’t necessary, but are useful to have and depending on your daily makeup routine or what look you’re looking for, you might need extra brushes to achieve certain affects or techniques. These special brushes will help clean up your makeup look, and create a beautiful finish.
Bent Liner Brush
A bent liner brush is an angled brush that’s used to apply cream or gel eye liner. Because it is flat and angled, you can lay it flat against your eyelid and drag it to create a smooth, even line. It is a wonderful, easy way to get a smooth line to the upper lash line.
Angled Brush/Brow Brush
This dual brush used for applying shadow to the brows and brush, is wonderful! Depending on the person, you might want to fill in your eyebrows, and others may not look to do that. If you do, this is the brush for you! On one end of one side of the brush, it is angled which is used to fill in the eyebrows with eye shadow. On the other end of the brush, there’s a brush to comb through your eyebrows or to separate your lashes.
Powder Puff
Instead of using a brush to apply powder, a powder puff is another brush of choice. A powder puff is used to gently press powder onto your face. If you use a foundation brush, sometimes you can absorb too much powder, causing you to appear to have your makeup “caked on.” By using a powder puff, you will eliminate chances of that happening, because it only picks up a minimal amount of powder. It produces a smoother finish, and doesn’t create a “cake face” look.
Beauty Blender Sponge
A beauty blender sponge is a makeup essential that you need to have in your makeup kit. It is an egg shaped sponge, that comes in a variety of sizes and styles for different uses. This product is really smooth against your face, and is used for applying liquid foundation or any cream based products. By using a beauty blender sponge, you’ll create an airbrush finish by rolling on your makeup. This is a wonderful product for taking away harsh makeup lines, applying concealers and also correcting your cheek bones if you apply too much blush.
