Why do makeup artists use so many brushes? Are they really necessary? This is my guide to demystifying the makeup brush and which ones are really essential for your personal makeup kit.
Makeup artists are called upon to do many different looks in one day or maybe many different people in one day and so we need an army of makeup brushes in our kits so that we don’t mix up any colors or contaminate one model’s lip brush with another’s. But for your personal makeup kit, you will only need a few essentials and even those can be edited depending on the amount of makeup you usually wear.
” Can’t I just use my fingers?” is a question I am often asked, and YES you can especially for putting on your foundation or BB cream. I use a brush because I prefer to not mix any oils from my fingers into my client’s skin, but for my own makeup I would use my fingers. The same with a lip brush, I use one on my clients for a very precise application but I have noticed that most of us are very adept at putting on our lipstick straight from the tube. That said, there is no substitute for a great makeup brush when applying eyeshadows for smokey eyes for example or a small concealer brush for pin point concealing and also applying powder and powder blush.
Makeup brushes come in natural hair and synthetic and each has its advantages. Natural hairs are perfect for powder makeup ( eyeshadows, blushes, powders) and synthetic fibers are best for creams and liquids (cream blushes and eyeshadows, foundations, concealers and lipsticks)
So here is my guide to the few essential brushes that would help you achieve a more professional look to your makeup.
Kabuki foundation brush: If you often wear foundation often, this is a fantastic brush that makes your foundation seamless. My pick Sigma
Powder: This keeps your face looking smooth not cakey like those sponge applicators. My pick MAC
Blush : A smaller brush head will target exactly where you want your blush to be. My pick Sephora
Eyeliner: If you want to achieve a smokey eye, this brush is perfect for blending your eyeliner. My pick Laura Mercier
Eyeshadow: The MAC 217 brush is the best one you can have in your bag, it blends eyeshadows perfectly.
Concealer: You only want to hide your blemish, not the surrounding areas like you would with a finger. My pick Laura Mercier
Brow: This brush is great because it’s dual ended, tame your brows with one end and fill in with the other end dipped in brow powder. My pick Makeup Forever
Note: Sigma beauty has a line of Vegan brushes for those concerned and if you just want to have those drop dead gorgeous brushes on your vanity like the ones above, Tom Ford, NARS and Hokuhodo brushes are the creme de la creme!
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