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Tools of the trade: Brushes

March 6th, 2009 | Aromaleigh, Avon, Bare Escentuals, Clinique, Estee Lauder, Lancome, MAC, Mark, Mary Kay, Merle Norman, NYX, Prescriptives, Review, Sephora 

There are a number of brushes you need in your arsenal in order to apply your colors in the best possible and easiest way. In general, I like real hair brushes, except for ones that are meant to be synthetic (foundation and concealer.)

Keep them clean
Clean them whenever you see residue in the brush. If you are oily or prone to acne, this will be more often (even daily) to keep the brushes clean. And you won’t contaminate any of your product.

Some people use a conditioning shampoo.

I use a cleanser made for brushes by Merle Norman. I do not use a whole capful. I use 1/4 of the cap, filled with 3/4 water (that is the percentage). Put it in the sink. Swirl my brush(es). Add more water to it. Swirl some more. Empty basin. Squeeze excess out of brush. Fill basin with water and swirl brushes. Empty and repeat until brush is clean and water is clear.

Why do you need so many brushes?
Because using the right brush makes application easier.

Much less blending is required. In general, I believe if you lay it down right, you don’t need to do much blending.

And you won’t look like a clown with too much blush, for example, unless that is the look you are going for.

And if you have sensitive skin, where blending can actually feel hurtful, the better the brush, the softer or less pull on the skin.

Do I have to have them all?
No, but these work. Use what you have, but begin to collect others as you need them. If you buy good brushes (consider buying them when there is a gwp offered), they will last nearly forever.

Several of these brushes have hit the market only in more recent years, so it is possible that a brush we can’t live without will be offered in the foreseeable future that meets a need we didn’t know we had.

BE gives their brushes as part of many of their sets for face or eye. They are really good, and many are only offered in their sets, they cannot be bought separately. That’s an added perk for buying their sets.

You can also look in places that sell brushes for arts and painting. These may work just as well and cost less than something you find at a cosmetic counter. For the most part, I have shown shapes so you know what you are looking for.

Brands I like
Bare Escentuals — every brush I’ve used has been top notch — often included in sets

Clinique — the two I have are great; one type I’ve only seen at Clinique, a large fluffy eye brush (will add the name later, if it is on the brush) (works great for laying down strong color without being too much)(which is how the SA used it on me and therefore sold me on it — I don’t have anything like it)
CVS – nice quality; not so easy to use as they are dual ended (they won’t stand upright in a container — they have to be flat)
Estee Lauder — I’m still using a 20 year old set.
Lancome — nice quality, I especially like the L’angle brush for eyes and use it daily.
Update: Lancome’s mineral foundation brush is superb! It feels like velvet — you are transported to a spa. If you use mineral foundation, do yourself a favor, go to a Lancome counter and try this brush. Let me know if you do! Do you know if there is anything out there that is identical to this brush in a different price range?
Mary Kay — nice quality for the price.
Sephora — every one I’ve tried has been top notch; they have great travel sets.
Trish McAvoy I have a couple of hers. They are good. Hers was the first brush similar to the Lancome L’Angle that I bought, but it is bigger and fuller than the Lancome.
Ulta — I just bought a very small angle eye liner brush (I wanted something similar to a drugstore one that I can no longer find — this is smaller, but it works for what I want to use it for. I used it to line my FOTD today)

Brands that are said to be good, but I have not tried
Aromaleigh edit: I love their fiber optic brushes.
MAC — edit: I use a fiber optic brush of theirs for blush.

Types of brushes that you should have at a minimum
Anything else you have is just a plus. These should be in your staples.

Eyes
Angle eye brush to lay down the crease
Medium fluffy eye brush to lay down a base color
Short almost semi-circular eye brush to lay down the outer corner color
Sephora makes one called a Smudge Brush. It’s perfect.

Denser round eye brush to use with Chanel type colors, if possible.

Fiber Optic eye brush as much for fun as anything. I have a BE one. Aromaleigh’s are supposed to be very good. I really like their fiber optic eye shadow brushes.

Brush you could use for blending, if necessary
Angled or flat eyeliner brush for laying down shadow as eyeliners, usually dry, but works with gel also.

Regular shaped eyeliner brush for doing a wet or gel liner or
Regular shaped eyeliner brush with bent handle This is surprisingly easy to use.

Brow Brush if you use a powder form. Often these brushes come with a comb on one side. I rarely use the comb.

Face
Use any soft good sized fluffy brush for blending away any mistakes, if necessary.
Concealer brush(es), synthetic (or use your clean fingers)
Some concealers feed through a brush, in which case you might not need one.
Small thin one, for spot concealing.

Medium one for under eyes.

Fluffy dense brush to apply mineral makeup with, if you use it. BEs is very good.
Take your pick:

Fluffy brush, not so dense angled or not, to apply powder or BE Mineral Veil. Just like the above only a bit smaller in diameter.

Medium sized fluffy angled brush, to apply blush

Dense, flat round brush to apply blush, for certain colors

Fiber Optic Brush to apply blush or bronzer, when the color is strong and you only want a bit. It looks similar to this. I have one by BE and by Prescriptives. I have a smaller one by MAC. Aromaleigh’s are supposed to be very good. I really like their fiber optic eye shadow brushes.

Specialty
This is a nice brush. The one end applies dry liner nicely.

Optional
Lips, only if you use one
Or, use the brush on the end of a lip pencil, if you have one, rather than buying an extra brush.
Lip brush, only if you use one.
Lip brush with a cover for your purse.

Makeup foundation brush
Synthetic brush to apply liquid or cream makeup, if you desire. Using your fingers is just as good and there is no product waste. You could also use a sponge.

Eyes
Dense round eye brush Sephora makes one, for laying down intense colors, such as Chanels. See above. (You can use the half round flat brush above just as easily, maybe more so)
Brush suitable for applying shadows wet — I sometimes use an older brush that gives it new life.

Travel Set if you travel a lot or if you should need one for your purse.
Sephora has some good sets. Check for the one that has the type of brushes you like the most. Chanel often has one, but expensive.
Aromaleigh carries a set too, see link above.

This is a quick run down, and I might have forgotten one or two.

Which brand of brushes do you know and love?
It looks as though ELF and NYX have brushes reasonably priced, but I have not tried them. I have used several from CVS that are good.

Karin

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Categories:

Aromaleigh, Avon, Bare Escentuals, Clinique, Estee Lauder, Lancome, MAC, Mark, Mary Kay, Merle Norman, NYX, Prescriptives, Review, Sephora



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