Hey Guys & Girls!
So sorry it’s been so long (3 weeks yikes!) since I blogged. End of summer is always a busy time and I have once again taken on a million projects that have not allowed me to blog or post any new videos. I’m going to start putting myself on a blogging and vlogging schedule so I can keep my beauty sites going! This week we are talking about brushes!
One of the most important elements of a good makeup kit is your brushes. Sometimes people forget about these little things because they’re not makeup and until recently, did not come in the most glamorous packaging. But these tools of the trade are a key necessity in learning how to master makeup.
Makeup brushes are made up of fibers and a handle. These fibers can either be synthetic or natural (just so you know that means they are made from the hair of animals, so if you want “cruelty-free brushes” go with synthetic) and the handle is made of wood or plastic. The handle of the brush should be attached to the top part of the brush and the fibers should not be too rough so they do not irritate your skin. Synthetic makeup brushes are easier to clean and last longer than makeup brushes with natural fibers. I have owned both and I can honestly say I really can’t tell the difference between natural and synthetic, so to help our little animal friends I try to buy synthetic now. And always when selecting a makeup brush set, keep in mind the type of fibers and handle used, and always go for the high quality makeup brushes (they’ll last longer and in most cases, apply your makeup much better!).
So what are my favorite brushes?
I have seven brushes that I cannot live without. These are the ones I have in my everyday kit as well my professional kit. My pro and everyday brush sets are not very different actually. Both are from Sephora, one is their professional makeup artist brush set and the other was a special edition pink set that came out last year (I think it’s still available if my memory serves me correctly). They both come with more brushes than the ones I am listing. I am simply listing the ones I use most and that I like the most.
We’ll start with face brushes since the face is your canvas or your starting off point for beautiful makeup.
Stippling Brush:
Stippling brushes are fairly common in the pro makeup world, but not quite as known by everyday makeup users (unless you are a makeup freak, which I assume you are!). There are two levels of brush fibers, one that makes up the normal brush (natural hair unfortunately most of the time) and then the synthetic fibers that extend past the first fibers to allow for more control over the amount of coverage you want. These brushes are amazing for giving flawless, airbrushed coverage without the pricey compressor and air gun. This is my favorite brush of all time!
The way I use it: I dispense my foundation on the back of my hand, then I will dab a little of the foundation onto my face with my finger. Then taking my stippling brush, I will work in circular motions until my face has even coverage all over (using more product if necessary).
Large Powder Brush:
Almost every girl has one right? I love the ones from Sephora because the density and domed-like shape allows you to pick up the right amount of product and apply it evenly over your skin. Whether you’re using pressed or loose, sheer or pigmented, this brush will give a great matte, non-cakey look every time.
The way I use it: Depending on the product, I will either dispense loose powder into the product lid or simply open my pressed powder compact. Then I take my large powder brush and swirl it gently into the powder. After making sure to tap off the excess product, I will softly buff the powder onto my skin in upward motions until I achieve the level of matte I want.
Slanted Blush Brush:
Hello cheekbones! This brush applies blush and other face products perfectly! Can you say contour? This brush makes finding your cheekbones very easy. I normally only use this brush for blush and contour shades, but it also can apply your highlight color. I just prefer to use a smaller brush for that.
The way I use it: I will swirl my blush brush into my chosen blush color, tap off the excess and apply it to my cheeks. I don’t really like the look of blush on the apples of my cheeks, so I normally will just apply to my cheekbones starting near the outer portion. For contouring, I obtain the product the same way as blush, making sure to tap off the excess. Then I find the hollows of my cheeks and apply the shade into the hollows in an upward motion.
Fluffy blending brush:
Traditionally used for eye makeup, I have discovered that this brush makes an excellent concealing brush as well (Thanks PixiWoo!). It is a small, fluffy brush with tapered fibers at the end to blend eye makeup into the crease. Those characteristics are also what make it ideal for concealing. You don’t want to have little light spots on your face where you may a breakout right? This brush will blend the product effortlessly into your foundation. You may be skeptical to try it as a concealer brush, but please do! My guess is you’ll never go back to a regular concealer brush again.
The way I use it: For face, I dab my brush into the concealer (wipe off excess) and buff it onto my problem areas until they are minimized. Easy right? For eyes I swirl my brush into my chosen eye color (tapping off the excess) and then starting in the center of my natural crease, I begin to buff the color softly into my whole crease. I apply a little color at a time and as it builds, I alternate between windshield wiper and buffing motions until I’ve reach my desired outcome.
Now here are my brushes strictly used for eyes.
Pencil brush:
I love doing cut crease looks. It’s probably my favorite eye shadow technique. This brush makes them soooo much easier to achieve. A pencil brush is a tiny little brush that tapers into a point allowing you to create many different looks. I almost exclusively use it for cut creases. It’s also great for smoky eye looks and can be used as a smudgy eyeliner brush.
The way I use it: I obtain my desired eye shadow color with the very tip of my pencil brush (you don’t want color all over your brush when your trying a cut crease look). Then holding the brush like a pencil, I start to make a soft, thin line just above my natural crease following the shape of my eye. I continue doing this until the line has reached the right intensity. Then I blend the color out and up with a fluffy blending brush.
Flat Eye Shadow Shading Brush:
A golden oldie. Everyone has his or her favorite, but I love my sephora one! It’s not listed as a shading brush (it’s actually called a medium shadow brush), but it works! Great for packing eye shadow onto the lid, all over, or along the lower lash line to give the effect desired.
The way I use it: I swirl my shader brush into my desired eye shadow color (tapping off the excess) and then gently pack the color onto my eyelid. I may blend it up to the crease or leave the color concentrated on my lid depending on what I’m doing. The sky’s the limit!
Those are my favorite brushes! They may not work for everyone, so play around and experiment. There are so many brush companies, I have no doubt you will find your “can’t live without” ones!
Thank you all for taking the time to read my blogs. I am planning on writing and posting every Tuesday from now on to keep myself in the beauty mindset. If you want to know about something in particular, let me know in the comments below. I don’t claim to know everything about beauty products, but I love to learn new things. So if I don’t know about something, we can learn about it together!
Stay fabulous!
xoxo, Lacey
