Makeup Brushes - Building A Professional Makeup Kit

The Ultimate Guide To Building A Professional Makeup Kit – Makeup Brushes

It constantly amazes me that week in week out, I see women intending to do their face with just one makeup brush. But even a top artist can’t do great makeup with only one tool, so how can you? The fact is that you are going to need many makeup brushes, and yes, that is going to cost a bit.

How to choose the good-quality—not necessarily expensive—makeup brushes

I’m going to let you in on one of the best kept secrets in buying makeup brushes. Whenever you want to buy them, balance it on its very tip. Hold the brush vertically on the back of your hand, bristles down, and lightly bounce it to test the strength of the bristles. The bristles should only have a slight bend; if they tilt, or flatten completely, then it will be too difficult to use, and the makeup will go everywhere except where you want to put it.

How to clean your brushes

The best way to clean your makeup brushes is with brush cleaner once a week. However, if you don’t have brush cleaner, try warm, soapy water—I actually use baby shampoo. Under warm, soapy water, rub your brush on a plate/bowl. When the plate is clean & the water runs clear, you know the brush is washed. Then just lay it all out and let dry overnight.

Fine-tip Eyeliner Brush

This is fabulous for fine eyeliner. As it is delicate in nature, it has a restricted life and you will have to replace it regularly. To get the most benefit out of this brush, look for a quality thrifty one. You’d be surprised what you can find in an art supplies store. Besides using this brush for fine eyeliner, it’s very useful for micro-concealing, adding highlights to the inner corners of the eyes, and depositing eye shadow right into the eyelash line (mostly after applying false lashes) to ensure there are no gaps.

Large & Medium Sized Rounded Eyeshadow Brushes

Yes! Rounded? That’s because these brushes have to blend & move with your original eye contours. Square brushes speak for themselves: they are ‘square’ so they give hard, unblended edges & work to place product on the eye for layering.

Small-sized Rounded Eyeshadow Brush/Concealer Brush

This is exactly the same shape as your large & medium-sized brushes, only it’s downsized. As a makeup artist, I cannot work without one. I use it when working with deep pigments or when working close to the eyelash line. It also doubles as a great concealer brush; making sure you clean it in between uses.

Stippling Brush

Thank goodness for technology! I have yet to come across a more fantastic brush than the stippling (fibre-optic) foundation brush. It makes any foundation application look flawless, even airbrushed at times. You can use this brush with all types of foundation. A word of warning, though: the white-tip bristles are extremely absorbent and will hold a lot of foundation, so the best way to use the brush is to apply the foundation to your face directly then use the brush to blend.

Lip Brush

Great for achieving a perfect lip line. There are tons of cheap and good brushes available in the market. No need to spend too much on this.

Flat Foundation Brush

This brush has many uses, namely for contouring, shading or highlighting using cream-based products. You could use this brush to apply foundation under the eye after completing a strong smoky eyes look, for example, as sometimes the bristles of the stippling brush can run over the eye area & make a mess of the eye shadow.

Contouring Brush

This is very useful for contouring, and adding shape and structure to your face, which can make you look ten years younger.

Mascara Wands

Mascara wands are available from all good makeup outlets, but you can also use your old mascara wand (please wash it first). I use this every single time I apply mascara to comb out clumps & uniformly spread out lashes. It’s also great for eyebrows. Here’s a little trick: spray the wand with hairspray before using on your brows & it will keep them in place.

Fine Angled Brush

There isn’t a woman on the planet who doesn’t need this one! It’s a must for eyebrows as it fills them in perfectly and allows you to extend your brows successfully. It’s also one of the best brushes to do every kind of eyeliner conceivable!