I live with a professional artist. Art is creativity, it's skill, and it's mastery of tools, materials and techniques. When we apply makeup, our face is the canvas. Using the right brushes can make all the difference. With all the colors we buy, making an investment in the brushes is key to a great makeup experience. (At the end of this blog, you will find bonus tips: how to properly care for your makeup brushes).
Let's go to it, artists! What brushes do you need to complete your professional makeup look?
FOUNDATION
Flat foundation brushes allow you to apply liquid foundation with good, even coverage for a smooth finish. To use a flat foundation brush: place a dollop of liquid foundation on your hand. Load foundation onto the brush by dipping one side into the foundation "paint". Begin applying foundation to your face, working in sections: the forehead, each cheek, the nose, and the chin.
Once you have foundation on all areas of the face, use the foundation brush to blend it in, using a back and forth motion. This brush is really meant to lay down the foundation, then you can finish up the blend with a beauty blender.
CONCEALER
Concealer brushes are flat with a tapered point to accurately apply concealer underneath the eye or to cover specific areas. Concealer can primarily be used to blend out dark under eye circles, discoloration, or to hide blemishes. Consider your concealer color. To neutralize specific issues, use a complementary color: use green concealer to cover red areas or an angry blemish, use yellow on purple hued under eye circles, use pink for ruddy skin tone. For under the eyes, use a concealer that is lighter than your natural skin tone, load the concealer brush and start applying from the inside corner of the eye, and work out. For blemishes, use a darker concealer as a lighter color with highlight your pimple, and use the brush to fade out.
Did you know? Using your fingers to apply concealer can cause unwanted creasing. Also, talking about that crease... blend out the concealer with a damp blender. If you set with powder and there are creases, you'll be stuck with those creases. Make sure you are crease free when you powder set!
POWDER
Powder brushes are great for applying setting powder all over the face. Pick up loose or pressed powder with the flat surface of the powder brush and softly brush all over the face to set liquid foundation and concealers.
BRONZER
A bronzer brush can be used for contouring, applying bronzer and highlighting. Every beauty guru I know contours and highlights for their perfected looks, and this brush will get you there! To contour and help slim your face, apply a shade of foundation slightly darker than your natural skin tone. Using the bronzer brush, sweep back and forth under the cheekbone from ear to cheeks, draw blended circles around the temples, and brush along the hairline.
To bronze for a glowy sunkissed look, use a powder bronzer with the bronzer brush along the cheek bones and the forehead.
To highlight and get the shimmery look, sweep illuminator with the bronzer brush just above the cheekbones and down your nose, cupid's bow and chin.
BLUSH
The blush brush is for coloring your apples. If that doesn't sound like fun, I'm not sure what does! Pick up your favorite blush color with the blush brush (Oh, I love that this rhymes), smile big enough to show your teethies, then sweep blush across your cheek from ear to apples. Apply just enough to start to see color on your skin but not so much that you start to see visible application lines. If you do apply too much, use your bronzer brush to soften it down. I like to use the blush brush for highlighting above the blush line, as the angle of the brush is great for sweeping across the cheek.KABUKI
This adorable, short, soft kabuki brush is for blending. After applying your layers of foundation, powder, contouring, blush and highlights, swirl the kabuki brush in circles all over the face to blend and help all of that makeup application look natural and softened.
EYESHADOW
This brush is best used to apply soft, all over powder eyeshadow to the eye, including the light base color for under the brow.
It's softness also is great for blending eyeshadows after application in order to soften and spread.
CREAM EYESHADOW
The cream eyeshadow brush can be used to apply cream eyeshadow, yes, but it can also be used for powder eyeshadow colors. I love cream eyeshadows because I feel like the pigment is strong and it lasts.This brush can be used to pack on powder eyeshadow colors, too. Load up both sides of the flat brush with color, tap off excess powder, and press the color onto the eyelid.
CREASE
The crease. So, the little part of your eye lid above your eyeball, before your brow begins to raise up... that indentation is the crease. And applying color to that bit is a pain. Push eyeshadow into the brow crease and blend back and forth along that line.EYELINER
Eyeliners can usually be applied using the pencil or the brush tip that comes with the product. However, you can use an eyeliner brush if you mix your own eyeliner for a precise line, or use eyeshadow for a smudgy look. Angled eyeliner brushes can be used with gel eyeliner to draw sharp lines.
If you are looking for super precise lines like those required for the popular winged look, you will need a very precise eyeliner brush!
BROW
Brow brushes usually only have the comb part and the brush part. This delightful brow brush has a spoolie on the end so you can tame your eyelashes before working your mascara in!
To expertly style your brows, comb the outer portion down, define the brow arch with a brow pencil, then brush all of your brow up and out toward your ear.
LIP
The lip brush can be used to apply lipliner, lipstick, lip gloss, or any lip color. Try using line - fill - line. Define the edges of your lips with the lip brush dipped in the lip gloss or loaded from the lipstick bullet. Use the precision edge of the lip brush to line the lips. Then, use the flat surface to fill in color on the plump parts of your lips. Finish up the lip color application by refining the lip edges one last time.
BONUS: Brush Care
Always store your brushes with the handle down/bristles up. Or store them flat. Putting the weight of the brush on the bristles will ruin them.Makeup brushes can pretty gunked up with product, and not only does it affect the way your product is applied, but brushes that haven't been cleaned can hold and transfer bacteria. This technique is exactly how I clean my art brushes, too!
What you will need to clean your brushes: dirty brushes, baby shampoo, warm tap water, two washcloths or hand towels.
- Squeeze a dollop of baby shampoo into the palm of your hand. Run the brush bristles under warm running water to get it wet, and then start swirling the brush bristles around in your hand. Make sure the baby shampoo totally coats the brush. You should see bubbles. (Yay, bubbles!)
- Run the brush bristles under warm running water while continuing to swirl the brush around in your palm. Continue to swirl until there is no more product or soap in the brush.
- Using one of the towels, squeeze the excess water out of the brush. Don't ruffle the brush, just wrap the towel around it and gently squeeze the brush to absorb excess water. (I also like to fling excess water off the brush by holding it and whipping it toward the sink... it's a skill... a messy skill.)
- Depending on the type of brush, you can gently straighten the bristles. Start at the ferrule (that's the part where the bristles meet the handle - it's usually metal.) and gently pull the bristles from the ferrule to the ends of the bristles to smooth them and reshape the brush.
- Lay the other towel down flat on the edge of a surface, and lay your brush down on it with the brush bristles hanging over the edge. Allow the brush to dry completely before using it, or your brush will get all gunked up because it is still wet. Do not dry your brushes the same way you store them because the water will drip down into the ferrule and create bacteria issues. You can dry them "hanging up" with the bristles DOWN if you have a purchased or McGyvered brush drying device available.
Bring out your inner artist, and make your makeup a masterpiece.
Check out my Instagram @cheriefrid for clips of these brushes in action!
