Beauty How-To: Makeup Brushes

Although this may sound confusing at first, a makeup kit should never consist of makeup alone. If you’re after the best possible application and results from your cosmetics, it’s just about vital to be packing a few of the most basic makeup brushes. These brushes are targeted to specific areas of your face to create a desired effect and make putting your face on infinitely easier. This article will run you through your most necessary brushes, the best of the best, plus some handy tips to get the most out of them.

There are five brushes that could be considered ‘essentials’ due to frequency of use. That said, there are many others that are just as useful but not as frequently used. The first of these is,

1. The hard angle brush. This brush is used for applying gel eyeliner and shaping eyebrows and is necessary to get that perfect – and at times difficult – cat wing eye and arched brow. Without it you risk losing a more defined look.

2. Another essential brush targeted at eyes is the bristled eyeshadow brush. Made for general eyelid coverage, the bristled brush is great because it works well with all kinds of eyeshadows. In particular it is the perfect partner for loose dust powders as the pigments cling to the bristles before being applied to your eyes, stopping any annoying flyaways on your face.

3. Whether you pencil them in or go au naturel, your brows still need to be put in their place. An eyebrow brush stops any potential Dr Spock moments and also comes in handy when wanting to trim any longer brow hairs – simply use the brush to hold it in place and snip. Most eyebrow brushes come with an eyelash comb attached as well, preventing any mascara clumping while you’re at it.

4. A blush brush is great for all seasons. Use it on the apples of your cheeks for a rosy glow during the colder months or sweep bronzer over your cheekbones as the mercury rises. A blush brush is shaped specifically to contour the shape of your cheeks and cheekbones ensuring the best results, so if you use blush or bronzer there’s no excuse not to invest.

5. Perhaps the most important of all is the kabuki brush. A kabuki is used primarily for blending and smoothing, meaning you don’t have to worry about cake face after you’re done. A tool for bringing everything together, the kabuki brush is essential if you want a more unified and polished look from your application.

It should go without saying that, if you do want to get the most out of your brushes, they deserve a little TLC (especially if they are a higher quality brand). The first and foremost important thing to do to ensure brush longevity is regular cleaning. Ideally a brush should be cleaned every couple of days, or once a week at a stretch. Using a liquid hand soap or shampoo on your hands, run the brush under warm water, avoiding getting the handle or ferrule (the metal part the bristles are attached to) wet. Run your hands along the brush from the ferrule to the tip and repeat this until the water runs clear – but be warned, you may be shocked to see all the excess that comes out of your brush! Once cleaned, lay the brush flat on a towel and allow to dry, taking care to reshape the bristles so they don’t splay out. The exception to this rule is the kabuki brush, which should be left to dry standing up.
It is also worth investing in a brush roll to protect your brushes when not in use. Nobody wants to use a makeup brush that’s been rolling around in a makeup box full of excess product and other brushes. A brush roll will ensure your brushes are safe in storage and staying in the best possible condition.

The best brushes that are readily and easily available can be online found at M.A.C, Benefit Cosmetics, Hub Makeup or Strawberry Net. M.A.C and Hub also stock their products in concept stores that can be located via their websites, while Benefit can be found in the makeup section of deparment stores.

Image: makeup-spot.blogspot.com

61 Comments

  • Reply Senorita Tuesday 2nd October, 2012 at 8:51 am

    these look great

  • Reply maggielyly Saturday 17th March, 2012 at 1:29 pm

    This was really helpful, thanks!

  • Reply lauralai Tuesday 17th January, 2012 at 2:01 pm

    I have a great brush collection, but must admit I didn’t know how to use half of them! Thanks for the tips!

  • Reply cookieferrelli Tuesday 17th January, 2012 at 11:59 am

    I have always been confused. Thanks!

  • Reply mandystsai2 Monday 16th January, 2012 at 7:49 pm

    Good tips for make-up brushes!

  • Viggy
    Reply Viggy Monday 16th January, 2012 at 12:04 pm

    They make all the difference

  • Reply cydney.marie Monday 16th January, 2012 at 10:13 am

    want!

  • Reply sallync Sunday 15th January, 2012 at 5:46 am

    Great stuff…I’d love an article that can show me how to manage on less than 3 brushes!

  • newbie
    Reply newbie Thursday 12th January, 2012 at 4:28 pm

    great post 😀

  • newbie
    Reply newbie Monday 9th January, 2012 at 10:15 pm

    Great article 😀

  • Reply Blackwolf Sunday 8th January, 2012 at 11:24 am

    have all these just have to remember to regularly clean them

  • sommy7
    Reply sommy7 Saturday 7th January, 2012 at 11:50 pm

    I just received a new makeup brush set for xmas.now to use them correctly

  • andthebirds
    Reply andthebirds Wednesday 4th January, 2012 at 4:49 pm

    my brush is really old

  • aimzybabe
    Reply aimzybabe Tuesday 3rd January, 2012 at 3:42 pm

    Thanks for the info! I don’t know how to use these brushes well at all!

  • Reply amyk3u Saturday 31st December, 2011 at 11:26 pm

    i need to buy more make up brushes love them!

  • Reply linhyy Thursday 29th December, 2011 at 5:45 pm

    Brushes are such an essential

  • Reply bonnie04 Tuesday 27th December, 2011 at 12:50 pm

    How do you guys ensure the brushes dry properly? Is there a way to dry them upside down so the water doesn’t seep into the ferrule?

  • Reply shell0606 Tuesday 27th December, 2011 at 12:08 pm

    Need to go shopping now!

  • ivysaurus
    Reply ivysaurus Sunday 25th December, 2011 at 6:43 pm

    great tips:)

  • Reply weesy Saturday 24th December, 2011 at 11:39 pm

    these recs were really helpful, thanks!

  • Reply holly vals Saturday 24th December, 2011 at 8:36 am

    good tips

  • Reply buonarrotischisel Saturday 24th December, 2011 at 5:13 am

    very helpful!

  • Reply AshleyKins Friday 23rd December, 2011 at 8:41 pm

    great.

  • ppennylane
    Reply ppennylane Thursday 22nd December, 2011 at 7:54 pm

    Need new makeup brushes asap!

  • Reply 0606Shell Thursday 22nd December, 2011 at 7:25 pm

    Very informative 😀

  • Reply whatsupmonkey Thursday 22nd December, 2011 at 6:12 pm

    I’m so bad, I never wash my brushes…

  • Reply arsyparsy Monday 19th December, 2011 at 8:13 pm

    Ah I need more brushes!
    I’m still on the look out for a good hard angled brush.

  • Reply ethereal Monday 19th December, 2011 at 8:52 am

    Good tips! I wash my brushes with baby shampoo, seems to be effective and a bit kinder to the bristles than soap or adult shampoo.

  • citystyle93
    Reply citystyle93 Monday 19th December, 2011 at 8:34 am

    i just got a new brush set, so these tips are extremely helpful

  • Reply lucinda Sunday 18th December, 2011 at 10:24 pm

    Great Post!

  • Reply Whatthe Sunday 18th December, 2011 at 8:40 pm

    This is a great article.

  • Reply fifi73 Sunday 18th December, 2011 at 8:36 pm

    Hmm I have most of those already, but it seems like I’ll be investing in a kabuki brush…. 😉

  • Reply bwa1 Sunday 18th December, 2011 at 1:44 pm

    Don’t mind having some of these.

  • Reply blackcab Sunday 18th December, 2011 at 9:26 am

    LOVE THE TIPS

  • Reply Ashleeridgway Sunday 18th December, 2011 at 9:12 am

    was helpful! i need new brushes!

  • Reply maretaak Saturday 17th December, 2011 at 9:51 pm

    It’s amazing how much of a difference a good brush makes

  • Reply wennndyx Saturday 17th December, 2011 at 2:23 pm

    cooool

  • Reply midnightstarfish Saturday 17th December, 2011 at 9:42 am

    Very informative ! 🙂

  • Reply candi_lee Friday 16th December, 2011 at 1:21 pm

    Thanks for the advice xx

  • Reply lieuloves Friday 16th December, 2011 at 11:05 am

    so useful! thanks so much!

  • Reply KNY Friday 16th December, 2011 at 10:37 am

    Great tips, thanks. Wouldnt mind adding a few more brushes to my collection after reading this!

  • GoodThanks
    Reply GoodThanks Friday 16th December, 2011 at 9:43 am

    Nothing beats the good ol’ Kabuki!

  • Reply Tashie Friday 16th December, 2011 at 9:08 am

    Love my brushes!!

  • Reply thugsy Friday 16th December, 2011 at 7:10 am

    Love the tips

  • Reply bardie Friday 16th December, 2011 at 7:05 am

    great tips

  • Reply tessarella Friday 16th December, 2011 at 6:52 am

    Good info – i desperately need to update my brushes

  • Reply misslauraaah Thursday 15th December, 2011 at 11:55 pm

    definitely worth the read!

  • Reply silver_fox Thursday 15th December, 2011 at 10:52 pm

    love em

  • Reply KatP Thursday 15th December, 2011 at 10:26 pm

    i love my brushes!

  • Reply UNoPoo Thursday 15th December, 2011 at 10:23 pm

    Great advice!

  • Fashionista8P
    Reply Fashionista8P Thursday 15th December, 2011 at 9:26 pm

    fabulous tips, i have a terrible brush collection that could use with some spicing up

  • Reply traanster Thursday 15th December, 2011 at 7:21 pm

    For someone who knows nothing about make up this helped a lot!

  • hausoftina
    Reply hausoftina Thursday 15th December, 2011 at 7:09 pm

    Thanks for this post! Very helpful tips(:

  • Reply Emsalee Thursday 15th December, 2011 at 6:34 pm

    I wish I had those brushes!

  • Myra
    Reply myra00 Thursday 15th December, 2011 at 6:20 pm

    I need more brushes in my collection!

  • Reply lizzie77 Thursday 15th December, 2011 at 4:53 pm

    thanks for the recommendations for brushes.

  • Reply piccolanippy Thursday 15th December, 2011 at 4:20 pm

    Loved these tips thanks!

  • Reply juliew Thursday 15th December, 2011 at 3:31 pm

    these look like good quality brushes

  • Reply Andrea Thursday 15th December, 2011 at 1:58 pm

    I really need to update my makeup brushes, great inspiration to do so!

  • Reply Whatthe Thursday 15th December, 2011 at 1:45 pm

    I love adding to my brush collection

  • Zoe93
    Reply Zoe93 Thursday 15th December, 2011 at 1:36 pm

    Love good makeup brushes!

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