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Choosing makeup brushes can be super overwhelming, whether you&#;re a professional makeup artist, a makeup enthusiast, or even just a basic everyday makeup wearer. I get asked about brushes SO much, so I thought it was about time that I put my thoughts together in a blog post!
I highly suggest you bookmark this page because I guarantee you&#;ll be shopping for makeup one day and think to yourself, &#;wait, do I really need this brush?&#; Of course, if you want to learn more about how to use your brushes to achieve a gorgeous everyday makeup look, you can find that in my book, Be Your Own Makeup Artist. &#;
Less Is More. (You&#;ve heard me say this a lot)
Sure, having a huge makeup collection with tons of brushes might be fun, the truth is, most of us can get by with just 2-3 brushes. Even as a professional makeup artist, I&#;ve had to do super quick applications for a client and I&#;ve pulled double duty on brushes and guess what? It works just fine!
I get it. It&#;s so much fun to watch makeup tutorials and see all the fun brushes people have and use, but it&#;s important to remember that most of the time, these people are getting these things for free from brands. They&#;re not spending their own money, and if they had to, I doubt they would even own half of them. You do not need 29 makeup brushes. Trust me.
Not convinced? What if I told you that many professional makeup artists, myself included, often use their (clean) fingers instead of brushes to apply makeup to themselves and their clients. There are many cases where fingertips just work better. I make a point to note these cases in my book because I really feel that if something you already own works great, you don&#;t need to go out and buy something new. Call me crazy, but that&#;s just what I practice AND preach!
So, if you don&#;t need dozens and dozens of brushes, which ones DO you need to have in your makeup kit?
Choosing Makeup Brushes
Brushes are an essential part of your makeup kit, so knowing how to shop for the right brush is so important. With the right tools (not necessarily the most expensive ones), your makeup will look better, apply easier, and last longer.
1. Choose Quality Over QuantityAlways invest in quality brushes. Again, you don&#;t need a lot of brushes; you just need the right brushes. When choosing a brush, remember that a high price point doesn&#;t necessarily mean high quality. Select quality items and keep in mind that if you take care of your brushes (and clean them regularly) they will last a while, so look at it as a long-term investment.
2. Avoid Buying SetsAvoid purchasing brush sets at all costs. Yes, it&#;s tempting to buy them; after all, they look so pretty organized nicely in that little carrying case. But here&#;s the harsh truth: sets normally contain a bunch of brushes that wouldn&#;t normally sell well on their own and I bet you won&#;t even reach for half of them. It&#;s really just such a waste of money.
3. Know Which Makeup Brush Does WhatChoosing the right makeup brush is not just about watching a YouTube video and buying everything they recommend. It&#;s also not about reading this blog post and buying every single brush I mention. When choosing your makeup and brushes, it&#;s important that you do your homework and decide which products work best for you&#; not someone else.
Makeup Brush 101
I want to empower you with the knowledge you need to buy the best brushes for your preferred makeup look, so here&#;s a little more info on some of the most popular kinds of brushes and what each of them is used for.
Keep in mind: this is not a complete list. My goal is to help you recognize the most popular brushes that you will see in the makeup brush aisle. I want you to be able to pick up the ones you need and skip the ones you don&#;t.
Stippling Brush: This kind of brush is perfect for buffing liquid, cream, or mousse foundation. Use small, circular strokes to blend.
Foundation Brush: Use this flat brush to apply liquid foundation by swiping back and forth until it&#;s all blended.
Powder Brush: This is a large, fluffy brush that&#;s perfect for applying powder over the top of your liquid foundation.
Setting Brush: This smaller version of the powder brush is perfect for locking in your foundation and concealer with setting powder.
Fan Brush: You will use this thin, flat brush for applying highlighter, blush, and bronzer. This is one I normally tell people they can skip. I actually use my favorite setting brush for this!
Blush Brush: This is a medium-sized blush that is great for applying and blending blush and bronzer.
Angled Cheek Brush: This slanted brush is ideal for various applications, such as blush, bronzer, and contouring.
Lip Brush: If you want to apply lipstick more precisely, you can use this small, flat brush. Most everyday makeup wearers don&#;t need to invest in a lip brush, in my opinion.
Eyeshadow Brush: This is a flat brush that comes in both large and small sizes, perfect for applying eyeshadow.
Crease Brush: The slight angle of this brush helps get into the crease of the eyelid. This is for more &#;advanced&#; eyeshadow applications.
Blending Brush: This small, fluffy brush is ideal for blending different shadow colors for a more natural look.
Eyeliner Brush: This angled brush makes applying gel eyeliner a breeze. If you like to use eyeshadow as an eyeliner, this is a great brush to have, too. You can even use it to fill in brows!
Eyebrow Brush: This kind of brush usually has a comb on one side and a spoolie on the other to groom brows and make them look fuller.
Beauty Sponge: This bulb-shaped sponge is good for patting and blending liquid foundation and concealer. You HAVE to wet the sponge before using it or it will soak up all your product.
Kabuki Brush: Use this short, stubby brush to apply powder foundation in small circular motions. You can use it lightly to apply blush or bronzer, too.
PS: check out this infographic from my book Be Your Own Makeup Artist and save it on Pinterest!
Which Makeup Brushes Do Beginners Need?
If you are a makeup beginner and you want to build a nice makeup kit, resist the urge to buy a makeup brush set. Instead, here is a list of brushes I believe are essential for beginners:
1 brush to apply foundation (or a quality beauty sponge)
1 brush for contouring/blush/highlighting (like a setting brush)
1 eyeshadow brush
1 eyeliner brush
1 eyebrow brush
If you&#;re ready to start shopping, I&#;ve created this free downloadable Makeup Brush Guide. In it, you will find more details about the essential brushes I recommend in each of these categories and I give a helpful checklist to make it easier for you to choose the right brushes.
How to Take Care of Your Brushes
Once you invest in some brushes, you need to learn how to take care of them. Brushes are made to last a while, as long as you clean and store them properly.
When washing your brushes, use a mild cleanser to maintain quality. My favorite (and the most cost-effective option) is baby shampoo! It&#;s so gentle, but it still gets the job done. I&#;ve used Johnson & Johnson&#;s baby shampoo for probably 15 years. I still use that on my own brushes, but I splurge a little and use Sonia Roselli Tiger Eye Soap for my pro kit.
For makeup sponges, you will want to use something a little different. I use Beauty Blender beauty sponges, so I can only speak to that, but I double cleanse using Beauty Blender Liquid Cleanser followed by Beauty Blender Solid Pro (you can use this for brushes too, it&#;s just a little more pricey.)
PS: Want some quick insights about makeup brushes for beginners?! Check out this video I&#;ve recorded about the topic!
Psst.. If you want to know more about how to wash and sanitize your brushes and the rest of your makeup, grab a copy of my free Makeup Sanitation Guide!
I hope this post has cleared up some of the mystery surrounding makeup brushes. I always aim to make things as easy as possible for people, but if you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment or reach out to me using the Ask Setareh form on my website!
Makeup brushes are integral to achieving a flawless, airbrushed look that&#;ll help you face your day with confidence. However, the extensive selection of brushes available on the market can make the buying experience intimidating. If you happen to buy a multi-pack set, you might not even know all of the makeup brushes&#; names, or be able to discern their specific uses. Sure, using your finger as an applicator is a tried and true way to apply foundation, but if you want to graduate from amateur to pro in the beauty world, you need to arm yourself with the right knowledge to make it happen.
Investigating all the types of makeup brushes is a daunting challenge alone. So, we&#;ve distilled the options down to the most useful and multi-use tools. Knowing how to use makeup brushes allows for the precision and control you need to achieve a diverse range of looks.
Do you have a specific makeup brush you&#;re looking for? Check out our makeup brushes guide below to get the information you need&#;you&#;ll be on your way to slaying in no time:
Gently dusting loose powder products across your face.
A powder brush is generally a thick, full-fibered brush&#;either synthetic or natural&#;that has the versatility to perform a multitude of beauty jobs. This omnipresent makeup brush (you can hardly find a makeup set without it) is an important tool to have in your makeup arsenal.
To use a powder brush for foundation, dip the brush into the powdered product&#;applicable for both pressed and loose powders&#;and swirl in circles or sweeping strokes until you achieve even coverage. Pro tip: it&#;s easier to ensure adequate application if you start in the middle of your face and work your way out.
This is an exceptional beginner multi-tool, especially for use as a mineral foundation brush, because it&#;s simple to blend and work in your product.
Of all the types of makeup brushes, powder brushes are well-suited for adding color like blush when you want a more natural, less pigmented result. Think a dusting of rosy cheeks instead of a dramatic, deeply-hued look.
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Precise application of foundation, highlight, or blush.
Tapered foundation brushes are usually flat, less full in form, with a gentle taper. These brushes are best for liquid foundation and other liquid products. If you are having trouble deciding on a type of foundation, learn more about the different types of foundation here. To use, start by dipping your brush in warm water then gently squeezing out the excess. If it&#;s hot and you&#;re prone to sweating, use cool water for a more refreshing application experience.
The water serves two functions here: one, to ensure an even coat of your foundation and two, to keep the brush from absorbing any of the foundation&#;saving you money since the brush won&#;t soak up any of your makeup. However, take care to remove the water by gently squeezing excess water out into a towel; too much moisture will dilute your makeup, making the product&#;s coverage ineffective.
To apply makeup using a foundation brush, guide the brush along your face in even strokes. Take care to ensure that the makeup is blended in and no harsh lines are left behind. Again, it&#;s often easier to start in the middle and work your way outward.
Many types of makeup brushes are multi-use, so don&#;t be afraid to use your flat foundation brush to apply a little highlighter to your temples or spot-correct, too.
Creating a flawless, airbrushed look.
A stippled brush has a striking appearance&#;the fibers are of two distinct lengths. The bulk of the brush is full fibered and tightly packed with longer fibers interspersed. Stippling brushes are great for layering different levels of makeup. Primer, foundation, and blush can be seamlessly worked together with this type of tool.
While stippling brushes can be used with powders, its best use is for liquid cream foundation or cream blush products. To use, put cream blush or foundation on the back of your hand, carefully dip the brush into product and stipple onto face.
How do you &#;stipple&#; exactly? Use small motions to push the brush down onto your face. Think of a gentle makeup pogo stick. After the initial stipples, it&#;s time to utilize those longer bristles. Gently press down with the longer bristles and make soft swirling motions. Don&#;t push too hard with the bristles because too much pressure will end up leaving puddles of makeup&#;so far, that hasn&#;t been a makeup trend, so best to avoid it.
Applying loose powder or body shimmer.
Kabuki brushes are some of the most impressive looking brushes. They&#;re often of the larger variety, with tightly packed fibers, however, you can get a travel-sized mini kabuki brush as well. They&#;re best to use with loose powders on body and face. Want to add some shimmer to your décolletage? Swirl your illuminizing product in large circles for a magical, illustrious finish.
Kabuki brushes are also great for powder foundation and blush. Diffuse concentrated product by swirling the brush in makeup, tapping to remove excess and then gently applying by using large, circular motions.
Need to set your makeup with finishing powder? Dip your kabuki brush into the product and spread evenly across your face. Be careful not to press to aggressively so as to avoid disrupting the placement of your blush, highlighter, etc.
To achieve angular, defined cheekbones and facial structure.
Contouring is a makeup application skill every beauty lover should know, but one that takes practice to perfect. Worst-case scenario when you&#;re attempting a good contour? Dark, unblended streaks. But we&#;ve got your back so you&#;ll never leave the house a two-toned nightmare.
The first step is investing in a good angled contour brush, it&#;s important to use angled brushes rather than flat brushes because they allow you to follow the natural curves of your face.
To get a contoured look, choose your dark contour color (this is the &#;shadow&#; that will serve as a contrast to the &#;highlight&#;). Usually, especially if you&#;re fair skinned, you don&#;t want to go too dark. Stick with a medium tone but take note: if it&#;s not dark enough, there won&#;t be a contrast. You have to find that Goldilocks fit.
So, you&#;ve got your darker contour color. Now, let&#;s map out your face.
If you want to minimize your forehead, trace the area with the angled contour brush near your hairline.
Next, make a pout with your face. Just under your cheekbones, use the contour brush to apply the darker tone to the hollow beneath the apples of your cheeks.
If you want to slim your chin, take the brush and make parentheses around it. And finally, add some darker lines on either side of your jaw bone. Now, your face should be mapped out with the darker contrast.
The next step is to blend everything together. It sounds simple but it&#;s actually the most difficult and critical part of making the contour look as natural as possible.
To blend you can use a powder brush, a kabuki brush or other full-fibered brush.
The very last step is to add a highlighter to your cheeks, forehead, nose, chin and Cupid&#;s bow which can be applied with smaller brushes. Use general powder brushes for highlighting larger areas.
Contouring brushes give you fine precision control over the angles with which you can achieve a Kardashian-level contour. Who needs Photoshop when you&#;re already picture-perfect?
To seamlessly apply foundation and blend products.
Silicone blenders are generally flat and oval or teardrop-shaped. The great part about using a silicone blender is that there is no chance of it absorbing anything, meaning that you&#;re not wasting precious product.
To use, dab foundation and stipple onto all parts of your face, making sure you are blending into your neckline as well. Tapping motions work best for more a natural look so focus on short, staccato motions instead of swirling as you would for a traditional brush&#;swirling with a silicone blender can mean smeared makeup.
Applying wet and dry foundation, blush, highlighter and concealer.
The Beauty Blender is a makeup darling of YouTube beauty stars. The Beauty Blender and other similar makeup sponges are favorited for a reason: they&#;re a great way to apply a multitude of products. You can use it as a primer applicator for an even, solid base. You can even use it for applying sunscreen or topical creams. Of course, most commonly, beauty-lovers use it to apply foundation and blend blush, bronzer, and highlighter.
To use with liquid foundation, run the sponge under the sink with cool or warm water and then press the sponge to remove extra water. Water helps keep the sponge from absorbing any of the makeup. Now, gently dab the sponge into the makeup product you&#;re using and apply some to the wrist or back of your hand for a coverage test. Then, apply product to your face using soft dabbing motions. Less is more when using a Beauty Blender.
For smaller areas, use the tip of the Beauty Blender for detail work like applying highlighter to your cupid&#;s bow or shimmer to brow bones.
If you&#;re using dry powder, simply pour some of the product onto the lid and dab the sponge directly in the product. Use the same process as you would for liquid foundation. Be aware you might have to re-moisturize the sponge as it can dry out during the application process.
Already done with your makeup but it looks a little patchy? Here&#;s a useful trick: use the Beauty Blender&#;s side and roll it across your entire face to blend in all areas of your face.
Applying highlighter, brush away makeup mistakes, and blend out dark lines.
A fan brush is shaped like&#;surprise&#;a fan. These types of makeup brushes are a great basic to have in your makeup toolbox because of their multi-use functionality.
For example, they work exceptionally well as a mistake-corrector. Maybe you&#;re applying a smoky eye and you got carried away the eye shadow, flecks of pigment are everywhere, and you&#;re a raccoon now. Gently brush away these extra flecks of color with the fan brush.
For bronzer or highlighter, use a fan to gently buff product onto your cheekbones using a sweeping motion.
You can also use fan brushes to diffuse color. Mellow out dark blush by fanning away the intensity.
An alternative use for fan brushes is to use them as an applicator for lotion, sunscreen, or concealer. It&#;s a gentle, soothing way to apply all manners of skincare products. Pretend you&#;re at a day spa, close your eyes, turn on Enya, and use the fan brush to fan away all your worries while applying your retinol cream like a real esthetician.
For the application of blush to get that fresh-faced, youthful rosiness.
A blush brush is surprisingly similar to a powdered brush. Brushes for blush are generally a little stubbier, however, as they are covering a smaller area than a powder brush. When applying blush, try to avoid Raggedy-Ann-reminiscent red circles on your cheeks.
To avoid the doll look, diffuse blush outward while applying to the apples of your cheeks. Start with light pressure and test out the pigmentation on your wrist or the back of your hand. It&#;s much easier to build color than it is to wipe it away after it&#;s already been applied.
Applying swaths of general color to your eyelids.
A general eye shadow brush is a small, usually stubby brush meant for sweeping eye shadow all across the lid and upper eye area. This is a great tool to use for eye shadow primer, as well. Simply dip the brush into the shadow, tap off excess, and apply to lids. For a more pigmented effect, you can dip the brush in water.
For smudging and contouring eye makeup.
For more proficient beauty lovers, an angled eye shadow brush is a perfect addition. Use it to add intense colors to the corner of your eye, for precise smudging, and to line your crease with a contrast color.
For creating the illusion of depth and adding a dramatic contrast to your base lid color.
Eye shadow crease brushes generally have a gentle taper; this allows tight precision when you&#;re adding in the final touches of your smoky eye. Use it to layer pigment where eye lid naturally folds.
For adding liner to achieve a fuller lash line or cat-eye look.
Brigitte Bardot, Twiggy, Marilyn Monroe&#;these icons all used a cat-eye to achieve a glamorous, sultry look. An eyeliner brush serves multiple purposes. First and foremost for your eyeliner, of course. To use, dip the brush into the eyeliner pot (often, eyeliners will have brush integrated into the product). Starting from your inner eye, draw a line outward, gradually increasing the width of the line and flicking out toward the ends.
Practice makes perfect, as they say, and is especially true for trying any sort of eyeliner techniques. The key to eyeliner is steady hands (don&#;t drink three cups of coffee before attempting this). Sometimes, a selfie after applying your liner is a good idea to check the similarity of your wings.
A great way to start on building your cat-eye prowess is by using the hash or dot method. Use the eyeliner brush to make small hashes or dots along your lash line and a final dot where the tip of the wing will go. Connect the dots to get to cat-eye perfection.
If you really want precision, you can use a stencil or even tape if you want to make sure the angles of both your wings match.
Used for taming and styling your brows.
Most brow brushes come double-sided&#;a comb side and a brush side. You can even get customizable brow kits for any eyebrow color. You can calm even the most unwieldy brows with a duo-brow brush. First, use the comb to straighten and form your brow shape.
Then, use the brush side to apply your brow product whether that&#;s powder or a gel. Whether cream or powder, use short staccato strokes, making sure to come to a defined point at the ends. And remember, your brows are sisters&#;not twins. Follow the natural shape of your brows rather than forcing them into unnatural forms. Embrace that extra tuft on your left side!
To apply mascara to your upper and lower lash lines.
Mascara wands are handy tools everyone should have. They help separate and define each lash. Before you apply your mascara with your spoolie, you can use an eyelash curler for an even more dramatic, full effect.
After curling, sweep up your mascara wand, making sure to squeegee excess product on the opening of the mascara tube to avoid excess mascara on your lashes&#;this way, you won&#;t have spider lashes or an overly sticky upper and lower lash situation.
In a pinch, use a clean mascara wand to tame your unruly brows.
Another tip: if you love a certain mascara wand, but don&#;t love the mascara formula, keep the wand, sanitize it, and use it with a different formula.
To precisely apply lipstick, gloss and other lip products.
Have you ever seen a toddler apply lipstick? They&#;re typically just trying to get the lipstick somewhere close to their lips with little to no success. Even as an adult, it can be hard to stay in the lines when you&#;re faced with the applicator that already comes with lip products.
So, to solve this problem you should invest in a lip brush. Simply dip the brush into your lip product and apply directly to your lips. Finish the look with a similarly colored liner.
To add lip liner after main lipstick or gloss application.
Flat and tapered, lip liners help finish your lip look. Precisely line your lips, smooth over imperfections, and gracefully shape your mouth.
While we&#;re talking about makeup brushes, it&#;s important to keep an eye on your routine to avoid infections, rashes, and other unseemly effects from using dirty brushes. To wash your brushes and keep bacteria at bay, use a gentle cleanser or brush-specific cleanser and wet the bristles (avoid getting water on the handles). Then, swirl the brush on a paper towel, or try a makeup brush cleaning wipe, and repeat until the brush is clean. Make sure there is no soap left in the bristles by rinsing them. Let the brushes air dry to preserve their shape.
Makeup brushes and their uses can be a complicated puzzle to solve but it&#;s well worth the trouble. The right types of makeup brushes and knowing how to use them properly can elevate your beauty game. If you need detailed instructions for applying makeup, we&#;ve got you covered, too.
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