Types of Makeup Brushes

Tips on Choosing Brushes

When you are going to purchase brushes, there are some things to consider:

Matching the Brush to the task:

Natural bristle hair brushes are better suited for the application of powdery and dry products, powder, blush and eyeshadow, etc.

Synthetic bristle brushes are better suited for wet product application, such as creams, lipstick and foundation.

Stiff hair brushes will pickup more colour/product, which results in a darker look.

Soft hair brushes gives a more feathered and faded look.

Product Application

With all the brushes, the amount of product you use, and the angle and pressure you apply, will greatly effect the success of the application.

Brush Care
Take good care of your brushes. Keep them clean and dust-free. No matter how good the brush, without cleaning it will not work properly.
Expensive brand brushes will last anywhere from 5-20 years and some offer lifetime guarantee, but if you don’t clean your brush it will harden with product and won’t apply as well.
It is very unhygienic to not clean your brushes as they fill up with bacteria and dead skin.

Quality is always represented by price, however, Australia is severely overpriced in many industries.

That said, always go with a brand name that is respected and well known.

Brush Uses

Powder Brushes
In the case of powder brushes, bigger is definitely not better. If it’s too big they pick up too much powder and drop it around. And they are too large to get into the places that need the most powder. A good powder brush should be fairly flat with rounded edges. Not only does this give the best all over application, but it can be squeezed into areas where shine is prevalent.

Blush Brushes
Blush brushes need to be chosen according to the size of your face. If it’s too large, the area you cover will be too wide. If the brush is too small, you will get a stripe.

Contour Brushes
The traditional contour brush with the flat head is not the best shape for applying contour. It is too wide to contour the nose and the flat shape makes stripes. You will get much better results with a smaller version of the blush brush. That shape brush can be squeezed for narrow application, or used as is for subtle contouring that doesn’t leave lines of demarcation.

Highlight Brushes
Although this brush is sometimes used on different areas of the face, its most frequent use is under the eyes. In order to apply enough highlight powder the brush should be slightly larger than an eye shadow brush. You will get the best results if it is very dense and has a rounded tip.

Eyeshadow Brushes
You will need two different types of eyeshadow brushes. One brush should give a concentrated application around the rim of the eyes, for a smoky effect. The second brush needs to give a soft, even application over the entire eyelid, so it should be soft and rounded. With these two brushes you can create a multitude of shadow effects.

Eyeliner Brushes
When cake eyeliner is needed, a tapered, fine tip brush gives a thin, precise line. A thicker line can be achieved by applying more pressure. This spreads the brush and widens the line.

Lip Brushes
For precise application in creating a smooth lipline you need a flat brush with a straight end. How you angle the brush when applying lipstick is just as important as a good quality brush.

Eyebrow Brushes
This is the only nylon brush I recommend because the firm bristles separate and shape the eyebrows. It is also essential when blending eyebrow pencil.

Kabuki BrushesIdeal for all over application of liquid and cream formulas, it is also ideal for all over primer application, contouring and highlighting. These brushes can also be used for all over application of mineral foundation.