How to Choose Makeup Brushes

Opt for brushes with natural fibers instead of synthetic fibers., Find brushes with a dome shaped tip., Invest in high-quality makeup brushes., Start your collection with the essential brushes for everyday makeup application., Start with a...

15 Steps 5 min read Advanced

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Step 1: Opt for brushes with natural fibers instead of synthetic fibers.

    Organic or natural fibers are both softer and more effective.

    They are actual hair.

    They have cuticles which are better at attaching to and holding the pigment on the brush until you apply it to your face.

    Find cruelty free items if that's important to you.The softest and most expensive bristles are made from blue squirrel hair.

    More affordable and perfectly acceptable options include: goat, pony and sable.

    Synthetic brushes are good for applying liquid makeup like base and concealer, because they are easier to clean.

    You can find a favorite brand and purchase all of your brushes from the same maker, or mix and match to create a whole set which meets your needs and your budget.
  2. Step 2: Find brushes with a dome shaped tip.

    Dome shaped bristles roll more evenly over your face.

    Flat brushes create more drag when applying makeup.

    The curved shape makes it easier to control the application of the makeup., Natural fiber makeup brushes can get expensive.

    The retail price, though, reflects the quality of the product.

    You can spend that extra money for a brush which could last a lifetime, as long as you take good care of it.Clean your natural hair makeup brushes once a month by swishing them in a cup of warm water with a little shampoo.

    Rinse the brushes and lie them flat on a towel on the counter until they dry. , There are a lot of brushes made for specific purposes when it comes to makeup brushes.

    If you are on a budget and just want to cover the basics, you can start with a foundation brush, concealer brush, blush brush, eye shadow brush, and slanted eye shadow brush.Applying foundation with a brush is recommended for keeping the oil from your hands from clogging your pores, which can cause skin irritation and break outs.

    Blending concealer with your fingers can actually wipe the concealer away.

    Using a concealer brush will allow better coverage. , The foundation brush should have a lot of bristles packed into the tip, making it sturdier and stiffer for wet makeup application.

    This is a brush you can choose to purchase with synthetic fibers, as it will be easier to clean liquid makeup from the brush., This brush can also be synthetic fiber for applying liquid concealer under your eyes or dabbing concealer in small spots to cover blemishes.

    This brush should also have tightly packed bristles, as well as a pointed tip to allow you to target small blemishes., A duo fiber brush is useful for multiple purposes.

    These combine goat and synthetic fibers in a brush with a flat, circular tip to buff or blend.This can be used with liquid blush to blend color into your cheeks.

    The duo fiber brush can also work a shimmer powder onto your brows or cheeks. , This brush should be able to work with bronzer and compact powder.

    The bristles are less packed and able to gather a good deal of powder and hold not out until you apply it to your skin.

    Look for a large, soft, rounded tip.A mineral powder brush is a variation on the powder brush.

    It is similar, but has more tightly packed bristles to buff the mineral powder into your skin.

    Another variation is the fan powder brush.

    It is useful to create a light dusting.

    The tip of this brush splays out into a flat fan for applying very light coverage.

    It can also be used to dust off any excess powder from your face. , The tip should be rounded to allow easy movement across your skin with no drag.

    The blush brush should have very fine and soft bristles to apply powdered blush to your cheeks., This brush has a rounded tip and also a slight slant to match the angles in your cheekbones.

    You can use this to add shadow under your cheek bones for a more dramatic look, as well as applying highlights above your cheekbones to help them stand out., Often, a lot of time is spent on the eyes when applying makeup, so there are also several brushes with different uses to help you complete the job.

    Your main eye shadow brush should have a tip a little smaller than the size of your eyelid.

    You want lots of soft bristles and a rounded tip.

    It should move smoothly over your eyelid, applying color without dragging your lid.Shade your eye socket with an angled eye shadow brush.

    This brush is slightly smaller than your eye shadow brush and has an angled, pointed tip to help you reach into the depth of your sockets to shade your eyelids.

    The blending eye shadow brush has slightly looser bristles and a rounded tip useful for blending eye shadow colors or brushing a highlight onto your brow. , The fine tipped eyeliner brush can help you apply liquid eyeliner in a very precise, fine line and can even apply tiny dots between lashes.

    If you would like a little more coverage, or a smoky-eyed look, opt for a flat liner brush, which has a flat angled tip., The spiral eyebrow brush has a tip which resembles a mascara applicator.

    This is used to comb your eyebrows into place when some of them have gone or grown in different directions.

    You can also use this brush to pull the eyebrow hairs straight up, then trim the ends to control the shape of your eyebrows.Follow up with a slanted eyebrow brush for filling in your brows with powder or cream.

    This brush should be more rigid and have an angled tip to be able to draw fine lines. , This brush has a fine tip for precision in adding lip color.

    The bristles on this brush are very shot and firm.
  3. Step 3: Invest in high-quality makeup brushes.

  4. Step 4: Start your collection with the essential brushes for everyday makeup application.

  5. Step 5: Start with a foundation brush.

  6. Step 6: Conceal blemishes and dark circles under you eyes using a concealer brush.

  7. Step 7: Apply both liquid and powdered makeup with a duo fiber brush.

  8. Step 8: Pick up a full

  9. Step 9: rounded brush for applying powder.

  10. Step 10: Apply blush with a fine blush brush.

  11. Step 11: Create highlights and shading with a face contour brush.

  12. Step 12: Use a trio of brushes for your eye shadow.

  13. Step 13: Choose a fine or flat eyeliner brush.

  14. Step 14: Contour your brows with eye brow brushes.

  15. Step 15: Finish it off with a lip brush for applying color to your lips.

Detailed Guide

Organic or natural fibers are both softer and more effective.

They are actual hair.

They have cuticles which are better at attaching to and holding the pigment on the brush until you apply it to your face.

Find cruelty free items if that's important to you.The softest and most expensive bristles are made from blue squirrel hair.

More affordable and perfectly acceptable options include: goat, pony and sable.

Synthetic brushes are good for applying liquid makeup like base and concealer, because they are easier to clean.

You can find a favorite brand and purchase all of your brushes from the same maker, or mix and match to create a whole set which meets your needs and your budget.

Dome shaped bristles roll more evenly over your face.

Flat brushes create more drag when applying makeup.

The curved shape makes it easier to control the application of the makeup., Natural fiber makeup brushes can get expensive.

The retail price, though, reflects the quality of the product.

You can spend that extra money for a brush which could last a lifetime, as long as you take good care of it.Clean your natural hair makeup brushes once a month by swishing them in a cup of warm water with a little shampoo.

Rinse the brushes and lie them flat on a towel on the counter until they dry. , There are a lot of brushes made for specific purposes when it comes to makeup brushes.

If you are on a budget and just want to cover the basics, you can start with a foundation brush, concealer brush, blush brush, eye shadow brush, and slanted eye shadow brush.Applying foundation with a brush is recommended for keeping the oil from your hands from clogging your pores, which can cause skin irritation and break outs.

Blending concealer with your fingers can actually wipe the concealer away.

Using a concealer brush will allow better coverage. , The foundation brush should have a lot of bristles packed into the tip, making it sturdier and stiffer for wet makeup application.

This is a brush you can choose to purchase with synthetic fibers, as it will be easier to clean liquid makeup from the brush., This brush can also be synthetic fiber for applying liquid concealer under your eyes or dabbing concealer in small spots to cover blemishes.

This brush should also have tightly packed bristles, as well as a pointed tip to allow you to target small blemishes., A duo fiber brush is useful for multiple purposes.

These combine goat and synthetic fibers in a brush with a flat, circular tip to buff or blend.This can be used with liquid blush to blend color into your cheeks.

The duo fiber brush can also work a shimmer powder onto your brows or cheeks. , This brush should be able to work with bronzer and compact powder.

The bristles are less packed and able to gather a good deal of powder and hold not out until you apply it to your skin.

Look for a large, soft, rounded tip.A mineral powder brush is a variation on the powder brush.

It is similar, but has more tightly packed bristles to buff the mineral powder into your skin.

Another variation is the fan powder brush.

It is useful to create a light dusting.

The tip of this brush splays out into a flat fan for applying very light coverage.

It can also be used to dust off any excess powder from your face. , The tip should be rounded to allow easy movement across your skin with no drag.

The blush brush should have very fine and soft bristles to apply powdered blush to your cheeks., This brush has a rounded tip and also a slight slant to match the angles in your cheekbones.

You can use this to add shadow under your cheek bones for a more dramatic look, as well as applying highlights above your cheekbones to help them stand out., Often, a lot of time is spent on the eyes when applying makeup, so there are also several brushes with different uses to help you complete the job.

Your main eye shadow brush should have a tip a little smaller than the size of your eyelid.

You want lots of soft bristles and a rounded tip.

It should move smoothly over your eyelid, applying color without dragging your lid.Shade your eye socket with an angled eye shadow brush.

This brush is slightly smaller than your eye shadow brush and has an angled, pointed tip to help you reach into the depth of your sockets to shade your eyelids.

The blending eye shadow brush has slightly looser bristles and a rounded tip useful for blending eye shadow colors or brushing a highlight onto your brow. , The fine tipped eyeliner brush can help you apply liquid eyeliner in a very precise, fine line and can even apply tiny dots between lashes.

If you would like a little more coverage, or a smoky-eyed look, opt for a flat liner brush, which has a flat angled tip., The spiral eyebrow brush has a tip which resembles a mascara applicator.

This is used to comb your eyebrows into place when some of them have gone or grown in different directions.

You can also use this brush to pull the eyebrow hairs straight up, then trim the ends to control the shape of your eyebrows.Follow up with a slanted eyebrow brush for filling in your brows with powder or cream.

This brush should be more rigid and have an angled tip to be able to draw fine lines. , This brush has a fine tip for precision in adding lip color.

The bristles on this brush are very shot and firm.

About the Author

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Donna Wood

Creates helpful guides on hobbies to inspire and educate readers.

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