Whether you’re going out to mill with the ladies, on a hot date, or just rolling out of bed and heading to school, us women put on some sort of makeup most, if not every, day. The real question is, are we using the right makeup brushes to apply our makeup and what the heck are all of the brushes used for in that beautiful but overwhelming brush set?!
Let’s start with facial brushes. When applying foundation to the actual brush, you really don’t need a lot because the large flat brush is great for coverage. I don’t know about you, but it took me awhile to get used to using a foundation brush because I feel like I’m painting my makeup on but then I think about one of my favorite quotes from Burlesque, “When you’re putting on your make-up it’s like you’re an artist, but instead of painting a canvas, you’re painting your face.”
Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder $5.49 ~ E.L.F Studio Contouring Blush and Bronzing Powder $3 ~ Rimmel Match Perfection Liquid Foundation $5.68
After you’ve applied your foundation, you’ll need to take a big fluffy powder brush to apply your lose or pressed powder. Next, you’ll want to take your contour brush and apply a bronzer and blush to those cheek bones of yours. Side note: make sure you either smile pretty or make a cute kissy face so that you don’t contour all the way up to your ears!
Next comes the eyebrows. You’ll first want to use the eyebrow brush to comb and shape the eyebrows because well we all know how important it is for both eyebrows to be even and nobody likes the scared or crazy person eyebrow look.
Then you’ll want to take an eyebrow powder that is slightly darker than your brows and apply with a slanted eyebrow brush. This kind of brush is also good if you’re using a cream eyeliner and want to wing out your liner.
Now my favorite part, the eye makeup. In most brush sets there will be two decently sized flat brushes. Either one can be used for the lid color. Which one you use really depends on how large your lid is and which one you prefer to use.
When if comes to applying color to your crease, you’ll want to use the same size brush, but the bristles are slanted or at an angle. To finish off the eye look, you’ll want to use the smudge brush, which is the brush with a small sponge like tip at the end of it. This brush is great for smudging or blending not only eye shadow, but eyeliner as well.
Expert Tip: To keep from collecting bacteria, getting eye infections, and breakouts, make sure to clean your brushes every 2-4 weeks. For best results, either find a makeup brush shampoo such as Bare Escentuals Well- Cared For brush conditioning ($14) or for a cheaper solution, Johnson’s Baby Shampoo ($4.67). Make sure to rinse with lukewarm water and let them dry flat. Happy cleaning!
Now to finalize your look, apply eyeliner and with a mascara brush or wand, apply mascara. If you have fall out from your eye makeup, use the large fan brush to wipe off residue. Add a pretty lip color and now you’re ready to go!
Story and Photos by: Cassie Goers
