Makeup Brushes
Posted by Joanna Mariani on Tue, Oct 04, 2011 @ 10:46 AM
There are so many makeup brushes to choose from, it can become very overwhelming. However, choosing the right brush is like finding a soul mate, you didn’t know what you were missing until they came into your life and now you cannot imagine life without them. There are so many brushes though, how’s a person to know which one to take a chance on? Today I am going to talk about my 5 favorite eye makeup brushes (as well as a couple of others) we’ll go over some of the tips and tricks that will hopefully empower you to take a chance and fall in love with some of your own favorite brushes.
Before we begin any brush exploration, here is a rule of thumb. Synthetic hair brushes are meant to be used in the application of liquids and creams, while natural hair brushes are meant for powders. Also, let me preface by saying that while many of the brushes I am talking about today are made from natural animal hair, no animals have been harmed or killed in the making of these brushes.
Ok now for some of my favorites. First and foremost, the Deluxe Shader, this brush is fantastic. It’s a long, flat brush made of pony and ox hair, and is a pretty dense brush, yet still soft. It is fantastic for applying eye shadow to large areas of the eye. I use this brush daily to apply a base color to my entire eyelid and brow bone, followed by a medium color applied directly on my eye lid. When picking a brush to use in this manner, you want to make sure it is dense enough to apply a good amount of product but soft enough so that the color is not too intense.
My second favorite brush is the Crease brush, it’s long and soft with a tapered end and it’s made of goat hair which makes it so very soft. I LOVE this brush for getting into the crease between my eyelid and brow bone, it seems to magically deposit the perfect amount of shadow, not too dark and not too light. I also LOVE this brush for blending. If you are looking for clean airbrushed eyes, this is the kind of brush you want! Be sure to stay with something that is soft: brushes that are too dense will deposit too much color.
If you like your crease color to be deeper or more pronounced, the denser Eye Contour brush is also perfect for getting into that area between the lid and brow bone. This brush is also fantastic for highlighting the brow bone and inner eye with colors like Bone and Oyster, I use it for this purpose daily!
The Eye Shader brush is a smaller version of the Deluxe Shader, it’s short and dense but soft and made of pony hair. This brush is great for smaller eyelids, and depositing accent colors. I use this brush on the outer edge of my eyelid to deposit a “pop” of color, like purple or teal, when I want to brighten up a neutral shadow pallet. The size and shape of this brush make it a multi-purpose brush and a must-have in every beauty bag. Another great brush to use for depositing accent colors is the Mini-Dome brush, and as an added bonus, it’s made of both pony hair and synthetic hair so it’s great for cream or powder applications!
The last of my top 5 brushes, but certainly not least, is the Eye Liner/Brow brush. This brush is made of a short, blunt, flat edge that is very firm. The bristles are synthetic which means it is perfect to use wet. You can use this brush to apply powder to your lash line or brows. The opposite end has a sponge tip that is perfect for smudging. My favorite way to use this brush is when I want to get creative with my eyeliner. I spritz the bristles with hydration spray (or water) and then gently press it into whichever eye shadow color I am choosing to use. I then gently press the brush into my lash line, spritz and pick up more shadow as needed. The “liner” will last all day and goes on flawlessly! Another brush that can be used for this same technique is the Angle Definer brush, which is the same kind of brush at an angle rather than cut straight across. Or you can even use the Detail brush, which is also great for lip liner and smudging as well! All of these brushes contain synthetic fibers so they are perfect for wet applications.
If you want to get more detailed with your eye shadow, the Small Fluff brush is perfect for adding definition around your eyes or adding extra color from the corner of your eye to the bottom lash line. This is your go-to brush for smoky eyes. It is made of pony hair and is very small and fluffy. The Smudge brush is also great for smoky eyes because it can add precise definition around your eyes. It is made of pony hair, and is small and round like the Small Fluff brush; however, the Smudge brush is much denser than the Small Fluff brush.
If you are looking for a brush that is great for cream bases, such as Lid Primers or Eye Glosses, the Sculpting brush is perfect. It is a small flat headed dense brush made of synthetic fibers and is perfect for applying liquid and cream based eye products.
Phew! Well that’s the low down on eye makeup brushes. Hopefully you are now well versed in what different shaped brushes do and what results you can achieve. Feel free to ask questions, and it is my hope that each and every one of you will find your own brush soul mate(s)!