Ditch makeup brushes which stay unused in your makeup kit. Stock up on these six essential makeup brushes instead to make your entire makeup routine easier and let go of unnecessary clutter.
It's so tempting to overstock on beauty supplies. Makeup is one of the areas where women are prone to excess. This is true for makeup products as well as for makeup brushes. If there's one area where the 80/20 rule applies, it's definitely makeup brushes. Despite having a variety of makeup brushes, most women reach for the same ones over and over. Whether you are a makeup rookie or you want to get rid of unused tools to make your routine more efficient, keep in mind these makeup essentials:
Foundation Brush
Since creating the illusion of perfection is critical, you'll want
to select a good foundation brush. You will need to look for
a round, fluffy and flat-tipped brush. Because the
bristles of this brush need to be stiff, the best alternative is to
go for a synthetic one. For best results, use horizontal strokes to
cover wrinkles and fine lines, but make sure to go with downward
motions around your upper lip, jawline and chin for perfect
blending.
Tarte Airbrush Finish Bamboo
Foundation Brush $32.00
Youngblood Ultimate Foundation
Brush $48.99
Revlon Foundation Brush $9.99
Powder Brush
For powder brushes size is important since a smaller brush is
easier to work with. The brush should be dome-shaped soft,
round, large and made of natural hair. Some even think that this is
the most important type of brush you can own since it's great for
contouring and shading in smaller areas. A small brush enables you
to dust powder on just the T-zone instead of getting an overall
matte effect.
Amazing Cosmetics Velvet Powder
Brush $32.00
Too Faced Powder Poof Large Powder
Brush $32.00
Dermablend Powder Brush $32.00
Blush/Bronzer Brush
Again, you'll want to choose a fluffy, dome-shaped natural brush
for best results. Doing so helps you avoid unnecessary skin
irritations. Pointed brushes should be avoided since they deposit
too much color and are best used for contouring while fluffy
brushes help you get a blended wash of color, according to makeup
artist Quinn Murphy.
ULTA Blush Brush $14.00
Bare Escentuals Angled Blush
Brush $20.00
Revlon Blush Brush $9.99
Eyeshadow Brush
You'll definitely become a lot more confident creating fun makeup
looks if you choose the right brush from the start. Since we're
talking about the eye area which is highly sensitive and prone to
wrinkling it's worth indulging in a natural bristle brush. The
brush should be small, stiff and flat. If you go for wide brushes,
you'll have a harder time controlling it, which might make the
application sloppier. For application, simply sweep the brush over
the lids starting from the inside outwards.
ULTA Pro Wide Eyeshadow
Brush $16.00
Dior Backstage Makeup Medium Eyeshadow
Brush $32.50
Urban Decay Good Karma Multi-Tasker
Brush $24.00
Eyeliner/ Brow Brush
This multipurpose brush is another makeup kit essential. Select a
pointy angled brush. You can either go synthetic or natural with
this one. Such a brush is tremendously helpful if you like gel
liners as it helps you apply a thin line of eye liner that glides
on smoothly with precision. This brush can also be used to fill in
sparse brows with powder. For this purpose you simply need to
use
short strokes over your natural brow shape.
Smashbox Angled Brush #12 $20.00
MAC #208 Angled Brow Brush
(Eye) $25.00
Laura Mercier Double Ended Eye Brow
Brush (Pull Apart) $42.00
Lip Brush
This is perhaps one of the most underrated brushes out there, but
it's essential if you prefer to place the accent on lips rather
than on eyes and get that ultra seductive defined lips effect.
Choose a small, flat, round-tipped brush. To use, cover the brush
with lipstick and start blending from the center of the lips
towards the edges using short strokes.
Japonesque Retractable Lip
Brush $14.00
NARS Retractable Lip Brush
#11 $35.00
Kanebo Lip Brush $12.00