Makeup brushes are a key component to achieving your everyday makeup look. Whether you wear cosmetics to cover and conceal, or to have fun and explore, using the correct brushes can make any look blend flawlessly.

Makeup brushes are a key component to achieving your everyday makeup look. Whether you wear cosmetics to cover and conceal, or to have fun and explore, using the correct brushes can make any look blend flawlessly.

With brushes in all shapes and sizes, it can be tricky and overwhelming to decide what usage is best for a certain brush.

Remember that there are no rules to makeup, and you should use brushes for whatever you find works best.

Generally a brush’s function is based on its appearance. Denser brushes work well to support liquid products, while looser brushes work well with powders and blending.

Foundation:

Foundation brushes are some of the densest brushes you’ll find. Brushes that look like paint brushes are called Flat Brushes.

They’re tapered and work best to apply foundation all over the face as well as in crevices around the nose and eyes. Flat top Kabuki brushes provide more coverage and evenly spread out product.

It is recommended to use flat top brushes in a patting motion to avoid over blending the foundation.

Powder:

Powder brushes come in assorted shapes. For oily skin, a flatter brush with more bristles will allow more powder onto the brush and onto your face. Normal to dry skin will want less powder, and looser, fluffier brushes.

Blush:

Personally, I use a stippling brush for my blush because I find that it doesn’t apply too much and give me clown cheeks. Because the brush is made to be patted onto the skin, and fibers are placed further apart, that brush never lets me overdo my blush. A standard blush brush is more dense and will give a rosier look.

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Concealer:

Small round brushes work well for seamlessly blending concealer into the lower lash area and overall make you look less tired. Flat brushes work better for covering blemishes and scars that you don’t want seen and boosting your confidence.

Eye Shadow:

Eye shadow can be enhanced greatly by the brushes you use. Ecotools makes a duo brush set that works wonders on your lids.

The set is two brushes that are dual ended and contains a blender, smudger, applicator and brow/eyeliner brush.

For a beginner, this set provides you with the essential brushes to create almost any eyeshadow look.

Eye Shadow Blender:

Having a brush to blend your eyeshadow out is an investment. Brushes with longer and looser bristles are best to effortlessly fuse eye shadows together.

Spoolie:

Spoolie brushes are best at maintaining and grooming eyebrows. Just brush through hairs prior to applying your eyebrow product for a clean and precise brow shape.

Brow Game:

To let your brows on “fleek,” it is fundamental that you invest in a thin brush that will deliver hair-like strokes. These brushes should be used with a light hand to avoid unnatural-looking brows. Use eyebrow products with caution to keep brows light and natural.

These are just guidelines. Makeup is whatever you desire it to be. A brush is a brush, and as long as you have fun, it doesn’t matter what brush is used for what! Just keep them clean and do what your heart desires. 

Thinglink Credit: Suvee Ranasignhe/The Foothill Dragon Press

Thinglink Photo Credit: Rachel Horiuchi/The Foothill Dragon Press

Background Photo Credit: Rachel Horiuchi/The Foothill Dragon Press