About Makeup Brushes

Enhance your natural beauty with carefully and artistically applied makeup. Just as an artist needs paint and brushes, having the right cosmetics and applicators are key tools in your beauty routine. When choosing brushes for your makeup kit, be sure to select soft brushes that are easy to clean. Learn the names of brushes and their purpose, like the kabuki brush or blending brush. There's also a variety of brush types. Whether you want natural or synthetic bristles, or need something high-end that is anti-bacterial, follow the guide below to better understand the benefits of using makeup brushes and what's available.

Benefits

Utilizing makeup brushes assures a higher quality of cosmetic application as compared to using the fingers. The hairs and heads, and sometimes even the ergonomically designed handles of brushes are especially manufactured to meet professional standards and create different finishes. The various sizes ensure as well that the coverage necessary is doled out. Applying makeup on yourself, and on others if you wish, in order to get better acquainted with the types of brushes is all that is basically necessary for you to discover their benefits.

Considerations

Although it is true that pricier lines might offer brushes that last longer and deliver product more flawlessly onto the skin, it is not a must for a beginner to invest in costly tools, especially if she is uncertain how far she'd like to proceed with makeup as a career. Beauty school attendees with every intention of becoming professional makeup artists may not find it objectionable to spend what seems like a small fortune on quality brushes; however, if your budget presently does not include room for extra expenditures, find your solution at the art supply store. Take along a friend who is already well-versed in the use of makeup brushes so he can select the artist's brushes that are built similarly to the ones he thinks you'll need at this point. (See "Additional Resources" below for a shopping guide on essential makeup brushes.)

Types

To illustrate how wide the availability is for a beauty lover who wants to own a collection of makeup tools, there are makeup brushes for the face, cheeks, eyebrows, eyelids, undereye area and lips. To be even more specific, there are brushes used to line the eyes, stipple on eyeshadow, blend or smudge eyeshadow, contour the jawline, contour the cheekbones and fill the lips in with color. These come in several shapes and sizes that go beyond small, medium and large. The bristles can be natural or synthetic, with the former ideal for powder formulations and the latter best suited to creams and liquids. It is not vital that all the varieties out on the market be purchased--sometimes one brush can actually double its functions or duties. It's all a matter of artistic preference.

Warning

Practice sanitation with your brushes. Double-dipping is unhygienic, particularly if you are a makeup artist who services a number of clients. Your brushes can be a breeding ground for bacteria if not cared for. Touching a dirty brush to the waterline of the eyes can especially cause a sty or a painful infection to form. Blemishes can crop up as well on the face if used brushes are shared or have gone too long without cleansing in the case of personal use. Remember, just as your hair gets filthy and has to be shampooed, so too do your brushes need to be washed. Cleansing them roughly can result in strong shedding, however. You have to find the ritual that works most effectively for your individual purposes.

Prevention/Solution

While professionals should clean their brushes after every use, if you are the only one who uses your brushes, you can go a week at the most before cleaning those that you apply powders with. Those used for liquids and creams should ideally be cleansed every day. If you do not have the time to wash your brushes regularly, at least avail of a brush cleaner that doubles as a disinfectant. All you have to do is spray the brush hairs and wipe the residue off with a paper towel, onto which you will actually see the makeup transfer. For a more thorough sanitation, gently lather the hairs of your brushes with a shampoo or creamy facial wash before rinsing with room temperature water. Be careful that you don't get water into the ferrule, which holds the hairs in place. If your brush is of below-average quality, this can shorten the life of your brush by causing the hairs to fall out at a quicker rate. Dry your brushes not by standing them up in a container, as this allows excess water to trickle into the ferrule, but by laying them on a flat surface with the heads dangling off of the edge for fast drying.

Resources

• Shopping for essential makeup brushes
• Knowing which makeup brushes to use