How many of us have bought a full set of makeup brushes, opened it up and not known what each brush is for? (Yes, I'm guilty as charged.)
Makeup brushes are important tools to have, not just for makeup artists, but for anyone who chooses to use makeup. With so many different kinds out in the market today, it's important to be able to identify their purpose. Every brush is designed for the flawless application of a particular product and to achieve a particular effect on the face. Below is a list of makeup brushes preferred by most professional makeup artists broken down according to their use and characteristics.
1. Concealer Brushes
Used for: correcting and perfecting
Characteristics: tapered at the tip
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| (LEFT-RIGHT) taklon, soft synthetic, squirrel |
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2. Liquid and Cream Foundation Brushes
Used for: smoothing and blending large areas of color
Characteristics: similar to concealer brushes but larger
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| (LEFT-RIGHT) square, tapered, angled |
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3. Powder Foundation Brushes
Used for: powder foundations over a wide facial area (soft hair for a natural finish, firm hair picks up and applies more powder)
Characteristics: big, rounded heads
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| (LEFT-RIGHT) synthetic, squirrel, goat |
4. Dome and Kabuki Brushes
Used for: dusting on powder (best for loose powder/mineral powder foundation)
Characteristics: flatter heads/more evened out tips
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| (LEFT-RIGHT) goat, synthetic, synthetic/pony |
5. Blush Brushes
Used for: applying blush on the cheeks
Characteristics: medium-sized head with tapered bristles/soft, full head that feels fluffy but not too dense
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| (LEFT-RIGHT) tanuka, goat |
6. Contour Brushes
Used for: sculpting and shaping/laying down color with precision
Characteristics: air is firm and is typically a blend of pony, badger and goat
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| (LEFT-RIGHT) goat, pony, synthetic |
7. Fan Brushes
Used for: multiple purposes including sweeping away excess flakes, dusting on just the right amount of bronzer, blush or powder for blending
Characteristics: wide, fan-shaped head
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| (LEFT-RIGHT) goat, synthetic, sanuka |
8. Shadow Brushes
Used for: sweeping color over the eyelids, highlighting the brow bone or layering pigments for a dramatic look
Characteristics: fine, flat brushes
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| (LEFT-RIGHT) squirrel, goat, pony | | |
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9. Angled Brushes
Used for: enhancing the definition of the crease area while blending pigments
Characteristics: fine, arc-shaped tips
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| (LEFT-RIGHT) goat, squirrel |
10. Crease Brushes
Used for: accenting and magnifying the depth of the crease
Characteristics: some styles have round ferrules with pointed, soft bristles such as goat or synthetic, while others have crimped ferrules with firmer bristles, such as sable
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| (LEFT-RIGHT) synthetic, sable, goat, squirrel |
11. Smudge Brushes
Used for: versatility of shading, blending and smudging cream and powder liners
Characteristics: short, fine heads which maybe wide or flat
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| (LEFT-RIGHT) synthetic, sable, goat, pony |
12. Brow Brushes
Used for: creating hair strokes to shape and define as well as fill in sparse eyebrows
Characteristics: firm, tight and narrow at the brush tip
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| (LEFT-RIGHT) synthetic and sable |
13. Lip Brushes
Used for: precise application of lip products
Characteristics: soft, natural bristles
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| (LEFT-RIGHT) synthetic and sable |
Source of Makeup Brush Images and Descriptions: Les Nouvelles Esthetiques & Spa July 2010 Issue
If you would like to find out how to clean your makeup brushes,
click here to read an article I wrote a while back.
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