Essential tools in your beauty routine are the right brushes. Editor Trudi Brewer says they can make or break your makeup look. So here are the tools, everyone needs to brush up their beauty skills.
Editor Trudi Brewer shares makeup brush 101 on TV3’s The Cafè.
Kabuki brush
You can't beat a kabuki brush for applying mineral makeup from liquid to powder, the density of the bristles in this brush makes it the perfect tool for buffing on mineral foundation, and you can achieve a sheer or full-coverage finish with this brush.
Nude by Nature Kabuki Brush, $25.
Tip: Swirl the bristles into your skin using just the tips. If you have a heavy hand or the tendency to jab your brushes into your skin, hold the brush, by the very end, giving light control, then blend in the powder gently, without bending the bristles.
Hourglass Veil Powder Brush, $64.
Powder brush
A large powder brush is ideal for setting powder, bronzer and blending your makeup. When it comes to fluffy brushes the smaller the brush the least amount of powder it will pick up, so remember when using any fluffy powder brush, always tap off any excess blush or powder before you buff it on the skin.
Tip: Treat your brushes like your hair, when it comes to washing them. Use gentle baby shampoo or tea tree-based, antibacterial shampoo to cleanse in warm water, squeeze out excess water, and apply conditioner to keep the bristles well nourished.
Angled blush brush
For highlighting, bronzing, and applying blush the angled bristles on this brush helps to hug the contours of the face. Ideal for sweeping bronzer or highlighter over the face, apply with the angle onto the skin, in a 3 shaped movement on both sides of the face. Start at your forehead, sweeping across your cheekbones, then moving back out and down to your jawline.
Nude by Nature Angled Blush Brush, $30.
Tip: To dry brushes, squeeze out excess water and pat the bristles dry with a clean towel. Then roll up one end of the towel, leaving the handles out of the towel. Dry brushes lying down in the towel, don't stand up the brushes to dry, you don’t want any water seeping into the handle, it weakens the glue bundling of the bristles and rots the wooden handles, causing the bristles to shed.
Bobbi Brown Foundation Brush, $76.
Foundation Brush
The angle of this brush is designed to deliver a polished look when applying liquid foundation. Start by dotting the foundation onto the face than the blend, layer, and shade with a foundation brush.
Tip: No furry animal should be killed in the making of a beauty brush. While typically dense and pinched flat (like a paintbrush) synthetic brushes are much easier to use and clean than natural bristles (which are more porous). Also, the quality of vegan brushes has improved vastly over the years and today it’s hard to tell the difference between the two, so always check before purchasing makeup brushes.
The pencil brush
For smudging eyeliner into the lash line, this is the ideal brush for precise blending beneath, and under your lashes. The brush's pointed tip is designed to work on around the eye when applying intense shades.
MAC 219s Pencil Brush $58.
Tip: The best way to stop dark eyeshadow powders from dropping onto the skin under the eyes is to use a wet makeup brush. Spritz with setting spray or use warm water to dampen the brush and then dip the bristles into powder shade to create a cream.
Nude by Nature Base Shadow Brush, $23.
Shadow brush
For creating a smokey eye, the bristles on this brush are typically flat, dense and have a rounded tip. This means the colour will stay on the brush as you blend shadow shades onto the lids. The round tip helps blend into the crease and under the eye close to the lash line. Tip: you can also mist a shadow brush with a setting spray to deepen colour of the eyeshadow, or pick up glitter shadows instead of them flicking off the brush.
Tip: To use a shading brush, sweep the brush into the crease of your lids in a windshield-wiper motion to diffuse your eyeshadow, and then swirl it in a circular movement when blending multiple eyeshadow shades on top of one another.
Eyebrow brush
One of the essential is a brow groomer. Slanted at one end with a spoolie at the other is a brilliant two-in-one option. The slanted end is designed for adding colour, filling in missing brow hairs, then groom the hairs into place with the comb-like spoolie. Tip: When applying brow colour to fill in missing hairs, always use short feathery strokes to get a natural-looking result.
MECCA MAX Brow Artist Brow Brush, $29
Tip: While the spoolie comb is brilliant for taming and grooming brows, it can be used to de-clump your lashes, just make sure it is cleaned between applications.
Shiseido DAIYA FUDE Face Duo Brush, $91.
The face brush
Based on principles learned in the calligraphy brush mecca of Kumano, in Japan, nothing compares to the Shiseido DAIYA FUDE Face Duo Brush, $91. A double-sided fluffy brush with a gel tip blender, it was designed for buffing foundation and concealer into the skin seamlessly. The gel tip is bouncy in texture and mimics the effects of your fingertips; adapting to the contours of the features on your face to offer a sheer or full even coverage. While the synthetic bristles on the brush buff out any lines left on the skin by your foundation application.
Tip: Make sure the last step in your makeup routine is to use a large fluffy brush to buff away any lines left on the skin from applying cream and lotion textures. This is how to get that airbrushed-looking finish to on the skin.