Makeup Basics: Face Brushes

When I was working with clients they would always say, "I wish I could do that", and I would reply, "it's not really me, it's the brushes". It's true, while makeup application does require a bit of skill and artistry, having the right brushes for the right techniques does make a huge difference. In the earlier post, I shared a video on proper brush  cleaning, which is fundamental in general makeup, but proper implementation of your brushes is just as important. Many of my clients were amazed at what a difference using the right brush can make. I am going to set up this series by post.
- Face
- Eyes
- Detailing (optional)

First, just to give you an idea of just how obsessed with makeup I am, I will show you my brush collection.

These are the majority of my brushes. I have a lot of them. Most of them were given to me when I began working at Mac Cosmetics, and the rest I have acquired from working for other cosmetics companies as well as bought myself.

The importance of variety in brushes is important because different brushes will achieve different looks and have a different outcome.

As I mentioned above, I have chosen to divide this post into facial brushes, eye brushes, and detailing or other brushes. These are only the basics and based on my opinion. While I am going to mainly focus on Mac brand brushes, it is only because of my familiarity with the brand and because that is the majority of the brushes that I own.

When applying makeup, it is important that your brushes are clean. As I mentioned in my last post, brush sanitation is incredibly important. Sometimes just washing brushes can aid in clearing blemishes, acne, etc. Cleaning brushes regularly will disinfect them and make it less likely to contract any infections or have any reactions.  

Face Brushes:
- Foundation Brushes
- Concealer Brush
- Powder Brush

 


Mac 190 Foundation Brush
 This is the typical foundation brush which many people think of when they hear foundation brush. This brush is typically a flat, rounded, synthetic brush. This brush offers a range of coverage from sheer to full. It's flat surface fits easily into the contours of the face. As many benefits as this brush has, recently, many artists have veered away from this conventional type of brush for a few reasons. First, this brush can often get streaky, especially when applying foundation over a silicon based primer. This brush also tends to let the makeup sit on top of the skin, leaving a cakey and overdone look. Because of this, artists, such as myself, have opted for other, newer and better methods of applying foundation.

Mac 109 Brush
This brush is not what many think of when they are looking into foundation brushes. This brush is a small, full, natural fiber brush.
The best way to use this brush is to apply foundation directly on top of the bristles and "buff" the foundation into the skin using small circular motions. This brush allows the skin to "melt" with the foundation and gives an airbrushed effect. This brush minimizes streaking and gives an even flawless application.
This is my favorite brush for applying liquid foundation as well as cream foundation. The brush head is small so it fits into tighter areas and the bristles are firm enough to give me just the right amount of flexible coverage.

 

Mac 195 Concealer Brush

Having a concealer brush is so important because it allows the artist or the person applying the makeup the flexibility to control full coverage. By using a synthetic concealer brush, the brush is not absorbing any excess product and it is providing for full coverage in areas where it is needed, such as under the eyes or on areas of discoloration.

This concealer brush is medium sized, which is perfect for under the eye area as well as covering larger areas of redness or discoloration. Concealer brushes are available both larger and smaller, but I find that the size of this brush works nicely.

 

Mac 134 Powder Brush

This brush is a dense, full, and natural fiber brush. It allows for maximum coverage and pick up of powders. This brush works especially well with setting and transparent powders but is also ideal for applying bronzer or any all over washes of color. 

This brush is large and soft but not soft enough that you aren't able to get full coverage. This brush is perfect for setting liquid or cream foundation with a setting powder and manages to reduce shine while remaining natural and not cakey looking.

Now you have your basics on facial brushes - next post I'll discuss eye brushes. Until then, you can watch this youtube video which demonstrates my friend Tiffany's foundation routine.