Too Many or Not Enough?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many makeup artists compared to non-makeup artists share a dissimilarity: amount of brushes. When starting out the million-dollar question is, “How many is too much?”

There are tons of brushes and makeup tools to choose from. For one, there are more than one type of foundation brushes. Some work perfectly, others not so much. There are different sizes, textures, materials and brands to choose from.

The first option is to choose the type of brushes get along with your skin: natural or synthetic brushes. Natural brushes are made of animal hairs, this sounds bad but there are various cruelty-free brushes.

Synthetic brushes have many benefits:

• Easier to clean
• Repels dirt and bacteria
• Don’t soak up product
• Typically safer for sensitive skin

When I first started, I had about 2-3 brushes. After I was able to grow accustomed to all the basic techniques, I purchased a pack of brushes from E.L.F cosmetics. It sounds like a great idea, especially because E.L.F Cosmetics is known to be inexpensive right?

Not exactly. The thing was that the brushes it included did not fit my preference. Take the face brush as some may call it the powder brush, it was very soft and did not hold any product. It was a great brush but to sweep off any excess powder.

Some brushes are soft or firm. Short or long. It depends on what you feel is best to use on a daily.

Some use beauty sponges like the popular BeautyBlender to blend in any liquid products or to bake with. These are great for beginners, especially for the tough to reach places like the sides of your nose or your inner eye corner.

There are many specific brushes to use for each step, but it isn’t always the best to use it for said step.

A flat eyeliner brush may not suit you unless you’ve mastered using the brush to apply eyeliner. I’ve found that it helps me to carve out my brows, meaning apply eyeliner to clean up any mess and highlight my brows. It helps to get as close as possible to my brows and avoid messing up and having to start all over.

Another example would be the Real Techniques Setting Brush, the site says it’s used to set any powder product. For me, it’s best to use to apply powder highlighters because of its small size.

What brands should I purchase my brushes from?

Brands are either inexpensive or expensive. Makeup artists on social media advertise expensive brushes that may end up not working at all. Just because a brush tool may come from a very prestigious brand does not mean it might suit you. There are many inexpensive brushes where you can purchase at a local Walgreens or Target.

Brushes are there to help you in your routine but it doesn’t mean you have to use it for what its purpose may be. Find what best fits you!