From the intimidated beginner to the collector of every brush a beauty guru has ever mentioned, lets dive in to what REALLY matters and how to create your own personal setup!
Welcome to modern day beauties! A time where beauty info and trends flood our screens and we eagerly jump on the bandwagon buying yet another beauty product or tool we know we need!!! Well my favorite beauty influencer said so.. sooo... turns out i don't really know how to use this thing and it goes back in the drawer where 80% of my oops i did it again collection resides. Sound familiar? First things first babes, lets get back to the basics.
Cleanliness is close to godliness
Pull those puppies out give a nice little deep cleaning because dirty brushes will never give you that effortless blend we all aim for. I prefer two different cleansing solutions; a nice cheap little DIY method anyone can do, or the more expensive but instantly gratifying route which i prefer because let get real..when i'm getting ready for an event like weddings, proms, or multi person shoot i'm cleaning loads of brushes so the convenience of this cleanser is worth the price. Lets start with option 1.
DIY NATURAL BRUSH CLEANSER RECIPE
½ cup (118 ml) witch hazel
2 teaspoons (10 ml) liquid castile soap
1 cup (237 ml) distilled water
1 teaspoon (5 ml) nourishing oil, such as grapeseed, jojoba, or almond
Mix well in a bowl and dip just the tip of each brush try to avoid getting the base of your brush soaked. The ferrule (which holds the hairs together) should be protected from getting any water in it! Give a nice swirl on a cleansing mat like this one from Sigma that i LOVE!
Once suds go away rinse dry back and forth on a paper towel, my favorite are the VIVA paper towels, they absorb lots and are super strong! Lay flat to dry overnight and voila! GOOD AS NEW. Now for option 2..
Busy babes need MONDA! I picked up this cleanser at THE MAKEUP SHOW LA a few years back along with too many other goodies to mention.. maybe another post? Needless to say, this bottle remains a kit STAPLE! You need very little, again just dipping the tip of the bristles in and it soaks up well, some more back and forth action on a VIVA paper towel and your brushes are clean AND disinfected! NO RINSING REQUIRED!! *SHOOKETH*
Now down to the nitty gritty..
There are staples in every brand of brushes. You can find real VIP's in inexpensive lines and there are expensive lines that produce some duds, it happens. But what you should be looking for is texture, shape and most importantly density. You also need to get personal with yourself for a min.. what looks do you want to create? Are you more of a smokey eye kind of girl or just into the neutrals? YOUR eye shape, YOUR skin issue, YOUR ethical standards. Creating your master set up, is PERSONAL.
Ethical standards
Are those brushes cruelty free of not? Im so happy that we are heading towards more and more brands understanding that this standard really does matter to people! If cruelty free matters to you then that means your brushes will be mainly synthetic, and thats ok! Synthetic brushes are made amazingly well these days. This is why i'll be mentioning Sigma and Real Techniques a lot. Not an affiliate, i just think they are well made, easy to use for all levels, and with all the brushes being ethical and affordable, why not start there..right? If you're about that "ethically flawless face beat" , you can look at lines that are 100% cruelty free- Fenty beauty, Kat Von D, Urban Decay, Dose of Colors, Wet and Wild, It cosmetics, to name a few! Some brands are starting to come out with their own vegan options like Morphe with their 18 Piece Vegan Variety Makeup Brush Set. If you want to take it a step further an awesome company called 100% PURE produces brushes that are vegan and made from recycled plastic bottles! Guilt free beauty!
Density
Denser brushes will deposit more product in higher concentrations. Wispy brushes deposit less. If you’ve ever tried blending out black eyeshadow with a sponge-tip applicator and ended up with red scraped eyelids *ouch* yeah – that’s why. Remember, dense applicator – dense application. Also the longer the hairs are the more the product will be diffused and spread. Shorter hairs have less flexibility so give more precise placement.
Eye brushes. There are SOOO many!! Keep your eye shape and most importantly size in mind, and lets go over the ESSENTIALS.
You'll need a tapered blending brush like the sigma E 40, which is my go to for applying my 1st all over lid color all the way up to the brow bone so use something light and neutral. I always apply over a primed eyelid which is extremely important! I use a nice concealer like Tarte's shape tape, an actual primer like Urban Decays or sometimes a paint pot like MAC's soft ocre. I apply this with my fingers to really warm and melt the product into the skin.
Next up a smaller version of what you just used, like the sigma E35 or E38 (depending on your lid size) for applying your transition shade which has to be fluffy but still have some weight to it. This will pick up a nice mid toned color and apply it in a nice swirly motion going over your lids and a bit past your crease and out to make your eyes appear larger. You can do this over and over until you like the amount of color you're seeing.
My third essential brush is a good flat shader brush, which you need for packing color onto the lid! Try E57 firm shader brush from Sigma. Pick up the color you want to see on your lids, and blend slightly into your crease, now add another layer to the lids for coverage. You can even wet the brush into shimmery shades or loose pigments to pick up more which gives a beautiful foiled effect on the lid.
A nice detailing brush that fits right under the brow, inner corner of eye and under the lash line is also necessary. Try Sigmas E30 pencil brush, its small enough to get into tight spots but still isn't as stiff as some other pencil brushes out there. Now take a pretty hilight shade and pop it under the brow and inner corner of your eyes! Wipe off excess color dip again this time into your transition shade and use that under your lash line!
My personal favorite to use in the crease is a small doe foot shading brush but while i'm writing this i just found out its been discontinued so i'll cherish it even more now! When used upside down it fits directly in the crease and applies shadow precisely but can diffuse the color outward giving a beautiful effect. If you find one like it pick it up and try it out or you can also try out the Morphe m507 which i hear is UH-MAZING!
For eyeliner you want a flat angled or ultra fine brush with medium density,Mac has amazing options if you prefer a soft smolder, dip an angled one in your favorite shadow.. definitely need a quality one on hand if you decide you want to dive into the world of gel liner! My fave at the moment is Smith 205 angled liner brush but a flat liner brush works amazing as well!
As far as brows go you cant go wrong with the queen of brows herself Anastasia! The 7B brush has soft bristles and a superfine edge for precision when you are applying the Brow Powder Duo. The Brush #12 bristles are firm and will allow you to create hair like strokes when using the DipBrow Pomade. So again its personal preference in technique, what you feel most comfortable with. I actually prefer a super skinny pencil like ABH's brow wiz or NYX micro brow pencil which has a spoolie on the end of it to do my brows. Or i absolutely love slicking brows up and into their perfect shape with Benefit 24 hour brow setter gel then going over them with a brow pen like NYX's lift and snatch waterproof brow pen..you cal literally just add new strokes of "hair" where you are sparse for that clean girl aesthetic.
Now to check out the helpful video below by the amazing Roxette Arisa who touches on some really helpful key points then go have some fun exploring your own brushes or start making that list!
Eyes are covered now to slay the FACE
I have to admit, Real Techniques has my heart for face brushes! They do not shed, are super affordable and blend out anything! Very beginner friendly but still good enough for the pros!
First thing for picking out a good foundation brush you're going to need to look at your foundation and how much coverage you're expecting from it AND your brush or sponge. I love the Expert Face Brush which i mostly use with liquid or cream foundation for med to full coverage if you're bouncing it into the skin ( which is the best technique IMO for coverage and an airbrushed effect). You want the brush to have denser but still soft bristles for fuller or buildable coverage and the Expert Face Brush has the right feel and density to it.
If you like the beauty blender you MUST try the Real Techniques Miracle Sponge!
The Miracle Sponge gives beautiful natural coverage when used damp and has great reviews. You can control the coverage with this sponge and the pointed tip allows you to get into tight spots like corners of the under eye area or creases of the nose.
Their setting brush is my go to for applying setting powder to the under eyes, around the nose and t-zone area but i also love it for applying hilight to the high points of the face to give such a blended and ethereal glow!
They also have a contour brush for cream/ liquid contour that is bomb! If you're a beginner with contour i'd recommend starting with a cream or liquid in a darker shade and while your foundation isn't completely dry apply in the hollows of your cheekbones with a light amount of product on the brush and slightly blend it out. You can use it on top of your forehead as well just to give a sun kissed effect .
Again, i'm not affiliated with the brand but i want to recommend easy options for everyone, a one stop shop kind of post so if you're shopping at Ulta or on the Sigma website, you can scoop up some really good affordable brushes to start with and edit or add to your collection down the line. Watch this helpful video below if you want to see any of these in action!
That wraps it up lovlies! I really hope this guide helps you get your collection going or adds to it in a fresh way that brings back the fun in makeup! XO, Leila Carice