Having the right makeup brushes is an essential component to your makeup routine. Oftentimes, it’s the brush that makes the difference and not the makeup product so it’s best if you pick the right brush to bring out the glow and radiance in you.

Makeup brushes come at all shapes, sizes, colors, textures, and prices. And there’s a reason for this. There are some fundamental elements that apply to almost all makeup brushes. Features like the shape of the bristles, the length, diameter and density of the bristles play a role in how the makeup product is distributed on your face and whether or not it meets your desired objectives.

This short guide will tell you all you need to know so that you can find a great makeup brush for you.

Purpose of Use

It’s important to find the right brush for each task. At a minimum, you need four brushes: a large powder brush, a slightly smaller fluffy brush (for blush, bronze or high lightener), an eye-shadow brush the size of a fingertip, and a smaller shadow brush (for smudging and blending).

For a specific look, go for a slightly domed shape, it rolls best across the skin with the least drag-and a nice fluffy texture. The fluffiness ensures fewer pigments are deposited so that you can be precise with your application. Synthetic brushes are best suited for applying creams and liquids.

Compatibility

If you are the type who prefers applying concealer with a brush, it’s best to have two brushes that are compatible with this specific use. That is, a brush that is one and a half inches wide for under the eyes and a tiny, pointy one for blemishes.

Foundation brushes tend to blob too much coverage where they first touch your face. It’s highly preferred to use a damp Beauty Blender Sponge to stipple on makeup, because it allows for very sheer coverage.

Maintenance

If these brushes still give you sticker shock due to the price, consider that it can easily last for 20 years with proper maintenance. Every once a month mix warm water with a little shampoo, we suggest Aveda Shampure Shampoo for this, for natural hair bristles, or use dish soap for synthetics. Swish the brushes around, rinse well, blot with paper towels, and lay them flat until they are completely dry.

Makeup Brush Construction

Understanding the construction of quality makeup brushes and how to test them will help you make the most suitable choice when curating a collection for your makeup bag. The bristle tips are called the toe and the base is called the heel. The toe gets its shape by gathering the tapered tips of the bristles and arranging them to create the best quality shape. The gathered tips are also cut or sheared to create the shape.

Once all this is done, the bristles are tied to the heel, and the very bristles are dipped in glue to hold them together. When the glue sets, the bristles are glued into the ferrule. The brush ferrule is a metal band that connects the bristles to the handle. Once the bristles are shaped and set properly, they are glued into the ferrule.

Combining the bristles and the ferrule gives you the brush head. The handle of the makeup brush can be made out of any material ranging from wood, wood composite and acrylic. On the other hand, makeup brush bristles are created using natural or synthetic materials and sometimes a blend of both.

Brush Head Shapes

It’s important to understand what the basic brush head shapes are to suit the specific application needs of a new product.

• Square or angled bristles are precisely set in a narrow profile with a sharp angle or flat surface along the top.
• Chisel bristles are set in a narrow profile with tips gently beveled into an assortment of rounded shapes to be used for blending or contouring.
• Pointed are set in either a narrow or pointed (barrel-shaped) profile. The brush tips are tapered to a precise point for detailed work.
• Round bristles are arranged in a full round (barrel-shaped) profile. The brush tips can either be domed, angled or flat-topped.
• Kabuki is similar to the round brushes but is larger in a more luxurious, tightly packed brush head. These type of brushes are available in doomed, angle and flat top styles.

How to Choose the Right Brush

Go for real techniques, both the brush set and the eye brush set, which includes five different brushes. These include the foundation brush. The best ones have a flat top that blends the product well and leaves the skin smooth and even.

Brushes with great selections are made of natural hair. Eye brushes such as the blender brush are essential whenever you want a light wash of color or want an intense smoky eye.

The soft bristles ensure that you can soften your look and get a seamless application. The eyeliner brush is great for a super precise application which is helped by the angled point to perfect your feline flick just apply color to your eyelids for a subtle, refined look. The eye smudge brush is your go-to-for effortless definition in targeted areas.

The bronze brush gives out a gorgeous glowing skin and evenly distributes makeup on your face. The blusher brush is the perfect makeup brush with a rounded head with a lot of bristles to create a flush of color with the option to pop color on the apples of your cheek.

The powder brush ensures a dewy, flawless complexion by lightly minimal wastage. It’s the best brush for getting that even smooth base for your makeup. Applying powder on the required place. The foundation brush, on the other hand, has a flat paddle side that enables you to reach the hard to reach places on your face with.

Final Thoughts

To bring out your best look, all you need is the perfect makeup brush to suit all your beauty needs. The above are the various cheap but quality makeup brushes that evenly distributes powder on your face and conceals black spots under your eye with the concealer brushes.

Makeup brushes come in different designs depending on the material used to make them, and their different applications. It’s best to first find out what makeup brush you need that best suits your application before purchase. Go for quality and do away with quantity – as you’ll save money in the long run.