How To Choose The Right Makeup Brushes?

“What is a kabuki brush, fan or notched for? How to choose the right brush and extend its lifespan? Which pile is better: natural or synthetic?"

Reader marieclaire.ru, 29

Expert's answer:

There is an opinion that a natural brush is a priori better than a synthetic one. Perhaps this stereotype came to us from art schools, where preference was always given to natural materials, but this stereotype is not applicable to makeup brushes. The fact is that natural pile, be it a pony or a goat, due to its porous structure, absorbs a large amount of the product. That is why artists use them to work with watercolors, where the brush must absorb a lot of water and paint. But when working with liquid and creamy textures in makeup, this is a big disadvantage, since the product will not be distributed over the skin, but will be absorbed. In such cases, it is appropriate to use a synthetic brush, which can easily distribute the product over the face without streaks and clear boundaries.

But not everything is so simple: natural brushes are great for working with dry products. With their help, you can apply powder and blush in a thin layer, as well as shade the shadows. In general, it is important to note that at the moment the production of artificial brushes has reached a level when synthetics are given a porosity similar to natural bristles. So a high-quality synthetic brush is a worthy analogue of a natural one. In addition, synthetic fibers last longer than natural fibers on average.

Now let's talk about the shape of the brushes. The following forms are mainly used to apply tone:

Tongue Brush - A classic flat spatula / tongue brush.
Duofiber brush - consists of synthetic and natural bristles, so the brush does not absorb the product and blends it perfectly.
Round Brush - Synthetic, dense brush perfectly drives cream and liquid textures into the skin.
Foundation Blending Brush - shaped like a toothbrush / comb, distributes the product finely over the skin and delicately blends.
Scallop Brush - The indentation in the brush acts as a reservoir for the foundation, with strong pressure the amount of foundation increases.

The following types of brushes are used for powder:

Classic with an even cut or domed - natural or artificial bristle, the bristle length is on average 2-3 cm. The domed one distributes the powder more thinly, as it captures the product more economically in contrast to a brush with an even cut.
A kabuki brush is a dense, wide brush with a short stem. The short handle allows you to grip the brush as close to the bristle as possible, thereby increasing the pressure during application. It is a versatile brush and can be used for foundations, blush and bronzer.
Fan brush - perfectly removes excess powder, blush, crumbling shadows. Used for applying highlighter.
For blush / bronzer brushes similar to powdery, but with a shorter nap are used:
Classic round with a smooth cut or beveled - both natural and synthetic are used.

Perhaps the greatest variety of shapes can be found among the eyeshadow brushes. This is explained by a variety of textures and eye makeup techniques. There are flat brushes, round, natural, synthetic, with an even cut, domed, with varying degrees of length and density of the pile. Flat synthetic brushes are suitable for cream eyeshadows, as well as for shadow bases. They can also be used to apply concealer or corrector. A soft flat / round natural brush with a rounded cut will perfectly distribute and blend the eyeshadow across the lid, while a longer bristle brush is perfect for the Smoky Eyes technique. Beveled synthetic brushes are traditionally used for eyebrows. Sometimes they are used to draw arrows with cream or liquid eyeliner.

With all the variety of brushes, you don't have to buy all of them. It is enough to choose several universal high-quality "assistants" (based on the characteristics of your daily makeup), which will serve you faithfully if you follow these simple rules:

Be sure to clean your brushes after use. This will not only save the lint from damage, but also your skin from germs. Any shampoo or baby soap is suitable for cleansing. You can use a special silicone cleaner.
It is advisable to dry the brushes in a horizontal position. To do this, you can spread out a towel and spread the brushes on it to dry.
It is imperative to protect the brushes from dust by storing them in a special case or tube.