Your Essential Tool for Painting Your Face Well

A good makeup brush can be the difference between getting a perfect smoky eye or a total beauty mess. High-quality makeup brushes can be expensive, but are beauty essentials for every woman. Here's what you need to know.

Natural vs. Synthetic Makeup Brushes

Natural makeup brushes are usually made from sable, pony, goat or badger hair, while synthetic makeup brushes are made from fake hair (plastic and acrylic). Many people prefer synthetic brushes because they're animal friendly, while others prefer natural brushes because they last much longer. Generally speaking, natural brushes are better for applying dry makeup like blush, mineral powder, and eye shadow, while synthetic brushes work better with creamy or liquid makeup like foundation or eyeliner. Natural brushes soak up more product than do synthetic ones, but are gentler on the skin. We recommend having a good mix of natural and synthetic brushes in your beauty toolkit.

 Building Your Makeup Brush Kit

A good makeup brush kit will include the following must-have makeup brushes:
 
Foundation Brush: Fluffy and round, perfect for blending foundation into your skin for a poreless, even finish. 
Concealer Brush: Small, pointy brush, meant to blend concealer onto blemishes.
Powder Brush: Large and fluffy, used to dust tinted or translucent powder all over your face for a natural finish.
Blush Brush: Dome-shaped, medium sized brush with a rounded tip and long bristles for adding colour to your cheeks without disturbing your foundation.
Shadow Brush: Paddle shaped, soft, with a flat rounded tip, meant to blend shadow onto your eyelids.
Lip Brush: Round-tipped, flat brush for defining the edges of your lips with a lipstick. It can also be used to fill in the lipstick.
Liquid Liner Brush: Precise and extra-fine brush that lets you line your eyes with fine or bold strokes of liquid or gel eyeliner.