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Truly good quality brushes will last years, if not a lifetime. If you decide to investigate quality brushes check for loose bristles and overall craftsmanship and don't hesitate to return a brush if you feel it is of inferior quality.
An excellent professional makeup application begins with your tools and good quality brushes and sponges are one of the best investments you can make.
Makeup sponges come as wedges in pre-cut blocks of circles, squares or loose in the bag. They usually are made of latex and come pre-cut and disposable. Wedges, thin circle and square sponges (usually found in compacts) are used for applying foundation and those little eyeshadow sponge tips can pile on smudged shadow easily. I feel most comfortable using the better quality bigger wedges that come pre-cut in square blocks and tear off for use.
Bobbi Brown has a latex free anti-bacterial washable sponge that comes in a diamond that I like to cut into a wedge for better flexibility ($5.50) So does M.A.C. Use the edges for precise application and flip to a clean side for blending blush, and shadow lines. Most makeup lines carry sponges as does the drug store, and beauty supply.
Please, toss your disposable sponges after use. They are cheap and will breed germs and bacteria.
Better brushes will enhance makeup application and provide years of use. The brushes that come with compacts or some of the inexpensive kits usually feel rough on the skin, are too small, fall apart easily and either pick up too much pigment or not enough. Although, some of the better brands are packing better quality brushes with their compacts these days. i.e. Shiseido
A good quality brush is made from various animal hairs and synthetics depending on its use. Like their art supply store counterparts, they come in flat, round or tapered edges and each has itâs own function.
Yes, you can go to the art supply store and usually find comparable brushes, sometimes priced lower, and sometimes more expensive then the cosmetic brush lines. However, you might have to saw off the extra long handles and sand down the rough edges. If you want to have several synthetic lip brushes, the art supply store has some good deals. Get a flat brush about 1/8 inch wide with either a squared or tapered edge.
When shopping for brushes, give them the "tug test". Pull a little on the hairs and see how much comes out. New brushes will shed a little, however if many hairs come out, the brush may not have been manufactured well.
M.A.C. Cosmetics brushes have been a favorite of mine for many years. So I will concentrate on their line. Although, Shiseido, Trish McEvoy, Bobbi Brown, ProFaces Professional brush kit, (available on the internet) Shu Uemura, Aveda, Nars, Stila BeneFit and Makeup Forever have large assortments of very good quality brushes. Don't forget some of the white Japanese goat brushes with wooden handles at specialty stores when you're checking around.
Quality brushes are made from dyed and un-dyed goat, sable, sable substitute, fine blue squirrel, pony, and synthetic. Look for cruelty free where no animal has been destroyed or maimed. The brush hairs are hand placed and graduated rather than sliced. And each is specialized as to their function. Most hair comes from France and Japan. Handles are black lacquer, matte or wood and come in long or short travel handles. Most companies sell cases to store them in.
If you have a limited budget, start with three or four basic brushes, such as blush, eyeliner, shadow and concealer. Then add on from there. Many companies sell kits for less then purchasing separately.
Brushes can range in price from $18 (eyeliner brush) - $60 (powder brush) in the better quality range. Once you have used good brushes, you will know the difference and never go back to a cheap brush.
Care of your brushes
Saturate tissue with brush cleaner, or a mild shampoo to remove color. Always wash stroking from the base to the tip and rinse. Blot gently on a towel, squeeze back into shape and leave on the counter to dry. Cleanse thoroughly once a week depending on usage to remove bacteria.
Here's some brushes
I like to use
- M.A.C. #129 Powder/blush brush $29 goat
- Shiseido The Makeup Brushes $15 - $50
- Lancome Pinceau Lustrage fiber Optic Brush $22.50 (natural and synthetic bristles create a soft effect with deeper blush colors)
- Bobbi Brown Powder Brush($62.50) Blue point squirrel (I love this tapered edge)
- M.A.C. #150 Large Powder, extra fine goat $40
- M.A.C. #136 Large tapered Powder brush $62 Blue Squirrel
- M.A.C. #266 eyeliner/brow brush for precise lining and brows (I love this one)
- M.A.C. #213 Fluff Brush $16 ex. Fine pony (I like to lay the flat of the brush onto lid and press in color)
- M.A.C. #252 large Shader brush $29 Goat, (can be used for concealer, or lid)Bobbi Brown Concealer $18.50, synthetic (good for precise application of concealer)
- M.A.C. #219 pencil brush $21 un-dyed select goat (for precise crease or smudging)
- BeneFit 06 $14 This mistake eraser dusts off any unwanted pigment and powder
- Bobbi Brown Eye Contour Brush, Blue point squirrel (an angled brush for exact use in crease
- Bobbi Brown eye shader $26, Pony, (good for applying color to entire lid area to the brow).
- BeneFit "get bent" eye liner $13 ( bent in the perfect angle for lining eyes)
- M.A.C. #217 blending brush $16 goat bristle is stiffer and can pile up more color
- M.A.C. #224 Tapered blending brush $26 Extra fine goat (another favorite of mine for blending)
- M.A.C. #316 lip liner tapered tip retractable brush 18.50 (my favorite also for eyeliner smudging)
- M.A.C. #311 lip liner brush $18.50 (great for lining the lips)
* Bobbi Brown comes in both professional and travel sizes.