Makeup brushes: how to choose and use correctly

And how many should there be in a woman’s cosmetic bag?

“When choosing the ideal brush, you need to be guided by the following factors: its shape, type of bristles and intended purpose. As a rule, cosmetic brands automatically divide brushes into subgroups depending on what product will be applied with their help: there are brushes for foundation, powder, blush, eye shadow and even contouring.

However, makeup artists are confident that any brush can be multifunctional. So, with a concealer brush you can easily apply eye shadow, and with a blush brush you can distribute foundation to get the lightest and most invisible coverage.

Based on the type of bristles, all brushes can be divided into natural and synthetic. Natural bristles are more porous in structure, so they retain the product between the bristles and release it gradually, creating a light coating. Synthetic bristles, on the contrary, immediately transfer most of the product to the skin, which means the makeup is more intense. That is why you can most often find brushes with a combined type of bristle, which allows you to achieve optimal results.

When choosing a brush, pay attention to its quality: the bristles should not fall out or break. The brush itself should be soft and not irritate the skin when touched. Make sure that the bristles have a slightly tapered, thin tip - this way the brush will not leave unpleasant streaks when applying the product.”

Here is the required minimum of brushes with which you can easily create makeup of any level of complexity:

- foundation brush (flat or round);

- blush brush (a medium-sized fluffy brush. This brush is also perfect for sculpting);

- powder brush (the largest, softest and fluffiest brush);

- an eyeshadow brush (it’s better to have two: a flat, dense one for applying eyeshadow and a small fluffy one for shading them);

- foldable lip brush.

ELLE's pick: makeup brushes

Shader Brush - Medium; Angled Eyeliner Brush; Foundation Kabuki; Double-ended Sculpting Brush; Precision Corrector Brush

MAKE UP FOR EVER is a leader in decorative cosmetics. It is not surprising that they have the widest range of all kinds of makeup brushes. Our favorites are the double-ended Double-ended Sculpting Brush for sculpting, following every curve of the face Foundation Kabuki for applying foundation and the universal Precision Corrector Brush for applying concealer and eyeliner.

Chanel Les Mini De Chanel

The universal Chanel set of 5 types of mini brushes is an indispensable must-have in any girl’s beauty arsenal. Depending on the thickness and shape, one brush can be used to apply multiple products at once: for example, the Foundation Brush 6 can also be used to distribute and blend blush, highlighter and bronzer.

Diffusing Blush Brush; Large Powder Brush; Optical Blurring Brush

A real find for a beautyaholic is a set of professional makeup brushes from Urban Decay Pro. The widest Large Powder Brush is ideal for applying and blending mineral powder, the Diffusing Blush Brush is suitable for blush and bronzer, and the Optical Blurring Brush is for creating a perfectly even tone with a natural finish and an optical blur effect.

The Duo Fiber Blush #159 brush from MAC is good for applying blush and highlighter, and it is also convenient for contouring. Thanks to its rounded shape, it perfectly shades products of different textures: from crumbly to liquid. A successful combination of two types of bristles (natural + synthetic) allows you to collect the strictly required amount of product to create a natural coating.

Foundation Brush; Face Contour Bruch

The Rouge Bunny Rouge beauty menu includes a wide selection of all kinds of makeup brushes. We chose two of the most versatile ones - the flat Foundation Brush, with which it is convenient to distribute foundation, concealer, liquid highlighter and bronzer, and the fluffy Face Contour Bruch for creating perfect contouring or draping.

The miniature Erborian brush is designed specifically for applying BB and CC creams, for which the Korean brand is so famous. Synthetic bristles allow you to create a dense enough coverage to disguise all visible skin imperfections. It is also convenient to apply concealer and cream highlighter.

Blush Brush; Arched Powder; Expert Face Brush

With the help of Real Techniques brushes you can master makeup of any level of complexity. Using the Expert Face Brush, apply foundation, concealer or highlighter. We use Blush Brush to blend loose or cream blush on the cheekbones, and Arched Powder to distribute mineral powder and bronzer.