Star Beauty: Brush up on make up brushes

No makeup bag is complete without a set of make up brushes.  They are tools that every fabulous female needs to have.  Just like your other half needs his set of a gazillion screwdrivers, with varying points and sizes, so do we need a variety of make up brushes in our kit.

With the right tools, in this case brushes, you can apply your make up like a pro.  A set of good quality brushes are a huge investment, and a good set will last a pretty long time.  I’ve had my MAC brushes for about four years now, and I don’t think I have lost a single bristle in the time that I’ve had them.  I wash them regularly with shampoo (as recommended by the MAC lady), but if you’re buying a set of good quality brushes, its always a good idea to check with the cosmetics house about individual brush care instructions.

There are a lot of good quality brushes out there namely: Mac, Bobbi Brown and Benefit.  The bigger cosmetics houses also generally sell good quality brushes.  Some of them include Clinique, Este Lauder, Elizabeth Arden, Smashbox etc.  So now there is no excuse to keep buying those cheap R10 brushes from the pharmacy.  Throw them out and invest in good set – or hint to hubby, it’s almost Christmas!  These brushes generally cost in the region of R120 upwards.

Inside my Toolkit

I have started a small collection of bushes, and these are the ones I have in my makeup toolkit to date. The only thing that seems to be missing is a lip liner brush.  You will notice that I have two large shadow brushes, two foundation brushes and two concealer brushes.  I like to use one shadow brush for blusher and the other for bronzing powder.  I use one concealer brush for concealer and the other one to apply creamy eye shadow. As for my two foundation brushes, one is for my handbag, and one for my make up bag.

1) BOBBI BROWN Concealer Brush.  This brush is shaped to reach into the small corners, specifically around the eye area, depositing the perfect amount of Creamy Concealer under eyes. I love the fact that it comes with a protective cap, which prevents messing up your cosmetics bag.

2) MAC 190 Foundation Brush.  This bush, I just cannot live without! I use it to apply liquid foundation.  It applies it evenly and gives a nice flawless finish.  Even better, when you use this brush you don’t waste foundation and you also don’t get messy hands.

3) BENEFIT Cosmetics Slant Powder Brush – “For perfectly perky cheeks”. I love using this one to apply bronzer.  The angle of the brush means it blends in perfectly so I don’t look like a bronzed figurine.

4)  MAC 252 Large Shadow Brush.  This one has soft, firm bristles which is used to shade eye shadows.  I like using it to apply the “base” eyeshadow colour all over the eye, up to the brow bone.  It can also be used to blend in powder for a fabulous, polished look.  Try it – After applying your foundation,  instead of applying powder with a powder or blusher brush, in small, circular motions polish the powder using this brush – fantastic for an evening out.

5) BENEFIT Cosmetics Fantail Brush – “For a light, natural powder finish”.  I like this one for applying bronzer when I’m already wearing blush, because it goes on very lightly.  It can also be used for applying light make up to the eye area as well as on the rest of the face.

6) BENEFIT Cosmetics Fluff Shadow Brush – “For swift and easy eyeshadow” . I use this one to apply eye shadow to the eyelid.  It goes on perfectly and the shape is just the right size to not get make up on the edge of the nose bridge

7) MAC 212 Flat Definer Brush. This brush is used to line and define the eyes, perfect for applying liquid eye liner.  I also like using it for brow defining with powder shadow.

8) BENEFIT Cosmetics Hard Angle Brush – This brush is similar to the Flat Definer brush, with the pointed angle.  Its perfect for applying liquid eyeliner – I love it because you can create those really sexy, defined lids with this one.

9) MAC 194 Concealer Brush.  Styled for small-area coverage.  I like using this one to apply cream eye shadow – trust me it works well, and better than the fluffy eyeshadow brushes.

10) MAC 168 Large Angled Contour Brush.  Perfect for applying blusher.

11) BENEFIT Cosmetics Foundation Brush – “For streak free foundation” – another great brush for flawless application of foundation.