Game On: Powder Puffs VS Powder Brush

"Makeup!" You can almost hear the loud call of the director's voice and see the explosion of powder as this giant pillow of a powder puff smashes a performer in the face. That's the image most people have in their heads of the old skool powder puff, but is that how it really works? Why would you want to use a puff and not the ever popular powder brush?

Almost every girl out there has a powder brush, but do we really know what it's meant for? The easy answer would be "to apply powder", but there's a lot more detailed look at that brush sitting in your makeup drawer.

So let's take a look at what each product is really designed for and how in the world we're supposed to use these tools.

Powder Puffs
Webster's dictionary defines a powder puff as: a small fluffy device (as a pad) for applying cosmetic powder. Now that's a pretty broad generalized definition. Puffs are designed to hold powder inside of them and when you tap them, the powder is released where you need it. They are generally used best with either pressed or loose powder, when setting a cream foundation or as a quick way to cut shine. The plus side of using a puff to set your makeup is that you're setting the makeup so it doesn't crease or move. It'll secure your makeup for a much longer wearability time.

Pressed Powder
This is probably the most common type of puff people have used. It's that tiny little puff that comes with a pressed powder/cake powder compacts. You just swipe it across the powder and swipe it across the face for quick touch ups. Simple and easy, no instruction really needed.
The one thing to keep in mind is to change that little puff out every few weeks. Bacteria can build up and cause break outs or other skin irritations. The replacement puffs are really inexpensive (unsually a dollar to three) but we tend to hold onto those little buggars like they're gold. It's funny how we may be willing to spend a good portion of our hard-earned money on a powder but we don't replace a very inexpensive little puff.

Loose Powder
The first time I ever attempted trying to use one of these I tapped my loose powder onto it and tried to get it to my face. Needless to say, I got powder all over my face, my new black dress, and my new black heels.
Yeah, no. I thought to myself, This is totally not cool . It wasn't until I started training to be a makeup artist that I learned how to properly use a puff. Of course I had been doing it all wrong.
With loose powder the key is that after you tap the powder onto the puff, you fold it in half (like a taco) and rub the powder into the puff (almost like rubbing out a stain). This way all the powder is inside the puff and you can easily transfer the puff to your face. Then tap the puff on your face and press the powder into the makeup. Tah-dah! Now it works like it's supposed to and you're not surrounded by a halo of powder dust!

Powder Brush
This is probably one of the most requested brushes people ask for in a makeup store, but most people aren't using for the purpose it was originally created for. Yes, powder brushes are great for applying very light amounts of powder, usually from a pressed cake.
I like to use small powder brushes to set makeup under the eyes with loose powder so it doesn't cake up on the delicate skin. I press the brush against the makeup and give a precision powder without applying too much.
If you're touching up for a little shine here and there, that's great! I use it on set all the time just for that purpose.
Did you know though, that powder brushes are actually meant to remove powder? That's right, it's meant to sweep away any access powder left over from a powder puff that may be laying on the skin. If you're trying to set a foundation with a powder brush by sweeping it around, you're just dusting the powder on the surface of the skin and not settling it into the makeup so the makeup may still smear.

If you look at both tools, they're used in combination for a flawless makeup finish! It's not really a versus story at all but a fanatastic team-up!