Brush-a Brush-a Brush-a… Part I

Makeup Brushes are everywhere, but there are so many different shapes, hair types, and designs... and they're not exactly the least expensive tool to pick up. How do you choose from the masses? Why are they so expensive? What brushes do I really need? Am I using the brush for right purpose? What makes a quality brush? Well then, let's hope I can help clear up some of those questions for you in the next few blogs.

Today we're going to focus on what type of brushes most people really need. A lot of makeup brushes are great, but most people may never use them on themselves. With a girl's standard makeup battalion we'll talk can't live without essentials.

What Brushes Do I Really Need?
This question really depends on what make up you actually wear, but for the purposes of this article we'll say you wear a standard beauty makeup for a night out. If that's the case most people would use a brush to wear: Foundation, Concealer, Blush, Eye Shadow, and Lip Color.

Foundation Brush
There are many different foundation brushes out there. This type of brush is really a personal preference choice. You can apply foundations with a sponge if you prefer. I like to use a foundation brush for more fluid foundations and a sponge for cream foundations.

Concealer Brush
This is a great type of brush to have. You can choose from a number of sizes and materials with concealer brushes. A brush for concealer lets you blend underneath the eyes without pulling at the fragile skin there. The skin beneath your eyes is the thinnest anywhere on your body. If you normally use your fingers you can A) contaminate your makeup with bacteria and B) you may pull too hard at the skin causing fine lines later down the road.

• TIP-- For concealer it is a great idea to get a filbert brush. All filbert means is that the brush has an oval rounded edge rather than a flat square edge. Since we're working on more rounded areas of the face like the orbital lobe (around the eyes) a round shaped brush just makes the job easier.

Another great use for this brush is to gently set your concealer with loose powder to keep it from moving or creasing. Who wants the fine lines we might already have let along any false ones? Plus two uses for the price of one? What's not to love?

Blush Brush
Most people use blush and if you use a powder blush, this is a definite tool you’ll want in your arsenal. There are blush brushes in a number of different sizes and two basic shapes.

The size depends on how exact you want to be with your application. Smaller brushes lend themselves to more precise application, while the larger spreads the product a bit more liberally.

The shape of your blush brush can be a basic round brush or it could be cut to form an angle. Personally I like the angle blush brush when I want to do some contouring and the round blush brush when giving just a soft glow to the cheeks and skin.

Eye Shadow
Oh this is where I could go crazy with brushes! Brushes for eyes are a must in the kit, even if you have only one or two basics. I suggest two brushes to make things easy. That way if you use a dark and a light color you have one brush for each.

Fluff Brushes are great for applying or just sweeping shadow onto the lid and brow bone. This is what I like to call the "light color" brush. There are a number of sizes available and I find that it’s a comfort level as well as the eye area I have to work with: More eye area a bigger brush, less eye area smaller brush, but over all it’s up to the user.

Crease Blender Brushes are fantastic for applying color to the crease area. It’s got a fully rounded tip and lends itself to precision placement, but it’s still soft enough to blend with to get just the right look. This is what I like to call the "dark color" brush.

Lip Color Brush
If you’re a lip gloss girl, then you shouldn’t really have to worry about a lip brush, but if you like lipstick this may be something to definitely look into. Lip brushes tend to come in two shapes the filbert (rounded) and flat (square). Personally, I like the flat brush for applying lip color. The flat edge cuts a really sharp look along the lip line, making it look classically neat and straight.

• Tip – Using a lip brush when initially applying your lipstick will make any lipstick wear longer. You will actually push the product onto the lips staining it better than when used directly from the stick. Touching up from the stick is great for the convenience, but when applying the whole face try out a lip brush.

That really covers the basics of what most people use on themselves. So you don't need six bajillion brushes, unless you're a self-proclaimed brush whore like me. I just love brushes and can never have enough-- probably why I'll continue more brush questions in the next few posts.