Brush-a Brush-a Brush-a -- Part II

Well, here we are on the second part of our (and I’ve just decided this) three part brush tutorial. Now that we’ve got an idea of the sort of brushes you’d most commonly use, let’s talk price and quality.

Why Are Some Brushes More Expensive Than Others?

These days money is tight and when you’re standing there looking at a virtual wall of brushes you have to wonder: What makes this brush that looks about the same as this one more expensive? Is it better? If it is, why is it better? There are usually three major factors in the price and quality of a brush.

1.) The first thing that usually figures into the value and quality of the brush is the kind of hair the brush is made out of. If it’s a natural hair brush (the soft makeup brushes), the price can depend on the type of hair it’s made from. With natural hair brushes there are a number of different types: Pony, Camel, Goat, Kolinsky Sable, Squirrel… and a good many more.

Important Note: No animals are harmed in the making of these brushes! The brushes on these site are cruelty-free. The hair is cut from the animal, but they are not killed for it. So please trust me when I say they may have a new do, but they are still in good care.

Pony
Pony hair actually doesn’t come from baby horses, but from a horse that is at least two years old. It’s very strong but also soft. The highest quality comes from the belly of the animal and is often blended with other hairs for less expensive touch-up brushes.

Camel
Camel hair brushes are actually not from an actual camel. It’s a ‘trade name’ that was given from Mr. Camel who invented them. This means it’s a blended brush usually mixed with pony, goat, and squirrel hair. These are usually made into a wide range of different makeup brushes.

Goat
Goat hair (Capra) is the most commonly used hair type in making cosmetic brushes since they are the least costly to produce and the hair is the easiest to obtain. The softest goat hair is the first-cut with the tips still intact. Goat hair makeup brushes from the blunt cut are used in the manufacture of mass produced, lower quality brushes. The higher quality is hand-made like any other high quality cosmetic brush to preserve the delicate tips.

Kolinsky Sable
Kolinsky is not the name of the guy who invented this type of brush. Actually it's the Russian name for mink. It’s a species of mink found in cold regions of Russia and China. Brushes made from Kolinsky sable are the softest and the most expensive. Each Kolinsky hair has a naturally long fine point tip and a thick 'belly' and is known for it’s cone-like shape. No other sable can match the length of the Kolinsky sable. They have a have a tendency to snap back to its original shape when bent, but it’s still wonderfully soft.

Squirrel
Let’s start off with me telling it's a bad idea to think about catching squirrels to make yourself a home-made makeup brush then have an interesting pet to talk about in social situations. It’s not that kind of squirrel you saw eating an acorn this morning by the road, plus catching one could lead to a whole issue of bites and angry squirrels. Only the long-haired squirrel has the right kind of stuff for the softest brushes out there and it's not an eyeball sort of differentiation. With that said…

Squirrel hair brushes are the softest you’ll find. Squirrel is naturally very fine and relatively thin when compared to sable, but it has no springy-ness to it. Although soft squirrel hair is relatively thin, it still has a thick 'belly' hence has a cone-like shape with the tip coming to a fine point. This is why 100% all pure squirrel makeup brushes are extremely soft and my personal favorite PR brush to finish off any beauty makeup. They just feel so darn luxurious! They also work very well on sensitive or delicate skin with my clients that are cancer or burn survivors.

2.) How the hair is attached to the handle of the brush. The ferrule is the metal piece that the hair is crimped or glued into. Higher quality brushes are double crimped and seamless to keep the hair from shedding and the handle from wobbling later in the life of the brush. If better care is taken with this step the brush may be more expensive, but should have a longer life.

3.) The last major reason for price is often times the culprit of name branding. Just like cosmetics, it’s all in how the brush is marketed and if you’re paying for a fancy name or a super shiny handle. The more some companies spend on ads and show-y flash will usually affect the price of a brush.

As you can see there are a number of factors that will work into what quality and price point your makeup brushes can be. You don’t always have to go for the most expensive. It really depends on what you want out of your tools. Now that you’ve got a bit more knowledge under your belt you can feel more confident in your hunt for the right brush.