Your Personal Makeup Artist Make Up Tips, Tricks, and Techniques from Professional Make Up Artists

If you want to have the best makeup application every time, then I recommend that you take an inventory of all of your makeup brushes and tools to make sure that you are working with the best items possible. It is completely important to use high quality brushes for different areas of your makeup application for a professional outcome. I have broken down for you all of the different brush types needed for specific areas of makeup application as a guide.  Here we go!

• Powder Brush: This should be a large and fluffy brush to easily apply your powder or powdered mineral makeup foundation with swirling motions. I recommend using a Kabuki brush for a more even coverage. Remember to start out with smaller amounts when applying powder or foundation with a brush, and continue to add powder as needed.

• Concealer Brush: This is a smaller brush with firm bristles that can be used to apply concealer or a color corrector directly from a palette. I recommend using a brush for the delicate under eye area because it will provide the most natural application to cover your flaws and blemishes.
• Blush Brush: Look for a brush that is about the width of your cheekbone for an easy sweeping application. Make sure that it is rounded with soft bristles so that your blush can be applied easily and look natural.

• Bronzer Brush: This brush needs to have a flat head and be larger than your blush brush but smaller than your powder brush. Use it in long strokes across your forehead, nose, and cheeks, where the sun would naturally hit your face.
• Blending Brush: This is a smaller eyeshadow brush with soft bristles to easily blend the creases in the eye area. Using a brush for eyeshadow application will allow you to completely blend all of your colors together so that they can look as natural and as beautiful as possible.

• Contouring Brush: This is also an eyeshadow brush that has a flat head with firm bristles so that you can make dramatic contours in the crease of your eyeshadow application - perfect for the smoky eye!
• Brow Brush: This brush needs to be your stiffest brush variety because it is used to apply a darker color to the shade of your brows, and it needs a stiffness to create arch and shape. I recommend tweezing your brows first, combing them into place, and then using the brow brush to apply a darker shade of eye shadow to your brow area to make your eyes pop.

I hope that this guide to brushes has proven to be completely helpful, and make sure that you are caring for your brushes and cleaning them well. You can buy a specialty brush cleaner, or you can clean them at home with a mild soap. Start by swirling the brush in the soap in your hand until it is foamy, rinse the bristles well, and then lay the brush out to dry with the head of the brush hanging over your counter so that the bristles will retain their shape as they dry. Make sure that you clean it your brushes weekly, or after every use on another person for sanitation purposes.

It is best to store your brushes is facing up in a brush holder. If you want to take them with you, I recommend using a brush roll where you can place each of your brushes in the device, and simply roll it up to protect them and retain their shape. I have found that it is better to buy your own brushes than using the ones that come with many of the cosmetics that you purchase because they are often too small to be used on the specific areas of your face in makeup application.

Also, look for natural bristles that will allow you to blend better and make your makeup look softer on your face. When you begin to use brushes made of natural hair, like pony, goat, or squirrel, then you will truly notice the difference in the way that the makeup sits on your face! Using the right makeup brushes is a wonderful way to ensure that your makeup application is flawless every single time. When you care properly for your brushes, you will extend their life and get even more value out of them to enhance your look. Win, win!