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The makeup brushes you need in your life (and the ones you don’t)

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Source: Pinterest/Spectrum

There was a time when I used to apply and blend all my makeup with my fingers. Well, most of it – I went in with this one rough as anything brush I stole off my Mum just to add bronzer to my cheeks, but everything else – foundation, concealer, even eyeshadow – was done with my hands. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing! If I’m in a rush (read: I watched one too many eps of ‘Younger’ and there’s now only 10 minutes before I need to be AT the restaurant meeting my friends) I still enjoy a finger-blended base. It’s fine! Works well enough. But there is something magical about the airbrush finish brushes and tools can give your makeup.

Thing is though, there are approximately 329502 types of brush on the market. So which ones do you actually buy? If you get lost in the extreme range you’ll end up forking out $2000 on 40 makeup brushes. Of which you’ll use like, 4. Fortunately, I’m here for you in your time of need. Here are the brushes you need so badly, that if I visit your house in the next 2 months and I go snooping in your bathroom cupboard (which I will most definitely do) and they are NOT in there, I’ll be mad/sad for you. And the ones you can walk right on past. Or, you know, also buy because you’re a makeup addict and just want everything.

You need: A blending brush

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Zoeva @ Sephora Silk Finish Brush, $28

Oh, mates. I go on about blending brushes like they’re going out of style. THEY’RE NOT. THEY’RE AMAZING. I was introduced to these airbrushing babies when a Zoeva one passed by my desk. FYI, Zoeva make some of the best brushes in the biz from an affordable-yet-high-quality perspective, IMHO. That means “in my honest opinion”, if you were confused. I read an article about slang words you shouldn’t use anymore if you’re “with it” and like 90% of the words in the list were things I thought were cool. So now I am desperately trying to remain relevant! Haha! By using the “cool” slang! Anyway, the reason I go on about blending brushes is they are the lazy-girls way of getting flawless, streak-free foundation without the time-consuming factor. All you do is use circular motions all over your face, and the dense bristles work the foundation across your skin to eliminate all those pesky patchy bits and that “on the surface” look. They go by different names, like this one is called “silk finish”,  but you’re just looking for a dome shaped or flat topped brush with very dense bristles.

Only if you want it: A foundation brush

I have nothing against foundation brushes, I just prefer the blending brush and find it’s more suited to a busy lifestyle. Foundation brushes are great if you add multiple layers of foundation to your face, but the finish can tend way more toward a streaky look if you aren’t a pro at using them.

You need: A fluffy shadow brush

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Mecca Cosmetica Domed Eye Blending Brush, $30

Even if you only use eyeshadow once every blue moon (me), this is a must for your makeup bag. The fluffy shadow brush is the clumsy girls saviour – use it correctly and you can get that blurred-edge smoky eye look every single time. The trick is to hold it vertically, so the bristles face up, and then use small circular motions working from the outside of your eyelid toward the inner, and then back again. Keep doing this until your shadow is blended, and you’ll be amazed at how perfect the finish is. No more muddy patches, yay!

Only if you want it: A crease shadow brush

Crease shadow brushes are GREAT. But they’re for people who do like, multiple shadow shades and really get into the eyeshadow stuff. I don’t, and if you’re not using more than one colour on your lids you really don’t need one of these.

You need: A blush brush

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Nars @ Mecca Blush Brush, $61

Blush brushes are usually small and domed. The reason I think you need one? Because I use mine for blush, contouring AND highlighting. Bear with me here – makeup purists are probably yelling at me through the screen right now, but I am queeeeen of no fuss, and have zero time for a pile of brushes in my daily stash. Yes, in a perfect world a separate contour brush and highlight brush would be great. It just won’t happen for me, and I find the size and shape of a blush brush works fine to do all three. Contouring technically needs a dense, flat-topped brush, right? But I’m not doing daily intense contouring. I just wear my bronzer under my cheekbones, and you can get that placement using this. Same with cheekbone highlights. In fact, what I like about doing the whole contour/highlight thing with a blush brush is that the finish is really seamless, because you’re not adding a large amount of product to the area in one go. It requires less blending – although you won’t get the Kylie Jenner look, but that’s not my vibe anyway.

Only if you want it: A fan brush

The pro’s ideal brush for highlighting, fan brushes can give a gorgeous finish but it takes time, and they’re weird/hard to use unless you know what you’re doing.

You need: A powder brush

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Real Techniques Your Base Flawless Powder Brush, $27.99

Have you read my whole spiel on inviting finishing powder back into your life? Oh, you should. Basically, I’m a big, big fan of finishing powder – even though once I was not – but getting a non-cakey finish is all in the tools, and a large, fluffy as all hell powder brush is the #1 tool you need for powder. Bristles should be loose and airy, but other than that the shape is for you to decide. Mine is a big ol, round topped bad boy, but some will be angled, or domed… go with what you want, because the most important factor is that it’s FLUFFY. Another point – somewhat controversial – I’ve been known to use my powder brush to add a sweep of bronzer to my cheeks. I find it gives a really natural, sunkissed look.

Only if you want it: A lip brush

Lip brushes are hailed as the hero for mess-free lipstick. But really, you can get a similar precision if you use a lip pencil on your entire lip. I find if Im using a bright or bold colour, lining and then colouring my lips with a similar toned lip pencil means I can just swipe the lipstick on top, and don’t have to take it right to the very edge – hence, no need for lip brush perfection. That being said – if you want to skip the lip pencil part, you’ll be wanting a lip brush to get the flawless edges.

You need: A brow brush

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Bobbi Brown Eye Brow Brush, $43

If you’re working with brow pencil, go for a spoolie. If you’re working with powder or gel, and angled brow brush. I have an amaaazing one from Bobbi Brown that is kind of a hybrid – it’s angled but amongst the soft bristles are some harder, toothbrush-like ones so it places product, but also brushes it through the brows like a spoolie does.

Only if you want it: A concealer brush

Controversial! A lot of makeup aficionados will tell you that a concealer brush is a MUST HAVE OMG MEL I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU’VE SAID THIS. But I beg to differ. A good, creamy concealer can be blended with your fingertips – and they actually make fantastic tools for this because they’ll warm the product a little, making it extra blendable. The key is to “tap” it into the areas you want it as opposed to rubbing or swiping it.

Of course, all brushes serve a purpose. I mean, companies wouldn’t make them unless they had a use! Someone out there is buying that cream eyeshadow brush and LOVING IT SICK, guys. I myself have a gel eyeliner brush I am obsessed with. Do I think everyone needs it? No, because not everyone is working with gel eyeliner.

Ultimately you should go on with your bad self and buy whatever brushes you feel. Just consider this a guide if you’re completely stuck and wandering the beauty store aisles like a lost puppy, k?

 


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