A few of my friends have asked me questions about brushes, and it seems like it can be a whole unknown world so I decided I’d tell you all about the ones I own and why ! I don’t tend to wear eye makeup, and when I do I usually apply products with my fingers. I might use one or two brushes but to be honest, I’m not at the stage where I feel I can’t you give advice on that yet. Today’s article is about complexion a.k.a bronzer, blusher, setting powders, concealer, that’s it.
First off I think – if you don’t own any brushes – to get a good base to work with, you should definitely check out Real Techniques. That’s what I did. Created by the makeup artists sisters Sam and Nic Chapman, they are great, well priced, soft, and super well made brushes. I got the “Core Collection” featuring all the essentials : contour brush, pointed foundation brush, detailer brush and a buffing brush. I only really use the contour brush to, well, contour but also to set concealer with a little powder and sometimes to blend concealer (works nicely). I also like the buffing brush to apply concealer all over the face, or blend a CC/BB cream, though I have to admit I truly prefer using a beauty blender to seamlessly blend the product. Real Techniques is simply the perfect entry point to your brushes collection.
Now, let’s get more into this. Here are the only brushes I use day to day. Oh also, they have names and are meant to be used for this or that… I don’t really care for that.
Actually lots of makeup artists, Sam and Nic Chapman included, say that you should use them how you want to. Brushes are versatile, don’t be put off by the name and think “oh this is a foundation brush, I can’t use it for bronzer then”. Just give it a try and experiment !
I use this big powder brush to diffuse bronzer all over my face, or to set my makeup with a light powder with not much coverage. It’s a quick and easy brush, great for all over, not so much for precision.
I would not necessarily use this brush for blusher, because it’s a bit too big for my cheeks. I love it for bronzer though, like the Nars Laguna, and I do use it for blusher that are super pigmented because the bristles on the brush diffuse pigments in a light way which is perfect if you don’t want to look like a clown with red cheeks.
Real Techniques Stippling brush
This one is amazing for cream and liquid blush. I put the product on the back of my hand, swirl the brush in it, and then gently dab on the cheeks for a super fast and gorgeous finish. I’ve recently discovered how good it is for foundation. Its super soft bristles really distribute the product evenly and it gives a soft finish, with good coverage because it does not drink up all the product. Perfect combination with Daniel Sandler’s watercolor liquid blushers and Glossier Cloud Paints.
Real Techniques Powder bleu Soft Finishing Brush
I LOVE this new addition to my brushes collection. It’s perfect for powder blush, AND bronzer if you want to be quite precise with your application and slightly contour. Extremely soft and amazingly gentle for my sensitive skin.
Eco Tool Precision Blush brush
Again, good for powder blush, if you really want to go for it. Its bristles are densely packed so the brush does give a good amount of pigment, better to use with a blush or a bronzer that’s not too pigmented or too bright. I love it with the Max Factor Cream Puff Powder Blushers.
Kiko Face Stippling Foundation Brush
This is my go-to for bronzer, because of the two levers of bristles on it : it gives a lovely light yet noticeable result. It has stayed really soft and is gorgeous to use if you want to build up a healthy glow with something like Chanel Les Beiges Powder.
This is my go-to to blend liquid or cream base products like Glossier’s stretch concealer, the Bourjois 123 Perfect CC cream, the Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer. I run it under water and keep it quite wet, so the product really melts into the skin. It gives a flawless finish and really ties the complexion together. It’s the one thing I would not dare to imagine myself without.
Do you guys use brushes ? What are you favorites ? I’d love to know !