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Kenton

Makeup Essentials: So Many Brushes, So Little Time

| July 9, 2012 | 1 Comments
makeup brushes

There are literally hundreds of different tools out there, maybe even thousands in all price ranges and materials. It can be overwhelming to choose just a few to get you started. All of the makeup instruction, tips and hints donʼt mean a thing without the proper tools. Our advice is that this is where you should spend some money and build slowly. When you take care of your brushes they will last you many years. A brush that is expensive breaks down to something that is affordable if you are using it for the next ten years. It is going to work out to cost you less in the long run than the tool that seems like a great deal, but you are always replacing them. Not to mention that these tools are the extension of you – great tools can make an ok make up job look fabulous and mediocre tools can make a great job look shabby.

There isnʼt enough page space to write about all of the many brush brands. Every day there is another brush that is a must have. Never fear, in true KENTON magazine fashion we are going to give you the skinny along with some great options. These brushes have these three thing in common – they have a solid construction, their hairs are soft and the brush feels balanced in your hand.

Brush Sets

For those of you who need a starter kit, no hunting and picking for brush gems or maybe you like all of the handles to match take a look at the Sigma Premium Kit ($149). There are 15 brushes included in this kit that will take you from a simple everyday look to the more sultry “letʼs get it started” evening looks. The brushes come in a great brush envelope that will keep them clean and protected from nosey hands and paws.

You know we already love Bdellium Brushes, well they have some great brush sets a well. The Mineral Essential Ten Piece Brush Set – Studio Line ($63). This line comes with a great black brush roll. This is great for all of the mineral makeup lovers out there. It is super affordable – less than $7 for each quality brush, unheard of! This is pro quality at a great price. More than a couple of well known artists have oodles of this brand in their brush roll.

Traditional Hair Brushes

Bdellium Brushes (pronounced del-ee-yuhm) has a wide range of brushes that cuts across five lines. There are a plethora of affordable options. We love the brushes in the Maestro and Studio Lines. They are full length brushes with black handles (Maestro) and yellow handles (Studio). The bonus is that these brushes are anti-bacterial so no little nasties are hanging out on the brush. They have exception eye brushes you canʼt go wrong with the 778 ($11) it is a large eyeshadow brush that is available in both lines. To accompany the large oval you want to pick up the small eyeshadow brush 777 ($8). Other favorites are the crease brush 781 ($10), and the 755 ($8) smudge brush.

Sonia Kashuk brushes are amazing and found at your local Target. The signature black handled brushes, the Kashuk Tools are an instant winner. These handles are unique in shape and are oh-so-very comfortable in the hand. Natural hand placement happens for the best application. The Small Multipurpose Brush is great for powdering a shiny nose, blending eyeshadow or for the placement of a highlight color. The Small Eye Shadow Brush is another great brush for the application to small eyes. With slightly longer brush hairs it will give a lighter application of color. Great for smokey eyes!

Vegan Brushes

Synthetic brush quality has moved into the future with great quality materials that work well with both cream and powder products. Technology has made it so that those folks who do not want animal hair do not have to settle for inferior brushes. There are some exciting options in this arena. We love the brushes that are created by artists who were fed up with the old synthetics and set out to revolutionize the industry.

David Klassfeld Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics an all vegan company makes great dense brushes that have beautiful white handles. Our artists reach for these brushes time and time again for beautiful flawless applications. Must have brushes are Brush #005 ($22) is a angled blending brush is great for eyeshadow application. Use the pointy end for cutting wicked creases. The best are the Angle Brush #009 ($18) and the Precision Lip Brush #10 ($18). The difference between good makeup and amazing makeup come down to two things the blending and line work. That perfect pout and liner can only be done with great tools. These two brushes take the pain out of the process. We {heart} Brush #11, this small powder brush is great for blush, highlighters and buffing in cream foundations.

Cozzette is another artist line that makes beautiful synthetic brushes. These brushes are shorter and have snazzy purple handles. They offer brushes with unique blends of fiber that are made to blend cream makeup and powders products with ease. They are strong and soft at the same time. How do they do it? Who knows, we just love ʻem. They have a great Introductory Makeup Brush Set ($161) that comes with a complimentary purple brush vessel. Purple brushes with a purple brush holder – color us happy.

Dual Fiber Brushes

These brushes are a mixture of synthetic and natural hairs. It is the best of both worlds. They give a light and airy quality to the application. If you want the airbrush look without the $500 investment these are going to be the brushes for you.

Glamcor is known in the professional circles for their light kits, which are great by the way. The offer luxury brushes that are high quality and work. It is a small collection, but when you do something right the first time there is no need to do it again. You can complete a full face with just three brushes, yes just three. The Contour Brush ($75), the Buffer Brush ($55) and the Mini Finish Brush ($30). These brushes are dense – they are packed with hairs which mean you will get a better finish. The Contour Brush is perfect for foundation and the pointed tip means you will get in those tight areas like around the nose and under the eye. The tip can also be used for your contour color and fit right under the cheekbone. The buffer is great for blush, highlighter and even eye color if you have larger eyes. All of your work will be set wit the Finish Brush, a tiny bit of translucent powder will get that oily breakthrough under control. Three brushes is all it takes for a great natural look.

Japonesque has a new range of HD Dual Sided Brushes that have both fibers but they have a unique twist on the concept. Traditional dual fiber brushes have the different hairs blended all through out the brush, these brushes have the synthetic fibers on one side and the natural hairs on the other side. It is like having two brushes in one. These arenʼt just dual fibers they are dual sided. We they first arrived at our office there was some wonder as to how well they would work. Rest assured they are amazing brushes. The #120 ($17) and #110 ($240 are great for skin work. These two are larger brushes use the synthetic side to apply foundation, blush or any of your cream products and work them into the skin. Then flip it over and use the natural hairs to blend the edges. Brushes #130 ($14) and #140 ($14) are smaller brushes that are great for the eye area. Works in the same manner apply with the synthetic side and flip over to blend. Due to the smooth fibers on the synthetic side these work best with creams if you are going to use both sides. If you are only using powder products stick to the natural fibers.

  • http://asdsdjsad Iynasya

    Hey, re eyeliner, do you have any suggestions on how to create the dark look with eye-liner? I have tried many but been not very successful unfortunately. Thank-you!

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