Makeup 101: Essential Makeup Brushes | October 2014
While I’ve been looking for a job, I’ve been trying to figure out how to look more my age. I just graduated from college last spring and I can still sometimes look like I am a sophomore in high school. I’ve figured out how to get my wardrobe fixed up but now I’ve been working on my makeup and hair. I am the more girly person out of my Mother and Sister. This being said I have to go searching for the best products on my own instead of asking what they would recommend.
Now makeup brushes are an essential key to doing makeup properly. Before this past summer, I only owned a mini eye kit from Sonia Kashuk, and eyelash curler, and the brush that came with my L’Oreal True Match Naturale Mineral Foundation. This worked great because essentially I would only do my makeup for school dances, holidays, and if I felt like putting on makeup. I do have a problem with acne so I would do my foundation or concealer everyday but that would be it, no blush or mascara.
As I have been asking makeup artists, watching tutorials, reading beauty blogs and recent graduate blogs; I have come up with a list of things that would essentially help me with my problem of looking a bit young. I would pick and choose what I thought would fit my taste and skills (Everyone said bronzer would help me but I just cannot get the hang of contour and bronzing). My list has been Brushes, Foundation, Concealer (Spot and Under-eye), Eyeshadow, Mascara, Blush, Lip Color, Tinted Eyebrow Gel (as my eyebrows are pretty full and I need to pick and choose what I can afford at this time) and if I feel like trying to get the hang of it, Eyeliner.
Brushes were one of the hardest thing for me to decide. I didn’t want to spend money on high end makeup brushes ($50 for a brush, no thank you) but I also didn’t want to go for the $1 brushes that did not get great reviews. I decided on getting some Real Technique brushes (but I also have some EcoTools on my wishlist). These brushes weren’t too expensive and most of the time you can get them on a buy one get one half off deal. I mainly went for kits with a few exceptions like a blush brush.
Going with this brand meant that there were some brushes that I thought were key in a makeup application and they didn’t have or they had an extra brush that I thought I would never use. I decided to tell you all the brushes that I think are essential for a makeup look.
1. A foundation brush (Real Technique Expert Face Brush $9) that is good for mineral or liquid
2. A blush brush (Real Techniques Retractable Kabuki Brush $10) that can be used for blush, bronzer, or highlighter
3. An eyeshadow brush (Real Techniques Shading Brush $6) for packing eyeshadow on lids or highlight shades
4. A blending brush (Sigma E25 Blending Brush $14) that is good for crease shadows or blending eye shadows together or highlighter
5. An eyeliner/detailer brush (EcoTools Flat Eyeliner Brush $4) that is good for using shadows as liner or could even be used for eyebrows.
6. An eyelash curler (Tarte Picture Perfect Eyelash Curler $17) because curling your eyelashes can make all the difference.
What are essential brushes for you?
