Makeup Basics - 5 Essential Face Brushes

hi everyone!

i haven't posted in a while due to some severe burnout, but i'm back!

this is the first installment of the makeup basics series - let me know what posts you would like to see in this series and i'll run them if it's feasible!

if you're new to makeup, finding the right brushes can be a confusing task, because of the sheer number of brushes available on the market. here's my top 5 for the face that make good starter tools for the makeup novice, or for the minimalist (or for those of us unemployed/students who are on a tight budget).

although lots of makeup comes prepackaged with brushes/applicators, a lot of the times they're useless - they're too small, scratchy, or just plain ill-suited to apply the product. i always wondered why the companies bother, since it doesn't work the way it's supposed to.

investing in a set of good brushes will make your makeup sessions more enjoyable, and the end results will be doubly gorgeous. i personally like MAC, smashbox, ecotools & quo professionnel for their quality brushes, although other counters do offer brush options.

the below is a collage i did with each brush i think is essential, and the products it could be used with. i picked these five brushes based on the fact that each could be easily used for many different functions, which makes them more useful than highly specialized brushes.

5 essential face brushes by lareinarumbera on Polyvore.com

here are the five essential brushes i recommend:

1. buffer/kabuki brush. this is a dense, soft, rounded brush, often with a short handle, although some companies offer similar density brushes with a long/full handle. purpose - achieve a flawless, even complexion, blend away harsh lines, soft, diffused, delicate application of face powders and other products. use it for - mineral makeup, sheer bronzers/blushes, loose/pressed/setting powder, blending of overapplied products & lines of demarcation.
2. slanted contour/cheek brush: a slanted, small-to-medium sized brush that fits in the hollows of the cheeks. purpose - apply cheek & contour/highlight colors and to add dimension to the cheekbones & the hollows of the cheeks. use it for - normal application of blushes/cheek color & contouring/highlighting. it is best suited for powder products.
3. small duo-fibre/"skunk" brush/stippling brush: this is a flat-topped, small brush with longer (synthetic) hairs that grab the product and shorter (natural/goat) hairs that deposit & blend the product for a diffused, sheer, transparent finish. purpose - natural application of powder, cream, liquid, gel formulas to any area. particularly useful for foundation, cream blush/bronzers & pigmented blushes/bronzers. use it for - cream/liquid/gel products (blush, bronzer, foundation, concealer), intensely pigmented products, bright/dark products, lightweight, colorless, non-heavy application of mattifying products & powders. this is the only brush that i do not have dupes for - the only one i like is MAC 188 small duo-fibre - it's incomparable! this is really, truly, such a useful brush to have - i use it for EVERYTHING, from concealer to cream blush to even powdering my t-zone.
4. fan brush: this is a skinny, fan-shaped, thin brush. purpose - clean-up of product fallout, lightweight highlighting/contouring, diffuse harsh lines, lightly veiling the face with color. use it for - very sparkly/shimmery products, highlighting your cheekbones, cleaning up messy smoky eyes, adding loose powder for clean up.
5. concealer brush: this is a small-to-medium, flat, chiseled brush made of synthetic fibres. purpose - strategic placement of concealers & cover ups. also useful for cream bases/eyeshadows, since the synthetic bristles don't soak up all the product. use it for - applying concealer to key areas - under the eyes, around the nose, on pimples. can also be used to apply a wash of cream product/shadow to the eyelid.

my picks (in the order i explained the brushes above):

• the cadillac of brushes: MAC 182 buffer brush - the softest, most dense, amazing brush on the market. other options: smashbox 19 face & body brush - soft, dense, but IMHO not as good as the MAC, although the longer handle may be more suitable for some; quo professionnel bronzing brush - comparable to the smashbox, but a bit fluffier & less dense. good for those who want a dupe on a budget; ecotools bronzing brush - cruelty free, soft, dense bristles and a sustainable bamboo handle make this brush a staple of vegans, vegetarians, and the eco-conscious.
• MAC 168 large angled contour brush. soft, dense goat hair. incomparable to any others on the market.
• MAC 188 small duo-fibre brush - there are no dupes. period. soft synthetic & goat hairs, small size allows precision.
• smashbox 22 fan brush will not turn poofy and has a nice, soft, but still firm enough bristles for a variety of tasks. other options: benefit fan brush - a bit scratchier than the smashbox, but still okay in a pinch.
• ecotools concealer brush is cheap, cruelty free, soft, and of high-quality synthetic bristles and blends concealer amazingly.

note on natural vs. synthetic bristles- natural hairs are better suited for drier products, that need to be applied gently and softly. synthetic bristles are good for creamy, wet products, since the fibres won't absorb the moisture in the product.

if you're vegan/vegetarian, or concerned about the animal hairs used in the brushes, please call the company to find out how they obtain their natural bristles. MAC, for one, only clips/shears their animals so that they are not harmed (i had a funny thought of gordon espinet, MAC guru, running after a squirrel with scissors to make an eyeshadow brush), while brands like ecotools, are completely animal hair-free. 

due to the often inhumane treatment of animals in the fur industry, i always make it a point to call the company and ensure that the animal hair used in their brushes are not obtained by harming or hurting the animal. if a company can't tell you what their policy is, or does not give a clear answer, stay away - better to be safe, than to have a poor goat/squirrel/badger's blood on your hands. while i do use animal hair brushes, they are all from companies with sound practices - make sure yours come from a humane source too!

what do you think about my selection? do you have any other must-have brushes that you would add to this list?

happy hump day,

lareinarumbera