Brush your makeup cares away

By Al Varela

A reader wants to know: Whenever I go to a cosmetic department I am confused by all the varieties of makeup brushes available. Are all those different brushes necessary and which ones would be the most useful to own?

Makeup brushes do come in many different shapes, sizes and levels of quality; each designed for a specific application. This can be overwhelming at first but hopefully with a little explanation you will be able to select a few brushes to start your makeup kit.

The most commonly used makeup brushes include the powder brush, blush brush and eyeshadow brush. Most basic makeup applications can be achieved with these three essential brushes.

I feel the best results when applying makeup, come with a good quality sable brush since it holds the powder better, allowing for a cleaner, more accurate application. These brushes are a little more expensive but with proper care can last a long time.

The powder brush should be a domed shape with the hair being no more than two inches in length. Any longer and the powder will be blown off the skin during application. The dome shape is important to keep from over-applying the powder.

Blush brushes are now being made with a slanted end, which makes contouring easier and more effective. The hair on this brush should ideally be only about an inch and a half in length. Don't be confused by the different types of handles, as this is a matter of personal preference.

Possibly the most necessary tool in your makeup kit will be the eyeshadow brush. When you are accustomed to using your eyeshadow brush you will never again need to use the applicators that commonly come with most eyeshadows. This brush should always be pure sable since it will be contacting the delicate skin around your eyes.

Other great brushes to include in your kit are the lip brush, eyeliner brush, and a combination eyelash-eyebrow brush. These auxiliary brushes will be used for applying the finishing touches to your makeup.

A lipliner brush will enable you to put varying degrees of lipstick color on your lip for a more refined look. You will find that you have more control when applying your lipstick. It can also get you another month's worth of lipstick out of the tube.

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