Every Makeup Artist has them; every professional has an opinion about them, and every beauty friend wants them: Brushes.
Without a good makeup brush, you are only half the artist you want to be. Like the painter selects the right brush to create the perfect stroke on the canvas, so does a makeup artist. Only difference is that your canvas is skin.
How do you choose what is right for you? I will give you a some options to choose from in this post and hopefully it will help you see the light at the end of the makeup brush tunnel.
Synthetic vs. Natural
First up is the brush hair. You can choose to use animal/natural hair, or if you are an animal lover then, you might want to choose synthetic hair.
The difference is the use and maintenance that go into your brushes. With animal/natural hair you need to be a bit more careful and wash your brushes almost the same way you do your hair.
You could say that synthetic brushes are better to use with cream and liquid products, whereas an animal brush is best used with powders. This is because the product tends to stick to the brush hair better since the bristles are natural.
Synthetic brushes have in my opinion a few advantages compared to animal hair- brushes.
- Synthetic brushes are made of nylon or polyester filaments and are less likely to be damaged than animal-hair brushes.
- They are easier to keep clean and don’t absorb the makeup pigment. You can use your brush with a liquid foundation, wash it and dry it on a towel and can start using it right away, whereas if you would wash an animal-hair brush, the hair would still be too wet to use right away.
- Your client might be sensitive or allergic to animal hair.
Animal/natural hair brushes have some good qualities too:
- Animal hair brushes hold pigment better and create a softer, more natural look because of the various hair follicles.
- The brushes are more expensive, but they also live longer that synthetic brushes.
Suggested Vendors
Last but not least, some companies that I would suggest for your brushes:
MAC
Their brushes are somewhat in a midrange price category; the quality is good and you can choose between natural and synthetic brushes.
Hakuhodo
Best animal/natural brushes, high quality and high price but also they hold their shape are easy to use and the hair feels super soft on the skin.
Real techniques
Drugstore product, best synthetic brushes on the market right now. Great price, great quality, easy to use.
Royal and Langnickel
Largest range of products, moderate prices, great quality, you can choose between natural and synthetic brushes.
There are many more companies of course, but those are my personal favorites. Try and use different brushes to get a feel at how you work and especially what works for you.