Fluffy helpers: what makeup brushes do a makeup artist need?

Who doesn’t dream of a rich arsenal of a professional makeup artist? As a rule, a master's starter kit includes beautiful palettes of shadows and lipsticks, but a novice makeup artist does not immediately understand that this is not enough to create makeup.

Professionals know that without high-quality tools, beauty products cannot develop 100%, so they always pay special attention to brushes. What should they be?

Elena Yudina, makeup artist-stylist, international class master, world champion in makeup, certified judge of Ukraine and international competitions, founder of the author's school of makeup and style VISART academy (Dnepr, Kyiv), trainer of all-Ukrainian and international makeup and body-art competitions

Natural and synthetic makeup brushes

Professional makeup brushes come in natural and synthetic varieties. But, believe me, one does not replace the other: its specialization directly depends on the type of brush.

Natural brushes are usually made from squirrel, goat and pony fur. You will immediately recognize them: they are soft and extremely pleasant to the touch. They allow you to quickly, easily and evenly shade your makeup, making your makeup look as natural as possible. They are used for applying dry products - eye shadow, blush or powder. When choosing, pay attention to the edge of the brush: it should be perfectly smooth, and the bristles should not stick out - this indicates quality.

Synthetic brushes are stiffer - this allows you to apply makeup more precisely. They are ideal for applying cream products - correctors, foundations, cream eyeliners. Their advantage is that they do not absorb the product, and this allows you to use cosmetics more economically.

In addition, artificial lint does not deteriorate if it is dipped in places where natural lint cannot be dipped. This makes you more fearless and spurs your imagination, because you can safely use any products, any means. If you decide to work with synthetic brushes with dry textures, be careful: due to their “slipperiness,” the shadows may crumble, which is very undesirable when working with bright and dark colors.

The undeniable advantage of synthetic brushes is their environmental friendliness. They do not cause allergies, are also quite easy to clean and do not accumulate cosmetic residues, which means they are not carriers of bacteria. Natural brushes require very, very thorough cleaning. Therefore, it is important to know not only the purpose of makeup brushes, but also the characteristics of the material from which they are made, in order to choose the best tools for the job.

Making brushes

As a rule, natural brushes are more expensive, since the process of their manufacture is very labor-intensive and consists of many stages: selecting raw materials by color and length, cleaning (separating bristles from pieces of skin and removing dust and small particles), washing (placing the material in a tank with chemicals). preparations, then washing and centrifuge), straightening and combing the bristles, boiling (at least 2 hours), drying (it is very important to maintain the correct temperature of 120 degrees, otherwise overdried bristles become brittle). Then – mixing and sorting. And finally, packaging: the bristles are tied with thread or crimped with a cuff.

The main hairs used in natural brushes are kolinsky (a special breed of mink), raccoon, fox, goat and squirrel. For producers, only protective hair (not undercoat) taken from the animal’s tail in winter is important (hair from the body and ears is sometimes used).

Makeup artists use products with different textures in their work. It is advisable to have a separate brush for each of them. Also, don’t forget about mixed-hair brushes - with their help you can achieve completely different effects when applying decorative cosmetics. If you have cream shadows, you will need one brush, for dry ones - another. The same rule applies to foundations, blushes, and bronzers. *

There is a general rule for brushes: the stiffer the bristles, the brighter the color; the shorter the brush, the harder (and therefore brighter) it works. Therefore, which brushes give good soft shading? Long and soft!

What tools should be included in a makeup brush starter kit?

Powder brush. As a rule, round in shape, voluminous and soft. Considering that the denser the brush, the denser the coating will be, powder brushes are made thick, but fluffy, so that the powder lays down in a thin, airy and unnoticeable layer. The ideal bristles for such a brush are squirrel. The “new” synthetics – dermocura – and goat have also proven themselves well. The kabuki brush has a fairly thick bristle, a straight or rounded cut, so the coating will be more dense.

Different brushes have been invented for foundation . The classic option is a flat brush, which can be either natural or artificial. The foundation is applied evenly, the brush smoothes the hairs and arranges dry flakes, if any. Some makeup artists cannot do without mixed brushes - for example, duofiber + goat or kabuki brushes. Such tools will ideally “polish” the skin while applying foundation. But there is one thing: you should not use these brushes if your skin is flaking, as they “work” in circular movements.

Blush brush and bronzer brush. If the texture of the product is dry, you should use a slightly smaller brush than a powder brush. It often has a beveled edge for easier product distribution. For cream blush, as well as cream contouring, a small synthetic or natural brush works well, which is similar to a foundation brush, but smaller, as it does more delicate work.

* Since blush is the most insidious product in makeup, very high demands are placed on blush brushes. It must be super soft, otherwise the matryoshka cheeks are guaranteed.

Concealer brushes. You can’t do it alone, as there are many surprises on the face that require a very delicate approach. One brush - small, with elongated bristles, preferably with a pointed edge - for working on pimples, small spots and folds. The second is flat, as for tone, but several times smaller - for working out larger details.

Eyeshadow brushes. There should be several of them:

• flat (large, medium and small) for different areas of the eyes. Such a brush will help to lay out the shadows more densely, even if they are pearlescent, and also to shade the edges;
• round shading, at least two: one, larger, to create beautiful transitions to the temples and “shadow-skin” transitions; the second, smaller one, for working out the transitions between shadows of different colors;
• small brush for shading pencil or gel eyeliner.

Brush for bronzers, highlighters and dry concealers . Similar to a blush brush, but smaller. Such a brush must be very soft and of high quality, otherwise you risk creating stains.

The best brush for eyebrows is a short, angled brush made of hard bristles (maybe artificial). It is universal: you can use it to create both powdery shading and a thin ponytail.

What are fan brushes for? The big ones are “orderlies”; they remove crumbled particles of shadows or hairs without leaving a trace. And small ones - for carefully painting eyelashes (and not only with mascara) - watercolors and gel eyeliners are used.

Lip brushes are not very large, flat, with a pointed tip.

For eyeliner - both thin liners and beveled ones - at the choice of the artist. Personally, I love thin brushes of different lengths and thicknesses to suit different products and eye shapes.

When choosing brushes, pay attention not only to the design (this is very important) and the shape, the softness of the bristles (this is very, very important), but also to the quality of bonding of the fleecy part with the handle, to whether it is comfortable for you to hold the brush in your hand, not “ Does the brush shed...

When purchasing such reliable helpers, do not forget about a convenient case for them! Among the variety of brushes on the market, it is important to choose “your own” - exactly those that fit well in your hand, are comfortable to work with and that give a good result.

We can’t help but mention a new product on the cosmetics market – silicone brushes! Their essence is that such brushes greatly save the amount of products consumed, and washing them is a pleasure! Perhaps they are the future?

Caring for Makeup Brushes

Very important: brushes must not only be cleaned of cosmetics, but also disinfected (germs accumulate between the bristles). You've probably come across thousands of practical tips on how to wash makeup brushes and remove paint from the bristles. Remember what you definitely shouldn’t do with brushes: wash them with shampoo, and then apply hair conditioner (they will become very soft and fluffy, you won’t be able to work with them); clean with makeup remover (oily substances contained in the product may remain on the hair, causing all cosmetics to be applied unevenly afterwards). For the same reasons, there is no need to use olive oil (the pile will look attractive, but it will take a long time to degrease it).

Clean your brushes in regular soapy water or with special products (the inscription brush cleanser on the packaging). The latter contain both detergent, antibacterial substances and esters, due to which the fibers dry quickly. You can disinfect brushes with regular medical alcohol or Bacillol (sold in a pharmacy), and dry them after washing only in a horizontal position so that the handle does not get wet.

* If you use waterproof cosmetics and don’t have a special cleanser on hand, Tairy Platinum detergent and warm running water will help.

With good and careful care, brushes live a very long time - from 5 to 10 years, and longer. Therefore, buy the best and most comfortable brushes once for many years - and get only pleasure from working with them!

The article was first published in MAKEUP&YOU Professional magazine.