Your Ultimate Make Up Brush Guide!

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Your Ultimate Make Up Brush Guide!

Getting the right shade of foundation is very important for a flawless look but really you need to put as much thought into how you are going to apply this foundation once you have it.

Whatever look you are going for, whether it’s a girl next door natural day time look, or a big night ‘out out’ glam, using the right brushes will make all the difference to achieving a flawless finish. Using the right brush or applicator will also help to ensure that you get the best performance out of your makeup.

As a makeup artist, when I was putting together my makeup kit, I put as much thought (and money) into getting a wide array of brushes that would work for every application as I did the makeup that I would be applying.

In this blog I am going to talk through why a makeup brush might not be vegan and then which makeup brush is good for what application.

As you would expect I have a large collection of makeup brushes in all different shapes and sizes ready for any makeup look or application. However this is not necessary for everyone! A few brushes for exactly what you need are much better than lots of brushes you may not use!

As always if you have any questions please get in touch!

Vic x

VEGAN MAKEUP BRUSHES

Traditionally made makeup brushes are sadly made of natural hair and what this really means is animal hair! A variety of animal hair can be used, for makeup brushes these are typically squirrel, pony, goat, badger or a blend of any of the above. Of course this list is not exhaustive and really any hair that would hold a shape could possibly be used. Sadly, nothing surprises me anymore! The most commonly used for makeup brushes, certainly in the UK, are badger or squirrel hair. I don’t want to go into the details of how the hair for these brushes is collected but these animals would certainly be kept in farmed environments and killed during or after the process.

Vegan makeup brushes are made from synthetic fibres which makes them not only cruelty free and much better for the animals but also easier to clean (see below for a quick guide to cleaning your brushes). Synthetic brushes also last longer as they are less likely to shed hairs and work with both cream and powders.

KABUKI BRUSH

HOW TO RECOGNISE THIS BRUSH

A Kabuki brush is easily recognisable by its shape. They are normally short brushes with short dense and firm bristles.

WHAT IT IS GOOD FOR

This brush shape is perfect for applying liquid foundation and body makeup as it applies as medium to full coverage. This brush is also perfect for applying a mineral foundation or other loose powder foundation due to the density of the bristles.

A kabuki brush can also be used to blend eyeshadow if you want to give an overall blend as opposed to blending a very specific area.

Vic Tip: When applying a mineral or loose foundation you will get the best coverage if you really warm (ie blend) the foundation into the skin in circular movements. With mineral foundations its also best to apply little amounts often until you get the desired coverage.

FOUNDATION BRUSH

HOW TO RECOGNISE THIS BRUSH

A foundation brush has dense bristles that are flat and are sometimes rounded at the top.

WHAT IT IS GOOD FOR

As the name might suggest this brush is fantastic to create a flawless finish with a liquid foundation. These brushes tend to be really porous so try to use minimal foundation.

This brush can also be useful for applying a cream contour or highlighter as it allows for precision.

POWDER BRUSH

HOW TO RECOGNISE THIS BRUSH

When you think of a makeup brush, the brush you picture in your head is more than likely a powder brush. It has bristles that can be described as long, dense and fluffy and make a round shape

WHAT IT IS GOOD FOR

This brush is great for use with a pressed powder or loose foundation.

Vic Tip: I personally use my powder brush for setting my makeup with translucent powder. Doing this once my makeup is finished helps my look last as long as needed and prevents smudging running. Although it wont protect your mascara if you watch the Notebook, nothing can stop that level of makeup run!

CONCEALER BRUSH

HOW TO RECOGNISE THIS BRUSH

A concealer brush is like a small foundation brush, it has densely packed bristles that normally form an arch at the top.

WHAT IT IS GOOD FOR

This brush is ideal for targeting small, specific areas that you want concealed. As this brush has a sharp edge it is also an ideal brush for tidying up eye makeup.

Vic Tip: This brush doesn’t have to be used with an actual concealer. I use mine with my mineral foundation as this brush allows a more concentrated application

ANGLED BLUSHER BRUSH

HOW TO RECOGNISE THIS BRUSH

This brush looks similar to a powder brush with a full head of bristles, but the top of the bristles has a much sharper line.

WHAT IT IS GOOD FOR

This brush is great for applying blusher, contour and highlighter as it allows for a really precise application.

Vic Tip: I am a big fan of contouring as it can really change the shape of your face and soften or define your best features. The best way to think of contouring is to apply a 3 round your face starting at just off centre of your forehead round the outside, down below your cheekbones before moving back towards your ear and then down to your jawline. The best application is little and often and blend! Nothing worse in my opinion than heaving and strong contour zebra lines!

EYEBROW BRUSH

HOW TO RECOGNISE THIS BRUSH

This brush frequently will have two brushes one at either end, one will look like a comb or mascara wand and the other end will have a dense short bristled brush, frequently cut in a sharp angle.

WHAT IT IS GOOD FOR

This brush is perfect for brushing out your brows and tidying them up before using the dense brush to apply eyebrow powder.

Alternatively, if you use the brush end after applying eyebrow powder it will soften the look.

SPONGE APPLICATOR BRUSH

HOW TO RECOGNISE THIS BRUSH

This brush has a round sponge.

WHAT IT IS GOOD FOR

This brush is great for an even all over eye shadow application.

ANGLED EYE SHADOW BRUSH

HOW TO RECOGNISE THIS BRUSH

This brush has short bristles that are soft and fluffy but with a sharp angled cut of the bristles.

WHAT IT IS GOOD FOR

This brush is great for applying eye shadow into your eye socket line. If the bristles are dense enough it can also be used for eyeliner application. These angled brushes help make a eyeliner flick easier due to their shape.

FINE BLENDING BRUSH

HOW TO RECOGNISE THIS BRUSH

This brush has a tapered shape and soft fluffy bristles.

WHAT IT IS GOOD FOR

This brush is perfect for blending eye shadow and softening any colours. This brush is also good for adding shading into your socket line.

LIP BRUSH

HOW TO RECOGNISE THIS BRUSH

The bristles are very short and very tightly packed together.

WHAT IT IS GOOD FOR

As the name suggest this brush is great for applying the perfect lip line. It can also be used for applying eyeliner.

CLEANING YOUR BRUSHES

Dirty brushes are a breeding ground for bacteria, looking after your beauty tools will ensure they do what they are meant to as well as they can and that they last as long as they should. There are differing opinions on how often you should be cleaning your brushes but as a guide I would say ideally once every one to two weeks.

Fill a sink or bowl with warm water and add a few drops of cleanser or liquid soap to the water. Personally I clean my makeup brushes using a Dr Bronner’s liquid castile soap. Mix it well and use it to clean the brushes. Once the brushes have been washed dry them over the edge of a table or flat surface so that they dry into their natural shape.

You can find our full range of vegan makeup brushes here

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