Cosmetics Brushes: Sizes, Shapes, and Their Uses
A fairy is an artist and her wand is the brush that creates the magic. You are the fairy and the artist, your brush is your wand and your face is the canvas. Your magic is the blending of colors and the sculpting of your face. Just like the fairy who is careful on the movement of her wand to create her magic, it is also essential on the way you stroke your brush to create the perfect painting on the finely woven canvas that is your face. There are many magical wands just like there are many brushes in different shapes and sizes.
Learning to choose the right cosmetic brush can be a bit complicated at first and that is okay, the purpose of makeup brushes and their many shapes and sizes is actually more complex than what people think. The combination and blending of colors, and its many techniques of applying them creates a whole art of itself. Here is a list of some of the most commonly used brushes and their purposes.
The Eyebrow Brush
These are usually small angled brushes. The angle of the brush helps shape and define the eyebrows. Brushing your eyebrows helps them look thicker and even, brushing also keeps your eyebrows healthy by removing dead skin cells, oils and sometimes preventing ingrown hairs.
Nose Shadow Brush
These brushes help contour the nose, blend makeup colors, and add shade. These brushes are great for sculpting or enhancing the shape of your nose when applying contour on your nose. Angled brush for an even application, fluffy brush for better blending, and a U-shaped brush for contour.
Contour Brush
These multipurpose brushes are usually large, angled and with medium density bristles. These brushes are great for blending and enhancing features, they can also be used to create soft glowing effects. These brushes are used for the sculpting of the whole face, such as the forehead, cheekbones, jawline and even the nose as well.
Blush Brush
These brushes are usually domed-shaped with long and soft fibers. These are used for the application of blush or bronzer on the cheeks and cheekbones for a more enhanced and youthful face. They are great for blending and building color intensity. Its dome-shaped design helps distribute powder pigments evenly.
Foundation Brush
These brushes come in many shapes and styles, each used for different outcomes. Flat brushes are great for full coverage, blending and creating an airbrushed finish. Angled brushes are used for blending foundation faster and precisely. Dome-shaped brushes are used for large pores and tapered brushes are used for liquid foundations.
Eyeshadow Brush
These brushes also come in many styles and sizes, they are used to contour and accentuate the eyes. The shader brush is a wide semi-circular edged brush that is soft and densely packed, used to apply eyeshadow with even patting strokes or a sweeping motion for a softer look. The flat packing brush, this one is used for full coverage and packing color onto the eyelid. The universal fluffy brush is used for concealing, blending and applying eye shadow. Smudge brushes are good for applying eyeshadow under the eyes. Crease brushes are designed for adding definition and transition color between highlights and lid shades.
These are only a few of the many brushes out there and the most commonly used. Yes you might need several different types of wands to create magic but that is the beauty of makeup art. If you would like some brush wands of your own, check out our collection that has a vampire aesthetic!
Author: Luis Guillen
Photography: Lily Guillen