I have spent the better part of my life deeply engrained in the world of makeup. It is fascinating to me how one can wake up looking like the dog and then walk out the door looking like a supermodel. That is………… if it is applied right. Makeup artistry is not for the faint of heart. To work in this field or even apply your own makeup seriously you need to be on your game and understand the different shapes of the face and how to highlight, contour, accentuate and enhance what lies before you in the mirror. It truly is an art form. With that said, an artist needs proper tools. Let’s talk brushes.
Now so not to sound snobbish, I want the reader to know that I have tried everything when it comes to brushes. When I was a young gal, I was not about to spend $25 on an eyeshadow brush. I will use what the product came with or get that 50 piece brush set on sale at Ulta. Experience has taught me everything! All I can say is “don’t do it!!”. If you are serious about makeup then you need to be serious about your brushes. It has taken me a long long time to build my brush collection and I take immaculate care of them. Below is a list of my personal favorites. This is what you should invest in for your own personal collection. I use them on clients as well as myself every day. If you are working as an MUA then you will need a few of each, especially if you are working on multiple clients in one day. It is way more sanitary as well as easier for you to work.
My holy grail from bottom to top.
1) MAC 219 – For precision shading on lid, in eye crease or along lash line. The soft, smooth fibers of this brush are gathered into a pencil-shaped tip. It is ideal for blending eyeliner into eye shadow to create a smoky looking eye. A must.
2) Sigma EO5 Eyeliner brush -Fine tipped and tapered. Create smooth and even lines. Use with gel or liquid liners. This brush does the trick to create the most perfect cat eye.
3) MAC 217 – For shading or blending of color or creamy products. This brush has fine, densely packed fibers that are arranged in an oval shape. Today I used my Kroylan dermacolor lip palate (DL16) on my eyelids. This brush buffed it out PERFECTLY and gave me an intense dark burgundy that wouldn’t have blended properly if not for the right brush.
4) MAC 239 – Soft and dense to shade or blend eye shadow or emollient-based products. This brush has a tapered, rounded edge with smooth, firm, fine fibers. It can be used to build intense color on the eyelid. I also will apply a gel eyeliner with this brush in my waterline as well as set my lash line and tight line. It works like a charm.
5)Napoleon concealer brush – The density of the brush hair acts as a reservoir to hold and release the product onto the skin. The hair is super soft and the product just glides on. I use this as a precision lip brush as well. It applies lipstick flawless.
6) Real Techniques buffing brush – ideal for full coverage application of powder and mineral foundation. By FAR the most outstanding foundation brush ever to touch my face. You can go light as well as heavy. The brush allows you to build the product as you feel necessary. Plus I LOVE Sam Chapman (and Nic as well) so anything from her you have to believe is true quality!
So there you have it. These brushes are one of many in my collection but they are the most loved and the brushes that I depend on daily. I can do everything I need to do with these and still look like a million bucks. If you’re like me and experiment with new looks then trust me when I tell you that if you have these, you can pretty much pull of any look you want.
Let me know your choices.
Happy Holidays beauties!
Supernatural Makeup Design 