What Make-Up Brushes should I Get?
Different brushes have different uses, effects and qualities to them, so it can be a mine field trying to work out what brushes to get. I always recommend having a mix of natural fibres and synthetic fibre brushes in a range of shapes and sizes in your makeup bag.
Natural fibres brushes vs Synthetic brushes
Synthetic brushes are great for liquid/cream based as it smooths out the product and glides easily across the skin. It’s also a lot easier to clean these brushes as they don’t have open follicle and are less likely to stain.
Synthetic Brushes to get
- Foundation brush (for liquid foundations),
- Concealer brush,
- Liner brush,
- Lip brush
- Cream eye shadow brush.
I recommend natural fibre brushes for powder makeup. They pick up the pigment beautifully and disperse giving a look that is great for a more natural look. Most natural fibre brushes are made from pony, goat or sable. More expensive brushes maybe made of squirrel tail fur. You can get cruelty-free brushes as well which are brushed out the animal and not plucked.
Natural fibre brushes to get
- Foundation brush (powder foundation)
- Setting brush
- Powdered eyeshadow brush
- Blending brushes
- Blush brush
- Brow brush
Dome vs Flat brushes
The shape of the brush is important for achieving your desired look. Picking the right one could mean the difference between looking like you applied you make up with a trowel and looking effortlessly flawless.
Dome Brushes disperse the pigment across the skin giving a soft look and are perfect for blending. They work great with powders
Dome brushes to get
- Blusher brush
- Contour brush
- High lighter brush
- Eye shadow crease brush
- Blending eye shadow brush
Flat brushes are perfect for trying to get intense colour. You can really pat down and layer your product up, meaning you can get that full coverage and hide that nasty spot or have strong colourful statement eyes.
Flat brushes to get
- Foundation brush (for when I want my full coverage with my foundation)
- Flat concealer brush
- Different sized flat eye shadow brushes
- Flat based powder foundation/setting brush.
Get high quality brushes
Cheap quality brushes won’t last as long, and in the long term could end up costing you more. They can also be hard to work with and malt.
All my brushes are high quality and I have owned them for years. They are good as the day I got them. I’m a brush addict and I have over 50 different makeup brushes, I struggle to zip the bag up.
You don’t need so many brushes. Start with a few high quality brushes, maybe 6-7 (or whatever comes in a set). I recommend starting with a foundation brush, a blush brush, an eye blending brush, a brow brush and the rest to be eye shadow brushes of different size and shapes. These will last you for years if you look after them.
Sarah’s Jane Iredale Make-up Lessons include advice on which brush to use with each product and we now offer group lessons for up to 4 people.