Makeup Essentials Part 1- Brushes

For those of you who are just starting to get into makeup, it can be overwhelming. There are so many products out there it can be difficult to choose what you need or not. So in an attempt to make help you navigate through the world of makeup, I will be doing a series of what I think are the makeup essentials. There will be four parts: brushes, eyes, face, and lips. Today will be brushes!

Brushes are the basis of a good makeup job. You can have the highest quality makeup out there but if you have the wrong brush, or no brushes, then it can ruin your look. Here are the brushes that you absolutely need.

Powder- Powder brushes are preferably big and fluffy with long bristles. A general rule of thumb is any brush that is used for powder (including eye shadow) should have natural bristles and any brush used for liquid should be synthetic. These brushes are good for applying powder foundation or a translucent powder, and for wiping away any fallout from your eye makeup.

Blush- These brushes are similar to powder brushes, but they are a bit smaller. You can also use these for contouring if you don't have an angled face brush.

Foundation- I very much prefer to use a round, densely packed brush for applying liquid foundation as opposed to a flat one. It blends soo much better and applies ten times faster. If you use liquid foundation this is a must!

Standard Eyeshadow- This is your standard eye shadow brush. Applies color to the lid easily and effectively.

Paddle- This brush has stiff bristles to pack on color than can be hard to apply. It is also the best for applying color on over a base. 

Blending- This is a very important brush. It blends colors together seamlessly. It's a subtle difference but it makes a big impact.

Eye Contour- This brush meant to be used in the crease but it has multiple purposes. It's good for creating a soft cut crease, applying color to the brow bone or the inner corner, and for applying smaller amounts of color.

Pencil- I didn't realize how important these brushes are until I got one. It's perfect for creating a cut crease or for applying eyeshadow on the lash lines.

Angle- Also an important brush, it is the easiest way to apply gel, powder, or even liquid liner.

Angle Lip- This brush has longer, less stiff bristles than my other angle brush. It's a really bad for an eye brush but it's great for applying lip product. The angle makes it easy to apply a nice, crisp line around the mouth.

Some brands that are worth checking out are mac and e.l.f. Mac brushes tend to be on the pricey side, but they will last for a long time and are worth the money in my opinion. e.l.f. is also really good if you are on a budget. They are the cheapest brushes I own but they are very good. I've also heard great things about Sigma brushes so if you own anything let me know what you think. The main thing to look for when shopping for brushes is soft bristles that don't fall out. I have a couple of brushes from Beaute Basics but I do not recommend them. The bristles started falling out when I first used them and the ones that didn't the handle fell off and I had to super glue it back on (as you can see on the paddle brush)