Makeup 101: Beginner Basic Brushes Kit

There are a ton of makeup brushes out there that come in different shapes, forms, and sizes.  Choosing what you believe you would need in your own personal makeup kit can be overwhelming.  This post shows you some options on what you could add to your makeup bag to help you apply makeup.  Of course, you don't have to buy everything I show because not everyone does a full face of makeup every day.  Just use your best judgement in deciding what will work best for you.  I recommend starting out with some E.L.F. (Eyes Lips Face) brushes because they are inexpensive and decent quality.  You can find these at eyeslipsface.com or in the makeup aisle at Target stores. Specifically, you should pick up the E.L.F. $1 eye shadow brush, the $1 blending brush, and the $3 Studio Powder brush. 

Keep in mind that these types of brushes will look different depending on the brand, size, and color...so choose according to what you think will work for you.  For example, don't pick a big, dome-shaped, fluffy blending brush that covers your entire eyelid...if you have a small eyelid... you catch my drift? =P

Foundation Brushes:

The ones shown below are general ones that can be found in most makeup aisles. 

Foundation can be applied using many various techniques.  If you don't know what foundation is, it's a liquid makeup that is applied all over your face and blended down your neck to even out your skin tone and cover any facial imperfections you might have.  You can use your fingers, a synthetic paddle brush, a stippling brush, or just a cosmetic sponge.  Why the variety in application? Well, depending on what kind of foundation you're using and what look you're going for, the way you apply the foundation can vary.  Here's some examples of what I mean:  if you want your foundation to be sheer, or light...you might use a cosmetic sponge because a good percentage of the foundation will be absorbed into the sponge so only a thin layer of foundation will actually apply onto your face. If you're going for an airbrushed look, you might use the stippling brush to continuously stipple on sections of your face until the coverage is to your liking.  If you have a cream foundation, you might use the synthetic powder brush to give you the smoothest, most even application. 

Of course if you don't want or need foundation, skip out on purchasing these brushes!

Fluffy Brushes: 

I call them fluffy because they can be used for multiple purposes. I've labeled each brush as what I use them for, but I always switch it up using the flat top powder brush for blush or the blush brush for bronzer.  You see what I mean? Brushes are multi-purpose.  You don't always have to use them the way that their packaging suggests. I love large paddle brushes for applying bronzer because they help me blend the bronzer into the hollows of my cheeks and into my temples for easy contouring. 

Eye Brushes:

There are a ton of eye makeup brushes out there.  In my opinion, these are the basics that every girl should have IF she wants to increase the number of brushes in her collection. These are also the brushes that I love and use when doing my own eye makeup. However, if you really want to save the money and time, it is possible to do a makeup look with just one eye shadow or shader brush. 

An eye shadow brush, sometimes called a shader brush, helps you deposit color onto your eyelids. They have a flat, paddle shaped look to them and they are usually kind of stiff so that they can pack on more color. 

A blending brush is usually dome shaped and fluffy so that it can help blur the harsh edges that eye shadow can create on our eyelids. 

Angled Eyeliner brushes can be used to apply gel eyeliner, but I love them especially for setting my eyeliner.  After I put eyeliner on my eyes, I use this brush to place dark eye shadow over the eyeliner.  It keeps the eyeliner from smudging or fading throughout the day! It can also work as a great lip brush because the preciseness of the brush can keep you from applying your lipstick or gloss outside the lines of your lips! 

A pencil brush or small precision brush can help you smudge shadow or eyeliner under your lower lash line.  It can also help you create your outer v (the outer corner of your eye) so that your makeup look has more depth and dimension.  You can also use it to blend on certain areas of your eye makeup look or to pop in a shimmery shadow for an inner corner highlight. 

Hope this was helpful for those of you who are new to makeup or want to further your knowledge!