How to Choose the Eye Makeup Brushes You Need
When it comes to eye makeup, it's no secret that using the proper brushes can affect the outcome of your eye makeup. There are many types of brushes for eye makeup to choose from. So many, in fact, that sometimes, choosing the brushes you need can be quite overwhelming. You honestly do not need to purchase them all to get the look you are going for. Certain eye make up brushes are crucial to specific looks. It's best to choose brushes that will be beneficial to your specific eye makeup look.
Eye makeup brushes come in all shapes and sizes. There are fluffy eye shadow brushes, stiff brushes, fat or thin, tapered or angled brushes. In order to decide which brushes you need, first you must figure out what look you are going for and which brushes will best suit your eye. There are a few key brushes for eye makeup you should have to create certain looks. You can decide which brushes you need, based on your preference.
Paddle eye shadow brush
A "paddle" eye shadow brush is a good brush to have for looks where you need to pack on the color. These brushes have thin, dense bristles usually shaped like a paddle with a domed or tapered tip. The thin shape and dense bristles are designed for packing on shadow. They work great when you're using bright or bold eye shadow colors. They are also essential for very opaque eye shadow application. When I use this brush I get the best results when I press the eye shadow onto my eye lid, rather than sweeping it across. This brush also works great if you want to use your eye shadow wet or with a mixing medium. I use the same "pressing" method for best results.
Fluffy Shadow Brush:
A fluffy eye shadow brush is best to use for an all over lid wash or when you want your eye shadows to show up more sheer. A fluffy eye shadow brush usually has a large head with fluffy, less dense bristles. When using this brush it's best to buff your shadow on in a circular motion rather than pressing or sweeping. In some cases your fluffy eye shadow brush can double as a blending brush, if the bristles are not too floppy.
Pencil brush
A pencil brush is a brush with a short tapered tip, almost resembling the tip of a sharpened pencil. A pencil brush is a must have tool for pretty much all eye makeup looks. It is a multi-tasker that can be used for a number of things. You can line or smudge your bottom lash line with eye shadow or cream liners using this. This brush also works great for detail work in the crease, especially if you're going for the cut-crease look. It can also be used to apply darker shadows to the "Outer V" area of the eye lid. It's a great brush to use for precision eye shadow application and can be a very good crease brush for someone with smaller eyes and less lid space.
Blending Brush
A blending brush is used to blend away harsh or unnatural lines in between eye shadow colors and for all over eye shadow blending. If you find yourself with eye shadow that is too dark or harsh, a blending brush will help you sheer out the color. Sometimes a blending brush will have a fat fluffy head, other times it may have a tapered head. Choose your style by determining your eye shape. A tapered headed blending brush works best for those with smaller eyes or a smaller crease. Make sure the bristles of your blending brush are a bit firm. They shouldn't be stiff but if they are too floppy, it probably won't be very good for blending.
Angled Liner Brush
An angled liner brush is essential if want to use gel, cream, or cake eye liners. It is an eye liner brush, often times called a brow brush, with a short and thin angled tip. I think the angled liner brush works the best and is easier to use than a small pointed liner brush. The angled tip helps you to have some control while lining. You can use this brush to get a very thin line or a thick line. For a thin line, keep the brush as close to the lash line as possible while applying, basically pushing the liner into the base of your lashes.
Smudge Brush
A smudge brush is essential for the smoky eye look. Smudge brushes come in many forms including foam tipped and bristled tips. I prefer to use a bristle tipped smudge brush because the foam tips tend to absorb makeup and interfere with application. A bristled smudge brush is usually a very tiny headed brush with very dense bristles and often a domed tip. This brush will help your look by smudging your eye shadows or liners in order to create a smoky effect.
If you choose the right brushes, you can be assured that you will be able to do your eye makeup to your liking. You may find that application becomes easier and you will love the results much more.
Eye makeup brushes come in all shapes and sizes. There are fluffy eye shadow brushes, stiff brushes, fat or thin, tapered or angled brushes. In order to decide which brushes you need, first you must figure out what look you are going for and which brushes will best suit your eye. There are a few key brushes for eye makeup you should have to create certain looks. You can decide which brushes you need, based on your preference.
Paddle eye shadow brush
A "paddle" eye shadow brush is a good brush to have for looks where you need to pack on the color. These brushes have thin, dense bristles usually shaped like a paddle with a domed or tapered tip. The thin shape and dense bristles are designed for packing on shadow. They work great when you're using bright or bold eye shadow colors. They are also essential for very opaque eye shadow application. When I use this brush I get the best results when I press the eye shadow onto my eye lid, rather than sweeping it across. This brush also works great if you want to use your eye shadow wet or with a mixing medium. I use the same "pressing" method for best results.
Fluffy Shadow Brush:
A fluffy eye shadow brush is best to use for an all over lid wash or when you want your eye shadows to show up more sheer. A fluffy eye shadow brush usually has a large head with fluffy, less dense bristles. When using this brush it's best to buff your shadow on in a circular motion rather than pressing or sweeping. In some cases your fluffy eye shadow brush can double as a blending brush, if the bristles are not too floppy.
Pencil brush
A pencil brush is a brush with a short tapered tip, almost resembling the tip of a sharpened pencil. A pencil brush is a must have tool for pretty much all eye makeup looks. It is a multi-tasker that can be used for a number of things. You can line or smudge your bottom lash line with eye shadow or cream liners using this. This brush also works great for detail work in the crease, especially if you're going for the cut-crease look. It can also be used to apply darker shadows to the "Outer V" area of the eye lid. It's a great brush to use for precision eye shadow application and can be a very good crease brush for someone with smaller eyes and less lid space.
Blending Brush
A blending brush is used to blend away harsh or unnatural lines in between eye shadow colors and for all over eye shadow blending. If you find yourself with eye shadow that is too dark or harsh, a blending brush will help you sheer out the color. Sometimes a blending brush will have a fat fluffy head, other times it may have a tapered head. Choose your style by determining your eye shape. A tapered headed blending brush works best for those with smaller eyes or a smaller crease. Make sure the bristles of your blending brush are a bit firm. They shouldn't be stiff but if they are too floppy, it probably won't be very good for blending.
Angled Liner Brush
An angled liner brush is essential if want to use gel, cream, or cake eye liners. It is an eye liner brush, often times called a brow brush, with a short and thin angled tip. I think the angled liner brush works the best and is easier to use than a small pointed liner brush. The angled tip helps you to have some control while lining. You can use this brush to get a very thin line or a thick line. For a thin line, keep the brush as close to the lash line as possible while applying, basically pushing the liner into the base of your lashes.
Smudge Brush
A smudge brush is essential for the smoky eye look. Smudge brushes come in many forms including foam tipped and bristled tips. I prefer to use a bristle tipped smudge brush because the foam tips tend to absorb makeup and interfere with application. A bristled smudge brush is usually a very tiny headed brush with very dense bristles and often a domed tip. This brush will help your look by smudging your eye shadows or liners in order to create a smoky effect.
If you choose the right brushes, you can be assured that you will be able to do your eye makeup to your liking. You may find that application becomes easier and you will love the results much more.
