With a plethora of makeup brushes, sponges and tools on the market, it can seem all too overwhelming for the budding beauty enthusiast. Here we’ll share the top five high-quality brushes every beginner needs to start off with, and how to look after them.
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Powder brush
A fluffy powder brush can obviously provide an even application of setting powder or powder foundation with very little effort in just a few swirls. But it can also be a fabulous tool when you’ve over applied blush or bronzer to blend away harsh lines. Sigma F30 Large Powder Brush ($28 USD, available from sigmabeauty.com), ELF Studio Powder Brush ($8, available from elfcosmetics.com.au) and Real Techniques Your Base Flawless Powder Brush ($24.99, available from Priceline) are fairly-priced tools that get the job done, perfectly.
Multi-tasking face brush
Forget the overwhelming notion that every beauty needs a stash of face brushes for different purposes! All you need to start you off is one decent medium-sized fluffy brush to perform the work of many. Brushes such as Real Techniques Your Finish Perfected Blush Brush ($22.99, available from Priceline) and EcoTools Bronzer Brush ($18.99, available from Priceline) are ideal for applying bronzer, blush and highlight. You can even contour with the right multi-tasker! Simply pinch in the sides of the bristles to form a narrower shape, and sweep bronzer into the hollow of your cheekbones for a chiselled appearance.
Flat eye shader brush
A shader brush is a handy little tool with firmly packed bristles and a stiff, flat appearance. This tool is ideal for beginners as it can create a simple eyeshadow look all on its own. It can pack colour all over the eyelids, applying a highlight to the browbone, reach the inner corner of the eyes and is a perfect smudging tool for the lower lashline. Sigma E55 Eye Shading Brush ($14 USD, available from sigmabeauty.com), Real Techniques Your Eyes Enhanced Shading Brush ($14.99, available from Priceline) and ELF Studio Eyeshadow ‘C’ Brush ($8, available from elfcosmetics.com.au) are ideal basics for beginners.
Crease blending brush
There is arguably no tool more valuable for achieving more intricate and professional eye looks than a good blending brush. The fluffy bristles of brushes such as Sigma E40 Tapered Blending Brush ($16 USD, available from sigmabeauty.com) and NP Set Crease Blender Brush ($14.99, available from Myer) are perfect for diffusing colour and harsh lines for a softer, natural look.
Angled liner brush
Another fabulous multitasking brush is the angled liner brush, as it can be used for both filling in the eyebrows and applying gel eyeliner perfectly to the lashline. The slanted angle allows for incredible precision and control. Models Prefer Double Ended Dome Smudge Slanted Eyeliner Brush ($14.99, available from Priceline) performs amazingly well as a multitasking marvel.
Bonus tip: How to keep your brushes in good shape
Makeup brushes are extremely reliable and long-lasting, if you treat them like investments and look after them. When possible, they should be deep cleaned at least every 2-3 weeks in warm water and gentle baby shampoo or a specialised formula such as MAC Brush Cleanser ($20, available from MAC Cosmetics). Simply swirl the bristles in cleaner and water to remove residual makeup that can house nasty bacteria and dirt that can play havoc with your skin. Remember to dry the freshly cleaned brushes upside down to prevent water from trickling down the ferrule (metal part of the brush that connects the handle to the bristles) and loosening the bristles, causing them to shed.
Ideally, brushes are spot-cleaned with an alcohol-based solution such as Models Prefer Brush Cleaner ($12.99, available from Models Prefer) or Artiste Brush Cleaner ($14.95, available from Priceline) every few applications to remove excess makeup build-up in seconds.
Images via sigmabeauty.com, priceline.com.au, elfcosmetics.com.au, myer.com.au, shop.nordstrom.com, huffingtonpost.com
