When you’re first getting into make-up, it’s difficult to know which brushes to use for what as there are so many on the market from so many different brands. Like many others, the only tools I used to apply make-up were my hands, so the introduction of make-up brushes was overwhelming at first but the face brushes was the best place to start. The first brush I purchased was a foundation brush because I was so sick of applying it with my hands and it going streaky or not blending properly so a foundation brush was the perfect solution. Below is a guide to some of my most used make-up brushes for the face and what I use each one for. I also have a guide on eye make-up brushes here.

From left to right is my foundation brush, concealer brush, contour brush, fan brush, powder brush, setting brush and blusher brush.

Foundation Brush

Foundation brushes come in plenty of different shapes and sizes and the one I started off with was the MAC 190, a flat densely packed synthetic fibre brush which I liked but found that I prefer a brush that blends a little better so I moved onto the MAC 187 which is a duo fibre brush with long bristles which did a fantastic job of blending but it shed a lot of hair. Which brings me to the Sigma F80, arguably the best foundation brush I have ever used. This brush blends beautifully and makes my skin look flawless as it allows you to really buff foundation into the skin, giving you a smooth base for the rest of your make-up.

Concealer Brush

The brush I use to apply concealer is the Real Techniques Crease Brush which is actually supposed to be used on the eyes but due to the dense fibres and the domed shape, it’s perfect for blending concealer underneath my eyes to cover dark circles and blemishes. Not everyone applies their concealer with a brush, in fact, I don’t always. Depending on the consistency of the concealer, sometimes I will apply it with my finger to warm the product up.

Contour Brush

My contour brush of choice is the Real Techniques Contour Brush. For those of you that don’t know, contouring your face with cream or powder products is a technique used to create light and shadow on the face, enhancing your features. I have a post about contouring here. I don’t contour every day as I feel like it’s unnecessary but for nights out or special occasions, it is a must. I love this contour brush as it is small enough to get right into my cheek bones to sculpt them and soft and fluffy enough to blend out the product used.

Fan Brush

The weird looking brush in the middle is a fan brush, typically used to highlight your cheekbones. If you wanted, you could use pretty much any brush to highlight your face but I love this one as it is so soft, it just sweeps across my cheeks effortlessly and it doesn’t pick up too much product which some brushes have a tendency to. I also have a smaller fan brush which I use to highlight my cupid’s bow and down the centre of my nose.

Powder Brush

I like to use the Bare Minerals Full Flawless Face brush to apply a setting powder to my face, once I have applied my foundation. This brush is dense enough to hold onto the product and fluffy enough to blend it in really well when I’m buffing it onto my face. I’ve been through numerous powder brushes from various brands but I’ve stuck with this one for about 12 months now and I really like it.

Setting Brush

I use a setting brush to set my under eye concealer to prevent any creasing. This brush is the perfect size to fit right underneath my eyes and I use the Bare Minerals ‘well rested’ powder with this to make my under eye area look really bright and highlighted. I know there are plenty of people who see this as an unnecessary brush but I just like having a smaller brush to concentrate on different areas. You could also use this brush for highlighter or to apply eyeshadow all over the lid although I find it a little too big for that.

Blusher Brush

Last but not least is the blusher brush. Again, I have gone through plenty of different ones and still own quite a few but I really like this angled one from Sigma as the bristles are so fine, it picks up just enough product so you can’t go overboard with too much colour. Also due to the bristles being so fine, it makes blending a breeze.

What are your favourite brushes for your face make-up?

Thanks for reading!

Bea x