The Basic Brushes for Applying Makeup

Selecting the correct makeup color and formula for your skin is very important.  Once you have the proper makeup, having the correct tools to apply your makeup is a definite plus! Of course, you do not have to own every single makeup brush that is out there, but you should have a few good ones on hand. Here are some of the basic brushes for your powders, shadows, lips and blushes!

Powder brush: If you wear powder, you should have one! This is usually a large fluffy brush that helps to properly lightly distribute your finishing powder. An alternative could be a powder puff or sponge that you can place into your powder compact.

Blush brush: If you wear blushes and bronzers, you need a blush brush! A brush made for this purpose is the perfect size for the best application of powder blushes. The miniature brushes that come with the blushes in a compact are not adequate for great application of these products. The head of your brush should be about the size of the apples of your cheeks, and it is smaller than the powder brush. Using a brush that is too small will make your blush look like little stripes, and you definitely don't want that look!

Angled eyeliner brush: This is a very useful brush for lining your eyes with a darker shadow, and you can also smudge your eyeliner with this brush. In a pinch, a Q-tip can take the place of this brush!

Shadow brush: Eye shadow brushes come in a few different sizes. If you are covering your whole eyelid with one color, use one of the larger brushes. To apply your darker shadow to the crease of your eye, you'll want to use a smaller head on the shadow brush. An optional brush you can use on your eyes is a smudging brush to seamlessly blend it all together.

Foundation brush:  A lot of women apply liquid foundation with their fingers.If you have not tried using a brush to apply your foundation, you should try it sometime! The brush really helps to blend your foundation properly on your skin. Some people use foam wedges to blend, and this is fine, too, but be sure to keep them clean and sanitary. Of course, a brush is a must for applying powder and mineral foundation formulas.

Lash comb/brow groomer: This is great little tool for keeping your look polished, especially if you wear mascara because you can comb out the clumps, as opposed to using pins and other unsafe implements to fix your eye lashes. For brows, you can use a little bit of Vaseline, lip balm or a product made specifically to tame brows, on your brows and then comb your brows outward for a neat and finished look.

Lip brush: This is great brush to have if you wear lip gloss or lipstick. Using a small lip brush gives you great control in the application and control of your lip color. If you use lipstick in a tube, simply "dip" the brush into the lipstick and apply to your lips.  You'll see what a difference this brush can make!

If you want to experiment with brushes, you can find most of the basic brushes packaged together in a set. Just like makeup, brushes come in a variety of price points, depending on what they are made of and who they are made by. The bristles are available in natural and synthetic materials, and the handles can be made of anything from plastic to wood. Buying one of the "pre-packaged" sets is a great way to experiment with the brushes to see which ones you really would use on a daily basis before you invest in more expensive brushes.