e.l.f. Discovery

A MAKEUP ARTISTS GUIDE TO BRUSHES AND TOOLS

By Jeanette Crutchfield

Whether you’ve been a makeup artist for years or are just starting out, it’s important to have a high quality set of makeup brushes that you know you’ll love. You may be asking yourself: what makeup brushes do I really need? How do I use the makeup brushes? How do I take care of my makeup brushes to help them last longer? We’ll be answering the most frequently asked questions and guiding you through our favorite tips and tricks for picking the perfect makeup brushes.

These 6 makeup brushes have multiple uses that can create top-notch looks, as well as being affordable, vegan and cruelty-free! If you are still not sure what kind of makeup brush you need, check out our makeup brush finder.

Fluffy Powder Brush

The bigger and fluffier the powder brush, the better. You do not want a dense powder brush. You want to be able to gently brush powder all over the face to diffuse and set your makeup.

To use with a loose powder, tap the brush into the powder, swirl the brush into the cap working the powder into the brush. This helps to diffuse it better across the skin.

To use with pressed powder, swirl the brush over the powder and then swirl it into the cap (just like with loose powder). You’ll get a beautiful soft finish that helps to set your makeup for long lasting wear.

PRO TIP: A fluffy powder brush is not just for your face! Use it on your body to add powder bronzer and highlighter to the front of your legs, décolleté, shoulders. You can even use it to put fine glitter all over your body. Be sure to wash your brush before you use it on your face again otherwise you might end up with glitter all over your face!

Small, Fluffy Eyeshadow Bush

Start with a small tapered fluffy eyeshadow brush designed for precise and targeted eyeshadow application and blending. Swirl the brush in powder eyeshadow, gently tap off the excess and blend onto your eye lids. This brush is also great to use to softly blend all your eyeshaodow shades into each other (don’t over-blend as you don’t want your eyeshadow to look muddy).

You can also use a small eyeshadow brush to put a lighter eyeshadow shade on under your brows to help highlight their shape. You can also apply on the inner corners of your eye to add brightness to the entire area. This brush can also be used to powder highlighter under the brow bones, inner corners of the eyes, down the bridge of the nose, and on the Cupid’s bow.

How Often Do I Need to Clean Makeup Brushes?

In order to create a flawless looking application every time, we recommend washing makeup brushes after every use. Whether you’re using these makeup brushes on yourself or new clients, it’s important to keep your brushes sanitary and clean.

If you’re looking for a fast and easy way to clean makeup brushes, we recommend a daily brush cleaner that will wash away any dirt, makeup, oil and debris that may be left on the makeup brushes. Simply spray the makeup brush bristles with a daily cleaner, gently wipe the brush onto a clean cloth to remove the makeup, and allow the makeup brushes to fully air dry before the next use.

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