Different Types of Brushes to Apply Makeup

If you’re not a professional makeup artist or loyal reader of beauty magazines, understanding the myriad of makeup brushes and their respective functions can be overwhelming. Fat brushes, thin brushes, short brushes and long brushes --- each brush has its own specific use and can help you make the most of your makeup.


Foundation Brushes

Foundation brushes have a long handle with a wide, flat brush shape. Using a foundation brush helps you blend your foundation into your skin and is particularly effective at getting rid of streaks. Contrary to powder brushes, foundation brushes are designed to use with wet or liquid-based makeup and have a very smooth texture to the touch. High quality and professional foundation brushes are often made with mink or sable hair.

Eye shadow brushes

Eye shadow brushes are possibly the most common of makeup brushes, most often with a small, square and flat shape. Eye shadow brushes come in a variety of sizes for different uses. For example, a small eye shadow brush is practical for applying eye shadow to the base of your lashes while a large eye shadow brush is good for blending across your entire eyelid. Eye shadow brushes are also available in unique shapes, such as long and pointed for smudging the crease of your eyelid.

Large brushes

If you’ve ever been to the makeup counter or looked through your friends’ products, you have no doubt come across the “poufy” brush. Large, full of volume and ultra soft, these brushes are ideal for using dry face products like blush, bronzer and loose or pressed powder. A large, fat brush lets you apply a product to a larger surface, such as cheeks, making it easier to blend and avoid blotchiness.

Angled and specialty brushes

At some point you’ve probably seen strange-looking makeup brushes and wondered what exactly they are used for. Small angled brushes are great for applying gel or cream eyeliner and blending pencil eyeliner after application. The true enigma of makeup brushes is the fan brush, which is thin, flat and -- you guessed it -- shaped like a fan. Few people besides professional makeup artists understand what this brush for, which is actually to swipe any excess eye shadow that falls down from application.