Beauty Box 5

When it comes to eyes, there really are a TON of brush options…and while I don’t use each of these every day, they all have their place when it comes down to the details.

Brows:

My one and only for the past 7 years has been the Smashbox Angle Brow Brush, #12. The bristles are boar hair and place brow powder efficiently and effectively whether you’re filling in a sparse brow or creating a completely new frame for a lovely set of eyes. Make sure to clean the brush well after every use. Product can easily build up between the bristles and make it difficult to taper off the outside corner for your brow. While a number of the brow brushes out there today are made of synthetic fibers, I prefer a natural fiber brush because it tends to lend itself better to natural looking brows.

Eye Shadow Application:

The brushes you use for shadow really depend on the look you’re going for. If you’re a single shadow wearer, one brush might work. If you like a more detailed eye, you might use two or three trying to perfect your look.

When laying down a single color on the lid, a brush like Mirabella’s Flat Eyeshadow Brush is perfect. The brush itself is rather short and wide, picks up a good deal of product and requires minimal work to lay down a rich layer of color. For the best results, use the side of the brush, not the tip and gently press the shadow into the eye over the primer of your choice. When other brushes aren’t an option, you can also use the tip of the brush to lay down highlight color on the brow bone.

When working to create or emphasize the crease of the eye, choose the brush that best fits your eye shape AND the look you’re trying to accomplish. My first choice is the MAC Medium Angled Shading Brush (#275). This brush is the perfect size for most eyes and has a slight angle at the tip for perfectly positioned crease placement. Just place the brush, long side of the angle facing down, in the crease of the eye and work from the outside corner of the eye inward. If you have a smaller crease or general eye area, a “bullet” brush like the Mirabella Small Crease Brush should be in your bag. This brush should be relatively short, have a rounded top and be rather full so as to place shadow softly into the crease. When going for a bolder, more defined look with a “cut” crease, the MAC Pencil Brush (#219) is my absolute favorite! This densely packed little number is perfect for drawing in the exact angle you need when creating a crease…it also makes a great “smudger” brush for liner or shadow along the lower lash line.

Blending:

Like every other brush, blending brushes come in a number of sizes, textures and hair types. While one can work for general wear, I keep two in my belt…each with a specific use. A brush like MAC’s Blending Brush (#217) is great for blending out heavy deposits of color as well as “erasing” mistakes or softening bolder colors. The bristles are rather course and the tip of the brush is fuller than a say, Mirabella’s Eye Blender Brush. The hairs on this brush are quite soft and the tip is tapered making it great with softer (more finely ground) pigments. When it comes down to it, the Mirabella brush will make a softer blend but requires a little more work than the MAC brush. However, the MAC brush is probably a bit better for the novice artist.

Eyeliner:

Every liner has its brush. For the quintessential cat eye, Smashbox’s Arced Liner Brush (#21) is a great choice. The angle in the barrel of the brush means you’re not holding it right in front of your face when you’re trying to look in the mirror and the brush fibers work well with gel, cream and liquid liner. For the best results, don’t try to line your entire eye all at once. Start from the outside and work your way in, then go to the inside and work your way over to where you started. Keep in mind that the wing of the shadow (that creates the cat eye) should start from the bottom, outer corner of your eye and that not all eye shapes are a good fit for this look.

If a thicker lash line is what you’re going for, choose a brush like Cargo’s Angle Liner or Smashbox’s Cream Eyeliner Brush (#9). The tightly packed, natural fibers of the Cargo brush pick up shadow like no other and do a wonderful job of placing it right into the base of the lashes. For bolder pigment, just wet the brush before use. If you’re working with gel or cream eyeliner, the Smashbox brush is better suited to your needs. The synthetic fibers work better with liquids and the square, flat tip of the brush fits beautifully into the lash line with minimal effort and time investment. For the best results with either of these brushes, don’t try and line your eye in one movement…just connect the dots…or lines…as you work your way across the lid. Both brushes are also great for doing a “tightline” underneath the top lash line as well a smoking out the lower lash line.

Finding that perfect brush is not always the easiest process. I recommend going to your favorite makeup store or counter and asking to try a brush or two of theirs. All of these places should have tester brushes for in-store application and I’m sure the artists on staff would be happy to let you try them out. When it comes down to it, I would recommend the Nordstrom Cosmetics Department or your local Sephora store…I’ve worked in both and their customer service is absolutely wonderful!

Peace, Love & Samples,

Felicity