Brushes with Greatness

The five essential makeup brushes to have in your arsenal

Whether it’s a smoky, sultry eye or a sun-kissed glow, to achieve any makeup look you need the right tools for the task. Creating these strokes of genius means knowing what types of brushes to use on different parts of your face. Here, a guide to the five essential brushes your makeup bag can’t live without.

The Powder Brush
A big fluffy, Kabuki-style brush is key for buffing and blending loose powder or bronzer into the skin. The generous number of bristles ensures equal opportunity coverage. A short handle makes it easy to control and handy to stash in your purse. You can also use it to brush on a little shimmer on other areas of your body, like the décolletage. Try: Japonesque Professional Bronzer Brush.

The Blush Brush
The secret behind a natural flush is all in the brush. Angled bristles cradle the cheekbones in just the right spot so color blends outward seamlessly and won’t be too concentrated in one area. Try: ULTA Professional Contour Blush Brush.

The Eye Shadow Brush
Laying the foundation for your eye shadow look is all about choosing a brush that covers the whole lid but isn’t so big that it overpowers your entire eye. Bristles should be soft and ample so shadow goes on evenly and feels gentle on your delicate lids. Try: Benefit Cosmetics Fluff Shadow Brush.

The Crease Brush
To define the area between the top lid and the brow bone, otherwise known as the crease, choose a brush with a tapered, narrow head, which makes it easy to go over this small area. The shape helps to shade and contour with precision. Try: ULTA Eyeshadow Brush #2.

The Eyeliner Brush
Any powder shadow is instantly transformed into eyeliner when you use a firm, angled brush. With this tiny tool, you can apply color to the upper and lower lash lines by lightly pressing bristles to the skin. The angled brush head helps control the application. For a more intense look, wet the brush before applying shadow. Try: Bare Escentuals bareMinerals Angled Liner/Shadow Brush.