Understanding Different Types Of Makeup Brushes And What They Are Meant For

Over the years I have learnt, that makeup is not just about the formula and quality of the product, but also about the tools you use to put them on. There are so many different brushes made for different purposes of makeup application that sometimes it can get a bit overwhelming to know which one is meant to for and which one looks like what.

Thankfully now, a lot of brush brands have started to mention which brush is for what purpose, and yet there are some brands which don’t do that. Regardless of that, we can know which brush is meant for what.

In this post, I will be sharing with you some basic information about makeup brushes and which ones are meant for what kind of product and make up type. If you have always been curious, please keep on reading.

Round Kabuki Brush

This brush is a thickly packed, domed shaped brush, which is used for buffing in foundation or cream contour.

If you don’t have a lot of time to spare in the morning to sit around and keep dabbing a beauty blender on your face, then a round kabuki brush is the best option for you.

Real Techniques’ Expert face brush and the Morphe M439 Deluxe buffer brush are some good choices under this category.

Flat Foundation Brush

Till date, in India, if you go to any makeup store that sell affordable/drugstore brands and ask for a foundation brush, this is the one they will give you.

This flat brush, is meant for putting on foundation, but not for blending it per se. The best way to use this brush is when you are dealing with full coverage foundations.

You paint the product with this brush all over your face and then go over it with a beauty blender to blend it out. I don’t really think this kind of brush is really useful, because it just increases the number of steps taken for applying foundation. However, if you are using full coverage formulas, like Urban Decay All nighter or the Nars Sheer Glow, then you might have some use for this brush.

The Vega foundation brush is a good option for this, because it is inexpensive and also, since you will most probably spend your money on a good beauty sponge, it is the better choice.

Stippling Brush

If you are someone who likes to use products like BB creams of sheer coverage foundations, i.e. someone who likes to have a skin like finish to their makeup, then using a stippling brush to apply the product is the best option for you.

This brush isn’t as thickly packed as its counterpart, the kabuki brush, and its top is generally flat.

Real techniques’ stippling brush is a really good option under this, because not only is it easily available in India, but it isn’t that expensive either.

Angled Contour Brush

Brushes that are thickly packed like the kabuki brush but are cut at an angle instead of having a dome top. These are perfect for buffing in cream contours because the dense brush will be able to blend in the product seamlessly.

Sometimes, cream contours can be difficult to use because if they are not blended properly it makes your face look muddy.

It is the same concept as foundation, if not worn right, then it will look like a mask, and will give your face and patchy and cakey finish, which is never acceptable.

The Morphe E46 Mini angled buffer is a good choice under this category.

Round Fluffy Blush/Powder Brush

These brushes aren’t very thickly packed but they are quite big in size. This is so that you do not end up picking up too much product on your brush, but are able to cover your entire face quickly.

My favourite one here has to be the Real Techniques blush brush, which is a big, fluffy, domed top brush that disperses the product evenly through the face and doesn’t make you look patchy.

Flat Eye Shadow Brush

When you are wearing eye shadow, the two things which is needed for any basic look is a crease color or transition shade and a lid color.

This flat eye shadow brush is used to apply the latter i.e. the lid color. It looks just like the flat foundation brush, just smaller in size. Mostly it is thickly packed, so that it can pick up a lot of pigment.

Morphe G15 Small oval shadow brush is one of my favorite picks under this type.

Round Blending Brush

This is the brush that you will use when blending your eyes shadow or when you are applying your transition shade. The blending brush is a small, fluffly, domed shape brush that isn’t very thickly packed.

This brush helps soften the harsh lines in your eye shadow and makes it look seamless; almost as if a halo effect is going on in your eye lid where each color is merging into the next without any demarcation lines.