Finding the right kind of makeup is already a feat and then you have to add 1034072 different kinds of brushes into the mix? Sigh. Sometimes it’s tough being beautiful. Makeup brushes are actually fun, okay? Setting up a new matching set all in a row soothes that little part of my heart that is type A. Yes, it’s just a tiny part. Bonus points if the brushes all have some fun matching handle design (I’m looking at you Harry Potter wand makeup brushes) Once you know exactly what every brush is really supposed to be used for, it makes doing your makeup even more enjoyable. Heads up, that little loner brush in the bottom of your makeup bag is about to get some love.
Warning, this list is rather long, so don’t get too bored alright? We’ll start with face brushes and move on to eye brushes and then to arm brushes and leg brushes and… kidding. Without further obnoxious dribble from me, I give you 19 different brush types! Cue the fanfare.
This brush is your “based” friend. Terrible pun. Sorry for it. A foundation brush is needed to apply foundation (liquid or powder) seamlessly. It’s perfect for blending. Look for brushes made with synthetic fibers because they work best for all types of foundation.
Gee I wonder what this brush is used for. I didn’t say these brush names were clever, just practical. There are actually a couple of different shapes when it comes to concealer brushes. For the under eye area, you will want a concealer brush that is rounded on one side and tapered on the other to make it easier to blend. If you’re covering up blemishes with concealer, you’ll want a small flat brush.
Blush brushes can come in different shapes as well, some are angled and can be used for bronzer and blush. Other types of blush brushes are designed specifically for the contours of your cheeks. They are round with a domed tip. Read more about blush on our Blog, Blush Me Once, Blush Me Twice.
Bronzer brushes are shaped similar to contouring brushes, but are bigger to be used for areas of the face that you want all over dimension. Look for brushes that are feathery with long fibers and a tapered tip.
Powder brushes can be used in multiple ways because (shocker) there are different types of powder brushes. This seems to be a trend… The type you choose depends on what powder you are using, duh. There are powder brushes for setting powders and ones more suited for foundations or bronzers. If you find a really good brush, it will work for both types. In general, powder brushes are thicker and made with synthetic fibers.
Stippling brushes are great for acne prone skin because they work well over any texture. If you’re looking for a smooth application with zero streak, stippling brushes are perfect. Their bristles are dense at the base and get thinner toward the top.
This little baby will help make your contouring journey easier. We all know contouring is a beast, but having the right type of brush helps. Contour brushes are typically angled and a happy medium size wise between face brushes and eye brushes.
Kabuki brushes are my favorite because they are often bright and fun and colorful and always big. They are used for smoothing applied makeup (cream, liquid or powder) for a more flawless, finished look.
This might be the sad brush at the bottom of your bag (okay, maybe just mine). It’s my vote for the cutest brush though. Fan brushes are for highlighting! The fanned skinny brush fibers apply the perfect dusting of product.
Duo brushes are a minimalist’s go-to because they do everything (well, a lot of stuff). These lovely brushes can be used to buff out foundation or blend blushes and bronzers (cream). They can also be used to highlight. Duo brushes are two-toned with two different fibers (synthetic) for creating an air-brushed look.
Beauty blenders came on the scene several years ago and have never left and for good reason. These sponges apply foundations like no other. If you have dry skin, wetting the sponge before application and pressing in the product instead of blending upward helps eliminate the flakiness.
Yay for eyeshadow brush time! The crease brush is for your eye crease! Wow! The names of all of these make it obvious what they are used for, but it’s not like they say the name of the brush on the actual brush, right? They totally should. Someone call the marketing team. Crease brushes are fuller and softer than flat eye brushes excellent for blending out your eyeshadow.
If you think eyeshadow brush, this is what comes to mind. A good flat brush will be made from synthetic fibers similar in consistency to human hair and allow for even distribution of eye shadow on the lid.
This one is extra dense and slightly pointed and is a smoky eye lover’s staple as it helps smudge eyeliner.
Hey look, it’s an eyeliner brush and it’s used for applying eyeliner. These brushes are extra thin for precise application of liquid eyeliners.
A lot of brow brushes are double ended or come as a nice little set. One side is the spoolie to tame the hairs and the other is an angled brush for applying brow liners for shaping and filling in.
You might not immediately reach for a brush when you apply lipstick, but a well constructed lip brush can make your lipstick significantly more accurate.
Pencil brushes are dense eyeshadow brushes great for highlighting the inner eye corners or smudging eyeliner.
The angled shape of this brush gives you thin and thick options when applying eyeliner, making it an excellent tool to have in your makeup bag.
How are we feeling? That was definitely a lot! If you gave me a test and laid out all of these brushes and asked me to name them pre-working in the beauty industry, I might have fared as well as I did with geography (not great). Just don’t tell anyone that I got out my trusty label machine and labeled those suckers to help me learn the names. I won’t tell if you decide to do that too!
