Beauty Tool Necessities

Any work of art needs the right tools to create it. Makeup is just as much art as a Picasso painting, but to make it just as great you need to start with the right tools. But with hundreds of brushes
to choose from and so many tools to use, where do you even start?

If you’re feeling overwhelmed with the options and have no idea where to start, we have you covered. We’ve narrowed hundreds of tools down to under 20 beauty tool necessities that will make your face a masterpiece in no time.

Let’s begin with the base of your masterpiece: foundation brushes. The first thing to think about when deciding on a foundation brush is what kind of foundation you use. For pressed powder, a kabuki brush is best. The bristles are tighter, which allows you to pick up powder from the compact evenly and without flinging it everywhere. Kabuki brushes provide a solid layer of foundation over the face, giving you full coverage.

Mineral or loose foundation requires a brush with a larger head and looser bristles so that you can grab enough powder but tap off the excess easily. This brush is also best for any kind of setting powder. If liquid foundation is more your style, a flat topped brush with the width of two to three inches is the best choice. A traditional foundation brush, one that is narrow and thin, can cause streaks and make you look painted on. The flat top brush will allow you to easily blend, build product and create a flawless, airbrushed look that still looks natural.

To get killer cheekbones, the best choice is a medium sized fluffy brush with angled bristles. This will allow you to get more color on the apples and less up your cheeks, giving you a natural and even blush. Using cream or stick blush? Then you already have the best tools—your fingertips. Apply stick onto the apples of your cheeks, then blend out; for cream, dip your fingers into the product and slowly build onto your cheeks. To complete your cheeks, contour with bronzer and highlighter.

The absolute best brush for bronzer is a small, very slightly domed brush. This style will easily fit into the crevice under your cheekbone, giving you fabulous definition with one swipe. The flat foundation brush that gives streaks is actually perfect to use for any kind of highlighter. It fits perfectly on the top of your cheeks when you smile, giving you the best angle for highlighting.
Think you need ten different eye shadow brushes to get the job done? Think again! To achieve alluring eyes, you really need only five types of brushes. The first is a medium, flat, angled brush that resembles the shape of the traditional foundation brush. This does double duty for your base color and highlighter. The bristles are tight enough to allow easy control of color, and it is the perfect size for your eyelid and brow bone. To define your crease, use a cone-shaped brush. This shape sits perfectly between your eyelid and brow bone, giving you the perfect definition every time. Blending is easiest with a medium sized brush with fluffy bristles; they will smooth colors together, giving you defined yet soft eyes. If using cream eyeliner, a tiny, angled brush with tight bristles gives you full control. Smudging and softening eyeliner is simple with a smudge brush, the brush that looks like an eraser. Clean up is a snap with a fan brush; simply sweep it lightly under your eyes to brush away any eye shadow fallout.

Perfect eyelashes depend on two tools, an eyelash curler and a brow brush. To get the best volume for your lashes, use a lash curler before you apply mascara. To get the most volume from an eyelash curler, invest in a heated curler. It acts like a curling iron for your eyelashes, giving you the most curl and big volume. Following your mascara, use the bristled side of the brow brush to give more volume and the teeth side to separate and define lashes. To get compliment-worthy brows, use tweezers that are angled instead of pointed; they can get the closest to the follicle and make grabbing the hairs easy. Use some brow pomade with the bristle side of the brow brush and your brows will fall right into place.

Adding these beauty tool necessities will guarantee that you create a work of art every morning. With the right brushes and correct tools, you can feel confident in creating a beautiful look in no time at all. So forget needing a ton of tools. Using the few described above will get you a perfect face without so much fuss. ■

Sources: allure.com, beautylish.com, totalbeauty.com.