The only make-up brushes you really need

Want your makeup to look more professional? The day you start tossing the sponge-tipped wands so often included with eyeshadow is the day you realise that application is everything. If you look in makeup artist’s kit your mind might be blown by the amount of brushes they own. While having a big collection is incredible, makeup artist Tamryn Jefferies says there are only three brushes she considers crucial. 

The eyeshadow brush

Like we said, investing in a proper eyeshadow brush is a game-changer. “Look for something that’s bullet-shaped (long with a rounded tip). You can use it in a windscreen wiper motion to apply a wash of eyeshadow to your entire eye lid, to work a shade into the crease or blend two shades together,” Tamryn says. “A mini sponge applicator merely packs the shadow onto your lid and never does a good job of blending. Once you invest in a proper eyeshadow brush and see what a difference it makes, you’ll never look back.”

The powder brush 

“If you wear face powder, you’re going to need a large powder brush or a kabuki with a large circumference. The bigger the brush and denser the bristles, the easier it will be to blend,” says Tamryn. “Many women try to use the same brush to apply powder as they do blush, but this is a bad idea. If there’s any blush lingering on the bristles, you’ll create a ruddy complexion.” 

The blush brush 

As Tamryn said, don’t apply blush with your powder brush! Instead, invest in a one that looks similar but is a little smaller. “Ideally, you want your blush brush to be about half the size of your powder brush. Again, you want densely-packed bristles,” says Tamryn. “Aside from blush, you can use your blusher brush to apply bronzer – assuming you just want to glow and not get crazy with contouring!”

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