Every Woman's Guide to Make-up Brushes: Part One

There's nothing like watching an artist at work, carefully layering color with brushes, some large for great swipes of color, some fine and almost fragile, for the merest hint of a line. Whether it's a painter with a canvas, or a woman in front of the mirror with her make-up, everyone needs brushes! I learned about them from a MAC make-up artist in Kansas City, and hope to share my knowledge with you. This article will discuss the brushes you need to apply make-up to your face, from concealer to blush and bronzer, to a final layer of powder. A second article will cover eyes, brows, and lips. Do look at the photos; they are an essential part of each article.

If you've read my article on Associated Content called How to Take Care of Your Face: An Owner's Manual, you should now be cleaned, treated, and moisturized, and ready to start with make-up. Many women (and men, too!) use primers; I've also written a comparison of Smashbox's Photo Finish Primers and Laura Geller's Spackle, and would suggest either of those, or Philosophy's The Present. There are many less expensive primers available at drugstores and discount chains, and most of them work just as well. If you are asking yourself if you need a primer, let me ask you: how long do you need your make-up to stay on, and how often do you want to have to re-touch it? A good primer will keep your make-up in place for 8 to 12 hours; they were developed for use by models in photo shoots, to stay on under hot bright lights, so they will certainly work for the rest of us. There are even special primers for lips and eyes; while you should use care in applying anything to your eyelids, especially if you have sensitive skin or allergies, a lip primer can be an enormous help in keeping your lipstick from applying itself to your coffee cup or soda can. And primers are the one thing I don't suggest a brush for. Your fingers work as well as anything else will.