Pretty Pretty Pretty

Make-up brushes…pretty much! April 28, 2008

Dearest readers, I’ve always viewed make-up application as much more like art than vanity. I can, afterall, express my inner feelings with the colour, shading, and texture make-up can add to the face. For instance, to express anger I simply take a brow pencil and exaggerate my inner brows, and look very cross indeed. To express shame I simply apply a good deal of blusher and exaggerate my redness.

And so it is only fitting that the tools of the make-up trade are akin to those of art.  

While the make-up brush can be very expensive, the paint brush can be much less so. I went to Gordon-Harris in the weekend, where they happen to have a sale on brushes at the moment, and picked up the brushes pictured for between $8 and $11.

I’ve tried all three with make-up. The white, round tipped brushed is very good for applying eyeshadow. Its round tip is good for the crease of the eye. The smallest-tipped brush is excellent for applying and blending liquid eyeliner and soft eyeshadow. The fluffy-tipped brush (pictured in the middle) is less effective. I bought it for blending eyeshadow, but it’s a bit soft.

Before you buy these brushes for make-up, here are my tips:

• WASH THEM before you use them. They aren’t made for skin so may have nasty stuff on them. Wash with hand-wash or facial soap. And remember, i’m no expert, so can’t give expert advice.
• Gently bend the brush tips over with your thumb to see how firm they are. For eyeshadow application, or foundation or concealer, you want medium firm brush.
• For eyeshadow, foundation or concealer, choose a round tipped brushe, like the left-most pictured above.
• The handles of paint brushes are too long for make-up - you can’t get close enough to the mirror with the ones i bought. So be prepared to break the ends off.

ITEMS PICTURED:

White, round tipped:pebeo, #9433, 14

Black, fluffy tipped, pebeo, #854, 7

Small, squre tipped, D.A.S, #2630, 1