There is a wide assortment of cosmetic brushes on the market today. How do you choose the correct brush for applying your mineral makeup or foundations? Do you want a sheer natural coverage or a more full coverage? Do you choose natural or synthetic bristles? A large brush or small brush? Inexpensive brush or expensive brush? Hand tied VS hand cut? The choices can be overwhelming. I hope to simplify it or break it down for you so you get the absolute best results with the least amount of effort, time and money spent. Because a good brush can make a world of difference in the final look, the coverage, and it should give you a perfect flawless finish.

HAND TIED or HAND CUT? The difference is, when a hand tied brush is being constructed they use the FULL natural hair, evenly placed, gathered and hand tied where the ferule or metal band attaches the bristles to the brush handle. When using the full natural hair--all natural hairs taper off to a soft natural point- yes, this is almost microscopic but it makes for the softest brush and the most natural looking finish. A hand cut brush means hairs are gathered together glued into the ferule/metal band, then the ends of the hairs/bristles are then cut off to form a round, squared or dome shape. When a natural hair is cut, as with a hand cut brush, it leaves a BLUNT tip or end to each hair. If you don't have extremely sensitive skin you may not have a probelm with this. But many hand cut brushes are rough to the touch, can irritate sensitive skin and leave a not so perfect finish.

FOUNDATION: Always use a large fluffy brush preferably with natural bristles to apply mineral foundations (loose or pressed). You want to have the foundation itself, whether loose or pressed, tucked up into the brush itself with very little visable. Any large powder brush or kabuki brush is the best choice for applying mineral foundation. The more dense the head or tighter packed the bristles are, such as with a Kabuki brush, the fuller coverage you will achieve. The looser the bristles the more natural and sheerer coverage you will see. There are some synthetic brushes on the market that do work well with mineral foundations, it depends on your personal preference, your skin and your budget.

EYE LINER: This is where a synthetic brush works best most of the time. A synthetic brush will not load up (allowing the liner to work into the brush like with a foundation) with most eye liners, the eye liner stays on the outter part of the brush, which is where you want to be, so when you apply it, the liner gently leaves the brush and is deposited to eye lid as smoothly and gently as possible. Gel, cream and liquid liners work best with synthetic angled liner brushes. If you use mineral liner and want a very fine line, or want to dot your liner in between your lashes, than a fine tip natural brush is best. If you are using a mineral liner that is dry or still in powder form to create a smokey eye look, than a natural brush works best, depending on how thick or thin the line you want- choose your brush width accordingly.

FINISHING VEIL/POWDER: A large, loose natural brush is best when you apply your final finish veil over your foundation. A finishing veil or matte finishing powder is not meant to give you  full coverage like a foundation is, so you don't want to use the same type of brush. It is meant to create a very soft, sheer, veil over your foundation that is meant to difuse fine lines and wrinkles, give an airbrushed finish and absorb oil though out the day. If you find you have very oily skin then apply your finishing veil or powder PRIOR/BEFORE  your foundation then again as a last step on top of your foundation. A good quality finishing veil/powder will not cake, settle in fine lines or build up on your skin so you can reapply as many times as needed without the fear of being a walking mask.

Natural hairs brushes can be made from goat, badger, pony, squirell,  boar or even sable. The end result you want to achieve will dictate what natural hair brush you choose. Most reputable sellers of cosmetic brushes, get the hair they use to create the brush without harming ANY ANIMALS. What ever make/model/type of brush you choose if it is a good quality it can last a life time with proper care. Wash your brushes frequently by using a gentle cleanser in the palm of your hand, wet your brush, swirl into cleanser, then rinse and repeat rinsing until water runs clear. Always dry your brush by gently pressing it with a towel to absorb any excess moisture then LAY FLAT to dry preferably with the brush head hanging over a counter edge. This allows air to freely circulate and dry the hairs evenly. NEVER stand your brush up in a brush holder, case or jar to dry! This allows water to drip down into the ferule  and in time it will loosen the glue, the ferule, the hairs and the handle of your brush. It is natural for brushes to shed a small amount when new and when cleaning, however if you find your brushes shedding all of the time, I would question the company your purchased the brush from.

You may find that inexpensive brushes work well for your eye shadows, blush or brows (in fact a hand cut, angle, stiff brush works best for filling in eye brows). If your budget only allows a few expensive brushes or you want to slowly build your brush collection, be selective and invest in a good quality  foundation brush first. A hand tied, large, fluffy, natural brush can be bought for under $25.00. The finish you achieve will be well worth the time and effort you spent finding your perfect foundation brush.