Mastering Makeup

Long time no see, raineglows! Last time, we talked about different makeup terms, and today, we’re going to learn how to apply some of them (literally). You’ll find out what kinds of makeup brushes are meant for the different kinds of makeup applications. Colorscience’s blog titled “Types of Makeup Brushes: The Complete Guide to Makeup Brush Names and Uses” provides great detail and visuals of those application tools.

You’d be surprised at how many different ways you can go about putting on your foundation. With a foundation brush, which is flat and narrows at the tip, you can either directly apply your foundation onto your face from your foundation bottle/tube, or on your brush, and then smooth it out with the brush to the different parts of your face. With a makeup sponge/beauty blender (which kind of looks like a misshapen egg), you can do the same thing starting out, and then stipple (dab) it over your face until all the sections blend together. Silicone sponges are usually shaped like rain drops and are my personal favorite because they don’t absorb any product, so you get more bang for your buck, plus they’re super easy to clean.

A powder brush is a big fluffy brush used for applying powder to your face or dusting it off for an air-brushed finish. To put powder on, you pat or swirl your brush in the powder, then you can get the excess off by tapping the brush’s stem on a solid surface. When putting on your powder, stamping it is a good way to lock in the foundation underneath. You can lightly brush it across your face to remove any extra powder.

Remember learning about contour from last time? Contour and a contour brush helps define your cheekbones and gives your face an overall warmth. It’s best to use an angled brush for this so it’s easier for it to move along with your natural features. You create a soft line under your cheeks angled down to the corners of your mouth (but not all the way, just about half). You can also add it to the sides of your nose, the rim of your forehead, and down your jawline. Then you softly blend everything out!

Using a blush brush is an easy way to apply your blush to your face. Blush brushes are typically a little smaller than powder brushes, but are basically the same thing. Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty campaign released a video on how to apply her cream blush with a blush brush, and also with fingertips.

Eyeshadow brushes come in all different kinds of shapes depending on what look you’re trying to achieve, but one that is compact towards the bottom and has some fluff towards the tip will generally get things done right. There are flat thin ones with arches that are meant for cut creases, bigger fluffier ones to smooth and blend colors together, and more compact ones to layer color.

There are typically two shapes used for highlighter brushes. One is a wide, thin fan shape, and another is a thinner, longer, almost paintbrush-looking brush. The first one will lightly spread your highlighter across an area, and the other one is better at precisely applying the highlighter to smaller, specific areas. Here are some favorite highlighter brush brands according to IPSY’s blog. There are tons of makeup brush brands out there ranging from different prices and qualities, so make sure you do your research before investing in them!

Next week, we’ll be talking about different makeup styles! See you on the other side of the rainglow! 🌈✨