Of course, a powder brush can be used to set your foundation with, well, powder. But it can also be used to apply bronzer. And if you pinch the bristles together to form a line, it can easily be used to contour.
The powder can help your skin look less oily, while a liquid bronzer might only make things worse. Furthermore, powder bronzers are usually easier to blend than liquid bronzers, so if you're a beginner bronzer, powder is a good place to start [source: Jones].
Kabuki foundation brushes are traditionally used to apply cosmetic powders, but they can also be used to apply liquid and pressed foundations, bronzers, blushes, along with other cream cosmetics. This brush offers versatility and convenience, and its soft bristles are easy on delicate, sensitive skin.
The general rule of thumb is to opt for a bronzer one or two shades darker than your natural skin tone. Knowing whether your skin undertone is cool, neutral or warm is also relevant; you want to ensure your bronzer harmonises with your natural tone as much as possible.
Here are my top picks for professional highlighting brushes, plus why you need them in your life.
- Real Techniques 300 Tapered Blush Brush.
- Sigma F35 Tapered Highligher Brush.
- Morphe S13 Deluxe Angled Brush.
- Makeup Geek Rounded Blush Brush.
- MAC 184 Duo Fibre Fan Brush.
- e.l.f. Studio Ultimate Kabuki Brush.
Here's How To Easily Apply Your Makeup Without Using Any Brushes
- Step 1: Foundation/Tinted Moisturizer. Pump a few drops of your liquid foundation or tinted moisturizer onto the back of your hand.
- Step 2: Concealer.
- Step 3: Bronzer.
- Step 4: Blush.
- Step 5: Highlight Eyes.
- Step 6: Contour Eyes.
- Step 7: Liner + Mascara.
- Step 8: Highlighter.
Usually, a kabuki brush is used to apply loose powdered make-up on large surfaces of the face (e.g., foundation, face powder, blush). Because of its design, the brush blends powdered make up evenly on the skin and creates a very natural looking coverage.
Clean, good-as-new makeup brushes and sponges are just seven steps away:
- Wet the bristles with lukewarm water.
- Place a drop of your cleanser of choice into the palm of your clean hand.
- Gently massage the tips of the bristles in your palm.
- Rinse the bristles thoroughly.
- Squeeze out the excess moisture with a clean towel.
Softer, fluffy angled brushes are great for applying blush, bronzer and highlighter. Angled brushes with stiffer, more densely packed bristles can be used for more controlled contouring. Use it to dust on finishing powder or powder blush. Or, use a stippling motion to evenly press cream brush onto the cheeks.
Types of Professional Makeup Brushes
- Foundation Brush. tightly packed bristles and tapered tip.
- Powder Brush. long, fluffy bristles.
- Bronzer Brush. soft, full and rounded.
- Concealer Brush. flat brush, wide base, pointed tip, soft bristles.
- Blusher Brush.
- Face Contour Brush.
- Angle Eye Brush.
- Blending Eye Brush.
Step One: Bronzer goes on after face makeup (foundation, concealer, and powder) but before blush. You can use any type of brush you like.
I always say anyway that you can do your makeup whatever way you like, so if you have nice skin and you're comfortable with it then you don't need to use foundation. I would just say make sure you moisturise before putting on the bronzer, it might be quite nice to use a moisturiser or primer with a slight shimmer.
Avoid using bronzer as a contour! Instead, use bronzer to mimic where the sun would hit your face naturally and where you tan the darkest. This will give you a sun-kissed look and add definition and warmth to your skin. Apply bronzer to the cheekbones, temples, and bridge of your nose.
Just think about it: contouring creates shadows, which typically have a greyish and cool-toned hue. Bronzer, on the other hand, has a warm tone. That's why if you've ever contoured with bronzer you may have noticed your skin looked orange rather than defined.
Blush is used to give your cheeks a little color, as though you just came in from a cold afternoon. Bronzer, on the other hand, generally comes in shades of brown and is intended to make you look suntanned. It's a light powder that's meant to be applied on the nose, chin, cheeks and forehead.
Simply put, Bronzer is used in the areas where the sun would naturally hit to tan the skin. Along with imparting your skin with a luminous glow all year round, highlighter can make the darker area of your face, like the under eyes, brighter.
"If you're really oily, make it a finishing powder and use to to lock in your foundation. Or, use bronzer to add dimension but also set your base. Bronzer is great as it also doubles as blush. If you're dry or after a more youthful look, just go for a cream blush.
A brush allows for really concentrated placement.” Freda continued, “A sponge is ideal for a flawless natural foundation application. Brushes are best for shadow placement and powder applications, and fingers are great for products that need to be warmed up a bit to blend.”
Typically with a foundation brush, you leave it dry. The only time you wet something for foundation application is a beauty blender because it's a sponge and we want to disperse much product from the sponge as we can, that's why we wet it. Check out Sigma brushes for foundation! F80 is definitely a must!
Pros
- When used properly, a brush is one of the fastest ways to apply foundation.
- They blend foundation seamlessly giving skin an even, airbrushed finish.
- They provide great coverage.
- Hygienic.
- You can layer easily, giving you more control over coverage.
- They are good for getting into hard to reach nooks and crannies.
A powder brush has long, fluffy, and soft bristles made to distribute loose powder evenly across your face without dispensing too much product and making your makeup look cakey. Depending on the size, you could also get away with applying blush or bronzer with this type of brush.
For applying a matte or sheer bronzer, we recommend you use a brush with a rounded head that covers a large surface area quickly. The Real Techniques Powder Brush is perfect for even distribution and a smooth finish.
Blend your stick foundation in circular buffing motions using a foundation brush, or 'bounce' a makeup sponge over your skin (be careful that your sponge doesn't soak up the product). If you're on-the-go, you could use your fingers to blend your foundation.
