Brushes....The Dos and Don'ts

People tend to ask me to take a look at their make-up case. Apparently, most of my friends enjoy abuse. When I do make-up for women I don't even know, sometimes they whip out their little bag, and allow me to peek inside and rate what they have.

My biggest issue is not your eyeshadow. It is not your lipstick. It is not your foundation...although now that we're on topic, if you've had your foundation for more than a year, please throw it out. You should actually be rotating foundations (or anything liquid) every 6 months. Blegh! What I have a problem with is your brushes. Please.....Invest. I know that they can be pricey, but if you're smart, your brushes can last for over a decade. I've had some of mine for that long, and they're still goin' strong!

When buying a brush, make sure it's natural horse, squirrel, or some sort of course animal hair...Although I've heard squirrel is best. Buy a brush that has a thick ferrule (where the bristols fit into). If you are playing with the brush in the store and the pieces start to fall off, skip that brush and go on to another. The quality is obviously not there. For those of you animal lovers...I am one too...There are vegan brushes you can buy, but buyer beware - they are quite pricey and sometimes not as great unless you do your homework.

Some people aren't sure what KIND of brushes to buy. Every woman should have a blush brush, a liner brush, a lip brush, an all-over shadow brush, a contour brush and a foundation brush.

Pictures as follows....

There's not a specific brand I care about here, but these are examples of what the brushes may look like.

Take care of your brushes. There are different opinions on how to take care properly. Some people use mild shampoo for extensive cleaning. Just run the tip through warm water, wipe off on Kleenex, shape the bristols and lay flat to dry. Other people use the spray you can buy from Shopper's or other cosmetic places. I like using that as a spritz, for days that have gone by and shaping them up a bit. I like Quo's brush cleaner. $10 bucks and you get a huge spray bottle.

If you're looking for decent brushes, save your Optimum points at Shopper's Drug Mart and buy theirs from Quo. Good quality, good price, and around Christmas, you can find sets for an even better price. If you wait until a bit after the holidays, most stores have extra sets and they'll be discounted. YAY!

Or, go on EBAY and find an artist who's selling theirs, but you never know how they were treated, artist or not, so I suggest buying new.

Have a question? Let me know!

Megan