Have you ever gone to purchase new makeup brushes and immediately felt overwhelmed by all the options? Rest assure that you are not alone. The different sizes, angles, and uses is enough to intimidate anyone, but that is where we can help. We can give you a run down on what you need to know about makeup brushes to make it less of a stressful experience.

Powder Brush

Powder brushes are generally thick, versatile, and full in order to handle different beauty jobs. Rarely will find a brush set without it as it is an integral part to applying loose and pressed powder products to your face. Powder brushes can also be used for adding blush with a less pigmented approach.

Contour Brush

Contour brushes are angular in design and used to achieve defined cheekbones and bring out your facial structure. These brushes are angular so that they can follow the natural curves of your face. They allow you to have fine precision control over the angles to achieve a picture-perfect look.

Eye Shadow Brush

A typical eye shadow brush is stubby to allow application of swaths of color to eyelids. The shape allows for sweeping color across the lid and upper eye area. It is also used to apply eye shadow primer. For those who are more skilled at beauty jobs, there are angled eye shadow brushes. The angle allows for smudging and contouring.

Eye Liner Brush

Eye liner brushes are skinny and stiff to allow a full lash line or cat eye look. The angular shape also helps when first learning the cat eye look. You can start with the hash or dot method and connect to achieve the perfect Marilyn Monroe look.

Brow Brush

When you need to tame or style your brows, you need a double-sided brow brush. One side is a comb and the other is a brush to get even the wildest brows in order. The comb is generally used first to straighten the brows and form the shape. Next, the brush side is used to apply your powder or gel product.

Lip Brush

Lip brushes help you to “stay in the lines” when applying lip color. These brushes are typically small and thin to apply both color and lip liner. The flat and tapered shape of these brushes are key to smoothing over imperfections, shaping your mouth, and precisely lining your lips.