Make Up Brushes 101

By Melissa Barlow on October 5th, 2009

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I have soooooo many makeup brushes. Even though they are the tools of my trade, even I recently noticed that I may be going a little overboard in the brush buying department, but with so many options I just can’t help myself.

What if this is The One?

The one brush that will blush me without shedding and align the cosmos of my world into perfect balance. Anyway, today I’m going to cover the two questions I get the most about brushes.

Is natural hair better than synthetic?
What’s the best way to take care of them?

Synthetic Vs. Natural Hair:

Natural hair makeup brushes are made from various materials. Usually, the more expensive brushes are made of animal hair usually sable, but can be made of badger, squirrel or pony hair as well. A natural hair brush will give you a softer finish to your makeup and is generally softer on the skin. The downside is usually the price as I paid $100 for a high quality finishing brush. Another problem is shedding. A really high quality brush will be handtied into the base but most are simply cut and glued in so they can shed hairs quite a bit.

Tip: Try your local art supply. They usually have surprisingly high quality brushes at half the price.

Synthetic brushes are typically made of plastic or sponge. This doesn’t always make them bad brushes though. A synthetic brush is good for a lot of things. A sponge tipped applicator will give you the most color you can get out of your shadows but you may have a problem blending. Synthetic brushes are also good for eyeliner and eyebrows as they are usually stiffer and hold their shape better but they can stain, be uncomfortable and not hold as much powder as a natural hair brush.

Tip: A cheaper synthetic brush may fall apart faster than a more expensive one. It’s best to keep these brushes away from water to make them last longer.

How to Care for your Brushes:

The best thing that you can do for your makeup brushes is to take care of them properly. How you take care of your brush not only effects the longevity of your brush but the condition of your skin as well. You must keep your brushes clean. There is all sorts of bacteria that can grow in a dirty make up brush and that can lead to breakouts or even worse, eye infections. Ideally, you should clean your brushes everyday but I clean my personal brushes once a week.

There are a variety of products you can use to clean your brushes. There are plenty of brush cleaners on the market but the cheapest way to clean your brushes is just wash them with your shampoo.

To Clean: Pour a dime sized amount of shampoo into your palm and add a little water. Gently work the brush into the shampoo in a circular motion until the brush is clean. Rinse under a faucet with the bristles facing toward the drain but not soaking the handle. The metal part that holds the handle to the brush will eventually become loose if too much water gets in there. Lay your brushes on a clean towel overnight to dry. You can do this with synthetic or natural hair brushes and a synthetic brush will dry faster.

Natural hair brushes can be conditioned as well. You can use your own conditioner and conditioning your brushes will keep them from getting those wacky hairs that sick out all over the place.

To Condition: Apply conditioner to the outside of the bristles and gently mold the brush back into shape. I let them sit for about about 30 min. before I rinse. Rinse and let dry the same way as above.