It Is In The Brush

I am a firm believer that to be a good make-up artist you do not only need good products but great brushes. Brushes should be used as if they are your paint brushes, a face being your canvas. This isn't rocket science... to be a great artist you need to know your way around a  brush.

A brush with a specific purpose such a 'concealing' or 'blending' does not need to be limited to just this. Look at what type of hairs are used in the brush...
Don't know how to tell the difference? Begin with feel. A brush with a smooth, conditioned type feel will be best for liquids, creams (as in cream shadows or even lipsticks), concealers and foundations. A brush with more of a bristle type hair is best for picking up powders as in eye shadows, blushes and all over face powders to control shine. I love to use a tiny lipstick application brush to apply concealer to those pesky pimples. The key is to use minimal concealer with a green/yellow hue in a dotted fashion to cover up the evil red mountain lerking on your face. Remember, less is more. Apply your foundation as normal but take care around the areas you have concealed not to wipe it away. Then to finish, take a face powder with a brush you would use for on your eyes and tap some powder over that concealer to set it. It is best to make a pimple matte, the shine will attract more attention to the area. We don't want that!

I hope this little tip helps you out on those days you wake up to a new little friend that popped up to say hello! Also, remember to make sure your face is washed and moisturized before bed. This way you won't wake up to a sister pimple.

Washing your brushes...if you do not have a make-up brush cleaner then I suggest you clean your brushes with Baby Shampoo. It is sensitive enough to use every other day. Simply put a small amount of shampoo in your hand, wet your brush and swirl the hairs around in your palm and the shampoo. Rinse and allow to dry overnight. This will help stop the spread of bacteria that causes those nasty pimples.