Creating dramatic makeup effects: the right tools and applicators for a colorful look

When applying makeup, you need quality products, but you also need quality tools to make sure it all comes out right and you get the look you want. Good makeup tools are more expensive than the basic sets you can get at any major drugstore or retail outlet, but you will be rewarded for the extra money spent by having tools that are well made, do their jobs well and last a long time. Like an artist with his or her paintbrushes, a makeup artist, professional or at-home, needs the best tools she can afford to get the look she wants.

The most basic tool you need in your makeup brush arsenal is a blush brush. The brushes that come in packages of blush (if the blush you buy comes with an applicator) are much too small and often the wrong shape. The bristles are usually flimsy and will easily fall off when you use or clean the brush. Invest in a good-quality brush made of natural hair rather than synthetic if you can find one. You will most commonly find sable brushes, but they can also be made out of squirrel, pony, weasel, badger or goat hair. If you are concerned about the animals used to make these brushes, you can find high-quality synthetic products at natural foods stores or natural/organic beauty web sites.

The ideal blush brush has dome-shaped bristles, rather than bristles that are all the same length. This shape conforms to the shape of your cheekbone and makes it easier to apply blush. The rounded edge give you control and allows for smooth application. Whatever the bristles are made of, they should feel soft (not scratchy or like something you wouldn’t want to put on your face), there should not be bare spots in the form of the bristles, and when you tug on the bristles you shouldn’t be able to pull out many (new brushes do tend to shed a little, so don’t rule out a brush just because a few bristles fall out).

Another brush basic is the powder brush. This is a larger, more densely bristled brush. It usually will have poofier bristles and is shaped almost like a fan. There are also powder brushes on the market that look like larger versions of a blush brush. The main necessity is the large number of bristles for distributing powder all over the face. Powder brushes are much more commonly found with synthetic bristles, but if you can find a natural brush, again, the investment is worth it.

The eye shadow brush is a must-have for applying dramatic color to your eyelids. Actually, you can find eye shadow brushes in a variety of sizes (small, medium and large) and several shapes (round, square or tapered) for many different purposes. The small tapered ones are great for getting into corners, a medium round brush helps to contour and define the crease of the eyelid, and large brushes of any shape are ideal for all-over color. You may find that a medium sized rounded brush is really all you need if you aren’t applying very dramatic makeup, but you’ll want to use this brush all the time instead of the tiny sponge that comes in the package. That applicator is much too small and it doesn’t allow for coverage that is as smooth or as heavy as you can get with an eye makeup brush. Buy one to start with and see if you need more to suit all your makeup needs.

The final basic brush that all women should have is a lip brush. This brush has very stiff bristles that often come to a point for greater ease of getting color into the corners of your mouth. These brushes are perfect for applying lip gloss and lip color that comes from a tube, or for getting the perfect shape when coloring in around lip liner. If you reapply lipstick a lot through the day, you might want to invest in a brush with a lid so you can keep it in your purse (you can find a travel brush with this feature).

Of course there is a lot more to the world of makeup tools than these four pieces, and if you really love playing with makeup and trying new things or wear a lot of dramatic makeup, you will want some other tools. The above list is the bare minimum that anyone who wears makeup should have.

If you have untamed eyebrows, you will probably want to invest in an eyebrow brush. This is a stick with something that looks like a tiny brush on one side and a tiny comb on the other. The brush part is used to groom or comb eyebrows, while the comb bit is used to separate eyelashes after applying mascara.

Speaking of eyelashes, if you wear mascara you will want to get an eyelash curler, which looks a bit like a torture device but is actually easy to use if you just take the time and care not to pinch the fold of your eyelid into the contraption. There are also heated eyelash curlers on the market, but there’s really no reason to fool with the simplicity of the original.

To complete the look of the eyes, if you have bare spots or want to add definition to your eyebrows, you can use an eyebrow brush, which is specifically for applying color to the eyebrow. This tool will have short, firm bristles, often in an angled square shape.

You can also buy a blender brush, which has a square shape and a tight bunch of bristles, to blend the lines after applying blush. If you wear concealer a lot, you might want to invest in a concealer brush, which looks a lot like a lip brush with curved bristles. And if you do your own eyebrows you’ll want a pair of tweezers to complete your grooming routine.

Of course you don’t have to have all of these tools. Sometimes the best tools for applying makeup are things we already have in the house, such as makeup sponges, powder puffs and cotton balls. And don’t discount the appeal and effectiveness of just using your fingers to apply things such as foundation, concealer and gel or liquid products. With a few basic tools and a little imagination and experimentation, you can create whatever look you want with makeup.