It
took some time for me to warm to cosmetic brushes. For years I stayed away and
stuck with the all-too-common foam pad applicators—or avoided face makeup at
all. But when I discovered good quality mineral foundation my (makeup) life
changed immediately. And with the new makeup, I undoubtedly needed a makeup
brush.
But
there were so many to choose from…
Large
and full, thin and fine; brushes with long stems, others that were short and
stalky—the options were many, and I (the novice that I am) stumbled into
another dilemma: which was the perfect brush? Turns out, for every type of
makeup, there is a brush counterpart. But choosing the perfect brush didn’t
have to be difficult, as I discovered when I found the ITAY Mineral Cosmetics
(“Naturally Beautiful ITAY”) line of cosmetic brushes. Let’s start with the
basics:
Kabuki
Foundation Brush
Hair:
Synthetic Hair
Ferrule:
Aluminum
Handle:
Wood
Your
standard Loose Powder Foundation Brush—a must-have for any full coverage makeup
regimen. One common mistake people make when choosing the correct Loose
Foundation Brush is that we often go too big. Huge, fat brushes tend to use
(and waste) too much powder and don’t quite get into all the places you may
need foundation.
For
a great brush, I go with the Kabuki Loose Powder Foundation Brush. It’s soft
synthetic fibers are bound tightly together, giving you great coverage with no
waste. It’s short size makes it perfect for easy storage and great handling.
Powder
Brush
Hair:
Synthetic Hair
Ferrule:
Aluminum
Handle:
Wood
Like
the Kabuki Loose Foundation Brush with a longer, leaner handle. Get the most
coverage that goes on perfectly light and even. Everyone needs a great powder
brush. If there is one brush you need for your makeup kit, this
would be it. Great for applying heavier-textured mineral powder to the face.
Soft synthetic hairs gently pick up the powder to spread evenly over face and
neck area without being abrasive on your skin.
Blush
Brush
Hair:
Synthetic Hair
Ferrule:
Aluminum
Handle:
Wood
Not everyone
wears blush, but if you do you know how important your brush is. Too much or
too little blush can be a problem and finding the right brush is very
important. So what I try to remember about picking a blush brush is the
Goldilocks rule—not too big, not too small. If the brush is too big, the
coverage area is too large and your cute rosy cheeks look more like a sunburn.
Too small a brush and you are left with a small red stripe on your cheeks and
that’s not cute either.
The
ITAY Mineral Cosmetics Blush Brush is your perfect find. The hairs are longer
than what you would get on the ITAY Loose Foundation Brush, giving you a
natural blush. Tapered round edges are perfect for applying on the apples of
your cheeks and protect you from ‘over-blushing’. Your skin will love the soft
touch that is still strong enough to give a rich dose of color.
Eyeliner
Brush
Hair:
Synthetic Hair
Ferrule:
Aluminum
Handle:
Wood
The
perfect eyeliner brush will be fine, tapered and precise. This brush you need
to be sure is thin, that way you get the most accurate of applications. Looking
for something thicker? You should be able to get the desired look by just
adding slightly more pressure—this will widen the line by spreading the fibers
wider.
The
ITAY Eyeliner Brush is perfectly shaped for high-quality application every
single time. Use with liquid or gel eyeliner and never worry about running
makeup or smudges. Long handle gives you perfect control over you look.
Eye Shimmer
Brush (Large)
Hair:
Synthetic Hair
Ferrule:
Aluminum
Handle:
Wood
Good
eye shimmer (eye shadow) brushes need to have rounded soft edges. This gives
your eyes a concentrated application of color to any area on your eyelid. While
using an eye shimmer brush, the soft fibers should allow you to place color
exactly where you want it—especially when you are going for the smoky eye
effect.
I
find that the ITAY Eye Shimmer Brush is perfect for this. Unlike other brushes
I have used, the ITAY brush gives me the look I want the first time I apply. I
hate starting over on my make up, so this is perfect. It’s fluffy large size is
ideal for applying a neutral wash of colors, for shading and contouring, or
blending colors into one another.
Angled
Eye Shadow Brush
Hair:
Synthetic
Ferrule:
Aluminum
Handle:
Wood
Choosing
an angled eye shadow brush is great for getting into harder-to-reach areas,
like the inner eyelid. Unlike brush and blush brushes, the fibers for eye
shadow brushes should be tightly bound—this allows the brush to pick up and
apply a great burst of eye shadow color on a more concentrated area.
The
ITAY Angled Eye Shadow Brush is best at giving you the overall look that you
desire. Start with the angled brush; sweep a base color over your eyelids. After, gently accentuate with tones to highlight (for this, I would move onto to
using a smaller eye shadow brush.
Concealer
Brush
Hair:
Synthetic
Ferrule:
Aluminum
Handle:
Wood
Obviously,
the most important thing when it comes to a concealer brush is choosing a brush
that will give you the absolute best coverage. This means tightly bound, soft
fibers. These give you great control, accuracy and will not spread your
concealer to places you do not want it to go.
The
ITAY Concealer Brush makes applying any kind of a concealer a breeze. Get even
and full coverage with any concealer product: concealer, primer, eye cream or
even eye shadow. The soft hairs gently spreads concealer over blemishes and
problem areas without irritating skin. Works on even the most sensitive of
skin.
For
more information on the NEW line of ITAY Mineral Cosmetics Makeup Brushes stop
by the ITAY web stores. Be
sure to check out ITAY for
great tips, tricks and deals!
At
ITAY… Beauty is Our Nature. Naturally
Beautifully, Naturally ITAY
