Makeup artists swear by their favourite brushes, but most of us still use our fingers or those fiddly little sticks that come with eye shadows to apply cosmetics. That's no big beauty crime, but for a polished result brushes give more precision. But good brushes aren't cheap, so how do you judge if they are worth the expense?
When Bobbi Brown's director of artistry for Asia-Pacific, Kai Vinson, was in Auckland last week, he advised against skimping on brushes. If they're not well made from good quality synthetic or natural fibre they would not last, whereas decent brushes that were well cared for should still go strong for five to 10 years.
The usual starter brush recommendation is for foundation, followed by powder brushes, but Vinson said his top choices to begin a kit would be blush, concealer, eyeliner and angled eyeshadow brushes.
He advises setting a budget to start a collection, then looking out for brushes that are well-weighted and seem well made. Handmade brushes generally hang together better, but another way to guard against moulting is to never soak them, as this breaks down glue bonds.
Bobbi Brown aims its sets at the luxury end of the market, but Vinson says the value is in the performance and longevity. "They're made very specifically for what they're meant to do." Handily they are named, rather than numbered, so you can see exactly what you are meant to be using each brush for.
