Building Your First Makeup Brush Kit: A Beginner's Guide

Most people buy makeup first and brushes as an afterthought. It should be the other way round. A mid-range foundation applied with the right brush looks better than an expensive one packed on with fingers, because a brush controls how much product lands and how evenly it sits.

The five brushes that do ninety percent of the work

1. The base brush

A dense, flat-topped or slightly tapered brush for foundation. Buff in small circles from the centre of the face outward. Synthetic bristles are essential here - natural hair drinks liquid product and wastes it.

2. The powder brush

Large, soft and fluffy. Used with a light hand and very little product to set the base. The biggest beginner mistake is loading it fully; tap the excess off before it touches your face.

3. The cheek brush

Medium, domed, slightly less dense than a powder brush. Handles blush, bronzer and contour. One brush can do all three if you tap it clean between products.

4. The blending brush

A fluffy, tapered eye brush. This is the single most important eye tool. It diffuses the edge between two shades, which is the difference between eyeshadow that looks blended and eyeshadow that looks like a stripe.

5. The flat shader brush

Short, firm and flat. Packs colour onto the lid and presses metallics on so they stay bright instead of scattering.

Everything else - fan brushes, lip brushes, angled liner brushes, spoolies - is useful, not necessary. If you would rather buy a complete set and grow into it, a ten piece kit like the Professional Brush Set of 10 covers all five roles plus a few extras. Anyone doing makeup for others, or who wants a dedicated brush per product so they never have to clean mid-look, will get more out of the Professional Makeup Brush Set of 20.

Synthetic or natural hair?

Synthetic bristles are non-porous, so they are the right choice for anything wet or creamy: foundation, concealer, cream blush, cream contour. They are also easier to wash and cruelty free. Natural hair holds and diffuses loose powder slightly better, which is why some artists still keep a natural blending brush. For a first kit, buy synthetic across the board.

What about sponges and blenders?

A damp sponge sheers out foundation and is unbeatable for pressing concealer under the eyes without disturbing the base. Hybrid tools such as the 4 in 1 Blender Brush combine brush and blender surfaces in one piece, which is genuinely useful when you are travelling and cannot carry a full roll.

How to use a new brush well

• Less product, more passes. Build in thin layers. You can always add.
• Tap off the excess before every application, especially with powder.
• Use the side of the brush for blending and the flat face for placing colour.
• Move in small circles for base and short windscreen-wiper strokes for eyeshadow.

Cleaning, the part everyone skips

Dirty brushes cause breakouts and muddy colour. Wash face brushes weekly and eye brushes every one to two weeks.

1. Wet the bristles under lukewarm water with the brush pointing down. Never let water run into the metal ferrule, because it dissolves the glue.
2. Swirl in a drop of mild shampoo or brush cleanser on your palm.
3. Rinse until the water runs clear.
4. Squeeze gently, reshape the head with your fingers, and dry flat with the bristles hanging over an edge.

Never dry brushes upright in a jar while wet. Air dry only - a hair dryer warps the bristles.

How long do brushes last?

Well cared for synthetic brushes last three to five years. Replace them when the bristles splay permanently, shed with every use, or stop holding their shape after washing. Store them upright in a jar or flat in a roll, away from a steamy bathroom.

Start with five, learn what each one does, and add only when you find a job your current kit cannot do. That is how professional kits are built too.