october 2009 - Stylist and Salon Newspapers

Makeup Artistry Brush Basics
Esthetic Endeavors
Judith Culp
As a makeup artist I’ve always been
intrigued by brushes, but there are so many
out there. Every class I attended the artist had
different recommendations. Every distributor
has a different recommendation. Each of my
friends love different brushes.
This leads to major confusion and spending
a lot of money trying to decide what is
right for me. So, for this issue, let’s explore
some brush basics.
Brushes should be selected with the following
considerations:
• What are the properties of the product to be
applied (liquid, cream, powder.)?
• What are the properties of the surface
– rough, smooth, dry, moist, oily?
• What is your personal technique or style?
• What is the desired final effect?
Structure
There are three parts to every brush — the
hair, the ferrule and the handle. The hair is
the brush part made from natural or synthetic
fibers. In larger brushes, the fiber may be
squirrel, pony, goat or blends. These brushes
include powder, blush, contour and large eye.
In smaller brushes sable, weasel, kolinsky,
capra, badger and others are used.
The ferrule is the metal part of the brush.
It is most often made from brass, copper or
aluminum.
The handle is the third part and it may be
made from acrylic, metal or wood. Wood is often
preferred for its long term reliability. Short
handles are preferred for client use as it allows
them to get closer to a mirror to work.
Long handles allow the makeup artist to
work farther away from the client and enhance
their ability to see the big picture.
It is best if the hairs are fused (glued)
rather than stapled for any cosmetic use to
avoid the creation of a germ reservoir in the
ferrule. Fused bristles are easier to clean.
Cost and Material
Brushes can vary from very inexpensive
to highly expensive. The variance in price will
depend on if the brushes are machine made or
hand made, the type of ferrule, the fiber the
bristles are made of and the handle choice.
The same hair fibers are used in both
hand made and machine made brushes. The
difference will be how they are placed into the
ferrule. Commonly brush kits will be machine
made and hand made brushes will only be sold
individually.
A kit can be a nice way to start as it is less
expensive, but professionals wanting to specialize
in makeup artistry will want to add quality
hand-made brushes as they do a superior job in
product application and last longer.
Synthetic verses Natural
Brushes should be selected based on their
purpose not on their origin for the best application
result. However, synthetics do come
in a full range of brushes for the client who
wants non-animal sources for all brushes. This
comes at a cost however as these brushes are
polymer filaments commonly made of taklon
or nylon. These brushes have their place and
definite use, but require more manufacturing.
SYNTHETIC — Synthetic fibers vary
in price, durability and performance. Nylon
is a common inexpensive utility brush. The
mix of fibers and whether they are hand or
machine made will affect the price and life of
these brushes. The best of these brushes have a
mix of at least 3 diameter filaments of varying
thicknesses. The fibers may be white or dyed
to reflect animal hair toning or a fun color.
Common examples are fan brushes,
lip brushes and camouflage brushes. These
brushes are easy to clean although less soft
than natural fibers. Sometimes they are dyed
and then baked to make the hair softer. They
are less prone to damage from detergents
and solvents. They are excellent for layering
makeup or applying cream or camouflage.
NYLON OR TAKLON — These synthetic
fibers are the preferred fiber for applying
cream type cosmetics. Nylon includes nylon,
plastic or rubber. They come in a variety of
textures, qualities and control. Nylon is less
expensive than Taklon. Taklon is softer and
more absorbent. They are excellent for applying
cream or camouflage bases, lip color and
eyeliner.
NATURAL — Natural fibers refer to
those derived from animal hair across the
globe. It also refers to a specific type of brush.
Natural fibers include sable, kolinsky, badger,
goat, pony, squirrel, ox, camel, hog, mongoose,
sabelina, and natural bristle.
I have compiled a list of several different
types of natural fibers and what product and
application they are best known for. You can
view this list at www.stylistnewspapers.com.
Whatever the brush you are evaluating
keep in mind what it is needed for, what type
of surface it is for, and is there a particular style
or finish effect desired. Construction, quality,
and performance life from your investment are
also key to factor in.
Judith Culp, a CIDESCO Diplomat has been in the esthetics industry since 1980.
A CPCP permanent makeup technician for over 18 years she served a 4-year
term as a Director for the Society of Permanent Cosmetic Professionals, two
years as their president. She is president of Culp Enterprises Inc. and CEO of NW
Institute of Esthetics. Judy Culp is available for consulting. For more information
visit www.estheticsnw.com.
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TEXAS STYLIST & SALON | OCTOBER 2009 | 13