Wherever I go, whatever I’m doing, it’s not enough to have my favourite makeup products with me if I can’t apply them easily, and in a way which gives a professional looking finish.  I have collected lots of brushes over time, but there are six that I couldn’t live without, which I keep in a little zip-up case, and which travel with me everywhere. I like that these e.l.f. brushes are both cruelty-free and anti-bacterial, and they have become my makeup bag staples:

 

 

Once you have chosen your brushes, it’s important to look after them. Brushes quickly become loaded not only with makeup products, but also with skin cells and oils and, left this way in your makeup bag, become home to bacteria which can not only damage your brushes, but cause skin infections and breakouts. It’s therefore important not to share brushes, and to clean them after each use to help to reduce product build-up (either using a makeup wipe, or brush cleanser spray with a tissue). Also, make sure you wash them thoroughly every few days with brush shampoo and warm water, reshape the bristles and leave air dry thoroughly on a paper towel before re-using. Then you can look forward to years of service from your loyal brushes!

 

Anna x

e.l.f. products used in this photograph:

Visit Anna's website: www.annafurlaxis.com

There are a couple of rules on which brushes are best used for makeup.  Here are a few tips on how to get the most out of your e.l.f. brushes. 

 

Softer, fluffier brushes are generally used for placing products on the eyes and face (such as shadows and blush).  So eye shadow brushes tend to be fluffy and not very dense, such as the Eye Shadow Brush from the regular line.  It is a light and medium density eye shadow brush which is excellent at placing shadow on the eye lid. However, it doesn't have the firmness to push shadows on the lid in order to blend them effectively. Trying to blend as you go with this brush will just lead to messy fall out.

More dense brushes with firm bristles are better for blending, shading, defining and lining.  The Eyeshadow C Brush is a great example as it is dense and firm.  The purpose of a blender brush, like the core line Blending Eye Brush, is to provide a seamless transition between colours and shades.  A blender brush is generally used clean to blend, but you can also add your chosen blending colour with this brush. Sometimes this makes blending easier. As the brush becomes saturated with eyeshadow however, change to a clean blender brush.  This gives the most natural look and removes excess shadow with ease.

 

Rules are made to be broken, and this is no exception!  To create a cut crease look if your eyelids are quite flat or deep set, a more definitive brush, such as an angled brush then, blended softly with a small contouring brush is best.

When using cream products such as lipsticks, liners, shadows and blushers, a synthetic brush will give the best results as it does not drink up the moisture from the product and making it more difficult to apply evenly.  Which is why liner brushes and most foundation brushes are synthetic.

 

Cleaning your brushes

 

Clean your brushes regularly (after every use is desirable) to keep them in good condition and free of acne causing dirt, grease and germs.  So many people blame products and makeup for skin conditions, take a good look at your brushes before laying the blame!  Brushes are an absolute heaven for germs and oils.  A quick spray and then wipe with e.l.f. Daily Brush Cleaner is a quick way to keep brushes clean.

 

If you use a silicone based primer, such as e.l.f. Mineral Infused Primer, on your face prior to foundation or a foundation containing silicone, it's best to use a brush cleanser which foams. The e.l.f. Brush Shampoo is a gel which foams with warm water and agitation.  Silicone is harder to remove as it is water resistant so a detergent is required to remove it from bristles. 

 

Taklon brushes are very hard wearing so you can use a more powerful detergent to clean them. The Studio brushes are all Taklon and antimicrobial too so are less likely to harbour germs.  Hair brushes are less resistant to chemicals and rougher treatment so use gentle cleansers or even oils to remove stubborn makeup, shampooing thoroughly afterwards.

Always rinse thoroughly and leave to dry flat, but angled downwards to protect the ferrule where the bristles are glued to the handle.  One way to achieve that is to use a partially rolled up towel and place the handles on the fatter roll and the brush heads facing down towards the flatter part of the towel. Turn the fluffier brushes (like kabukis) regularly to avoid them becoming flattened on one side.

 

A favourite brush is the flat top Studio Powder Brush.  It is very versatile, as a soft buffer it is great for applying powder products, but as it has a little more density and firmness it can be used for blending and buffing your face makeup to a fine polished finish.