Buying make-up brushes

[Lia]

Well, i'm thinking on buying some brushes so i can do my make-up better (my 2 reais - less than a dollar - pack of brushes are not the best thing). But since i'm really poor at the moment, i'm thinking on buying painting brushes, since they're cheaper and some are really really good. So i'd like to have an advise about the character of the brushes used to apply foundation and to apply eye make-up - how do they behave, if they're soft or stiff and so on (my brushes aren't very good to help me achieve a smoky eye - or maybe that's my lack of ability). I used to paint last year , when i was at architecture school and i learned a lot about brushes and i would like to apply this knowledge to make-up.

[vogueboy]

Well, since you're already familiar with brushes... I'll cut to the chase...

Foundation Brushes are half synthetic, half natural bristles. It makes the brush more pliable and retains it's softness and shape.

Go for brushes that feels soft on the skin.

Flat brushes (natural hairs) pick up powder pigments very well.

Round brushes (natural hairs) are great for blending.

Large fluff brushes, are of course made for blushers, bronzers, loose setting powders.

Angle brushes (I find the half synthetic half natural bristle ones are best) are great for wet/dry eyeliner, and brows.

Large to medium Fan brushes (coarser bristles) are great for whispping away any fallen powder, applying shimmer highlight powders and sometimes a light blush application.

Small and extra small Fan brushes are a really neat and cool way to apply mascara.

Lip brushes (again my preference is half/half). They come in natural and synthetic as well. And come in either pointed, rounded and flat tipped versions.

My personal favorites are Shu Uemura and Make Up For Ever.

Well, this is a start... With your experience with artist paint brushes, you'll have no problem picking brushes that will work best for you.

Good Luck and have fun.

[Judi]

Just a thought, you can pick up Annabelle brushes (cosmetic) for about the same as art brushes. I have had mine over 12 yrs and I swear by them.
Vogueboy has given you the guide for what brushes and shapes. As always he knows his stuff. So you are on your way. Let me know if you find the brushes that I mentioned.

[Lia]

Judi, I'll check it out. The major problem is brazilian import taxes, which are 60% on the product value and another tax depending on the product . So, buying things from U.S other than books and magazines (the 60% tax doesn't apply on that case) is not a good option. The currency in Brazil is reais, and 1 dollar costs around 2,50 reais, and the same thing you buy with 1 dollar in US I buy here a national one with 1 real (like a small bar of chocolate - you buy a twix bar, i buy a sonho de valsa bar - a very good chocolate, its filling is with a cream of cashew nuts).

So i would buy national painting brushes . I bought some last year and they're quite good (but i lost one i could use for make-up it's no problem because i painted with watercolors)