Blending & Brushes

[AfricanaEyes]

Okayyyyy, so I'm fairly new to Specktra and a complete newbie in the make-up world. I'm in the process of doing my research, purchasing products AND then practicing on my face.

......buuuut, I'm having a tough time with blending. And I know folx are gonna say that MAC has the best blending brushes, and I agree, but what can I used before I purchase a MAC blending brush?

Orrr.....would you all recommend just purchasing a brush? And there are so many. Which one should I get first?

....better yet--what are some techniques for blending? I feel like I'm doing a terrible job.

Heeeeelp!

 

[KeshieShimmer]

I like my Sonia Kushack o\r however you spell it, blending brush from target.

 

[MsCuppyCakes]

I have MAC brushes and Art store brushes from Michaels and Blick. I just look at MAC's brushes and try to find a duplicate at the art store. They work great IMO (in my opinion).

The key to blending, IME (in my experience), is to pack on my color, then blend out as necessary.

 

[yummy411]

anything with makeup, i usually experiment with drugstore brands first before investing my money on something i don't know much about... brushes included. i would reach for anything that says crease brush, blending brush, angle brush...... anything that looks like it could help you blend. rule of thumb on brushes.. the softer they are the softer your colors with be. the denser they are the more bold your looks will be and they will pick up more color to place on your eye... HTH

 

[aziajs]

For your first brush I would recommend either the 224 or the 239.

The 224 is has a medium-size head with a rounded shape, dome and medium density. It's great for blending, crease work, applying a wash of color and building shadows.

The 239 is a more dense brush with a flatter head. It has a rounded end as well. It's great for blending, packing on color, crease work.

You can't go wrong with either one. When I went to buy my first brush I wish someone has recommended the 239. It's probably my favorite. I just don't use it very much because I hate having to clean it.


As for blending techniques I have a few suggestions. For one thing, layer your colors. Instead of placing three colors side by side on your lid, for instance, place one color all over the lid, a second color over that but only on half the lid and the third on top of the second but only in the corner. This makes blending much easier. You could also try this technique - apply your crease color first, then your lid color and then your corner color and then the lid color. Playing around with the order can change your ease of blending. Also, when it comes to actually blending the colors, you can try a few different brush movements. 1. Windshield wiper motion - back and forth in a sweeeping motion. 2. Buffed circles - small round circles either clockwise, counter-clockwise or both. 3. Feathering - repeated short single strokes in one direction.

I hope that helps!

 

[zdazzle]

Well, Well, Well....look who I found!!! Isn't this site addicting?

The brushes I use the most are from Target (they are cheap, but they do the trick). There is also a 14pc brush set from Costco that I really want; I hear it's really good and it's only about $22

. I will be buying some MAC brushes very soon (I already have the 208 which I use for lining my eyes), I plan to get the 239 and 227.

As far as blending techniques...the buffed circle trick works very well for me. All I can say is practice makes perfect. I look at my photo on here, which is from when I first started getting into makeup, and I have really improved since then (I need to upload another pic). Practice! Practice! Practice! Your make-up already looks great though!

 

[AfricanaEyes]

Wooow!! Okayyyy, I see you're stuck on this site here too uh, zdazzle! LOL! I'm tryna be like you, chile!!

Thanks ladies for your help and advice. I guess the bottom line is I have to keep practicing. You've all been great!

....ohhh, C-Shock is out today!!!

 

[garnetmoon]

as they say practice does make perfect...i think that you should just try out a couple of different techniques until you find one that works for you. i don't do buffing circles it feels awkward to me and doesn't come naturally...i prefer to sweep or swish colors together. i actually prefer to put colors on my eye in very distinct places and then blurr the line where the two colors meet if that makes sense. even if i lay down one base color over my whole eye lid i still put three distinct shades on top (inner, middle & outer lid) and then blurr the lines. i also fade the shades upward into the above crease area b4 putting on a highlight and crease color. i tend to use at least 5-10 shades per look so there's more placement things i can tell you but i realize that this has already gotten too complicated

anyway....

as for brushes...i don't own one MAC brush they're just too expensive imo...i rather get MU w/ that money...lol

. i use NYX crease, #3 & #4 e/s brushes. i also like the large e/s brush by Image Essentials (from k-mart) for my browbone/highlight. lastly i use art brushes for my filling my brows in and using fluidliners.

 

[Beauty Mark]

There are a lot of threads in the general Specktra community about brushes and blending.

With that said, art brushes are the way to go. Cheaper (and they go on sale), great quality. I prefer a longer handle, anyway, and to allow the brush to sit in my hand like a pencil.

I usually blend by using a lighter color after I use the darkest color to soften the edges. And of course, practice!

 

[Stephy171]

lol this will sound repetative but practice def makes perfecttt

and as far as brushes i use MAC,,, but honestly not for a beginner... the first blending brush i got was from elf! and it works wonders i still find myself reaching for it!! and once you got it down i'd get to more expensive brushes like mac!! they are totaly worth it but only if you use them rightt lol.....

technique i use are starrting in small circles repedetly lol then wind wiper motions works best 4 me!! HTH

 

[Forever MAC]

I would definitely recommend 217 for blending, its the best.