Identifying a low quality brush:
Except for certain applications, choose a brush made of real hair, not synthetic. You can identify synthetic hairs because they are glossy, feel coarse when brushed across the inside of your wrist, and tend to get stiffer with age instead of softer. When the brush is swished back and forth across your hand, look for stray hairs flying out. While some brush hair loss is to be expected, poorly glued hairs will come out easily in large quantities. When the hairs are gently pulled, notice if there is any give to the brush head. If there is, the brush will eventually come apart and not last.

Identifying a good quality brush:
The softest, best brushes are real hair, and often a variety of hairs in the same brush. Squirrel, badger, and raccoon hairs are some of the softest you’ll find and provide the finest finish. Sable hairs are the most durable. Taklon brushes are cream or orange colored synthetic hairs that hold a larger amount of powders or creams without soaking up the product. Taklon bristles allow you to move the product around, or strategically place product on the skin, making it the brush of choice for concealing. The hair of a quality brush will be firmly attached to the handle. You will never regret the purchase of a high quality brush. Consider it an investment in your good looks and confidence.

The cut of a brush:
Cut relates to function. There are three main types of brush cuts: Tapered, chisel, and straight.

Straight: Useful for applying eyeliner, eye shadows, under-eye concealer, or eyebrow color.

Tapered: Brush is flat but ends are rounded out in a tapered outline. Useful for lip color, or applying powder to targeted areas. Taklon brushes are often tapered.

Chisel: Brush has rounded edge and hairs are layered from the middle to the ends of the brush. Useful for applying blush and eye shadow color, or contouring and blending one color into another.

Basic Set
A basic set of brushes would most often include the following:

• Powder Brush
• Taklon Camouflage (concealer) Brush
• Blush Brush
• Lip Brush
• Small Angle Brush for eyebrows
• Flat Eye-shadow Brush to fit the bone contours of the eye
  

Very useful:

• Small, straight or angle brushes for applying eye shadows.
• Fan Brush for feathering cheek colors, brushing off excess powder, or sweeping away the mistakes that have fallen underneath your eyes.
  
• Fine, tapered brush for eyeliner application.
  

Brush Care
Quality brushes will last a lifetime if given proper care. Besides excess powder building up in the brush, moisturizers can accumulate which will cause the brush to drag over your face rather than glide. Washing sanitizes the hair of the brush and keeps it soft for the smoothest application.

1. Wash brushes a minimum of once a week with a mild shampoo. (Remember, they’re hair.) Rinse thoroughly and air dry. This will keep the bristles soft and healthy. Thrice weekly washing is ideal.
2. Use a spray brush cleaner for the smaller specialty brushes. This will completely sanitize the brush as well as pulling all the color and product out of the hairs. Spray cleaner on a tissue; wipe brush back and forth across the tissue to remove all traces of powder. A quick dry formula allows a single brush to be used for applying different colors consecutively.
3. The brushes should always feel soft. Only clean, soft brushes produce a finely textured finish.