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This guide is just going to go through the most essential brushes, not all of them, just the very basics.

Face:

Foundation brush – this can be in the form of a traditional synthetic foundation brush, a stippling brush, a small contour brush, or a kabuki brush, it depends on your preference.  But because this is a basic brush guide, I suggest a traditional foundation brush for liquid products and a kabuki brush for mineral foundation.

Blush brush – look for a soft, small to medium sized, dome-shaped brush for blush.  A small stippling brush works really well for very pigmented shades as well.

Concealer brush – this brush should be synthetic (like the foundation brush) so that it doesn’t soak up any liquid products.  Use your judgment when choosing the brush size, if you have a lot of small blemishes, try a small brush.  If you’re trying to cover areas of redness, try a larger one.

Powder brush – this is basically a bigger version of a blush brush.  Look for a large dome-shaped brush that’s soft and dense for applying finishing powder.

Eyes:

Eyeshadow brush – this is a basic eyeshadow brush, what you would use to really deposit color onto your eyelid.  These brushes tend to be rounded at the top, and should be dense enough to pick up a lot of eyeshadow.

Blending brush – the most important eye brush is the blending brush!!  It should be soft, with longer bristles than the eyeshadow brush, and a tapered or dome-shaped tip. Try not to get a brush that’s too soft or long, because if it’s too flimsy, it won’t blend the product properly.

Crease brush – this brush should be a little stiffer than the blending brush with shorter bristles and a tapered tip, perfect for adding contour colors to the crease of your eye.  Crease brushes are useful for adding depth and dimension with eyeshadow.

Eyeliner brush – there are two types of eyeliner brushes: angled and pointed.  This will be a personal preference choice.  I tend to prefer angled brushes because they provide more control and they can also be used to fill in brows!

Lips:

For me, a lip brush is not really essential. You can skip this one for now!

Some brands to try (that I use or have heard amazing things about):

Essence of Beauty, MAC, Sigma (amazing value & professional quality), Posh, Ecotools (affordable and eco-friendly!), Crown Brush (carried by Coastal Scents).

A nude lipstick is something everyone should have in their makeup bags.  And while a good one may be hard to find, hiding in a sea of pinks, reds, and corals, you’ll soon appreciate this makeup necessity.  They can be worn with everyday looks if you wish to look a little more polished, but look especially good with smokey eyes.  Have you ever worn dark eyes with a pink or red lipstick and looked back on the occasion thinking you wore too much makeup?  You should’ve worn a  nude lipstick.

Here are some tips and tricks for pulling off a nude lip:

~ Prep your lips!  Make sure they are moisturzed and exfoliated.  Apply a lip balm a little before applying your lipstick and let it absorb into your skin.

~ Pick an appropriate color.  The easiest way to do this is to pick a lipstick one or two shades lighter or darker than your natural lipcolor.  Pay attention to tone as well: if you have pink lips for example, try a light pink shade of lip color.

~ If you find this look is a little too harsh for you, try topping your lipstick with a gloss, clear or colored.  The added shine will make your lips appear more healthy.

~ Remember to bring balance your face when wearing light lipstick, you don’t want to look like a corpse!  Think of wearing a nude lipstick as taking color away from that part of your face.  In order to balance that, color should be added somewhere else.  If your not wearing a smokey eye that day, try a brighter shade of blush or a little more brozer than usual.  Don’t apply too much, just enough to make you look heathly.

Some shades to try: Revlon Nude Attitude, Smashbox Charming, any Harlotte lipstick (shown above), MAC Blankety,  Cover Girl Queen Collection Shiny Cinnamon.

A neutral palette is an important element to any makeup collection because of it’s versatility. It’s especially handy for work/school appropriate looks or when you’re in a hurry but still want to look polished. In selecting this makeup must, look for shades of brown, taupe, plum, and beige. Make sure to pick a palette with a range of shades, from light all the way to dark; if this is to be a go-to palette you’ll need highlight and crease colors as well as appropriate lid colors. I especially like the 28 Neutral Palette (pictured above; available on Ebay or www.starsmakeupheaven.com) because it has an excellent range of colors, not to mention great pigmentation.

A neutral palettes can also be a great way to create a smokey eye without going overboard with color. Try adding a dark brown, plum, or black shade to the outer corner of your eyelid and smudging it along your lash line for added drama. This is also a great way to take your look from day to night!

Here are a few neutral options to look for:

Revlon ColorStay Quad: Neutral Khakis

Cargo palette: Ibiza

Another item I think is a must-have for any makeup bag is an eyelash curler. And again, I get the feeling that it’s an underused item. Aside from looking like a scary torture device, an eyelash curler can really open up your eyes and curled lashes add drama to any look.

A few things are important to know before you try to curl your lashes:
~Make sure your curler has a rubber pad on the bottom (this makes the curler gentler on your lashes).
~Make sure to replace the pad every couple of months. The pad will eventually wear from everyday use and most curlers come with a replacement pad.
~When curling your lashes avoid placing the curler too close to your eyelid, you don’t want to pinch the sensitive skin around your eye.
~Gently apply pressure… not too much. Eyelashes are thin and easily broken.
~To get a longer lasting and more natural looking curl, start at the base of your lashes and work your way up to the ends. Try placing the curler as close to the lash line as possible, squeeze, and hold for a few seconds. Then move up to the middle, repeat the squeezing and holding process, and repeat again at the ends.
~When purchasing an eyelash curler be sure to get one with a good grip. I like mine to have finger holes, much like scissors. I don’t recommend curlers without these as the curler could slip from your grip mid-curl and accidentally rip out your lashes.

Here are a few designs I think are good and one that’s not so good:

The classic eyelash curler design:

A curler with an excellent/safe grip:

A less-desirable grip:

Second in my must-have series is cream eyeshadow. This is something I think maybe people don’t utilize enough. Cream eyeshadow can of course be used on it’s own, but it’s best used under powder shadows to bring about dimension and intensify color. A cream base in the same color as your shadow can really bring out the vibrancy of the shade. Also, try using a black or white base to deepen or brighten your shadow. Cream eyeshadow can also help powder shadow adhere to your eyelid and provide long-lasting wear.
Here are some cream shadows to try:

ELF Duo Eyeshadow Cream:

Revlon Illuminance Creme Shadow:

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils:

Benefit Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow:

To really illustrate my point, here are a few photos of a green eyeshadow look. The depth of the shadow was created by using two cream eyeshadows under powder shadow, a white color on the inner half of the lid, and a dark color on the outer half:

Shades:
NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils: Black Bean & Milk
88 Shimmer Palette: Green shades

This is going to be a series of short posts describing products I think everyone should have in their makeup bag. The first in the series is an eyeshadow primer.

Ever feel like your eyeshadow needs to be really packed on to even see the color? Or find that it forms a crease by the end of the day? A primer prevents both of these things and more. It also allows for smoother blending and ensures your eyeshadow stays put all day. A lot of primers are on the pricey side, but there are a few drugstore options as well. Here are a few recommendations:

Too Faced Shadow Insurance:

Urban Decay Primer Potion (my favorite!):

L’oreal De-Crease:

MAC Paint Pots:

To illustrate, here are some swatches. The swatches on the left are over a primer, the ones on the right are shadow alone:

Shades (Hard Candy Kaleidoscope Palette):
Top- Star#4
Bottom- Drama Queen#2