Powder Brush Power Points

Key Points To Remember When You Shop

The term "powder brush" usually refers to larger, facial zone makeup application brushes. There are a number of types, and a considerable variety of each type, to consider when buying. On this page you will find helpful descriptions of design qualities you should look for when choosing brushes for loose powder, translucent and mineral, pressed, setting foundation, powder bronzer, and powder blush makeup.

Features like the shape of a brushes head, along with the coarseness and length of the bristle hair, combine to play a role in how the makeup product is distributed on your face and whether or not it meets your desired objectives.

Brush Head Shape & Bristles

eye makeup The three brush head shapes shown on the left are the most typical for powder applications:
A dome shape creates the most even placement of product.
A blunt end will place more focused concentrations of product.
A slant shape will place product for heightened dimension.

Then nature of bristles-Softer bristles will create a lighter weight, more sheer distribution, of product and conversely, coarse bristles will pick up more product and place more densely, pigment on your skin.

The Top 5 "Must Have" Powder Brushes... Functions & Features

#1 LARGE POWDER BRUSH

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Description: The large powder brush is typically a big and fluffy dome shaped brush with a long handle and dense, soft, natural bristles.

Makeup task? This brush is the ideal choice when using loose and pressed translucent powders where the objective is a light weight even distribution over the face. It helps "set" the foundation in order to create a good base to apply further makeup to and reduce shine. You can also use a large powder brush to apply pressed pressed powder foundations, but keep in mind the coverage will be fairly sheer (which may or may not suit your needs).

A Good Pick?
TRY Bobbi Brown Powder Brush or Laura Mercier Powder Brush
Budget friendly-Sephora Professionnel Platinum Natural Rounded Powder Brush #40

#2 THE KABUKI BRUSH

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Description: The Kabuki brush is a more recent addition to the wider market place, and is distinctive looking with a short, squat handle and very large dome shaped head of bristles.

What it does? This brush style originates in Japanese theatre, and is designed to pick up and distribute greater amounts of pigment (theatre makeup is, of coarse, more dramatic since its effects have to be seen by an audience from some distance). It has been most notably paired with pure mineral powder makeup because it has natural bristles which tend to be more coarse for the purpose of greater quantity of product pick up and placement. Mineral makeup is all loose powders which are 'buffed' onto the skin. This brush can deliver this technique quickly and effectively.

A Good Pick?
TRY Bare Escentuals Full Coverage Kabuki Brush (it is Bare Escentuals' top-selling brush and they are among the top makers of mineral makeup).

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#3 THE BLUSH BRUSH

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Description: The blush brush is a slightly smaller less fluffy version of the large powder brush. The bristles are still long, soft, ideally natural and dense.

What it does? Blush (bronzer and shimmer) applications. As mentioned, with bristles that are long, soft, ideally natural and dense, you will get for an even, sheer and natural looking applications of blush. There are two general shapes to the head of this brush; dome creates a more even placement and slant (or angled) will place more pigment along the curves of the cheekbone for a more dramatic sculpting effect.

A Good Pick?
TRY Laura Mercier Blush Brush
Budget friendly-Sephora Brand Professionnel Angled Blush Brush #49

#4 THE BRONZER BRUSH

Description: The bronzer brush is almost a replica of the large powder brush with a slightly smaller and flatter dome.

What it does? The bristle softness will create a natural looking placement but the brush head will place a little more pigment on the curves of the face mimicking that sun kissed look (where the sun's effects are more dramatic tops cheek bones, mid nose etc. ) or sculpting the sides of the cheekbones, depending on the desired finish.

A Good Pick?
Your soft natural bristled powder brush ...just remove excess color before you use for translucent face powder.

#5 THE CONTOUR BRUSH

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Description: The contour brush is usually a blunt end round brush with slightly more coarse bristles.

What it does? Contouring is a method of makeup application with the purpose of creating dimension by shading. Shading under cheekbones, along a nose, forehead, a jawline, a chin etc with the plan of having those areas recede into space. In doing this, you create greater definition. Sometimes contouring and shading is used correctively, to help bring balance to dominant facial features. NOTE: This brush can place a lot of pigment so precise measure, placement and blending are key.

A Good Pick?
TRY Stila #21 Blush Brush
Budget friendly- Sephora Brand Professionnel Contour Blush/Bronzer Brush #43

eye makeup Makeup brushes can be expensive and expense doesn't necessarily mean quality. So, take the time to determine what your makeup routine is, what tools serve it best and then, only then, start shopping (how often do we shop, find something that seems to make sense, only to discover we didn't really need it after all). On the other hand, when we have the right tools and product, what a great difference.