Essential Beauty Tools

Beauty tools are underrated and overlooked for many women, but they are as important as the makeup itself. Investing in a few essential make up tools can make all the difference to the way you look. The right tools make application easier and more precise and give you a more professional and flawless look. Here’s some essential beauty tools every woman should have in her make up bag:

APPLICATOR SPONGE: Sponges are used to apply foundations and cream blushes. They are also great for re-touching make up. They come in many shapes and sizes. A triangle-shaped sponge is the best one to apply foundation as it can get into nooks and crannies, such as around your nostrils and the inner corners of your eyes. Powder and puff sponges are great for picking pressed and loose powders. Latex sponges are ideal for applying foundations and cream blushes. Used damp they provide a dewy finish, dry they provide a matte coverage. People with sensitive skin, though, may be allergic to latex sponges. Cellulose sponges are great for removing makeup. Sponges are a great breeding ground for bacteria so make sure you wash them regularly with an anti-bacterial cleanser and hot water and then let them dry. They should be replaced often.

BRUSHES: Brushes can either be made of natural hair, such as pony or goat or squirrel, or they can be synthetic. Real hair brushes last longer, are softer on the skin and have better blending properties. They are, however, more expensive. Make sure you clean them at least once a week. There are many products to clean brushes on the market, or you can wash them with a mild shampoo and then let them dry. Don’t dry with heat or the bristles will eventually dry out. If the bristles start to shed, then it’s time to replace your brushes.
There are different brushes for different jobs:

Foundation brush: Used to achieve a natural finish when applying foundation. Put a small amount of foundation on the back of your hand, dip the brush into it and apply the foundation with downward strokes.

Concealer brush: Used to cover imperfection such as spots and other blemishes. It’s small with fairly stiff bristles for better control over movements. It can have a pointed tip for precision.

Blush/powder brush: Used to apply blush, bronzer and powder. It should be large, rounded with soft bristles.

Eye shadow brush: Used to apply and blend eye shadows. They are small to medium sized. An angled brush is perfect to allow movement into eye socket, while rounded tips are a must for smooth blending.

Eyeliner brush: Used to apply eyeliner. They should be small tapered and fine tipped for precision. Sable brushes work best for powdered liners while synthetics are best for liquids.

Lip brush: Used to apply lipstick and gloss. They are thin with firm bristles for full control.

EYELASH CURLER: It makes your eyes look bigger and brighter. They are available in metal and plastic. The plastic ones break easily while the metal ones can be heated to get a better result. However make you sure you don’t heat it for more than 5 seconds as over-heating can dry out your lashes. Buy one with a soft rubber strip, as a hard rubber makes it less easy to get a good curl. The strips needs to be washed and replaced too. Always use before you apply mascara or the curler will cling to the mascara and you risk breaking your lashes.

NAIL FILE: used to gently grind down and shape the edges of nails. They come in different colors, sizes and are made of different materials. Emery boards are made of cardboard covered with emery, which is a very hard mineral. They are cheap, disposable and have various surfaces. Metal files last longer than emery boards but they can be hard on your nails, causing them to become fragile. Glass files claim to prevent nail splitting and peeling. They have a finer surface than that of an emery board or a metal nail file. They are expensive.

TWEEZERS: Used to remove unwanted hair from your face. They can also be used to hold fake eyelashes, as it can be difficult to apply them accurately with your fingers. They can be slanted or pointed. Always make sure the ends meet perfectly.

WOODEN CUTICLE STICK:Used to gently push back your cuticles. They are available in metal or plastic and can have rubber tips.

Tagged as: brush, eyelash curler, nail tools, sponge, tweezers