Introduction
Makeup brush is the most important tool that any makeup artist possesses. It is like the magic wand of the artist. Therefore the selection of the right sort of makeup brush is really important. Different sort of makeup requires a different sort of brush hair. Dry and powdery makeup would be good with natural brush hair and oily makeup will be best suited with synthetic hair type.
History
The different hair types and the material used affects the overall price and quality of the makeup brush. But today the marketing techniques and campaigns along with the competition in good looking packaging has also contributed to the higher prices or more popularity. The natural hair makeup brushes are usually softer and are made up of squirrel, pony or horse hair. And sometimes a mixture of these types with other material. These types of brushes are usually larger in size and used for blusher, eye shadow and contour brushes. For the smaller brush types, sables or Pahmi hair is used. These brushes are used for lip, eyes or eyeliners.
Features
For makeup brushes, hair type is the most important factor. There are three types of hair for a brush; natural hair, natural bristle and synthetic brushes. Natural hair type is the best hair type for these brushes! But even the availability of natural hair depends on different factors, such as the climate, place and harvesting ways, for example, the hair cut could be virgin, first, second or blunt. The hair structure of the natural hair is the best as it makes for the best application of makeup powder. It has the right 'pockety' structure to carry the powder and deliver it at the right places. The best quality badger hair is found in China.
Badger hair makeup brushes are also called badger tapers. They are thicker in the middle and pointier at the end and the color of the brush starts from lighter, goes to dark and then ends at light. This type of brushes have very soft tips and are mostly used for buffer type brushes. Badger grays are hair that is lighter in color and almost grayish. They are poorer in quality. Natural bristle is not as soft as the natural hair but it has characteristics that synthetic hair don't have. It has a flag that is the same as split ends in our hair. And it has hair that is interlocked and not all that dead straight and smooth. This type of hair is use for eyebrow makeup brushes and groomers. This hair is the best quality when it’s the longest and softest and that naturally makes them the most expensive as well. They are abundantly available in China.
Tips and comments
Synthetic hair type is not the same as Natural bristle as it doesn't have the flag or interlocked properties. These brushes are mostly made from Nylon or Taklon. These are not as soft as natural hair makeup brushes and they lose shape with time. These brushes are best used with liquid makeup and foundations as well as oily types. The part of the brush that holds all the hair is called "ferrule." Make sure that the brushes you buy have a double crimped ferrule so as to hold the hair tightly and not bring the unbalanced wobbly effect. And finally the handle of the brush should be the perfect length that you want or are comfortable with. Normally its seven inches. The handle is best if wooden. Hope these few information pieces will help you find the right quality makeup brushes for you!
