The 101 on Eyeliner Brushes
We all started with pencil eyeliners. But the more we learn about makeup and application techniques, the more we crave for precision and different effects for our eyes. If you're a bit advanced in makeup then I'm sure you're starting to explore (or have already explored) cream/ gel eyeliners. This post is all about the basic brushes you can use for those wonderful pots of cosmetics!
For your reference, the gel liner I used below is the Kanebo Kate Gel Eyeliner (it's amazing and affordable too!). Please also check my tutorial on applying eyeliner, with a short stub on how to do a cat's eye. ;)
The flat angled eyeliner brush can be difficult to master at first, but it's probably the best brush for that perfect winged or cat's eye line. It draws the outer line thicker so if you have round eyes (like I do) then this brush can elongate them and make them look narrower.
This brush can also be used for shading the eyebrows with a wet product (such as wax or eyebrow gel).
The flat rounded brush is not just good for detailed eyeshadow work or spot concealing - you can also use this to create thick lines with both gel/cream eyeliner or cake/powder eyeliner. If you don't like the winged-out tip for your eyes, use a rounded brush like this. It can also be used to smudge eyeliner since it's a little bushy and is made of animal hair.
This brush is probably the best for beginners since it's easy to control and can be used with a variety of formulas.
The pencil brush is long, slightly stiff, and very narrow. This creates thin, natural-looking lines close to the lashes, but I like that you can increase the thickness according to the look you're going for. This is probably my default brush for lining my eyes; it's so versatile! I can create a daring cat eye, a simple natural look, or a rounded line with this single brush.
It does take some skill to master but the right brush (stiffness is an important factor) will definitely make things easier.
The bent pencil brush works exactly like the classic pencil brush - it's just that the bent shape can actually help you get a more even line. You don't have to awkwardly angle the brush as much with this genius development. ;)
So there you go! The brushes featured here are from Charm (except the round one), by the way! What's your favorite eyeliner brush? Do you prefer a specific eyeliner shape?
