Tipping Thursday: What's In Your Make-up "Tool Box"?

This week's Tipping Thursday starts off our make-up series.

Your make-up can only be as good as the tools you use to apply it with.  So let's get to know our tools a little better:

Tool Box

Foundation Brush:  Used to apply liquid foundation or tinted moisturizer and blend foundation on skin; made of firm but flexible nylon bristles and rounded on the end.

Powder Brush:  Used to apply powder all over face; should have softer, more flexible bristles (think fluffy)

Concealor Brush:  Used to apply and blend concealor.  Can also be used to apply cream eyeshadow and liquid highlighter.  Soft, tapered and slightly pointed at the tip for precise application; made of soft nylon fibers which facilitate application of concealor.

Eyeshadow Brush:  Used to apply powder eyeshadow; has shorter bristles for more precise and concentrated application.  Can be used with all types of powder eyeshadows.

Angled Eyeshadow Brush:  Used to apply eyeshadow in crease to create eye definition.  Flat row of bristles cut at an angle, firm yet flexible.

Blending Brush:  Used to blend eyeshadow, can be used to create a "smoky" effect on eyes.  Longer bristles than the eyeshadow brush and much more flexible.

Smudge Brush:  Used to smudge liner or shadow to create a "smoky" look or less-sharp definition.  Short, firm bristles.

Eyeliner Brush:  Used to apply eyeshadow as eyeliner or cream/gel eyeliner.  Thin row of firm bristles, either angled or flat.

Blush/Bronzer Brush:  Used to apply blush and bronzer to cheeks.  Much like a powder brush, but with firmer brushes for better control of the color.  I prefer a blush brush with a flat top-gives more control over where your blush is going and how much goes where.

Eyelash Comb/Brow Brush:  Used to comb out lashes after applying mascara and brushing brows into place.

Lip Brush:  Used to apply lip products to lips and to line lips.  Made of firm nylon bristles.

Eyelash Curler:  Used to curl eyelashes

Tweezers:  Used mostly to groom and shape eyebrows.

I personally love, LOVE mark.'s brushes.  They are made with quality bristles and last and last.  And they don't shed.  I hate it when I end up with bristles all over my face when I'm putting on my make-up.  So, naturally, most of my brushes are from mark.  Another brand I love is Sonia Kashuk.  Her smudge brush is my fav.   And this brush set from EcoTools is amazing!!

Again, they don't shed and they're soooo soft!  When picking out brushes, you want ones that are soft (you don't want something that's going to be rough on your face), but not too soft that the bristles are flimsy.  Opposite of that, you don't want bristles so firm that they're brittle.  If you're able to, touch them, bend them, try them out (without actually putting on make-up with them, of course.)  And remember, a good set of brushes is an investment, so they're worth spending some money on.  But you don't have to go overboard.  The above pictured set is only $10 for 5 brushes and a case, making each brush less than $2.  If properly taken care of, a brush can last you years and years.  So find ones you like and go for it.  As with most things beauty-related, it really is trial and error.