Finding yourself constantly in debate over whether to whip out your bouncy beauty blender or should you get to work with your collection of brushes? Leave the work to me, I’ve drawn up a guide to which tool is best for which technique, and when it comes down to it WHAT really wins. Beauty blender or the makeup brush?
Base:
Makeup Brush: I use two brushes for my base, a foundation brush and a buffer brush. As I contour and apply concealer, I like my base with an even coverage yet quite light. Using these two brushes allows me to ‘paint’ my foundation on, but then buff it up to take away any excess or brush marks. Its quick, and gets the job done.
Beauty Blender: The beauty blender does create a flawless look, however I want to keep my base quite light as I am using other products, so the blender tends to have more of a heavier appearance. I also feel I can’t reach all areas that I want to, such as creases of my nose or right underneath my eye.
Overall winner: The makeup brush – It wins for me on this one, as the beauty blender creates a heavier base and doesn’t reach the places I want it too.
Personal Favourites: buffer brush by Real Techniques and foundation brush by Bobbi Brown:
Contour:
Beauty Blender: I use MAX factor Panstick to draw my contour on. I then add a few drops of glow oil to my beauty blender. It blends my contour brilliantly, it literally melts into my skin and I don’t have to worry about working the product in too much and losing the definition. It helps the application to sit where I want it to and the added glow drops add a lovely glow to the area.
Makeup brush: I use my contour brush to work the product in. I have always had a medium-good result but I do feel it takes a little more time and ends up picking some of the product in. It also feels a little harsher on my skin. It does however create a really sharp, defined look to my contour.
Overall winner: Beauty Blender-It was a tricky one, but I love how easy it is to work my product in with the beauty blender and that I can add my glow oil for my contour. If you really like the sharp, defined look maybe opt for a contour brush. But I love the look my blender helps me achieve.
Under eye:
Makeup brush: I use an under eye brush to literally pat my product on. I never smear or ‘paint’ on my eye concealer as It doesn’t leave the coverage I require. The angle and size of this brush helps me reach right under my eye and it is soft enough to help me pat my product on.
Beauty Blender: It does help to create that heavier coverage I require but I feel it’s a bit daunting and slightly dangerous having a large pink sponge coming directly towards my eye. It doesn’t really do the job when it comes to under my eye.
Overall winner: The makeup brush hands down, the beauty blender size doesn’t fit my requirements.
Personal favourite: E.L.F studio under eye brush.
Highlight:
Makeup brush: As I use a cream highlighter, I have always struggled using a brush to blend it in as we all know this can be quite tricky, and can look pretty awful if it’s not blended in properly. I couldn’t really justify using my brush, and always end up getting huffy with the results and moving onto using my fingers instead to dab it on.
Beauty blender: This helps my highlight blend into my skin perfectly, I literally bounce it across my highlight and watch it do its wonders. It doesn’t pick up the product or look smeary either.
Overall winner: Beauty blender, I LOVE how it helps my highlighter sit. However, if I am using powder, it would be a fan brush. ( I rarely use powder highlighter though).
I tested four different techniques with these two tools, and my results ended up weighing even. Its hard for me to choose which tool I prefer to use as they both specialise in different uses. If I was stuck on a desert island though, and I had to pick between the two I would stick to my trusty brushes. The beauty blender is an absolute wonder when it comes to applying my makeup though, and if you don’t have one you need to get your hands on one!
Words by Demi xo
Edited by Araminta Pender @mintypender
