If you don’t have a make-up artist at your beck and call, Rescu. has the next best thing: a cheat sheet of the Top 7 brushes, as edited by Nicole Thompson, senior make-up artist at MAC Cosmetics. Rescu. grabbed 5 mins with Nicole as she packs her bag and heads to Milan for the fashion shows. Once you’ve learnt the brush basics, flawless skin is just a brush stroke away…
Nicole’s ultimate edit and can’t-live-without brushes:
1. Foundation Brush #190 (RRP: $75)
So important. A professional quality soft foundation brush is designed to give a smooth, flawless finish at home. The fibres in this paintbrush don’t absorb the product – it just applies and blends your foundation to perfection!
2. Powder Brush #187 (RRP: $85)
A large, full circular brush used for lightweight application and fine blending of face powder and bronzer. Made from a soft blend of goat and synthetic fibres that will help you create a sheer coverage that’s easy to build up!
3. Cheek And Contour Brush #168 (RRP: $65)
It is a “must” to have separate powder and blush brushes so you don’t end up with a pink tinge to your foundation! This divine brush is a large angled contour – the fibres form a buffed edge that is soft yet firmly bundled! Great to highlight the apples of your cheeks or sculpt under them.
4. Small Angle Brush #266 (RRP: $39)
This brush helps you create sharp, precise lines with ease! Use it to press powder into the lashline for a soft eye line. You can also use it to perfect your liquid eyeliner, or give yourself the brows you always wanted!
5. Fluffy Blender Brush #217 (RRP: $39)
This is my can’t-live-without brush. I have 6. It has fine densely packed natural fibres that are arranged in an oval shape. It is amazing to blend creamy or powder products. A smokey eye could not be completed without a fluffy brush like this one!
6. Small Eyeshadow Brush #239 (RRP: $48)
This is the brush to start all eye make-up. This brush is small enough to give your strong intense colour payoff in an instant, yet soft enough to give you a blended edge. You apply the colour with this brush then blend it out using the #217 (above).
7. Large Eyeshadow Brush #252 (RRP: $56)
Quick! I have five minutes to do my eye make-up – where’s my 2-5-2 Brush?! This large paddle-shaped brush has the natural fibres to make sure your eye make-up is blended and the shape and size lets you do this in an instant! Swipe on a bright colour instantly, or do a smokey eye with an edge – it’s up to you!
8. Brush Cleanser (RRP: $20)
OK, so this isn’t a brush – but it is the essential item to make sure the brushes you have invested in last a lifetime. These amazing brushes will treat you as well as you treat them! This product will clean, disinfect and condition your brushes so they will last longer. Super convenient to use, it leaves your brushes smelling fresh and shortens the drying time! So you can use your angle brush to apply your black liquid line, then clean it with the brush cleanser and it will be ready to define your eyebrows!
For close-up images of each MAC brush, click here to go to special Brush Cheat Sheet gallery. All of these brushes are available from MAC Cosmetics.
Rescu. wants to know which brush you can’t live without?