Stock Your Make-up Kit Like a Pro

This past weekend I was on my typical grocery run, when a lady behind me stopped and asked how I managed to make my skin look so perfect. My first instinct was obviously to drive her over to Lens Crafters (because she clearly had a serious vision problem), but instead I decided to give her a polite smile and ask what she meant.

She continued on to say that my makeup and skin looked airbrushed, and that she has tried every different line of cosmetics, but STILL couldn't get it to look the way “the ladies at the counter do.”  Being the makeup fanatic that I am, I spent the next couple minutes digging into the cosmetics skeletons of this poor woman’s closet like I was David Caruso on CSI Miami.

Oh and side bar… I was letting my Valenti Gelato (aka THE MOST AMAZING THING EVER) melt for this convo – a true testament to my obsession with beauty and helping lovely strangers. This was serious business.

Anyway, we chatted for a few minutes when I finally realized we had been talking about a lot of great cosmetics lines, but she NEVER mentioned what she was applying them with! Want to know her answer?

“Oh, I don’t know… my hand and some of those little makeup sponge thingys on a stick.”

Ahhhhhhhh!!! << Insert my miniature heart attack here. 

I wanted to grab her face like the little kid in Billy Madison, but instead I calmly smiled and gave her a nugget of wisdom that I wish every woman knew…

Cosmetic brushes are NOT the side salad to your main entrée – i.e. they are NOT an optional add on.  In fact, they are more like the special ingredients that make everything look and taste amazing! J

DaVinci couldn't have painted the Mona Lisa with a pack of Crayola Easy Grips from the Dollar Store, so don’t expect your makeup to give you professional results if you’re cutting corners with your own tools.

No matter if you are a veteran makeup artist, or a soccer mom next door, great tools are essential to great makeup. The key is to know what you need, where to go, and when buying the high dollar brush is the right move.

Here are a few makeup kit staples that every flawless face must have…


Foundation Brushes

 The Beauty Blender is THE BEST foundation application tool ever! Honestly, I didn’t even want to give another option, because it truly isn’t needed. The Blender is the exact reason why that lady stopped me in the first place. With this tool, you will get flawless application every time with an airbrushed finish! (Buyers tip: get it from Amazon, and you can get 2 for a little more than the cost of one at Sephora) J



Blush Brush

From here on, it a brush battle between Sigma and MAC. Both brands are great, and I would own either, but I am typically partial to MAC for my kit. For this blush brush though, I would suggest someone starting out with Sigma if cost is the key. Both brushes are angled, which will allow you to apply a more natural looking blush in the right areas – rather than a big fluffy blush brush that just puts it all over the cheeks.


Flat Shadow Brush

This brush has dual purpose, which is always awesome! Flat brushes are perfect for applying pressed powder shadows, cream shadows, and even laying powder pigments down without it getting everywhere! They also make a great detail tool for applying brow and inner corner highlighters. Hooray for flat shadow brushes!


Crease Contour Brush

I can say that this is a MUST HAVE for any woman that puts on makeup, and I would hands down go with MAC. Their brush is amazing at blending shadows all over the lid, but especially in the crease. With this brush, you can completely avoid those harsh shadow lines we sometimes see with darker shadows. Buy, buy, buy one today!


All Over Powder Brush

A big fluffy brush is another key staple. To give your makeup a nice matte finish, with real staying power, use a brush like this to apply a foundation powder, or translucent setting powder over your liquid/cream foundation. (Application trick: Use a stippling (patting) motion, rather than a sweeping motion when applying the powder. Sweeping can often move your liquid/cream foundation around on your face, or change any contouring you’ve done.


Gel Liner Brush

Want to get a little fancy? Ditch the everyday pencil, and try incorporating a gel liner into your makeup wardrobe. It gives you sleek and precise lines that pencils just can’t achieve, and man does it stay put! Don’t be scared, a couple of practice runs and you’ll be a gel liner pro!


And that’s it… now your makeup kit is off to being stocked like a pro!

Thanks so much for reading!  You can find more on my blog at www.BeautybyWhitney.com

All my love and lipstick,



Whitney Reynolds
TP Exclusive

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