Makeup brushes are the most important beauty tools that you can own. With gentle and regular cleansing, quality brushes should last a lifetime. I hope that you've found my series on makeup brush hair types educational. Below is a six-post roundup that you can refer back to for help before applying makeup and shopping for new brushes. Keep in mind that the firmer the fiber, the better the brush Read more

Welcome to my final installment on makeup brush hair types. Today's topic is synthetic hair. Sometimes faux is the way to go! Cosmetics companies make makeup brushes from a synthetic material like nylon as opposed to natural hair because this type of bristle is less expensive, and it provides a smooth and even finish for cream products. (Since it lacks a cuticle, it can't trap makeup.) A Read more

Part five of my six part series on makeup brush hair is about squirrel hair. This type of hair is durable, fine, thin and has a thick belly with a fine tip — that's where it gets its conical shape. Also, it's the softest natural hair used in makeup brushes. The type of hair that coveted for these highly sought after brushes is from the long-haired squirrel, not the typical garden variety Read more

Badger hair has the firmest bristles, which makes it ideal for eyebrow brushes, fan brushes, bronzer brushes and for grooming. Badger hair typically comes from China and is similar to sable hair in the sense that it has a thicker middle and a thin top, tapering out into a conical shape. High-quality badger hair has a light and dark brown color, while lower-quality badger hair is gray and is Read more

Sable is the most durable and soft hair used in makeup brushes. They should be viewed as an investment since they'll last a lifetime if you take proper care of them. There are three types of sable brushes: Kolinsky is the highest quality, then red sable and then just plain sable. Sable is popular because its brushes are very resilient, they snap back and they have pointy tips. The hair on sable Read more

Welcome to the second installment of my makeup brush hair types series. Today's topic is pony hair. It's the most common type of hair in fluffy cheek, contour and powder brushes where dense color deposits are needed. Like goat hair, pony hair does not come to a point — another great reason to use it on cheeks, because the bristles lend themselves well to blending. Pony hair is a little bit Read more

Welcome to part one of my series on makeup brush hair. When shopping for different styles of cosmetics brushes, most of you tend to look for the softest hairs that won't scratch your face. While I happen to do the same thing, what I didn't realize is that hairs have vastly different functions. I am hoping this series can help to facilitate your brush shopping experience as well as help to Read more