BellaSugar

Makeup Brush Hair Types, Part II: Pony

BellaSugar — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 10:00:07 -0700

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 less coarse than goat hair, though. It comes from the mane of young horses and is very fine and soft. In the finest quality of brushes, the hair comes from the belly of the pony.

As you can see in this Make Up Forever Blush Brush ($38) the brush is a cylindrical shape. Stay tuned for more makeup brush hair types all week long!

Makeup Brush Hair Types, Part I: Goat

BellaSugar — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 10:00:34 -0700

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 educate you on tools of the trade.

Thanks to the help from my pals at Nars, I've come to understand that the quality in makeup brushes also varies according to hair type. High-quality brushes contain mostly virgin hair with tapered ends, which stays soft on the skin. Also, natural hair gets softer with use and synthetic hair becomes more stiff.

Today I am going to begin with goat hair since it is the coarsest hair and is very common in makeup brushes.

For example, that deliciously fluffy and tightly woven Nars #19 Bronzing Brush ($50) is crafted from goat hair to distribute bronzing powder evenly.

It is believed to be the most effective hair to pick up powder and deposit it smoothly. It is also ideal for buffing and blending, since goat hair naturally brings luster to the skin. Let me know if you have any questions or if you have anything to add!

Sensational Ceramic Hair Brushes

BellaSugar — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 13:58:32 -0700

Ceramic hair brushes work much the same way that ceramic flatirons do: They hold heat from your hair dryer longer and distribute it evenly throughout the brush. Not only do ceramic brushes dry your hair faster than wooden or metal models, but they also protect hair from excessive drying and eliminate frizz. After switching to a ceramic brush, you will undoubtedly feel the difference in your light, silky smooth hair. Here are a few of my recommendations.

The Luxor Brush Tifi Collection features soft, pure-boar bristles combined with individual nylon "porcupine" tufts to help grip and penetrate even the thickest of hair. They're perfect for controlling frizz, waves, and curls. The brushes are available in four sizes: small for $14.25, medium for $16.50, large for $19.50, and extra-large for $25.50. Buy one here.

To see the rest, read more

The Ceramic Mega Vent 5-Inch Round Brush is crafted with a huge open space, so that your hair dryer actually fits inside the brush head! It is also made from pure-boar bristles and includes a vent designed for maximum airflow and quick drying time. This is a terrific size brush for straightening long, coarse hair. Buy it here for $17.99.

The T3 Tourmaline Ceramic Brush is super lightweight and comfortable and helps maximize your hair's shine and polish. It is made from crushed Tourmaline jewels, which are believed to help eliminate static electricity and breakage. You can buy the extra-large brush here for $23, and the medium sized brush here for $20.

BellaSugar's Guide To Makeup Brush Hair Types

BellaSugar — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 10:00:22 -0700

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 is for depositing and blending colour. Also note that makeup brushes have three parts to them: hair, handle and ferrule. The ferrule is the metal piece that connects the handle as well as holds the bristles in place. You want to buy ferrules made of seamless brass, copper or aluminum (nickel plated is ok too) since these are very durable metals - enjoy!

Source

Makeup Brush Hair Types, Part V: Squirrel

BellaSugar — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 10:14:32 -0700

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 that you see running around in your backyard, so don't worry about your chubby lil' nut-stealing friends.

Squirrel hair is ideal for blending heavy pigment, which is why it is commonly found in eye shadow crease brushes like this Professional Platinum Natural Crease Brush from Sephora ($24). Squirrel hair is also often mixed with other types of hair to bring down the cost, so if you are buying something expensive, it is important to inquire about the origin of the hairs.

Makeup Brush Hair Types, Part VI: Badger

BellaSugar — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 09:00:20 -0700

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 commonly found in shaving brushes. Although badger hair is extremely firm, it is also very soft and has an elastic quality so it will never scratch up your face.

This Shu Uemura Natural Fan Brush ($45) is a popular brush used for powder and liquid face color. It's great for blending and dusting with accuracy. Keep in mind that because badger hair is so soft and bouncy, it must be kept clean at all times.

Makeup Brush Hair Types, Part VI: Synthetic

BellaSugar — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 14:00:34 -0700

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 common type of synthetic hair used to apply concealer, cream shadow, cream blush or cream foundation is taklon. This is a fine-grade nylon that is less absorbent than natural hair.

An excellent nylon brush is this Laura Mercier Creme Blush Brush ($36) which happens to be the perfect size to add natural definition to the cheeks. The downside of taklon is that it is less durable than natural hair brushes, and synthetic brushes also tend to become very stiff over time.

Makeup Brush Hair Types, Part III: Sable

BellaSugar — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 14:00:04 -0700

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 brushes is long with a fine pointed tip and a thick middle so that it naturally creates a conical shape.

Kolinsky Sable is amazingly soft, golden brown and is commonly found in expensive designer brushes such as this Tarte All-Over Eyeshadow Brush ($24, pictured left). It comes from species of mink found in Russia and China and has the longest length of any of the sable categories (2.25 inches).

BellaSugar's Guide to Hair Brushes

BellaSugar — Sun, 03 Jun 2007 05:31:20 -0700

For this weekend's BellaSugar Guide, I thought I'd offer some wisdom on hair brushes. Admittedly, buying a brush can be very confusing. There are so many options out there - metal, wooden, ceramic, boar bristle, synthetic bristle, and even combs - that it's tough to know which one is best for you. So I've rounded up a few posts to help you untangle the crazy world of hair brushes.

Hairbrushes: The Paddle

BellaSugar — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 14:15:22 -0700

The hairbrush - you probably use one every day, but with the wide variety of brushes available, do you ever wonder which is what, and which one you should pick, anyway? Well, you're in luck because all this week, I'll be featuring different types of brushes and how to use them. As a general guideline, pick a brush based on the length of your hair and the style you want to achieve.

Let's start off with the paddle brush, which is great for longer hairstyles. To use, gently lift hair at the roots and sweep down the hair shaft. Since this brush is so flat, it's best for creating smooth, sleek, and shiny styles without lots of volume. It also works wonders as a finisher for curly, frizzy, or wavy hair that's been styled by other means.

Because the paddle brush is so wide, it's also great for penetrating thick hair and providing a gentle, stimulating scalp massage. Try the Aveda Wooden Paddle Brush ($18).