How to Choose Makeup Brushes 1. The brush is best made of natural hair because the natural hairbrush is soft and elastic, feels comfortable when in contact with the skin, and easily picks up powder particles for a natural look. Synthetic brushes are slippery but do not apply makeup evenly. 2. The brush should be soft and smooth, tightly structured, full-bodied, and the bristles should not fall out easily. The handle should be easy to grip. 3. When choosing a natural hairbrush, you can feel its elasticity with your hand or press the brush flat on the table; an ideal brush will have bristles distributed in a round shape without any gaps. 4. Brush the back of your hand with the brush; if no bristles fall out, it's a high-quality brush. 5. To distinguish between real and fake bristles: blow hot air onto the bristles; if they remain unchanged, they're animal hair; if they curl, they're synthetic fibers. How to Clean Makeup Brushes You can use a dedicated brush cleaner or some mild cleaning agents such as baby shampoo to clean them yourself. When using a brush cleaner, squeeze out about a nickel-sized amount of cleaning cream onto a damp makeup brush, gently rub, and then rinse with cool water. Absolutely do not wash against the direction of the bristles. After washing, use a towel or cotton pad to gently press with your fingers to remove moisture, but remember not to twist the bristles, otherwise, they may be damaged and become loose, leading to shedding. After washing, you can hang the makeup brush upside down to dry with the bristles facing down. Let it dry naturally; do not dry it with a hairdryer or in the sun, as this may damage the material. How to Store Makeup Brushes Generally, brands provide corresponding makeup bags. Small makeup bags are suitable for short-handled brushes or travel brushes, while larger ones are suitable for professional makeup brushes. When not in use, it's best to store the brushes upright in a makeup container. Long-handled brushes are convenient to use but not easy to carry, so according to the size of your cosmetic bag, you might want to add a shorter large brush. Common Materials Used in Makeup Brushes Sable Hair: The top grade of brush hair, soft and medium texture. Horse Hair: Harder than goat hair, mostly used for eyeshadow brushes. Goat Hair: The most common brush hair, soft and durable. Squirrel Hair: Cheaper than sable hair, soft texture. Synthetic Fibers: Harder than the above animal hairs, suitable for thick creamy foundation. Nylon: The hardest texture, mostly used for mascara and eyebrow brushes. Commonly Used Makeup Brushes 1. Blush Brush: A conical brush head with a curve can effectively prevent streaks or spots caused by uneven application, even heavy blush colors are fine. Tip: Start from the top of the cheekbones when applying blush, use circular motions to brush from top to bottom along the cheeks until the blush blends completely with the skin color. Use a round-headed blush brush to create a doll-like makeup effect by circling around the cheekbone area; for a natural effect, lightly sweep the blush from the cheekbone towards the hairline. 2. Powder Brush: After applying foundation, use a large round powder brush to evenly apply loose powder on the face; or after pressing loose powder with a puff, use a powder brush to remove excess powder. A large round powder brush helps evenly apply loose powder over the entire face. Soft and fluffy brush heads make it easy to apply makeup. Tip: If too much powder has been applied, brushing from top to bottom can remove excess powder from the face. 3. Contour Brush: The slanted brush head is especially suitable for creating a three-dimensional facial effect, used by brushing diagonally from the temples towards the cheekbones. 4. Eyebrow Brush: The hard bristle material and slanted brush head design make drawing eyebrows quick and easy. Suitable for brushing eyebrow powder evenly and naturally after drawing eyebrows. 5. Eyebrow Brush: Suitable for evenly sweeping eyebrow powder onto the eyebrows for a natural effect. 6. Eyeliner Brush: A thin, wide, and sturdy brush head allows you to draw delicate eyeliner along the lash line. Tip: Wet the brush tip slightly with water before application to create a more precise and vivid eyeliner. 7. Concealer Brush: The brush head width is relatively narrow, with a moderate hardness that makes it easy to apply makeup even in hard-to-reach areas like the inner corners of the eyes and around the nose. 8. Eyeshadow Effect Brush: Made from selected horsehair, the round brush head can create a soft "smoky" makeup effect and can also be used as a regular eyeshadow brush. 9. Eyeshadow Brush: A slightly pointed and narrow brush head is suitable for applying makeup from the eyelid to the lash line. Tip: Apply the base color of the eyeshadow to cover the entire eye socket, evenly apply the color once, and gradually blend the color. 10. Lip Brush: The flat side makes lip gloss appear natural and uniform; the pointed end is convenient for outlining plump lips.