Brushes » Brushes by Use » Cosmetic Brushes

Cosmetic brushes are the most important beauty tool, for makeup and styling and with proper care, these brushes can even last a lifetime. Traditional cosmetic brushes of high quality is almost similar to artists' brushes. The only differences are in the length of the handles and some times the color of the ferrules. The construction of cosmetic brush is divided into three parts: the hair, the ferrule (metal part) and the handle.

Type Of Hair
There are many hair types used in making cosmetic brushes. Natural hair cosmetic brush is usually made from Squirrel hair, Pony hair, Goat hair or blends such as Squirrel Mix and Squirrel Blends and are used mostly in the manufacture of larger cosmetic brushes such as powder brush, blush brush, contour blending brush and some larger eye-shadow brushes.

Other soft cosmetic brush are also be made from the different types of sables or pahmi hair and are more commonly used for smaller cosmetic brushes such as sable lip brush, medium and smaller sabel eyeshadow brushes and eyeliner brushes. Natural bristles are also used for slant eyebrow brushes or groomers, etc. Two most common synthetics used in makeup brushes today are Nylon and Taklon.

Ferrule & Handle
The most common metal tubes or ferrules for cosmetic brushes are made of brass, copper or aluminum. Today, cosmetic brush handles can range from acrylics to fancy metals. Most makeup artists prefer wood handles for both durability and control. These brush handle may come in a wide variety of colors and shapes.

Following can be define under Cosmetic Brushes :

» Hair Brushes
» Makeup Brushes
» Shaving Brushes
» Nail Brushes
» Styling Brushes

Brushes used for acrylics have long handles that allow the artist to work at a distance from the canvas. Acrylic paints are more caustic than oils, so acrylic brushes are designed with synthetics and bristle. Acrylic brushes are usable in other mediums, particularly oils, while brushes designed specifically for oil painting and watercolors are unsuitable for acrylics. Artists can very effectively use glazing and layering techniques when using acrylic brushes.

Both natural and synthetic bristles can be used with acrylics, depending on the artist's preference. But, acrylics, being alkaline in nature, can be hard on natural hair brushes. Those made with high quality synthetics have excellent durability and offers excellent stiffness, snap and hair shape retention for maximum control. The brushes must be kept clean. If acrylic paint dries in a brush it is very hard to get out without using strong solvents that might damage the brush. Brushes are cleaned promptly by washing them with warm water and mild soap when finished painting.