Makeup today is completely different from makeup 20 years ago, at least for me. I don’t remember ever having to use a brush to apply foundation, concealer, or shadow. Now you walk into stores and there are hundreds of brushes and beauty sponges to choose from.
It can be difficult searching for the perfect sponge or brush. Different skin types require the use of different tools and makeup. Instead of discussing all of my brushes in one go, I wanted to focus on a new brush every other week to discuss their benefits and drawbacks.
This week I’d like to talk about the flat top kabuki brush. This brush is pretty versatile. It can be used to buff liquid foundation into the skin, it can be used to contour, and I’ve even used it to bronze.
My brush is from Sigma Beauty – it is the Flat Kabuki F80. This brush retails for $24 online. This specific brand carries a free two-year warranty, and is cruelty free.
This brush has hundreds of fibers placed closely together to make it very dense. When buffing liquid foundation, it is nice to have a dense brush, that way your product isn’t soaked up by the fibers (this means more bang for your buck, as you don’t want your foundation to go to waste).
When I say “dense”, that definitely does not mean rough or hard. This brush is simultaneously comfortable and firm. So, it is not abrasive to my skin, but moves the makeup around on my face nicely.
These brushes are easy to clean with brush cleaner, your facial cleanser, or even a bar of soap. Remember to wash your brushes every 2-3 weeks if they are your personal brushes. If you break out of have some acne flare-ups, I recommend washing them more often so you are not spreading bacteria on your face.
Sometimes when you use brushes all of the fibers fall out when you wash them, or even when you are applying makeup. That is not the case with the Sigma Flat Kabuki brush, and I attribute this to the strength of the ferrule (the middle portion of your brush that holds all of the fibers in place).
When buffing out your makeup, you have to make sure it isn’t streaked across your face. While kabuki brushes can give you a smooth photoshopped look, they can also leave foundation lines on your face. This can be time consuming to buff out, but is worth it.
Obviously there are tons of kabuki brushes at different price points. You could use a flat top, round top, or an angled flat top, depending on your makeup needs.
Kabuki brushes: e.l.f. Kabuki Face Brush ($6 at Target), Real Techniques Retractable Kabuki brush ($10 at Ulta), and Crown Brushes Deluxe Flat Kabuki ($15.12 online).
Have a product in mind you would like tested or talked about in this column? Please leave a comment below or email me at thebeautybeatdown@gmail.com.
