Article by Donna Hay for www.makeupbulletin.com

We get a lot of ladies asking regarding makeup brushes! Now I could talk about this topic for hours, but to make it a bit easier for all of you I’m gonna feature only 3 brushes in this article! We focusing on eyes this month of course, so you would still need your blusher and bronzing brushes etc… But in terms of eye brushes, if you had these three brushes from MAC, you could get a beautifully blended, soft smoky eye! Guaranteed!

First up, (featured above) is the infamous # 239 brush. We love it because it’s soft enough to be able to blend a bit, and still firm enough to ‘pick up’ the eye-shadow. The best of both worlds as they say!

Let me explain further- The softer and looser a brush is, the better it is for blending. That’s why blusher and bronzing brushes are these huge big fluffy soft things! Nobody wants harsh blusher or bronzer, it needs to look soft and not too obvious and streaky right? Well, it’s the same for eye brushes! This little #239 brush is firm enough and not too loose and fluffy, so it can ‘collect’ eye shadow to apply to the eye area. Simply dip into your favourite eye-shadow, and press onto the eye-lid. It’s also great for smudging some shadow underneath the eye due to its flat, slim shape.

Next, a #219 brush This little number is also known as a pencil brush! Why? It’s designed to smudge kohl or any other soft pencil liners into the lash line. If you have this little brush, you will always get a beautifully soft smoky liner. Its shape is perfect for getting underneath the eye also to soften pencil liners into the bottom lash line. It’s great for precise application!

Lastly, you will need a soft blending brush to blend all your colours into each other and into the crease of your eye.

Enter #217 Blending brush! (Featured below)

This soft blending brush is made from goat hair too, as is all of the MAC brushes by the way, and blends eye shadow to absolute perfection! I like to use it in small, vigorous little round circles to blend, buff and soften the eye-shadow into the crease of the eye-lid. A great buy!

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Please clean all your brushes regularly to optimize their lifespan. This can be done with a bit of shampoo, and then left to dry on a window sill on same paper towel overnight. I like to use a bit of conditioner on my brushes too! It keeps them soft and smelling nice! For ladies in a hurry, brush cleanser can be used. Due to its alcohol content, brush cleaners will disinfect your brushes and also dry rapidly so brushes can be used nearly immediately afterwards. Simply pour some brush cleanser onto a piece of paper towel and wipe clean. Available from most professional make-up stockists.

*All these brushes are available form MAC make-up stores. Please contact their flagship store at the V & A waterfront in Cape Town for additional information. Tel + 27 21 421 4886 – or go to www.maccosmetics.com to order on-line.
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