Hi all! It is time for my new brush post. Today I am going to write about two most typical foundation brushes: flat top brush and flat paddle brush (+powder brush).
The first one is the Ebelin flat top brush. Essentially, flat top brushes are meant to create flawless, medium to full coverage base and they are usually used with liquid or creamy foundation. The main feature it has are the extremely dense and therefore relatively firm bristles. This means that you can really buff the product well into the skin and create nearly flawless, streak-free finish.
The one I own is the Ebelin brush - DM's brand and similar in quality to other Ebelin brushes (check my previous post). I have it for a year or so and I have to say it did it's job for the time. Why I used "did" instead of ''does" - well, I got a Real Techniques stippling brush and I haven't gone back to using this one ever since. :D Additionally it started shedding, so now it has some bald spots (getting old is tough, even for the brushes :D)... And I had to glue the ferrule to the handle couple of times. That being said, I would not repurchase it again. I will keep using it from time to time, but certainly not as my main brush. Again I have to stress that those are really cheap brushes, so if you are just starting to experiment with make up or you don't want to invest a lot of money, this is a great choice. (I know that they are not available world wide, but there are many brands in the similar price range).
The second one I will mention today is the dual flat paddle brush/powder brush from Ebelin as well. Practical packaging on one hand (2 in 1), but tough for maintenance. What I mean by "maintenance" is the brush washing process. I try to regularly wash my brushes with a mild shampoo/soap and when I dry them I try to have an inclination so the water can go down towards bristles and out - and therefore not harm or disintegrate the glue in the ferrule. However, with this brush you cannot do that as it has two ferrules and so most of the time I am drying it on a flat surface.
On the photos below you can see the glue peeking in on the flat paddle side which means that the original glue got affected and that I had to repair it (couple of times :( ). Nonetheless, the bristles are soft and dense on both sides.
The flat paddle brush is usually used with liquid foundations. It is supposed to assure a natural, but buildable coverage and even application. If you would apply the foundation to your face, you would make downward strokes with this brush until you get the result you want.
In terms of general application, I would say that this way of applying your base is the most similar to using your fingers only. You can really control the amount of product that you are applying and you can also just put the foundation where you need. With the stippling brushes or flat top brushes you have to cover the whole face (more-or-less) if you want your face to look even and flawless. With the flat paddle brush you can get the no-make-up make up (very natural and subtle base) which is very trendy at the moment. ;)
This particular Ebelin brush I would not recommend because it leaves visible strokes, which are not there with flat top brush. What I usually use this brush for is the highlighter application - one or two subtle strokes above the cheek bone/under the eye... Looks subtle but effective! :)
Lastly, on the other side of this dual brush there is a powder brush. I have not so much to say about it - I use it for powder foundation, powder blush, powder bronzer, anything powdery will do. :) I really like it and this side I would definitely recommend. The brush is soft and fluffy, basically everything you need for your powder products. (And even better if you also like the other flat paddle brush side. :D)
Also these brushes are sold as singles as well which could be easier and more practical for washing whereas this would be valuable and useful for traveling.
And that's it for my second brush post. Next week I will talk more about powder brushes in general and then we will continue the series with small brushes used for eye and lip make-up. :)
I honestly hope you like this series and I do hope you can get the feeling on what is used currently in the make-up industry for make-up application. If you have anything to add, leave the comment into the comment section below.
I just want to add that the brushes presented in my posts are only here as representatives of each category and I am aware that there are brushes of a superb quality out there - in the end it really depends what are your preferences. After all, if you would ask me, I would only need some kind of precise brush (for eyeliner and eyebrows) and a blending brush to put my make-up... The rest you can do with your hands. But if you like to play around, I would always go for a cheaper brush and if you like the performance but not the quality, do your research and buy the good quality brush that is the same type as the cheap one. :)
Until next week,
~Anelei
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