What tools should I use to apply my makeup? Brushes, Sponges or Fingertips?

There are no rules on what tools you should use to apply your own makeup, whether its brushes, sponges or your fingertips. Even as makeup artists, we all have our preferences on what we use on ourselves & our clients. Each tool & method has their place & it really just depends on what you feel comfortable with. If your not really sure, I'll discuss a little about each so then you can perhaps see what type of tools you can relate to.

BRUSHES
There are 2 kinds of brushes on the market, 'synthetic' which are usually nylon & 'natural' made from goat, squirrel, or horse hair.

SYNTHETIC BRUSHES
Synthetic brushes are great for picking up & offloading product onto the skin without much absorption back into the brush. They arnt as porous as natural hair. For example, perfect for liquid foundation, gel eyeliner & lipstick. If you wear your foundation in a medium to full coverage (as in how thick you apply it) you can apply & blend it quickly. In saying that, synthetic brushes are also great for those who like a sheer, more natural coverage, as you can apply small amounts at a time, & choose to build it up & really blend it in. Clean these regularly. (more on that later).

NATURAL BRUSHES
Natural brushes are perfect for powdered products such as eyeshadow as they are soft & give a really well blended look. It gives such a natural finish because they are more porous, & contain cuticles, which means they pick up & absorb product, but release it slooowly depending on how much pressure you apply.

SPONGES
Sponges are versatile when it comes to how light or heavy you wear your foundation. You use it damp to help blend your makeup in, they typically absorb alot more product than synthetic brushes, so can sheer out your foundation. You can also build it up, & sponges are great for pressing makeup into the skin & keeping it there. If your a heavy makeup wearer, youd go through alot more product applying it this way. Like all methods, you need to keep your tools clean. Especially important for sponges to be cleaned after each use, as it's used damp, it would provide the perfect breeding environment for unwanted bacteria. So perhaps not the best option to take away on holidays in your makeup bag.

FINGERTIPS
Using your (clean) fingers to apply your liquid foundation like your moisturiser is going to allow for a well distributed skin-like finish if you take your time with it & avoid any streaks. The warmth from your hands will increase circulation (giving you a real glow to start with) & you can literally get it into every crevice as you need to massage the product in. You can follow up with a light translucent powder if you like to avoid any transfer & unwanted creasing.

If you interested to know what I like, on myself I use my fingertips for my foundation, & predominantly synthetic brushes with the odd natural brush for some eyeshadow techniques.

On clients I use only brushes, just what I'm use to, mainly synthetic again & the odd natural brush on the eyes to blend everything together - Sarah