Guest Blogger: Nathan Johnson Shares A Makeup Artist Must

When it comes to makeup, the more you know about the basic tools of the trade, the better equipped you will be to make yourself as flawless (or as natural) as you wish.

I cannot stress this enough: Brushes, when used properly, really are necessary. In case you don’t know this already, your fingers (in most, but not all, cases) will not give you the best application. In fact, they will give you an imprecise and messy application at best.

If undereye darkness and blemishes are your two biggest areas of concern, make sure you have a concealer brush stashed in your makeup bag.


Concealer Brush 101
I know there are a lot of people who insist that a finger works just fine, but consider this: First, if you have a blemish, why would you want to put anything over it with a fingertip full of dirt and bacteria? Isn’t the poor blemish already irritated enough? Secondly, the skin under your eye is delicate and easily susceptible to stretching. If you use a concealer brush, you will exert 75% less pressure on this sensitive area. Man of us put on creams and conceal undereye darkness on a daily basis. If you do the math, that is a ton of wear and tear on the thin undereye skin. Gravity does us enough damage; let's not help it out.

The Secret To Using A Concealer Brush
Uses: To apply concealer (liquid or cream), primers and eye creams.

Why it works: The narrow tapered tip of the brush fits perfectly into deeper and smaller contours and recesses than a foundation brush can reach. It is comprised of synthetic bristles that will evenly distribute product without absorption. The small brush tip makes it ideal for point-perfect coverage of blemishes. And (again!) it is more precise and hygienic than using your fingers.

What to do: Put a small amount of concealer onto the tip of the brush. Tap it onto the area requiring coverage, then blend out at the edges until it disappears into the skin. This is ideal for covering dark circles, darkness at the inner corner of the eye, darkness on the lid, broken blood vessels, redness around the nose, pimples and any other blemishes.

Tips and tricks:
• The skin around the eye is especially delicate and susceptible to damage. Applying all makeup, creams, gels and serums with a brush will help to ensure the elasticity and longevity of this sensitive areas.

• Use the brush as an eraser. If you have applied too much make-up around the eyes, a touch of concealer on this brush can make the problem disappear.

• Reactivate and smooth dry or cakey undereye concealer by putting a touch of eye cream on the brush and running it over the area.

My Favorite: The Sephora Brand Professional Platinum Concealer Brush #45 ($22) is perfection.