After getting both my SSTK and my ultra-cute FO brush I'm realizing that 90% of my application problems are the brushes. So I've decided the next three brushes I need are a lip brush, a blush brush, and something I can use for wet eye lining with powder.

The blush brush I have right now isn't very dense and it doesn't pick up the mmu very well so it's hard to do my cheeks with it. I have a lip brush which is angled with very thin and stiff bristles but it seems to smush the lip sticks too much so they go on very thinly and it's kind of hard to control. I'd also kind of like a brush with a lid or some such so I can take it with me to work. I use the same brush for eye lining and it works great but it takes forever to clean off lippies so I can use it with powder and it makes my eyelids feel a little rubbed raw because the bristle are so harsh.

I'd love some brush recommendations/reviews/comparisons. For blush I'm sort of inclined toward the FO blush brush because I'm really happy with my ulra cute e/s brush but I don't know if one of the natural brushes might be better for me because I have to put on blush fairly heavily due to my coloring. I like the concept of the retractable lip brush but I'm worried that it'll get messy and/or be hard to clean between uses; Especially if I use it for touch ups at work where I may not be able to clean it well. For eye lining, I think the thin liner is the an option but it sounds like it's made more for gels than powders. the flat liner seems okay but I kind of wish it was angled like the brush I use now.

Hi Shaden!

For the lip brush, I have been able to take it with me with no problems and it applies lippies beautifully. I think you could wait to get home to clean it so you don't have to clean it at work. It isn't messy because it goes down quite a ways in the barrel. You could also slip it into a baggie to keep it clean.

For blush brush, the FO blush brush is wonderful!

For liner, the Thin Liner is good at applying dry liners too. I love it for my Pure Drama liners.

Good brushes can make a difference!

I'd go with the FO blush brush too. Even if you apply blush on the heavier side, this will allow you to put light coats, you can keep going over til you get the desired amount, rather than one thick coat with a regular brush. It works especially well when applying the Rocks Rouges, which if you haven't yet tried, you HAVE to - they look absolutely fantastic on! Don't be alarmed by the color on the monitor, or even the color in the sample baggie. These rouges are simply incredible, and you really don't need much, whether you're fair or dark skinned.

The only other blush brush I had was a BE one, which I promptly tossed once I got the FO one. Not that that's a review, but I'd take the FO one any day of the week.

Having a fiber optic blush brush has certainly made me feel less afraid of blushes. They're great! I think they'll make a difference for anyone with the amount of control they give you.

The thin liner is my holy grail of eyeliner brushes. As soon as I received it, I was able to apply the gel liner with precision. I even use it to wet line mineral powders. Love it!

I recently bought the FO blush brush and am not sure how I feel about it yet. I never had trouble applying blush heavy-handedly with my regular brush so that wasn't an issue for me. Everyone raved about it so I just had to see what all the fuss was about. I've used a "regular" blush brush (though not the same one) for over 25 years so the wispiness of the FO blush brush is taking some getting used to. I'm not ready to write it off yet though. The positive things I can say about it is it's super soft and light on my skin and does apply blush sheerly. If someone had sensitive skin that is easily scratched by a regular brush or had trouble applying bright blushes lightly, this brush would be their saving grace.

For me, I was never able to put blush on so that it looked good. So for years I never wore blush, until I stumbled upon a cream blush that I could apply usually without it looking too bad. I ventured into trying brushes when I got into mineral makeup, and while I did ok with a small kabuki, the fiber optic blush brush made it sooo much easier for me. I could finally achieve a light wash of color, like I wanted, as opposed to clown cheeks (trust me, I would look soo bad, that's why I'd given up on blushes for such a long time!)

Yep, just wanted to back the girls up that you need the FO blush brush and the thin liner brush. Both are amazing and make application wonderful. I use the thin liner brush with both wet and dry application. With the FO blush brush you can apply lightly or more heavily. It gives perfect control.

Definitely the FO- Like Cindy said, it works wonders with the Rocks rouges. When I first got a FO brush, I rarely used it. Spent a small fortune for mine when I purchased a liquid foundation in hopes it would make application easier(I was a BE user at the time, but it was becoming a problem with my skin). I hated it for foundation, and hated the feel of liquid foundation, so I never used either. Then, I discovered AL and the joys of Rocks rouges (thanks to Cindy and a bunch of other gals' suggestions!), and I use mine daily. Like Zhariel said, I hated blushes on me till I started using my FO for application. I also think that most traditional brushes are irritating to my skin, I have a way better time wih the synthetic bristles. I think I will purchase ALs version as a backup for mine when it is being washed. Nows the time to do it with the sale going on!!

I second (or sixth, or whatever) the F/O blush brush. I'm a level 3, and I don't even use my regular blush brush anymore, so you don't need to worry that it will apply your blushes too sheerly. If it does, you can always add another layer, but I find that I usually don't need too, even with lighter colors. And you can't beat it for the darker and Rocks! shades. It applies them so easily and flawlessly.

For eyeliner, I use the thin liner, and like it a lot. It's easy to do thin or thick lines, and the handle is short, so I can get right up in my mirror without the handle hitting it (I have the sneaking suspicion my vision is starting to go). It's great for wet lining and the gel liners, and you can use them for powders, however, if you want a brush that will do both, I would probably opt for the flat liner. I haven't used AL's version, but I do have a push brush style liner and I find they're better for lining with straight powders.

I don't know about the lip brushes. I'm still using my cheepy drugstore lip brush, when I bother with them at all.

Edited to add: Ok, I just reread your OP and realized that you were asking for a liner brush that you could use for wet lining with powders. Um duh, did I mention I thought my eyesight was starting to go? Personally, I would go for the thin liner. I use it for wet lining with my Drama liners and shadows all the time.

I recently got the new fiber optic Blush Brush and the thin liner, and I don't know how I ever lived without either of them. I agree with all the recs for those. Promise, you won't regret it if you get them.

I've used many retractable lip brushes in my life, and I've never had a problem with any being messy or hard to clean. I don't have the AL one, but I'm sure it is as good as the ones I have now. You definitely want a lip brush with firm but soft bristles, and the AL is sable so it should be perfect. I just wipe it down between uses, if needed, but that hardly ever is the case.

I have an FO face brush for Rocks! rouges, and a denser brush for the PureRouge- it's the "flawless face". I like it because it's big and fluffy enough to apply rouges without leaving a harsh or streaky line, but it's also dense enough to hold a good amount of powder.

Robyn,
Do you use the rocks rouges? They are super intense colors, which really need to be applied with the fiber optic brush. Otherwise, a regular blush brush would be fine for the rest of the blushes, I think.
I've been using my sample for months, and still have lots left--that's how little I use with the rocks rouge and fiber optic brush.

Kathy

quote:

Originally posted by CTigger:
Robyn,
Do you use the rocks rouges? They are super intense colors, which really need to be applied with the fiber optic brush. Otherwise, a regular blush brush would be fine for the rest of the blushes, I think.

Unless perhaps you are very pale .... all of the Gothic Lolita blushes and some of the darker Pure Rouges (like Verve) only look good on me when applied with a fiber optic brush

Thanks for all the tips ladies! I picked up a little angled brush at a local beauty supply store this weekend but I think the bristles are too flexible (it's sable). It did great for dry lining but failed utterly at wet lining. Oh well, live and learn! I'll probably pick up the thin liner and maybe some of the gel liners next time I place an order.

Desert Sage, do you find that the lip color gets down in the barrel when it's retracted? I think that's my only big worry because I can (and do) wear a wide variety of shades in both lippies and glosses and I'd worry about having it transfer.

As for the blush brush, I find with the ultra-cute FO brush that I can either pick up a little or a lot of color depending on how much I work the powder in to the bristles before I start. Is that how it works with the blush brush or is it consistently light?

Good liner brushes are hard to find, I've noticed. I went through quite a few, and thought I had found a really good one, before I got the Thin Liner. Except that it was only really good for doing super thin lines, it took a little extra work to make a nice looking thicker line, and I was replacing it every few months because it wore out quickly. Plus the handle was about a mile long. I really can't stress enough how awesome the shorter handle on the Thin Liner is, definitely one of my favorite features.

I think the reason the Thin Liner works so well is because the bristles are thicker and pointed, whereas most of the liner brushes I've used have really thin straight heads. It holds up pretty well, too. I've had mine since February, I think, and the bristles are still in really good shape.

Definitely get some of the gel liners too. When they say indelible, they mean it. They don't come off until I take the eye makeup remover to them. So if you do get them, make sure you have some on hand, because they don't wash off with cleanser and water.

As for the fo blush, I'd guess that it's about the same. I don't have the ultra cute yet (it's next on my list), but I can get more intense coverage depending on how much product I use, and how I get it on my brush. When I use Rocks! rouges, or some of the other darker shades, such as Corset or Scarlet, I remove the lid, tap it to get rid of any extra, and lightly run the bristles over the stuff clinging to the lid. That's usually enough to give a nice flush of color. But with the lighter blushes I tap a little bit out onto a plate, run the white bristles back and forth through the powder and tap off the extra. I get slightly heavier coverage that way.

Oh, the fo blush also works really well with the Perle Powders.