Contouring and highlighting gives some dimension to the face. Contouring goes on any places that are behind from the plane of the face or are shadowed. Highlighting goes on the place that comes forward from the face. Such as the cheek bones, bridge of the nose, the brow bones, forehead and chin. I like to use a shimmery highlighter on the cheekbones and a shimmery eyeshadow on the brow bones. I avoid shimmer on the T-zone since it is already shiny. Highlighting should be done with a fluffy and less dense brush since too much shimmer looks tacky even on dry skin types. A dense brush can be used only on the cheekbones. Don’t use a dense brush on forehead, nose and chin.

Highlight Brush. Left: Posh Blending Brush, Right: MAC188

My favourite highlight brush is MAC188 (right). It will pick up a little product if you brush it on the product lightly. Start from the start of the cheekbones and make a half circle bringing the colour around the eyes – up to above arch of the brows. This brush picks up and delivers just the right amount. I also live this brush as a blush brush. It can also be used to apply lightweight foundation like MAC187 brush.

This Posh brush (left) is called Blending brush. The size is such that don’t know if it is a blending brush for eye makeup or face makeup or cheek makeup. However, I found a use of this brush. I use it to highlight on the days when I want a strong highlight. It is very dense and picks up a lot of product. But I wouldn’t consider this brush a necessity.

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Blush brushes are a great investment. The brushes that come with blushes often is of cheap quality and does not work. You should use a narrow brush if you have small face and smaller cheekbones. You might find a broad brush more useful if you have a larger face and use only one blush colour. However, I personally like to use a narrow blush brush though I have a big chubby face. The reason is that I also contour and highlight my cheeks – I apply the blush in between them so a narrow brush works great for me.

Blush Brushes left to right: MAC188, MAC129SE, MAC168SE, Posh Angle Blush Brush

I absolutely love MAC188 as a blush brush (first from left). I swirl it on my powder brush and then swipe it couple of times on my cheeks – and that is it. I start from the apple of my cheeks (I little bit behind it actually) and finish close to my ears. It picks up small amount if you want a light coverage and it picks up more if you keep swirling it. It is the baby version of MAC187.  Which means the black hair is goat hair and the site is synthetic hair. So this brush is great for people who apply cream blushes. This brush can be used to apply foundation as well. I also highlight my cheeks with this brush sometimes.

A traditional blush brush is like MAC129 (second brush from left). You swipe it from the apple of the cheeks and finish in front of the ears. I personally don’t like it. I tend to apply too much blush while using this brush. I tend to look older since the blush makes my cheeks look like it is sagging.

Another traditional blush brush is MAC168 (third from left). It is quite dense – picks up more colour and I tend to avoid it. It is very good for contouring the cheekbones though. If you use a bronzer with this brush and apply it on the hollow under your cheekbones, it gets a nice lift and makes your face look slimmer.

Posh Angle Blush brush (last brush from the left) looks similar to MAC168. It’s dense but softer and fluffier than MAC168. So this brush is not so good for contouring but a great brush for blush. If I ever lose my MAC188 (God forbids!) I will use this brush till I get a new MAC188.
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The foundation brushes I am going to review are MAC187, MAC190 and MAC181. I don’t have the full size brushes. I only own the special edition short handled brushes that I am posting pictures of.

Foundation Brushes. Left to Right: MAC187SE, MAC190SE, MAC 181SE

My favourite foundation brush is MAC187. This brush is best to use with lightweight foundation. It’s a stippling brush. It has duo fibre. The black fibres are goat hair and the white hairs on top are synthetic hair. It is best for lightweight application. It doesn’t pick up too much product so foundation application is not cakey. If you apply foundation and starts blending – you won’t benefit from this brush, you would rather use a dense brush instead.

To get the most out of this brush I stipple the foundation on my face. I use it with my Makeup For Ever HD Foundation. I pump 1 pump on the back of my hands. I dip this brush on the foundation and only get half the product on the tips of the white fibre (very lightly). Then I use a quick stipple motion on my right side of the face. I keep stippling till the foundation blends in (I don’t swirl). Then I pick up the rest for my left side of the face.  It gives a flawless application.

MAC187  has a narrow version MAC188. MAC 188 can be used the same way – the advantage is that it can be reached to places like sides of the nose, close to eyes and above the brows.

My next favourite brush is MAC190. This is a traditional foundation brush. It is great for foundations with thicker formula such as Revlon ColorStay or MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation. You pick up the foundation onto the brush from the back of your hand. Then apply it on your face with a downward stroke. It works since the tiny facial hairs also go downwards. If you move the brush upward the hairs will stand up. Keep blending the foundation in as you apply it.

Another brush that you can apply liquid foundation with is a kabuki brush like MAC181.  If is designed to apply powder foundation but it works great with liquid foundation. The only con is that it can be hard to get to narrow places like the sides of the nose.

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