Beauty Tools

You bought a foundation brush, swept it across your cheek, and saw stripes. So you went back to fingers or a sponge. That is a common story, and it usually has nothing to do with skill. Most streaks come from pairing the wrong brush shape with the wrong motion. Quick answer: a foundation brush is…

Here is an awkward fact for anyone shopping for a konjac sponge: the American Academy of Dermatology’s face-washing advice says that anything other than your fingertips can irritate your skin. So is a soft plant sponge a gentle upgrade, or just one more thing to rub on your face? The honest answer depends on your…

Here is a fact that surprises most buyers: two respected scissor makers describe texturizing shears in nearly opposite ways. Japan’s Joewell files its texture models at a cut rate of about 10 to 30 percent. Germany’s Jaguar says texturizing shears take out about 40 to 50 percent of the hair per cut. Same name, very…

Here is a myth that ruins a lot of base makeup: the bigger and fluffier the powder brush, the lighter the finish. Size helps, but density, shape and how much product you load decide whether powder melts into skin or sits on top of it. Quick answer: a powder brush is a large, soft face…

Here is a popular myth: a stippling brush is only for people who already know how to do makeup. In fact, this fluffy, flat-topped tool is one of the more forgiving ways to put on liquid foundation, because its job is to tap on thin layers rather than paint on one thick coat. Quick answer:…

Most people who buy thinning shears use them once, look in the mirror, and see a patch that looks chewed rather than softened. The tool is rarely the problem. The usual causes are the wrong shear for the job, the cut placed too close to the scalp, or too many snips in one spot. Quick…