To really make your makeup work for you and bring out the best in your looks, you should get your hands on these new tools.
1. The old tool: A small flat brush to apply concealer.
What’s better: A siliconetipped brush like Shiseido’s Daiya Fude Face Duo ($65).
Why: The jelly-like sponge at one end blends concealer seamlessly without streaks or patches (which tend to result from using fingers or a flat brush). Use the bristled end to buff some setting powder.
2. The old tool: A small angled brush or big fluffy brush for contouring powder.
What’s better: An angled fluffy fan brush like Nyx Professional Makeup’s Face & Body Brush ($33).
Why: When used horizontally, the brush fits right in the hollow of your cheek for the quickest, cleanest and most flawless contouring action.
3. The old tool: A fan brush or dense, rounded brush for pressed highlighter powder.
What’s better: The sharktooth brush, like Fenty Beauty’s Cheek-hugging Highlight Brush 120 ($48).
Why: The angled groove hugs cheek contours so you can buff and blend the right amount of highlighter over the highest point of the cheekbones.
4. The old tool: A fan brush for loose shimmer powder.
What’s better: A dense, tapered, oval-shaped brush like 13rushes’ Precision Highlighter ($19).
Why: Loose shimmer packs a lot of pigment, which can end up as a streak on your cheek. A denser brush disperses it more evenly, and the tapered tip blends it seamlessly.
