Are you ready for Brush Talk? Makeup artist Tia Lanell (better known as arTIAstry) and I are!
Tia believes that an artist can never have too many brushes. That's why we're both going to spill about brushes we own, that we've tried, our favorites and the solution that we use to sanitize and keep our tools fresh and clean for ourselves. I'm not a makeup artist (obviously) but Tia will also share the tools that she uses for her client. She loves them so much, you know!
Tia has personally lost count of the number of brushes that she has since she has separate sets depending on the event.
Blaq Vixen Beauty: How many sets do you have?
Tia Lanell: I have a wedding set, a set for fashion shows and photo shoots, a travel set and my own personal set. I have just about every brush in various quantities, in every size imaginable.
Blaq Vixen Beauty: Do you plan to buy more brushes?
Tia Lanell: Currently, I'm in the market for a few new extra large fan brushes, synthetic kabuki brushes and two new Masterpiece Pro sets all of which I've seen in the Royal & Langnickel catalog. Most of the brushes I've mentioned are on the site.
Blaq Vixen Beauty: Your thoughts on MAC brushes?
Tia Lanell: I'm sold on M·A·C brushes. My favorites are the #217 Blending Brush, the #275 Medium Angled Shading Brush, and the #229 Brush.
Blaq Vixen Beauty: Is there any brushes that you want to try?
Tia Lanell: Billy B. (faints) I have yet to purchase any of this brushes but beauty blogger Scandalous Beauty raves and praises the quality of Billy B's brushes. I made a mental note to add them to my want list. I've also heard that Coastal Scents has decent brushes as well but I have yet to try them. Let's not forget that great powder foundation brush courtesy of Cover FX!
Blaq Vixen Beauty: What about your own collection of brushes?
Tia Lanell: In my collection I own a few of Bobbi Brown, Smashbox, Jerome Alexander, Sonia Kashuk, Essence of Beauty, Makeup by Misha, Crown Brush Badger, some no name ones and a few others I simply cannot remember. I've had them all for 2-3 years and with the proper care, your brushes will last just as long.
Blaq Vixen Beauty: How do you properly care for makeup brushes?
Tia Lanell: By storing them in brush rolls, brush pouches and holders instead of just throwing them in a drawer. You can even make your own if you're on a budget (like me) out of a glass vase and marbles. They say cleanliness is next to Godliness. With that being said, clean your "tools".
Blaq Vixen Beauty: What type of products do you use to clean your brush sets?
Tia Lanell: When it comes to cleaning on set I rely on Sephora Brand Make Up Brush Cleansing Wipes. These wipes are a quick and easy way to sanitize my brushes in between clients. It dries fast! However, being on set can be very fast paced and I tend to carry 3-4 of the same brush in my kit for "just in case" purposes. My other brush cleaning options include baby shampoo and Cinema Secrets Professional Brush Cleaner, which has to be one of the best brush cleaners out there.
When I use baby shampoo, I pour a little in the palm of my hand. I thoroughly scrub the brushes, rinse and lay flat to dry. Since the Cinema
Secrets Professional Brush Cleaner cleans so well and dries within 15-20 seconds, I had to look up the ingredients.
Blaq Vixen Beauty: What are some other ways to clean and sanitize your brushes?
Tia Lanell: You can also search on YouTube for more cost effective ways to clean and sanitize your brushes. You sanitize by combining alcohol, dish detergent and/or shampoo, conditioner and a few other key ingredients. Always lay your brushes flat to dry, sitting them upright while wet may cause the water to drip down into the furrel (brush handle where the glue/bristles meet) and cause the glue to loosen and your brush to fall apart. Brushes are essential tools. That brush travel set at the beauty supply store, although cheap, may not apply the product the way that you had intended. The hairs are synthetic and well, cheap!
Blaq Vixen Beauty: Which brushes from the beauty supply store have you bought? Did you like them?
Tia Lanell: I did purchase a few NYX brushes from the beauty supply and they work just fine.
Blaq Vixen Beauty: For someone starting their brush collection, what kind of brush hairs can one expect to see?
Tia Lanell: Goat, squirrel, synthetic, badger and a few others. As a preference, I personally do not use brushes made with animal hair.
We're at the end of Part I! Part II will cover my brush collection and what I use to clean them. Did you learn anything new? Do you have any questions you would like to ask Tia? Leave a comment!
Good questions. Thanks for the insight.
xoxo