Your choice must be based on :
- material : see below for more details on some materials you can find.
- size : size does matter, it’s important how it fits the face or eye area of the face in which you are using it.
- quality : a well-balanced and well-finished brush will be more pleasant to use.
- shape : square, angled, tapered, dome, blunt, point, slant, round, flat, etc…
- hair length and density : this is important depending on the result you want to achieve.
- functionality : powder or cream, sheer, medium or heavy coverage, etc…
- and also your skin : some brushes are more adapted for dry and others for oily skin, but you should always use brushes that don’t irritate your skin.
Synthetic brushes
Synthetic brushes are usually made of nylon (PBT) or taklon (PET) and are less absorbent than natural hair fibers, which is great with cream and liquid but not fantastic with powder. They are less prone to be damaged from solvents and easier to keep clean since the bristles don’t trap or absorb pigment.
Squirrel hair
You will find many different type of squirrel hair, blue, grey, canadian, kazakhstan, brown (kazan), tree, pine, wood and you will also see squirrel blends with goat, pony, synthetic, etc. The blends with other materials are made for many reasons, it could be for maintaining the brush shape, stabilizing quality, allow more resilience, or simply to offer a more affordable option.
They are not supposed to be used with liquid/cream products since they absorb a lot of product and are delicate, a frequent cleaning process may be too aggressive and damage the hair.
Squirrel hair brushes provide a natural and sheer finishing, unlike goat brushes which usually pack more product and give a more polished finishing.
The hair are thin with a pointed tip and a more or less uniform body. Little or no spring (spring is the ability of the hair to return quickly to its original shape).
Squirrel hair brushes are good for dry skin or sensitive skin, they deliver soft coverage with natural result.
Blue squirrel
The hairs are blue-black with a grey root, very soft, thin at the tip, little spring.
They give a natural and sheer finishing.
Used for any type of brush, finishing, powder, blush, highlighter and eyeshadow (specially blending and crease brushes).
Grey squirrel
Grey squirrel is also very soft. Expensive but less expensive than blue squirrel.
I read that grey squirrel had low tolerance for static electricity and ultraviolet rays. If static electricity develops near the brush head it may temporarily alter the brush shape but I really don’t think this can happen easily, it did happen to me but this is because I was taking pictures on a special support that had static electricity and you could see the hair being drawn towards the support …. from time to time I also use conditioner which helps anyway so I don’t worry about that.
And about the ultraviolet rays, well, I don’t think you are storing your brushes from direct sunlight, if you do, just don’t !
Kazakhstan squirrel
Softer than the blue squirrel. Rare and expensive.
Highlight and eyeshadow brushes only due to its price.
Tree squirrel
Similar to weasel. Rather rough and elastic.
The hair has elasticity and work well with powder and liquid-based products.
Mainly used for eyeshadow brushes.
Pine squirrel
The hair is soft and thin at the hair tip but has a less uniform body and is difficult to bundle. Suitable for shorter brushes. Good for eyeshadow and smudging and excellent for eyeshadow gradation.
Canadian squirrel
The hair is shorter and thicker than the other Soviet varieties, the belly of the hair resembles sable hair in appearance and in handling. The tip of the hair is soft, delicate, easy to shape and has little spring. The hair a variegated gold and black toned. Expensive but popular since it has an excellent control and the brushes are easy to handle. It’s a reasonable alternative to sable.
Great for eyeshadow and highlight brushes.
Kazan squirrel
Named after its origins in the Soviet Union. The hair is highly prized for the great tip elasticity and it’s considered to be the best of the squirrel hairs. Similar to blue squirrel but even softer and more expensive.
Offers easy control, delivers a natural and sheer finish.
Mainly for eyeshadow and highlighting brushes.
Goat brushes
Goat is the most common type of fiber used in makeup brushes. Not as soft as some other types but extremely good at packing and applying powder makeup.
Meant to be good for more oily skin, but I have very dry skin and I have no problems using goat brushes if they are of very good quality.
The result with goat brushes can be more even and flawless and you may conceal pores more efficiently or deliver a more radiant and glowy finish.
There are several types of goat hair (different goats and different regions on the goat itself) but there are also several types of cut, and depending on where the hair comes from – neck, shoulder, tail, etc
Other types of goat hair
Soikoho
Softer and more delicate hair than that of Sokoho. It is hard to find and quite rare and expensive.
Sokoho
Long, thin, and soft. It is ideal for various brushes such as a powder brush, a finishing brush, a blush brush, a highlight brush, and an eye shadow brush.
Jotsumeho
Rather rough and elastic, suitable for firm brushing.
Ototsuho
Nice texture, elasticity and coloration and is short and thin. Particularly good for a blush brush.
Saichoho
Similar to Sokoho but slightly rougher. Easy to form a full shape and excels at coloration.
Yano
Water-resistant and suitable for liquid-based products.
Region or type of hair
It’s very unlikely that you will be able to get this information when buying your brushes, but if you come across the description it might give you a hint on the quality and finishing you will be getting. The softest goat hair I have encountered is baby chest goat hair. Usually, they are categorized as follows :
- Neck : Long, soft and thin. Powder and blush brushes.
- Backbone region : slightly coarser and denser. Powder brushes.
- Shoulder : Short and thin, firmer, good for color and highlighting. Blush and highlighting brushes.
- Thigh : Coarser but has resilience. Blush brushes.
- Chin and jaw : Long with no resilience.
- Abdominal : shorter hair.
- Lower back : long and coarse.
- Tail : long with resilience.
Sable
able is the name trappers use when they refer to martens, but sable hair comes basically from the same animal family which is weasel (Mustelidae). Sable actually has to be seen like an investment since it will last you a lifetime if you take proper care of it, but there are several types of sable brushes, in the same weasel family you will find plain sable, red sable and kolinsky.
Kolinsky
The best sable hair is the Kolinsky, it comes from the western part of Russia, it’s very rare and very expensive, the finest comes from the male winter coat of the kolinsky. Today “kolinsky” denotes hair either from the Asian minks of Siberia, Northern China or Korea.
The color of Siberian kolinsky hair is brown with a distinctive yellowish-red tint, the Chinese is slightly darker with less red.
The tips are thinner and longer and the brushes have the best porosity for the application of the most intense color, the best layering of color and also for creation of gradations thanks to its strength and ability to retain its shape.
Weasel
Like kolinsky, weasel hair comes from the Mustela family, the hair is similar to Kolinsky but slightly of inferior quality, shorter and with less thickness.
The hair is usually more reddish compared to the golden brown color of kolinsky sable, not as long as kolinsky, it’s soft, elastic, resilient and durable.
Great for producing great coloring and can be used not only with powder but also with liquid or cream makeup.
Multipurpose : lip, eyeliner, concealer, eyeshadow brushes…
Plain or brown sable
Usually obtained from varieties of the marten, or also left overs from other sable brushes. The quality varies greatly and depending on the quality, it might be equivalent to go for a synthetic sable brush.
White or Gold sable
These are synthetic filaments developed and manufactured in Japan. Created By the Simmons Brush Company.
The synthetic hair are not very absorbent so it makes the control more difficult. The main advantage is the price and also that a good synthetic filament can be better than a bad red sable.
Pahmi
The brushes are made from a weasel-like animal but smaller and thinner. The hair is a little tougher and shorter than that of the weasel. It is usually used together with weasel and horse hair.
Pahmi hair is relatively inexpensive and when dyed can resemble sable or red sable.
Pony
The hair has a cylindrical shape, equal thickness from root to tip, the tips are not as pointy as squirrel hair, it’s durable and strong. Usually less expensive than squirrel but more expensive than goat. They are often used blended with squirrel or goat. Blush, powder, eyeshadow, excellent for contouring due to the strong snap. Can be used damp to deliver a more opaque coverage.
Horse
The most common used in the production of makeup brushes, but like goat hair can vary in quality. Harsh texture and difficult to bundle. Inexpensive. Often used blended with other natural hairs to deliver more elasticity and enduring, it has the ability to adapt to your skin the more you use it. Blush or eyeshadow brushes, produces great coloring.
Camel
The term “camel” describes makeup brushes made with a mix of goat, squirrel, or pony hair.
Water badger
The hairs have rough, thick and elastic roots white the tip is very thin. Ideal for eyebrow brushes
Ox
Ox has the springness similar to that of sable but does not have a fine tip. Still in use because sable are very expensive and synthetic fibers are not absorbant enough so customers may turn towards ox.
Raccoon
The hair has natural spring and is very pointed at the tip, highly prized as it’s strong enough to be used with sticky pigments.
