'WHAT WORKS:  SUPERIOR SETS:   A good brush sets gives you everything you'll need to get great makeup results, and an instant way to get consistent, high-quality tools.  The price of a set might seem high at first, but the convenience and uniformity of brush sets makes good sense.  Consider too, that many of these brushes cost more if purchased individually, and many come with storage cases specifically designed to protect your investment and give the brushes extended life. 

For a great starter set of high-quality brushes at a modest price, we liked the new set of synthetic brushes of MAC ($45.00) featuring six, short-handled brushes in their own, typically-really-chic, black patent carrying case. You get blush, blender, flat eye shadow, lip brush, angle brush, and concealed. What’s particularly nice about this set is that the entire set folds us no larger than a medium-sized wallet, so you can easily travel with it. Just pop it in your purse or briefcase for touch ups. There’s even a zippered section for your makeup items (or your money and keys)! MAC has an amazingly full line of brushes, including an impressive 18 types of brushes just for eyes. Sold individually, they range from a low of $8.50 for a lash brush to a high of $62.00 for a large powder brush. My favorite? The amply-sized foundation brush

THE ADVICE SISTERS and reviewers are huge fans of LAURA MERCIER. Her products are superb. They enable women of all types, even those with two left thumbs, to apply makeup like a pro! Her brush sets, with soft-sided matte black storage brush rolls, are incredible.. On the luxe end, you can purchase the Master Brush Set ($250.00) with case to hold long-handled versions of Powder Brush , Cheek Color Brush, Pointed Eyeliner Brush , Camouflage Powder Brush (synthetic bristles) , Secret Camouflage Brush (synthetic bristles, concealer), Flat Eye Liner Brush (shadow), Eye Colour Brush , Angled Eye Color Brush. The travel brush set ($150.00) has a 14-slot case for small handled brushes and short (5") handled brushes: Secret Camouflage Brush , Flat Eye Liner Brush, Cheek color Brush , Angled Eye Color Brush , and an Eye Crease Brush, all in a travel case. 

There is also a mini-travel version of the same brushes for $100.00. I liked them all - Laura Mercier’s products are consistently tops. All brush hairs, shapes and sizes are precisely created to pick up, hold, and apply make-up in the best possible way for each individual product. All the brushes are well-proportioned, luxurious, and unbelievably fun to use. My favorite was the precisely cut eye contour brush, which makes it easy for the first time ever to get the deep, mysterious eyes in one stroke. Sold individually, the brushes range from a low of $10.00 for an eyebrow groomer, to a high of $52.00 for a travel powder brush.

 you can also purchase just the 4-slot soft-sided black microfiber brush cases for large handled brushes ($50.00) and smaller handled brushes ($40.00). 

After working the catwalk in the competitive world of fashion more than 14 years, it’s a sure bet that the supermodel IMAN knows what a woman needs to look glamorous. We couldn't get a photo, but we can tell you that the I-IMAN brush set ($75.00) is elegant, featuring 5" black matte handled brushes and a subtle Iman logo reflect her beauty and taste.  The set includes a powder/blush brush ($30.00*) which is a standout in this category – soft, fluffy and easy to make applying makeup into a sensual experience; a flat shadow brush ($25.00*), eye liner/brow brush ($20.00*) , lip brush ($20.00*) , and a foundation brush for stick or liquid makeup brush ($20.00). The powder brush in this set is particularly soft, flurry, and luxurious. My favorite is the great foundation brush, moderately sized and beautifully shaped to ensure a smooth application of liquid, powder or cream without any blotches! *if purchased individually.  

LA BELLA DONNA'S 13-piece collection of superior, long-handled brushes costs a bit over $300 (approx. $24.00 per brush) but what a wondrous line it is! These are professional brushes that even a beginner will love, created in goat and pony hair, They're perfectly shaped, easy to use, and are set to last a lifetime.  Individually, the brushes are: brow/lash ($18.00); angle fluff ($22.00); oval fluff ($22.00); angle-brow ($16.00); lip brush (retractable) ($22.00); eyeliner ($16.00); eye shadow ($22.00); blending ($24.00); concealer ($24.00); blush ($28.00); cream blush brush ($28.50); powder brush ($35.00); and mineral make-up brush (large powder fluff) ($45.00). The brushes are all nice, but the best in the line is the fluffy, stubby-silver-handled brush specifically made for applying LA BELLA DONNA's unique mineral makeup.  The huge, soft topping of bristles makes dusting on powder or compact makeup of any type a breeze. The LA BELLA DONNA powder brush ($35.00) is also a big winner: soft, beautifully shaped, and kitteny-soft on your face. Other brushes in this line worth special mention are the blending brush and the eyeliner brush. For a long-handled collection that will last and give you great results, give LA BELLA DONNA a try.

NOTE-ABLE TOTE-ABLES:  There's no reason you can't get great makeup results even if you're away from home and don't want to carry your brush kit with you. Nearly every cosmetics companies offers travel kits and brushes created especially for use "on the road." Here are some we especially like:

A standout kit for this season is from TRISH MCEVOY called "FAST TRACK GIRL" ($125.00) which combines high quality travel-sized brushes with four makeup basics.   Housed in a signature, matte black case (sized with a removable insert to add it to your fileofax) you get Trish’s mini- brush set ($75.00 - featured in our Holiday 2001 column)- four, luxurious brushes for blush, shadow, crease and shadow eyeliner, coupled with   Along with the brushes you can a quartet of essential makeup items to use for every occasion, day or night. Pink champagne cream eye shadow is a soft, pearly nude for your entire lid. Model’s choice cream blush is a universally wearable, rosy/brown shade, while Natural Blush is a flattering, light pink powder which can be layered for different effects. Finally, bronze definer is a super-flattering shade of dark brown with a hint of shimmer, to line eyes. This would be a great gift to lift the spirits of a job seeker pounding the pavement, but get one for yourself to start the new year in great style. TRISH MCEVOY brushes in every size win raves from our reviewers, every time.

"travel-type" brushes with covers keep brushes clean and dust-free, and are the easiest way to tote professional tools for touch-ups around with you.   

It's likely that lipstick is the product you'll apply most often, away from home. Lots of cosmetic companies offer retractable lip brushes to use whenever you need to touch up lipstick.. Gold lovers will go in big for CLARINS retractable lip brush (($16.00) with a beautifully shaped head to line and fill in, easily.  I wish a had been able to get photos of the ORIGINS brushes I reviewed.  My favorite in their line is their retractable lip brush ($15.00), an unassuming blonde wood brush nestled into a silvery case extends into an elegant handled brush, pretty much like the other lip brushes we reviewed, but the synthetic bristles on this one are a bit denser–it made a lip line as precise as a liner pencil, but the flat part is generous and well shaped, to fill in lips completely. I also liked the results I got from FACE STOCKHOLM's retractrable lip brush ($0.00)  Another synthetic standout in the retractable lip brush category is from URBAN DECAY (($16.00) with nicely-shaped bristles made of Taklon, and a lightweight, futuristic matte silver case that won’t weigh down your makeup bag. Ditto BENFIT’s silvery lipbrush ($16.00) which is very similar and just as nice. MAKEUP FOREVER’s retractable lip brush ($27.00) is luxe, with genuine sable bristles, housed in a silvery case that extends into an elegant, long handle. Justify it’s higher price not only for it’s quality and that it smooths on lipstick perfectly, but also because it can be used for tracing a fine shadow line around the eye, too.

Powder/blush is also an important tool to take along in your makeup bag. FACE STOCKHOLM’S retractable powder and blush brush #30 ($26.00) doesn’t sacrifice quality for convenience.  Housed in a silvery metal tube just 5" long (closed) is a full-sized, amazingly well proportioned and fluffy powder/blush brush to use at home or when you’re on-the-go. STILA’s #19 all over shimmer powder brush $24 which we reviewed in our Holiday 2001 column retracts into it's own metallic blue casing for easy touch ups

EYE SHADOW BRUSHES:   The most basic eye shadow brush is medium-sized, to apply color to lids. Make sure it lies flat, and fits the size of your lid. For most people, a medium sized and gently shaped brush will allow you to brush a smooth sweep of color on your lids.

BOBBI BROWN’s high-quality,  long-handled brushes are stellar examples of brushes good enough for a pro, but designed also for novices.  The BOBBI BROWN eye shader ($26.00) is made of pony, and has a thin, natural wood handle and a super-luxurious, soft and well-rounded brush head that makes placement of shadow from lid to brow, simple! One sweep of this great brush will get your shadow on fast, and correctly. One fun and economical way to start a brush collection or get a two-for-one travel tool is to get a two-headed brush. 

STILA’s soft, luxe and beautiful, double-sided brush #15 $29.00 is a multi-purpose brush for shadow, crease and wet liner. The . The larger brush is ideal for applying eye shadow or contour to the eye area while the smaller brush, used wet or dry, lines and defines eyes to complete the look. 

LORAC BRUSHES were created by the professional make-up artist, Carol Shaw, who uses the same brushes on her famous clients. They make every woman feel like a star. LORAC brush #106 ($15.00) is made of 100% pine squirrel hair and has just the right amount of fluffy, rounded bristles for eye shadow. FACE STOCKHOLM’S sable fluff brush #10 ($28.00) is equally nice. But it’s slightly more tapered to use as a contour brush as well, if necessary.

. TONY & TINA’S Eye Blender ($56.00) looks like natural hair, but it’s actually a synthetic, made in Japan. It looks and feels amazingly like the real thing. The soft, nicely-shaped bristles, held in place by a pretty, clear, slender lucite handle, are not only cruelty-free they’re the obvious choice for any woman who wants to be certain no animals were used to produce the brush, or who is allergic to natural hair. URBAN DECAY also makes a blender brush ($24.00) out of Taklon that has a generous set of nicely rounded bristles that would also encourage a large sweep of shadow across lids. The wooden handles are made from farmed trees that not endangered. Another synthetic brush reviewers liked a lot is the eye shadow brush by PRESCRIPTIVES ($22.50) and a nice touch: the brushes are labeled with their function. Special thanks to LAURA MERCIER, BOBBI BROWN, and LA BELLA DONNA for doing the same.  MAKEUP FOREVER’s eyelid brush ($29.00) with a graceful, generous shaped set of nylon bristles, that deliver a smooth and light touch of color to lids.  A standout in the Bobbi Brown line is their

BLUSH BRUSHES:  With a good blush brush, you can make even inexpensive cosmetics look smooth and beautiful ! To see whether or not a blush brush is appropriate for you, smile, and place the brush against the apple of your cheek. If it  matches, you've got the right one. Too big? You'll get blush everywhere you don't want it. Too small? You'll end up spotting or streaking your blush. 

MAKEUP FOREVER’S blush brush ($36.00) has a beautifully-rounded sweep of nylon bristles generous enough to use as a foundation brush too, in a pinch. The lightweight, metallic-grey 5" handles and nickel-plated brass ferrules of all MAKEUP FOREVER’s nylon ("N") line brushes make them easy for even a novice to handle. LORAC’s blush brush #104 ($26.00) is made of soft, tipped goat hair. The medium-sized head is particularly good for women who have petite faces or who don’t like to apply a lot of blush. I particularly like the blusher brush ($21.00). The oval design of this one is just right, with a voluptuous, 5" red matte handle brush and a generous brush head of 100% goat hair that is beautifully rounded to precisely apply blush softly and smoothly, and give a natural appearance.

The CLARINS blush brush ($21.00)  is soft and beautifully shaped.  Common blush application techniques suggest smiling, while applying blush to the apples of your cheeks, but we got good results using the CLARINS blush brush and their suggestion to start from the ears and work downwards, following the natural line of our cheek bones.  PRESCRIPTIVES synthetic-bristled blush brush ($30.00) has a lightweight, silvery, 6" handle and a generous, well-shaped head for good placement.

Another silvery-handled. super brush with synthetic bristles is from URBAN DECAY ($29.00). The Taklon bristles and modest, longer-domed shape is cut precisely enough to also use at an angle, for contouring.

POWDER BRUSHES:  Powder brushes should be BIG, soft, and fluffy. Use the side of the brush to gently pat translucent or pigmented powder to "finish" the face. Invert the top of the powder or blush brush on a hard surface and watch the bristles fan out in a circular pattern. The more uniform the circle, the more uniformly it will apply powder products

BOBBI BROWN’s powder brush ($62.50) looks modest in size, but has the softest, blue point squirrel bristles I’ve ever felt, allowing to user to put just the right dusting of powder or sparkle dust softly and precisely where it should be, perfectly. The brush is absolutely wonderful and luckily, it’s available in professional and travel sizes. I wish they made a retractable one, too!   There’s a lot of like about all ORIGINS brushes, and their powder brush ($32.50) is a big favorite of mine. It has generous, grabbable black handles that just beckon to be picked up, and soft, amply-proportioned synthetic bristles that really look and feel like animal hair. LORAC ‘s powder brush #110 ($35.00) also features a very nice, generous fluff of goat hair that dusts loose powder flawlessly. 

PRESCRIPTIVES powder brush ($35.00) is a huge, soft, synthetic puff that delivers a soft, smooth, lovely layer of color.

A fun powder brush is a fan duster, and FACE STOCKHOLM’S fan duster #19 ($14.00) is a great one. So is the neat BENEFIT fan brush #06 ($16.00) which adds just a sheer dusting of powder, glitter, or blush. A fan brush doesn’t take the place of a traditional powder or blush brush, but it’s the perfect tool for highlighting, lightly dusting glitter powders or intense blush colors, and for wicking away left-over powder that’s fallen where you don’t’ want it. 

EYE LINER BRUSHES:  Eyeliner is tricky.  Liquid liners require a steady hand my nearsighted eyes never allowed, since I couldn't get close enough to the mirror.  After years of wobbly liner, I stopped using it completely. One day,  a makeup artist showed me how to apply shadow eyeliner with a flat eye liner shadow brush.  Now I'm a liner, lover! Shadow applied as liner gives a softer, more forgiving line. So what if your hand wobbles a bit? Smooth it out and it looks natural! 

TRISH MCEVOY's flat powder eyeliner brush #11 ($20.00) was the first flat eyeliner brush I ever used, and it still has a special place in my heart. This one features a clear lucite handle and synthetic bristles!  BOBBI BROWN’s ultra fine eyeliner brush with pony hair bristles ($18.50) for applying shadow as liner is just superb for the task. I loved the way the dense, finely pointed synthetic bristles picked up lots of color and deposited it smoothly If you’ve never tried eyeliner because you didn’t like the harsh line or couldn’t apply it smoothly, your best purchase might very well be a shadow eyeliner brush.

On the other hand, applying eye liner with water and a good liner brush gives you a much more intense, precise line. A great eye liner brush which helps you do a good job, even if your hand isn’t very steady, is LORAC #101 ($12.00) detail & eye liner A mini, detail brush that can be used wet or dry. Mainly used for lining the eyes, contouring eyebrows, or dotting concealer onto a blemish. Made of 100% sable. I also really liked the URBAN DECAY Wonder Brush ($15.00) which is a small, flat, multi-purpose brush of Taklon which is shaped a bit like a lip brush. I tried it for concealer, eye liner, and lip–and it worked for everything! Buy more than one or you’ll use it so much you’ll be cleaning just one, constantly. Reviewers also liked ORIGINS small-sized synthetic slant-shaped, flat powder eye liner brush $15.00 for a dramatic but soft line. Ditto BOBBI BROWN’S Eye definer brush $24.00 with small, sable bristles, for precise placement of smoky line of color and BOBBI BROWN’s brow brush $18.50, made of boar bristle, flat and angled instead of in the traditional "toothbrush" shape, so it can do double-duty for color as well as shaping. If you just love traditional liquid liner, MAKEUP FOREVER’s eyeliner brush ($14.00) with nylon bristles will help you deliver a fine or thicker line, precisely, depending on the amount of pressure you use. Since the bristles are nylon, cleaning it is easy and fast. Get what the company calls "klutz proof" eye lining with BENEFIT’s eye liner brush #11 ($13.00). The thin bristles and bent head makes it easy to line the entire eye in one motion. The "ergonomic" bent shaped-head looks a bit strange, but when we tried it with several different liners, we got really good results!

LIP BRUSHES: A good lip brush in sable or synthetic is an elegant and useful tool to make lipstick look good and last longer.  Get one large enough to fill in your lips with lipstick in several strokes. Applying lipstick with a lip brush allows for more precise placement, and you’ll probably find your lipstick lasts longer, too. Start applying your lipstick in the center of the mouth and work from the lip line inward. 

BOBBI BROWN makes a non-retractable lip brush ($18.50) with synthetic bristles, in long and short handle sizes, which makes a nice, precise line. They make a retractable one, too ($19.50).  MAKEUP FOREVER has both retractable and regular lip brushes in their line. Reviewers liked them both, but I personally especially liked the regular lip brush ($17.00) with a small head of flat, nylon bristles that can do double-duty for applying small amounts of glitter just where you want it, as well.

Some upscale companies attach lip brushes to one end of their lip liners, so you can line and color in with one product.

  I particularly like the ones from Defile ($18.00) and Tony & Tina ($16.00) both of which we’ve reviewed in past WHAT WORKS columns.  While thes are tote-able and multi-purpose, you can’t count on having them last forever since as you use up the liner,  the handle gets smaller and smaller until....well....it’s gone.

EYE CONTOUR BRUSHES: Another very useful shaped brush is the angled eye shadow brush for overall color application, blending, and softening color. To contour, place the flat side upward, point in the crease, and use a "windshield wiper" motion. An eye crease brush’s broad tapered bristles help apply shadow just where you want it in the small crease of your lid. 

DÉFILÉ’s signature smudge brush ($20.00) looks as upscale as it feels. The graceful black laquer handle with subtle "D" logo was hand-carved in Asia. A Black enameled Brass Ferule adds to the elegant, simple line of the brush, and helps it stand up better against normal wear and tear. A super-soft, well-designed set of sale bristles makes smoothing shadows on eyes and face a sensual experience!

LORAC #107 $16.00 eye angle brush A small brush cut on an angle. Ideal for applying liner, especially if you don’t like using a straight flat edge, or for applying a wedge of shadow to the outer corners and crease of the eye. Made of 100% pure, soft ox hair   FACE STOCKHOLM’S Angular Eye Brush #29 ($22.00) for shading the cove of the eye is one of my new favorites. It’s a plump, soft sharply angled brush that amazed me by giving me a well defined eye quickly–with just one sweep. An especially nice eye contour brush is offered by LORAC #109 and is 100% blue squirrel hair. Theirs is a medium brush that comes to a point. Most commonly used for blending in the crease of the eye, it also does double-duty to remove any shadow that falls underneath your eyes.

I really like ORIGINS eyeshadow contour brush ($15.00).. The smaller size of this one is perfect for precise placement of shadow and great for small lids and deep set eyes. PRESCRIPTIVES also has a small, synthetic-bristled eye shaper brush ($22.50) which reviewers really liked. The bristles are very soft and angled and apply a light touch of color that you have to layer on, which makes this set great for both beginners and the more experienced brush user. BOBBI BROWN’s eye contour brush ($29.00) has big, beefy, blue point squirrel bristles and an angled, flat head that nestles easily into the eye contour area so you can get a "smoky" eye even if you’ve never tried it before! Her eye smudge bush $22.50 is made of fluffy pony hair and did a great job of softening eye liner and smoothing shadow.

FOUNDATION & CONCEALOR BRUSHES: Foundation brushes and their smaller counterparts, concealor brushes, are usually made of synthetic bristles, to help you  to apply liquids and creams with a super-smooth, opaque look. Even though fingertips and sponges work, even our reviewer who had never used anything else, found brushes a much nicer, cleaner, and more precise way to provide an even complexion.  Try one!

MAC has a great, new, professional foundation brush $30.00 that just hit the market late in 2001. It’s beautifully formed bristles and comfortable, 5" handle get the job done right with any type of foundation, cream or liquid! PRESCRIPTIVES foundation brush ($30.00) is generously-sized and delivers a light, smooth coverage of foundation. 

DÉFILÉ’s brushes look like works of art. The company makes a very nice, high-quality foundation brush ($25.00) with 5" signature black laquer handle and brown taklon bristles that make liquid or powder foundation look flawless.

In theCONCEALOR brush category, we particularly liked LORAC's small makeup brushes, especially brush #103 $24.00cover-up brush which comes to a point, for covering a blemish and applying concealor flawlessly under eyes. Made of 100% Toray, a high-quality Japanese nylon (synthetic).

FACE STOCKHOLM’S synthetic oval blender brush #15 ($16.00) has nylon bristles large enough to sweep on cream shadow, but still manageable enough to handle smaller jobs like smoothing concealor under eyes. It’s a great choice of an-between, multi-purpose for a wide variety of cream products.

CLEANING CLUES: Makeup brushes can get soiled, just like toothbrushes and hairbrushes. To keep yours clean and bacteria-free, never blow on the bristles, or moisten them with your mouth.  Cleaning brushes regularly will not only help you apply true, clear colors, it will protect you from infections.  Whether your brushes are natural hair or synthetic, here’s how to clean them:

Hand washing is a time-tested way to keep brushes  clean.  Soak and swish the brushes in a water and  gentle liquid soap or shampoo.  Rinse them thoroughly in lukewarm water . Pat each dry with a towel, without pulling or wringing the bristles.  Let them dry flat, not standing ( makes excess water run towards the glue holding the brush head to the handle).  Be patient and let them dry (about five hours) naturally. If you try to quick-dry with a hair dryer your brushes will frizz, just like unmanageable hair. After brushes are completely dry, gently shake them to return them to their natural, fluffy state.  If you have synthetic brushes, URBAN DECAY suggests that you can clean Taklon brushes by dipping them in alcohol and wiping them with a clean paper towel.

For a quicker, more convenient way to keep brushes clean,  try a spray-on brush cleanser, popular with pros and makeup artists. BRUSH OFF, which comes in a variety of sizes, is available in a 2-oz spray ($9.00) that cleans 100 brushes; 4-oz ($13.50) cleans 200 brushes, and the 16-oz refill ($32.00) cleans more than 800 brushes. Just spritz the cleanser on your brush and wipe it on a tissue until the brush is clean. BRUSH OFF  dries almost immediately and doesn’t saturate the brush head, so you can use the brush again right away. While I don't ever recommend sharing brushes with anyone else, cleaning them between uses will keep you a bit safer, if you do.  Spray on cleaners are so fast and easy that clean-freaks can use it on brushes after every application, if they want. 

by Alison Blackman Dunham 

BENEFIT COSMETICS: http://www.benefitcosmetics.com cute website with shopping online

BOBBI BROWN:  Site offers product and store information, shop online and beauty tips http://www.bobbibrowncosmetics.com/

BRUSH OFF - order by toll-free number: 800-472-7268 or http://www.brushoff.com/

DEFILE: new web site: www.Defilecosmetics.com Buy at Henri Bendel (NYC), Harrods (London,) Face (TX) Addies (CA) or call: 1-800-423-6335

FACE STOCKHOLM: buy brushes online at: www.beauty.com web site: www.facestockholm.com or call: 999-334-FACE

I-IMAN Makeup: find stores, products, beauty tips: http://www.i-iman.com/home.html

or buy online at:  http://www,beauty.com

LA BELLA DONNA: http://www.labelladonna.com

or buy at Bergdorf Goodman, spas, speciality stores or toll-free:l 800-74-BELLA

LORAC: product information, links to shopping online http://www.loraccosmetics.com/ or call 1-800-0705

MAC COSMETICS: http://www.maccosmetics.com internationally-oriented web site offers product descriptions, news, charity information and online shopping 

MAKEUP FOREVER:  no web site, but buy in their own retail store: 409 West Broadway, New York, NY   212.941.9337 or in fine department stores

LAURA MERCIER: product information and shopping: http://www.lauramercier.com/site/shoponline/index.htm

ORIGINS:  buy in their own retail stores or onlien at:  www.gloss.com

PRESCRIPTIVES: Buy products in upscale retail outlets on and off-line or at www.gloss.com

STILA: Buy Stila products in fine retail and department stores nationwide or call 1-888-999-9039 or visit their web site (links to buy products)

TONY & TINA: Great web site with a wealth of product information and shopping, online http://www.tonytina.com/intro.shtml

TRISH McEVOY: no web site, but products are available upscale department stores and some beauty-oriented web sites. 

URBAN DECAY: cute and sophisticated web site with online purchasing http://www.urbandecay.com/

Selecting makeup, skincare, and fragrance is a personal decision. We feature products we feel will work well for the majority of readers, but not every product will perform equally well for each skin type or skin tone. We suggest you read the ingredients, ask questions, and get samples, especially if you are prone to breakouts, allergies, or you have sensitive skin. SHOP WISELY!