We're all aware of the transformative power of make-up, that's why our cosmetics bags are heaving and each morning we sit in front of a mirror armed with our favourite products. But those products can only get us so far - how we apply them is just as important. Application is key to nailing the right look. For example, using the best concealer to hide a blemish requires a different technique to brightening the undereye. Which is why finding the best concealer brush is so important.
There are a number of different bristles and heads to choose form - fluffy, dense, flat, rounded - and each one blends the concealer in in its own way.
How do I choose a concealer brush?
In order to make the right choice about a concealer brush, it totally depends on what you want you concealer to do. Are you relying on your concealer to help cover patches of acne? Or is it your dark under eyes that you need help with? Maybe its both.
Once you know what it's going to be used for, it's all down to the bristles. Make-up artist Ruby Hammer MBE explains that "the tighter the bristles and more dense the fibres, creates more coverage whereas a fluffier brush allows you to buff and blend more easily, for lighter coverage." She adds that slanted brushes are best for trickier to reach areas, like around the nose and corners of the eyes, "whereas a flat top can work on larger areas of the face."
Ruby recommends a finer brush for concealing blemishes, because "you don’t want to overload the surface space around the blemish. You need to be strategic, otherwise you end up drawing more attention to the area you are trying to conceal."
Under the eyes however, requires something a little bigger and fluffier. "You need a more rounded brush to follow the curve of the under eye, work in the inner corner and the outer corner (by tilting upwards)."
If you don't really want to carry around two brushes in your make-up bag and like to keep things edited, you could look at a double ended option or a brush that's the best of both worlds.
Ruby wanted to point out that whilst there are lots of rather large brushes being used across social media, she prefers something with more precision so she can "see as much skin as possible… enhancing what someone has, rather than masking it."
Best concealer brushes review by a beauty editor
1. Vieve Conceal & Prime Brush
"The Vieve Conceal and Prime brush is slightly slanted, dense but equally fluffy. This is a great all rounder that can disguise redness or pigmentation, cover blemishes and hide dark circles. This is a brilliant brush to have in your collection, as it works really hard for you. I can use it under my eyes, around my nose and wherever I might have a spot. I've found that the best way to use it is to dot the brush into the concealer onto the area I want covered and it gives enough coverage, whilst also diffusing the product, making it look really natural." - Katie Thomas, Senior Beauty Editor
2. Real Techniques Brightening Concealer Brush
"This is a very different looking brush. It's a light touch, that buffs the colour in. Don't use this for blemishes that need a good amount of camouflage, this works best under the eyes and over areas of redness. The shape of this brush head means that it works really well under the eyes - either with a traditional concealer or an under eye brightener. After dotting my concealer for dark circles under my eyes, I use gentle sweeping motions, which leaves my skin looking airbrushed rather than masked. The bristles are really flexible, making blending a doddle too." - Katie Thomas, Senior Beauty Editor
3. MAC 270S Mini Rounded Slant Brush
"This is really similar to the Vieve brush, but a lot more dense. I like using this on top of spots that are a couple of days old and have started to calm down, rather than inflamed new blemishes. I apply my concealer directly to the blemish then tap the brush in to diffuse the product and blur the edges. It gives just the right amount of coverage without being too heavy." - Katie Thomas, Senior Beauty Editor
4. e.l.f. Concealer Brush
"When my skin is having a bit of a flare up - always around my period - that's when I need my concealer to work its hardest and I require full coverage. A flat dense brush like this by e.l.f. is the best way to cover angry, red blemishes. After applying my cover up I use this, much like a paint brush using small soft brush strokes to cover the area and take down any redness. I start right at the epicentre of the spot and work outwards to blend the colour into the rest of my complexion, making the spot less obvious." - Katie Thomas, Senior Beauty Editor
5. bareMinerals Shade & Diffuse Eye Brush
"Fun fact: this is not a concealer brush. This is primarily used as an eyeshadow blending brush, which is used to apply the product to the lid then blended to diffuse the colour. But it works incredibly well with concealer too. What I like most about this brush is that I can use it to build up my coverage. I like to use it under my eyes, where my dark circles are tenacious.. It's so much better to apply a little product, blend then apply more if needed, and this brush allows me to do exactly that. It also works really well on the rest of the face, if you have any redness or pigmentation that you'd like covering." - Katie Thomas, Senior Beauty Editor
6. Morphe M226 Oval Camouflage Concealer Brush
"Whilst this might look identical to the e.l.f. brush, it's actually a lot more flexible thanks to the longer bristles. This allows for multiple uses. I could easily cope with just having this concealer brush in my make-up bag, its flat enough that I'm able to disguise spots, whilst also helping to hide really tired eyes." - Katie Thomas, Senior Beauty Editor
