How To Use A Stippling Brush To Perfect Your Makeup Application

When it comes to makeup tutorials on YouTube or TikTok, following the exact steps of whoever you're watching doesn't always yield exact results. Even if you applied the same products in the same order, your finished product might look wildly different from what you see on your screen. Lighting, face shape, and editing magic aside, using the best makeup brushes and tools for every step of your routine is important to properly recreate a look.

If you like to blend out your eyeshadow with your finger, but the tutorial you're watching uses a smudge brush, the makeup look won't turn out the same. Pairing different makeup tools with a specific product is sort of like a math equation — for example, a skin tint + a beauty blender = light coverage with a skin-like finish. If you desire medium or full coverage with a flawless finish, then use a stippling brush with a buildable foundation. A favorite makeup brush among MUAs, a stippling brush always delivers an airbrushed effect, helping to elevate your makeup game.

Made for face and eye products, a stippling brush has two sets of bristles, with white fibers on top and black on the bottom. While the white fibers pick up the product and distribute it onto the face, the black fibers are dense, helping to push the makeup onto your skin. Used best with liquid and cream products, the stippling technique involves quickly pressing the product into the skin and dabbing instead of swiping across the face.

The magic behind the brush is the different lengths of fibers that allow the product to be applied onto the skin rather than absorbed back into the brush, as a sponge may. Stippling the makeup creates tiny dots on the skin, giving an airbrushed finish that covers up blemishes and discoloration. To use one, all you need to do is pick the properly sized brush and dot the product over the area you want to work with. Next, gently dab the product around to get even coverage.

The LYS Beauty Stippling Blush Brush makes applying blush and bronzer a whole lot easier. Large enough for the cheeks but small enough to be precise, this brush gives your blush and contour a flawless, natural finish. It fits into the small crevices and corners of your face, placing product in all the hard-to-reach spaces.

Affordable yet effective, the wet n wild Large Stipple Brush creates a sheer coverage for your foundation. Thanks to the size, you can distribute foundation around the face quickly, allowing you to blend it in half the time. Created with an ergonomic handle, you can control the brush easily, placing the product exactly where you want it.

For a flawless wash of color on the eyes, try the Enzo Ken Duo Goat Hair Stippling Brush. Although it was created for blush, it's small enough to fit onto the lids, distributing color evenly. It's made with non-irritating goat hair, making it soft and smooth, perfect for sensitive skin and eyes.