On Fiber Optic Brushes

Duo fiber. Stippling. Skunk. Fiber Optic. When it comes to makeup brushes, all these point to the same family of brushes - those black-and-white-haired tools that deposit the sheerest, prettiest whisper of color on the skin, and create an airbushed, lit-from-within look. Not all are created the same, though, and many variants are created for a variety of uses. Here are some of my duo fibres and what I use them for.



1. MAC 187





Let's start with the most popular - the MAC 187. This beautiful work of art is a combination of natural and synthetic hairs to create a most efficient tool for stippling color on the skin. This is my first duo fiber brush and because it was pretty expensive, I was in awe of it for the first few days. It proved its worth in the long run because the hairs are dense, so it works well in applying liquid foundation all over your face to create a seamless, airbrushed finish, and some people also use this to apply mineral makeup to prevent cakiness and over-application of product. I mostly use it to apply my mineralize skin finishes, and it really creates a pretty, luscious sheen on the cheeks without going overboard. I just swirl the entire brush over the MSF, apply over blush or by itself, and voila! Pretty, glowing cheeks.

2. Charm duo-fiber brush



My friend Sophie gave this to me, and I am still amazed at how it is a clone of the 187 in so many ways. Sophie personally designed this brush as part of her personal collection of brushes, and I really love the fact that the head is as dense as the 187, and works just as great. The dimensions of this brush are not only similar but identical to the 187, because she wanted it to function just like the famed MAC brush. I know that because Sophie asked me to measure the 187 and I gave the dimensions to her. :) She gave me this brush as a gift a few weeks later. I love the pink handle, so girly!! Just to clarify: this is NOT a brush you can find on any other website. Sophie personally designed this and contacted a manufacturer to create it according to her specifications.


As you can see, the Charm's head is as big and as dense as the 187.

3. Aromaleigh silk fiber optic blush brush





One of my favorites (together with Lumiere angled fiber optic) in applying mineral blushes and bronzers. As we all know, mineral blushes/bronzers are very concentrated, a careful application with a light hand is required, or else you can (and most probably will) end up with clown cheeks. To prevent screaming, garish spots of pigment on the cheeks, this blush brush is the perfect tool. The part that made me love it is the shape of the head - it has an almost flat, oval head that makes it easy to apply heavily pigmented mineral blushes exactly where you want it without creating clown cheeks. Use it with a mineral bronzer (or a MAC MSF), and as long as you applied the product on the hollows of your cheeks, you will end up with a beautifully chiselled look. It's a bit tricky to apply mineral bronzer or blush with the 187 or a regular fiber optic brush because the head is round, thus, the pigment gets scattered all over the cheek area, which defeats the purpose of contouring. With this brush, you get beautifully angled blushes and bronzers right where you want them because the shape of the head makes it easier for you to apply the product where you want it.

4. Lumiere Angled Fiber Optic Blush Brush




This blush operates similar to the Aromaleigh fiber optic blush brush. The angled head makes it easy to apply products on the cheeks precisely where you want them to be, as opposed to a "shot-gun" application where the pigment gets scattered all over the place. The head is not as dense as the 187 or Charm, but this is perfect because the blush comes out sheer and dainty on the cheeks. This is my favorite blush brush when I use mineral blushes and I have two of these that I use interchangeably. The next time Lumiere offers another pre-buy special, I will definitely place an order for a couple more.

5. Lumiere Regular Fiber Optic Brush



This brush works just as great as the 187, and I use it to apply my glows and MSFs. I prefer using it to apply my mineral glows like Aromaleigh, DreamWorld, Dayna's or J.Lynne's, and it creates a subtle sheen on the skin. The handle is also shorter than the angled duo fiber brush from the same company, so this is perfect for travel.

6. Adorned With Grace mini fiber optic brush





The smallest member of my fiber optic family, but do not underestimate this tiny tool. If Aromaleigh and Lumiere's angled fiber optics are my favorites in applying mineral blushes and bronzers, this is my favorite in applying glows because it applies them exactly where I want them - on the apples of the cheeks. I just smile and apply the glow on the apples of my cheeks, and the small head deposits a controlled amount so I don't end up looking like a discoball. Just want a sliver of radiant glow on your temples? On the bridge or tip of your nose? Use this mini stippling brush to apply a small amount of glow wherever you want. Using this assures that you don't over apply glow, and you control the minerals, not the other way around.

There you have it, my fiber optic family!