Kabuki was a style of a classical Japanese Theater in the 1600’s with an emphasis in Drama. After the Japanese government banned women from performing in the Kabuki Theater, men would play both roles, utilizing amazing makeup techniques!  Known for having elaborate makeup which would be applied with a large dense makeup brush, today we call this the Kabuki Brush. While the shape and materials can change the general idea of a Kabuki Brush is to achieve an airbrushed or soft look by blending and buffing. This brush is more versatile than it first lets on! Here are some quick and easy tips to get the most out of your Kabuki Brush!

Fast Foundation Application

• Liquid

Apply a generous amount on your cheeks, chin, and forehead; then use your Kabuki brush to blend evenly and quickly, by doing a circular motion moving around the face.

• Powder

Because of their unique design, these types of brushes pick up a lot more pigment than a normal fluffy brush and you do not have to do more than a light tap against your powder foundation before applying in a circular motion to your face evenly.

Shoulder Dusting

• Using an Illumination Highlighter and a Kabuki Brush dab on more than if you were with a face powder (since you are working with a larger area) and sweep across the top of the shoulders, collar bone, and the décolletage again using a circular motion. Continue to buff the areas until you feel content with the look warming your skin tone.

Flyaway Fix

• Everyone has fly always but not everyone knows the secret of how to tame them and put them in their place! Lightly spray a clean Kabuki Brush with Hairspray at a distance between 3 inches to 5 inches away, then lightly smooth over the section in your hair that has the stray hairs trying for too much attention. You will find that they will smooth against the other strands of hair nicely. In this case, you only want to move the Kabuki Brush in the direction of your hair.

If you are on the search for a Kabuki Brush, here are a few tidbits of information to help you decide what type is right for you.

Will you keep your brush with you on the go, or leave it at home?  This could determine if you want a retractable type or one that stands beautifully on its own!

How do you know you found a good Kabuki Brush? It will have dense bristle that is soft and do not fall out.

Lastly, choose a brush that is not made with animal hair, because the hair contains pores and will absorb old makeup, making it stay dirty over time. The exception to this is Vegan brushes, that do not have the same problem and can be cleaned easily.