For tens of thousands of years, Fine Artists have used virtually the same tool to apply emollient paint and watercolor pigments to various media. That familiar shape is essentially a wood cylinder with a cluster of animal hair attached to one end. Early on, the hair was held in place by animal-derived glues and strips of animal hide, and later the hair cluster was additionally attached to the wood through the use of a crimped metal ferrule section.
This design of an Art Brush has remained the same since its conception. Which is probably why that same design and configuration was duplicated and used under the different name of a “Makeup Brush.” Makeup Brush design configurations are identical to those used for watercolor painting, and were adopted mostly because they were the softest art brushes available for use against the skin.
But does the design of a conventional Art Brush work best with cosmetic powders, creams, liquids, gels and hybrid makeup formulas? Not all that well. Which is mostly why pro makeup artists are always advising their clients to blend, blend, blend when applying their own makeup. If the application tool is good, you really shouldn’t have to work so hard to get a decent application result.
Which is why Matthew Waitesmith, longtime cosmetic industry visionary, decided to reinvent the makeup brush, so that it did the job needed for applying modern cosmetics. It has to pick up the right amount of product, distribute it across the surface of the skin in the pattern and density you desire, and use hypoallergenic, engineered, man-made fibers that feel wonderful against the skin and truly outperform animal hair. He started by throwing out all the conventional ways of designing and constructing makeup brushes, and invented, from the ground up, more ergonomic, more client-centric, more efficient, and more beautiful brushes. For the first time, a brush has been truly designed to apply cosmetics, and not paint.It has taken years to invent the Artis® makeup brush concept – to design brushes that improve the entire application experience for makeup wearers. Artis® has collaborations with major cosmetic brands, including MAC Cosmetics [Masterclass Brushes]. The makeup brush redefined…as featured in November 2013 Allure Magazine.