A professional beautician finds brushes useful for several reasons:
- Safety - when applying make-up on your own face, it's easy to keep your hands flat so only the pads of your fingers touch the skin. When applying to someone else's face, your hands are at a steeper angle so there's more risk of scratching with a nail.
- Pressure - on your own face, you can judge the pressure of your fingertips because you can feel it. Obviously, you don't get that feedback on another person's face, so there's a risk you may press too hard and cause discomfort or even stretch the skin, especially around the eyes. Brushes ensure you exert only light pressure.
- Precision - a professional can spend hours working on a face, adding multiple different products with pinpoint precision. Fine brushes are more precise than fingers.
- Hygiene - although brushes are actually less hygienic than clean fingers, many clients have the opposite perception. The make-up artist may also prefer not to touch the skin of someone with acne or other skin complaints.
- Professionalism - image is important, especially for a profession which is often under-valued. Having an armoury of brushes and tools - even ones you don't strictly need - emphasises that this is not just "the make-up girl" but an artist who is worthy of respect.
A few good brushes is better than a pile of cheap ones
Good brushes are a pleasure to use, they last longer, and they'll produce a much better finish. You won't get stray bristles escaping on to your face, and you won't get a streaky result.