In a world where working women are constantly on the move, applying makeup with our fingers seems to be a natural inclination.
But should we be applying makeup with our fingers? Does this beauty practice fall in line with the “clean girl” and “French girl au naturel” aesthetic we’re all after? Is it hygienic? Is it preferable over brushes? Does it aid with lymphatic drainage and overall skin health?
This is precisely where the expertise of Sculpted by Aimee‘s Founder has come in handy. Having recently launched her very own beauty brand in the GCC region, Aimee Connolly is renowned for her multi-purpose makeup formulas and is well-versed in the art of applying makeup with your fingers. In an exclusive interview with Cosmo ME, the professional Irish makeup artist answers all of our burning questions on the topic.
Exclusive Interview: The art of applying makeup with your fingers with Sculpted by Aimee
Cosmo ME: Are our fingers the world’s best, most natural makeup brushes?
Aimee: I’ve been a makeup artist for over 10 years now and since day one I’ve always used my fingers to apply makeup – especially when I do my own makeup routine! Applying products such as cream highlighter and blush with your fingers works best in my opinion. I absolutely love brushes too and I use them alot, especially our range of Sculpted By Aimee double ended brushes. They’re so easy to use and perfect for doing my makeup when I’m busy traveling on the go. Our best sellers are our Complexion Duo brush and our Perfecting Duo Brush.
Cosmo ME: If any, what are the pros of applying makeup with your fingers, as opposed to applying makeup with a brush?
Aimee: In my opinion, certain products apply easier with your fingers as opposed to brushes. For example, our Cream Luxe Blushes blend into the skin seamlessly using a finger. The warmth of your hand helps melt the product for the perfect application every time! Not to mention, it’s super quick and easy to apply it this way. I also love to apply cream blush using the base of my thumb. This ensures I use the perfect amount of product every time!
Cosmo ME: Comparatively, is it more hygienic to apply makeup with a brush, or rather, with your fingers?
Aimee: Applying makeup with your fingers is perfectly hygienic once your hands are clean. If you’re a makeup artist working with clients, I’d recommend making sure you sanitize your hands before and after applying the product. This makes sure you don’t contaminate your products and it also puts your client at ease so they know you’re hygienic. Likewise, if you’re using brushes it’s really important to clean your brushes regularly. I like to clean mine using gentle shampoo with lukewarm water, ensuring I only get the brush bristles wet and don’t allow water to flow into the body of the brush, where it can cause damage.
Cosmo ME: Does the tapping movement inherent to applying makeup with your fingers have any benefits?
Aimee: Using your fingers to apply makeup feels really relaxing especially around the eye area and if you find you wake up in the morning with puffy eyes from a bad night’s sleep, encouraging blood flow by blending in your products using your fingertips can help invigorate the area and encourage depuffing. Makeup is all about self care and it should be a relaxing process. Using your fingers and hands to give yourself a mini facial massage while applying your favorite makeup products can be a great addition to your morning and evening routine.
Cosmo ME: If one feels compelled to apply makeup with one’s fingers, what are the necessary precautions one must take in order to ensure a smooth, aesthetically beautiful, and clean application process?
Aimee: The important part of applying makeup with your fingers is to ensure you start with clean hands. Prepping your skin for makeup is important for the best possible result – massage in a serum such as our hydrating serum HydraGlo and seal in hydration with our Cloud Cream ceramide enriched moisturizer.
Don’t forget to apply two finger lengths of SPF to ensure you’re protected from UV rays. I use our Beauty Base Protect primer, containing broad spectrum SPF 50. Working these products in with your hands makes sure your skin is well prepped and your makeup will last all day long. After that, focus on your technique – it’s so important! Try not to swipe the product, and instead opt for a gentle tapping motion. This will ensure a smooth application and makes sure you don’t disturb your base products when layering additional elements such as cream blush, highlight or bronzer.
Cosmo ME: Does applying makeup with your fingers blend the makeup more seamlessly, as opposed to applying it with a brush?
Aimee: Applying product with your fingers helps achieve an uber natural finish with little effort. One of the main advantages of applying product with your fingers is that it doesn’t absorb as much products as brushes do, especially those with dense bristles. This helps reduce product waste so your favorite products last a little longer!
Cosmo ME: Is all makeup applicable with one’s fingers? If not, what type of makeup is applicable using one’s fingers?
Aimee: Not all beauty products can be applied with your fingers and there are definitely some exceptions, especially products that aren’t for your complexion such as serums, moisturizers, foundations, concealers and cream based blushes and bronzers. Eye makeup often requires tools to apply them such as our Blending Duo brush to apply eyeshadow into the crease of the eye or our Angle Duo to apply eyeliner or darker eyeshadow colors to the lashline.
You can apply these products with your fingers but you may find it more difficult to get a good result and it could take longer, and I’m all about a five minute face! Colorful lipsticks such as red or any dark shades are best applied with a lip brush or straight from the product itself to make sure you get a precise application every time. Finally, mascara can’t be applied with your fingers and will always need to be applied with a mascara wand. Our My Mascara is available in an ultra black formula to effortlessly enhance the lashes with its flexible wand.
Cosmo ME: We’ve all heard of the French girl aesthetic. Do you encourage, for instance, applying red lipstick with your fingers and using the remaining product, on your fingers, as blush?
Aimee: I love the French girl aesthetic and I love to apply lipstick to both my lips and cheeks to create a monochromatic, cohesive makeup look. This works best with balmy products such as our HydraLip tinted balms or our Lip Duos. Simply apply a small amount of product to the cheeks and blend out with your finger to add some color and glow to the skin. Using this technique is a great way to top up your blush and lipstick on the go with minimal product required!
Cosmo ME: Can you contour your face or apply bronzer using your fingers?
Aimee: You 100% can! I’m a big fan of using bronzer to define the face, hence I called my brand Sculpted – I love to use our Cream Luxe Bronzer in Medium Brown around the perimeter of my face to define my cheekbones and give me a sun kissed glow. It’s a super creamy formula and blends effortlessly with my fingers. To make sure the look is cohesive, I like to apply a small amount of bronzer to my eyelids as well. This doubles up as the perfect base for a bronzy eyeshadow look.
Cosmo ME: Would you recommend applying makeup with your fingers as opposed to applying makeup with a brush?
Aimee: Overall, I would encourage everyone to trial different techniques when it comes to makeup, it really is down to personal preference! You may want to use your fingers for everything, or incorporate some brushes where needed. I think having a small collection of multi-purpose brushes such as the Sculpted By Aimee Duo brushes is key to making sure you’re covered for all occasions. Most of all – have fun and experiment, that’s what I love so much about makeup.
Images courtesy of Instagram/ @sculptedbyaimee and @violette_fr