The other day I was cleaning some of my make-up brushes and thought maybe it would be interesting to some of you if I shared a few of my absolute favourites. Okay so I've got quite a few make-up brushes as I did train to be a make-up artist and worked for a little while freelance, so what I've done is just picked out a few of the brushes that I think are the best or that I really couldn't be without in my make-up routine. My collection pretty much consists of a combination of Zoeva, Real Techniques, MAC, and a little Primark with some paint brushes thrown in, there are obviously so many other brands that sell amazing brushes but these are just the ones I like the best that I've actually tried out!
Real Techniques Expert Face Brush
Real Techniques is an amazing brand that offers some great quality brushes at an affordable price, they also have loads of different collections, some of which are more luxurious and have a higher price tag, so there's something for everyone. I'm pretty sure all their brushes are synthetic so can be used with both liquid, cream and powder products which is great. The Expert Face Brush is a nice medium sized, dome shape with densely packed bristles so it's great for applying foundation. The reason I like this brush is that it can be used for so much, generally, I only use it for cream/liquid products but the size and shape of the brush mean it's great for applying cream bronzers, blush, fake tan and even moisturiser.
Zoeva 102 Silk Finish
Zoeva does some great quality brushes also at a very reasonable price, the Silk Finish Brush is a round dome shape that feels so soft and like the Expert Face Brush is great for applying a range of different products, it's a decent size so it makes applying foundation very easy and gives smooth even results.
Zoeva 110 Face Shape Brush
This is like a mini version of the Silk Finish brush and is perfect for getting around the eyes, nose and lips. I actually like using this brush to apply my foundation when I want light natural coverage as I can take small amounts of foundation and really buff it out into the skin. I also love it for applying cream bronzer and contour, it's another really versatile and handy little brush to have.
Primark 116 Tapered Blush Brush
This brush is a large fluffy tapered brush that is perfect for applying powder. I actually don't use this for applying blush, I like it for applying my setting powder, it's a good size and the tapered point makes it easier to apply powder around the nose and eyes. I can't remember exactly how much this brush cost, I think it was around £3 so it's very affordable and I use it almost every day. I've also washed it a good few times since purchasing and I haven't noticed any issues with shedding etc.
Real Techniques Contour Brush
I really like this brush for exactly what is says, applying contour or bronzer, it works great with both powder and cream products. There's something about the shape of this brush, it's small/medium and slightly pointed with just the right amount of density to buff out products and stop you from getting harsh lines, it also fits into all those areas or the face you want to add shape perfectly.
Zoeva 142 Concealer Buffer
Okay so we had the Face Shape Brush that was like a mini of the Silk Finish brush and now we have the mini of the Face Shape Brush. This brush initially looks a little big for concealer but it's great at working on larger areas like the eyes and around the nose and if you apply concealer carefully you can still cover smaller blemishes easily.
Paint Brushes
Okay I think I got two of these brushes from the range, they are actually painting brushes for watercolours etc. but I use both of them for more detailed concealing. This tiny fine brush is great for applying just the right amount of concealer to small blemishes to make them totally disappear and the slightly larger flat, rounded brush is great for softening edges where concealer has been applied and applying concealer differently to slightly larger blemishes.
Zoeva 231 Luxe Petit Crease
This is a small fluffy tapered brush that allows you to create more detailed eye looks and really build the colour and intensity in the crease and outer corner, it's also really nice for blending out the colour on the lower lashline if you want a super blown out effect.
Zoeva 228 Luxe Crease Brush
This is pretty self-explanatory, you need a selection of fluffy blending brushes to create different eye looks and this brush is so big and fluffy that it's perfect for creating very soft diffused looks and blending out the very edges of your eye make-up.
MAC 217
I think this is a pretty iconic blending brush, this is slightly smaller and less fluffy than the Luxe Crease brush making it absolutely perfect for applying colour right in the crease and blending out, I would say every girl should have a brush like this in her collection it's an absolute must and most brands will do something very similar so you can pick up something like this at any price point.
Zoeva Petit Eye Blender
This little brush is perfect for detailed work around the eyes, it's quite densely packed so you can go in and really deepen the colour at the outer edge easily without fluffing the colour everywhere, it's also perfect for adding eyeshadow to the lower lashline and buffing it out to create a beautiful smokey eye.
Zoeva 317 Wing Eyeliner Brush
This is intended as an eyeliner brush but I much prefer a tiny fine pointed brush for eyeliner but I do really like this for my brows. This brush is very fine so it's great if you want to create super sharp strong brows but at the same time if you use a lighter hand and soft colour you can create natural-looking brows that are still defined.
Finally, I forgot to take pictures of this brush but I also love a flat eye brush to pack on colour to the lid and one of my favourites is the MAC 242.
I have lot's of other brushes that I really enjoy using but I just wanted to share some of my absolute favourites and tell you a little bit about why I love them so much, I also want to recommend Real Techniques and Zoeva as brands for anyone that is on the lookout for some brushes at an affordable price, you can get the most value for your money if you buy them in a set and both brands offer a bunch of different options!
Let me know any of your favourite make-up brush brands!
Did you know I have an Etsy store selling digital downloads, including art prints, planners and clipart - check it out here!
Did you know I have an Etsy store selling digital downloads, including art prints, planners and clipart - check it out here!