Regarding Makeup Brushes, having the right tools is half the battle. You may have the best eyeshadow palette in the universe, but not having the right brushes to apply those shadows means they probably won’t look good.
Different to popular belief, you don’t have to drop hundreds or dozens of brushes to get the desired makeup. You only need a few good quality multi-purpose brushes for a fantastic makeup kit—eight.
You’ve come to the right place if you’re unsure what brushes you need or are just looking for new makeup brush options.
I have a short and sweet list of 8 essential face brushes you need in your collection, and come again. They are used for:
Face
Fluffy powder brush:
Soft powder brushes can be very versatile, depending on their softness.
I typically use mine to set translucent powder foundation, bronze my face, and blend out blush, highlight, and contour if I accidentally apply too much product to my face.
Wet n Wild sells an inexpensive powder brush that does all of the above.
Highlight Brush:
Some people prefer fan highlighter brushes, but more minor, rounded ones give you more control over where you apply highlighter on your face.
The Smashbox Precision Highlight Brush looks relatively small, like an eyeshadow brush, but is perfect for precisely applying highlighter where you need/want it.
Foundation brush:
Flat top and angled brushes are my favourite because they apply different foundation formulas to your face.
Even if you have a serious relationship with the Makeup Brushes sponge, it’s essential to have brushes specifically for liquid foundation for those days when you need more coverage (brushes don’t soak up foundation like sponges) and less time (brushes are often faster than sponges to apply foundation all over the face).
It Cosmetics has unique brushes that blend out your foundation easily without leaving irritating marks on your face.
Contour brush:
Everyone has a specific brush that they use to contour their face. I use smaller angled face brushes (like the photo above) because they are the perfect size for contouring the cheeks and forehead.
Even though I don’t contour every day, I love having a trusty brush that contours flawlessly for those moments when I want to add glam. Again, Wet n Wild makes an excellent (and cheap!) version of my favourite contour brush.
Eyes
Blending brush:
This Brush is quite bright. To avoid harsh lines and create a smoother transition between eyeshadow shades, a blending brush is your best friend.
It has an excellent blending brush that is good for lightly blending shadows and blurring the edges of shadows. And you can’t beat the price!
Pencil brush:
Pencil brushes are often used to blend eyeliner and precisely apply eye shadow to the under-eye area. These brushes are essential for those who love smoky eye Makeup Brushes.
MAC has an excessive pencil brush that works like a charm, but if you don’t want to shell out $25, check out the Beautifully Precision line of brushes. Has its version for just $5.
Angled Brush: I have a few angled brushes, and I use this nifty brush type for many things. First, these brushes allow you to apply brow powder and pomade quickly and precisely.
And again, e.l.f. is a fantastic version of the angled Brush that I use regularly for my brows.
The second primary usage for right-angled brushes is for relating eyeliner. This type of Brush makes it easy to apply gel eyeliner and can even be used to create eyeliner using powder eyeshadow.
I always use the bareMinerals angled Brush to create a winged liner effect with matte black or brown eyeshadow.
Crease Brush:
Crease brushes are denser (usually smaller) than blending brushes, so they’re better for accurately applying more pigment to the crease and lid.
Although designed exclusively for the crease, these brushes can be used for the entire lid in a pinch. This styles them with a more versatile eyeshadow brush than others on this list.
Ulta’s brushes have an excellent crease brush option for just $10.
Keep in Mind.
These are just the minimum you should have in your makeup brush set to create a gorgeous and professional look. There are tons of brushes on the market that you can experiment with beyond the ones I mentioned above, even excluding any other tools designed for applying makeup (like Makeup Brushes sponges, silicone sponges, etc.).
And let’s not forget one of the most essential beauty tools we all have: our fingers! Fingertips are tremendous for lightly blending concealer and applying bright shadows all over the eyelid, as long as they are clean first!
