Ok so I’ll be honest, makeup brushes are my weakness… I’m a serious makeup brush hoarder. I love buying doubles (and triples, quadruples, it goes on…. seriously…) and I have up to 14 or 15 of some of my favourites. If you have good quality makeup but bad quality brushes, you’re just not going to get the results you’re looking for as easily. The tools don’t make the artist, but they certainly don’t hurt 😉
MY MUST-HAVE BRUSHES
EYE BLENDING BRUSH
A good blending brush is the key to eye makeup. Using a blending brush will give your eye makeup a smooth, blended finish and you will avoid any harsh lines and patchiness you might get from using sponge applicators.
1. MAC #217
A top-notch blending brush that is a true cult classic. One of my first MAC purchases. A good eye blending brush should be one of the first things you can invest in that will make the biggest difference in your makeup game. A real ‘life-changing’ brush.
2. MAC #224
The #224 is longer and more tapered than the #217. It gives a beautiful blend and is easy to work with. The #224 has a large, domed tip. I really love to use this brush to blend bronzer in my crease for an easy daytime look. The #224 is priced higher than the #217 so it’s a bit more of an investment. I love how quick this brush makes my application.
CHEEK SCULPTING BRUSH – BLUSH/CONTOUR
A good blush/bronzer brush is essential to giving your face that sculpted & glowing look.
1. MAC #168
The #168 is a great brush for blush & bronzer. Nice & fluffy, applies colour precisely but smoothly with no harsh edges. Blends well by moving back & forth in small circular motions over product. Also amazing for applying foundation 😍
FOUNDATION BRUSH
Foundation brushes have come a long way since I became a makeup artist. When I first started, we used the “paint brush” for foundation. I never use those any more except for applying face masks. They leave streaks and it’s too hard to build up the coverage. These days, I always go for something more fluffy and large for foundation. This makes my job easier and quicker.
1. MAC #127
This brush is double-sided (with fluffy natural bristles on one side and more dense synthetic bristles on the other). Good for applying foundation, I like to pick up and apply the product with the dense side & blend it out with the more fluffy side. You can also use this brush for applying blush or highlighter.
SHADING BRUSH
1. MAC #239
Dense eye shader brush for packing colour on the lid. Can also be used to contour the nose or highlight under the brow, inner corner of the eye, or the Cupid’s bow.
SMUDGING BRUSH
Short, firm, dense brush for smudging eyeliner with shadow.
1. MAC #214
This little brush is perfect for giving eyes those finishing touches. I use this to blend eye pencil on top of the lid by smudging it back and forth, and I also use it to press shadow into eye pencil to make it last longer and give it a more blended, intense look. I also use it to give a transition to eyeliner underneath the eyes by picking up a medium toned shadow and blending it with my eyeliner.
BRONZER/POWDER BRUSH
1. #168SH Brush
This brush is my very favourite for bronzer. Because it’s short handled, I feel like it’s easier for me to blend and apply my bronzer as heavily as I like it. This brush is also great for powder.
MAKEUP BRUSH BRANDS
All of my brushes are MAC because I have been working with the brand for so many years. There are some fantastic makeup brushes out there, but there are also a lot of brands selling low-quality brushes for premium prices. Royal & Langnickel are a professional makeup brush company that are well known for high quality brushes at reasonable prices.
It’s important to look for soft fibres, no shedding, good weight, good quality ferrule (the metal part connecting the handle to the brush hairs). MAC ferrules are made from nickel and are extremely long-lasting. MAC brushes are also hand bundled.
Cleaning Your Brushes
Cleaning your brushes is the most important thing you can do to keep them looking good and stop your hairs from breaking off and shedding. If you are using natural hair brushes, you’ll have to take care of them just like you take care of the hair on your head. Use a brush cleanser formulated to clean, sanitize, and condition your brushes. MAC Brush Cleanser is my favourite because it does all 3. My oldest brushes are from 2006, and while I don’t use them every day any more, they are still in great shape thanks to MAC Brush Cleanser.
You need to deep clean your personal brushes at least every couple of weeks using water & brush cleanser. In between, you can spot cleanse with some brush cleanser on a tissue or towel to sanitize brushes.
Thanks for checking out some of my favourite tools! Do you have a favourite makeup brush? Let me know in the comments!
XOXO
