The first step to flawless makeup is often the most forgotten or underappreciated one. The brush you choose is one of the most important things in your morning routine. With that being said, you don’t have to spend a few hundred dollars on the most expensive designer brands, regardless of what your favorite Youtube personality says. They are being paid to say that Morphe or Sigma brushes are the best out there. Whether you are just starting out with makeup or are looking for the best brushes on a budget, this article is for you.
It’s frustrating how few instructions there are on many makeup brushes. Without a lot of background knowledge, you may have no idea how to use that angle brush or that super thin eye brush. Luckily there are a few basic brushes that you will need to start with that you can later add to as your makeup knowledge increases.
Foundation brushes
In my opinion, the two must-have brushes are the flat stippling brush and a fluffy foundation brush. These have two very different purposes. The flat stippling brush is used to apply and blend liquid foundation. The fluffy brush is used to apply loose or pressed powder.
Other optional brushes are contouring and highlighting brushes, illuminating brushes and flat liquid foundation brushes. All of these come in a variety of shapes and sizes.
Finally the most popular foundation tool lately, the Beauty Blender. I personally don’t think that a small sponge is worth $20. I think that the Beauty Blender does an okay job of blending out liquid foundation. The only thing I like to use my Beauty Blender for is my under eye concealer. I like that the sponge is not as rough on delicate skin. If you have to have one of these, do your bank account a favor and buy an off brand one.
Blush brushes
When it comes to blush brushes, there are a million to choose from. I personally like a soft cylindrical angled brush. I find that this helps to get the best coverage as well as a very even coverage.
Eye Brushes
To start out, three eye brushes are necessary. The crease brush, blending brush and a thin eyeliner brush. The crease brush tells you exactly how to use it. I personally prefer a medium-sized, slightly pointed crease brush. The blending brush is also fairly straightforward. You would use this brush to soften your eyeshadow to illuminate harsh lines. The thin eyeliner brush may be the optional. If you tend to use liquid or pencil eyeliner, and never use a gel liner then you won’t need a thin liner brush.
Eyebrows
Whether you are planning to fill your brows or not, a spoolie brush is necessary for combing through your brows as well as your eyelashes before you curl them and apply mascara.
When choosing the best brand of makeup brushes, you have to keep price in mind. I am a huge fan of ELF Cosmetics. Their products are well-made but affordable, and so are their brushes. You will be able to find every makeup brush you want and be able to buy one of each for the same price as just one Morphe foundation brush. If you are looking for a few other drugstore brands that are worth spending a little bit more on, Real Techniques, Sona Kashuk and Eco Tools are all well-made for an affordable price as well.