I am not a makeup artist by any means, but I do love a good makeup brush.
Because I want a flawless look, I have learnt through trial and error what makeup brushes give me the best results. In a previous post, I talked about the 5 basic brushes you need when starting your brush collection you can check it out here. Even after you have decided what brush category you need there is still a wide variety on the brushes available in each category. To that end, I decided to put together 5 tips to help you choose the best brush from the options available in the market.
So are 5 tips to help you choose the best brush for your needs so that you look like belong on an Oscar red carpet each time you put on makeup.
1. Decide what make brushes you need
Having a matching set on your dresser a may look good aesthetically. However, not all the brushes in the set will address your needs, making the full brush set a wasteful expense. The best way to choose what brushes to buy would be to identify the steps and products you use in your routine, then choose the best brush for each task. A basic collection should consist of at least 5 brushes (foundation, blush/highlighter, eyeshadow, concealer, brow brush with a spoolie).
2. Natural or synthetic makeup brush?
Most of the cheaper brush sets are made from synthetic fibres so they are affordable and more accessible. However, they do not work well with all product formulas. Synthetic fibres work best with liquids and creams for a smooth finish. Natural fibres, on the other hand, are made from animal hairs tend to work better with powder formulas because they to pick up more product. They are able to do this is because the hair shaft is irregular like shingles on a roof, unlike synthetic fibres which are smooth as seen below.
3. Get the best quality makeup brush you can afford
Makeup brushes have a wide range of price points, and you do not have to spend a tonne of money to get good results. So do your research and pick the best you can afford, and learn how to use them properly for stellar results. Your technique rather than the brush itself may be the reason for your not so great results. If you want brushes that last almost forever, go for synthetic brushes, they don’t shed as much and tend to last longer. I have had my Real Techniques-Expert Face brush and Sigma F80 brushes since 2012 and they still work like a dream.
Real Techniques Expert Face Brush $9, Sigma F80 $25, Hakuhodo $72
I have all three brushes and they work equally well.
4. Allergies or sensitive skin
Depending on your needs, natural or vegan(synthetic ) could be better for you. For people with sensitive skin animal or natural hair may cause allergies. So if you have sensitive skin or are allergic to animal products like dairy or have animal allergies stick with synthetic fibres. This is also important for people with combination or acne prone skin because synthetic brushes ‘’cleaner’’ because their bristles are flat (they have no cuticles) and they can be cleaned more frequently with little or no damage.
5. Choose the right size of makeup brush
As much as having unicorn or mermaid shaped brushes looks like fun they are unlikely to work well in real life. Your brushes being the right size and heft determines how often you reach for and use them. Brushes that are easy to use make makeup application easier and give you a flawless look. Expensive brushes tend to be heavier and sit better in your hands, length brush is also important, make sure you check they are the right length for you. You don’t want something that is clumsy to hold, because you just won’t reach for it.
With the growth of new makeup brands, there are many affordable brush ranges to choose from so that you can find one to fit your needs.
Those are some of my tips on the factors you need to take into account when choosing makeup brushes for your collection. How do you choose what brushes to use and which do brushes can you not live without?
What do you think? will you incorporate these tips when you plan to buy your next brush or brushes? Let me know in the comments
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This was really helpful! Makeup is a new world for me so it’s nice to have some insight!
Author
I am happy to have been able to shed some light on makeup
I recently really got into makeup. I really started to enjoy my creativity with it. I am going to need purchase more brushes.
I have a question for liquid foundation would you recommend using a blending sponge or a brush. Im currently using a brush. But what to hear what the best option is.
Author
I personally prefer to use a brush specifically a buffing brush is less messy especially if you are starting out. I recommend the Sigma F80 or the real techniques buffing brush
Thanks for the tips! I so rarely wear makeup that I honestly don’t know what to look for and have a random assortment that don’t work that well. I’ll keep these in mind when I go look for new brushes.