Through the years, I’ve tried a lot of makeup brushes and I feel like I’ve finally found my favorite ones to use. When I first started using makeup, I was primarily using drugstore brushes and over time have upgraded to higher end brushes. If you’re looking for more affordable brushes that are still good quality, I recommend Eco Tools or Real Techniques brushes. They’re half the price of higher end brushes and still have good quality!
You’ll notice that I have brushes from a few different brands. I tried a few brands and these are the ones that I reach for the most and use on a daily basis. If I had to pick one brand for best overall, it’d be Sigma brushes!
If you’re interested, I have all the makeup I use every day linked in this blog post and lots of tutorials saved on my instagram highlights!
Crease/Blending: I use these brushes the most for blending out my crease. I think the key to any great eyeshadow look is blending and adding dimension into your crease. A crease blending brush is a must for anyone starting to build out their brush collection. It’s nice to have a few to switch out when they’re dirty but you can get away with just having one and cleaning it more frequently.
Lashline: I always have to smoke out my lash line with this brush! No matter what look I’m doing, it’s a step I cannot skip. I love the way it looks and it actually helps my bottom waterline liner from smearing. Asian eye shape tends to make liner smudge and run so this tip has been a lifesaver. I have a tutorial saved of how I do if you want to check it out on my instagram highlights!
Concealer: Day to day, I always use a makeup sponge to apply my undereye concealer. This gives the most natural application and blends everything out well. I also recently started using this concealer brush and love how it fits the undereye area perfectly. I have a recent IGTV saved using it. On days where I want my concealer to be extra flawless, I’ll use this brush. The pyramid shape is unlike any other brush I’ve used! It’s not something I do everyday but it makes your underage application amazing. I wouldn’t recommend this as a must-have brush but if you’re makeup obsessed like me, it’s definitely a good one to add to your brush collection.
Foundation: I use a makeup sponge every day to apply my makeup. I find that it’s the most natural application and it’s easiest to apply. I use a bouncing motion and “bounce” the foundation into my skin instead of spreading it over my skin. I used to use a beauty blender but now I use the Amazon dupes and they’re the same application for a fraction of the price! One beauty blender is $20 and the amazon ones are 5 for $9. If you are looking for a foundation brush, I recommend the #70 from Sephora PRO or the F80 (Sigma’s cult classic) Both really blend/buff foundation in well but the Sephora PRO Collection one has more densely packed bristles so I’ve been reaching for it more than the F80.
I also loved the Tatibeauty Blendiful and thought it had such a flawless application. It applies foundation with a few sweeps across the face and fills in all of your pores. The only downside is it takes a little more effort to wash in the sink than a makeup sponge.
Powder: This is my favorite brush ever! I’ve been eyeing it for years and I finally got it as a gift for Christmas. It’s the softest fluffiest brush and feels like heaven when you apply your powder. I use this to either apply translucent powder or my pressed powder all over my face. During this Sephora Sale, I finally picked up this double ended brush after wanting it for a while. The smaller side is perfect for the undereye area!
Baking: I use the makeup sponges to bake my undereye area! When I want an extra flawless makeup day, I’ll use the 4DHD to apply concealer and bake my undereye.
Blush: I use this blush brush to apply blush to the apples of my cheek. I also pull and blend the blush back into my bronzer as well so that everything looks seamless and melds together.
Bronzer/Contour: The brush I get asked about the most in my contour brush. Unfortunately, my contour brush came in a set when I got my first control palette and it’s not sold separately. However, the palette is great so if you’re in the market for both I would recommend grabbing the set! I’ve also linked a similar brush in case you don’t want to have to buy the palette just to get the brush. I use the eco tools brush to apply the bronzer after contour. I did recently pick up the double ended brush so I’ve been using the larger side now to apply bronzer and like it so far!
Highlight: I have two brushes I use for highlight. The fan creates more of a strobing effect and easily diffuses the highlighter all over my cheek. I use this for a more “in your face” highlight. For everyday use, I use the tapered highlight to just lightly dust the highlight on my cheekbones.
I clean my beauty sponge every day after use and then throw it out after three months or so. I try to clean my brushes once a week. Brushes can pick up lots of bacteria and cleaning your brushes regularly will help prevent your skin from breaking out. Clean brushes also have the best makeup application! I use the brush shampoo below and the brush cleaning mat under warm water and then lay the brushes to dry overnight on a towel.
Hope this post was helpful! I get questions often on which brushes I use and figured it would be best to round everything up in a blog post 🙂
