Two things you guys will never see me hoarding or hauling are foundation and brushes. I understand having a ton of blush and eyeshadow and mascara, because you may want to use different colors based on your look or your mood, or you may want natural looking lashes for the office and volumized ones for a date. But, we're all the same color of foundation. I have a powder and a liquid one, just to be versatile, but I don't see myself ever owning more than two. The ones I have, I love, and why would I try something else instead of purchasing what I love? Don't fix what ain't broken, as Jason tells me. As far as brushes go, I have my collection of brushes that I love, and until they grow old and irreplaceable eons from now, I plan on sticking to them. There are a lot of beauty bloggers and youtubers that have 10 brushes just for the crease in an eye look, and 200+ other brushes. I just want to have one brush to grab in the morning, I'm way too tired to think that fully into what I'm doing! I haven't had my coffee yet!
Face brushes:
1. Beauty sponge // The one thing I likely couldn't live without in my makeup stash is my BeautyBlender. If you wear concealer or liquid of any kind, you need this in your life. When I first got mine, I thought it was just another stupid trend, but I absolutely fell in love with it. It blends products seamlessly, and makes the application process totally fool-proof and easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy. Real Techniques is a brand I have yet to try, but people rave about their products, and they have a beauty sponge as well, for 1/4 of the price.
2. Powder brush // Whether you use a liquid, or a powder, you'll want a mineral powder brush in your collection. I highly recommend the Sephora #45 multitasker brush. It is incredibly soft, easy to clean and maintain, and is dual-purpose. I use this to set my entire face, as well as set my undereyes since it such a gentle brush.
3. Giant fluffy brush // This is the key to finishing your makeup look. The last step before heading out the door is making sure that your products are blended flawlessly, and that you don't have any extra product looking cakey or building up on your face. And, if you do your eyes after your face, you want to make sure you don't have any eyeshadow fallout or mascara flakes. A fluffy brush is the best way to blend all of your makeup and flick off any shadow fallout or residue from other makeup products. I like to use my fluffy brush for this, as well as for bronzing my face. Another dual-purpose brush!
4. Blush brush // To apply a natural flush to your cheeks, you'll need the perfect blush brush. Now, everyone's face is different and everyone is going to need to find the brush that works perfectly for them. And I have found my one. It is the Bobbi Brown blush brush. It fits perfectly on the apples of my cheeks, distributes product beautifully, and blends blushes out like a dream when there is too much pigmentation. If you're looking for a cheaper starter option, I would definitely consider the Real Techniques brushes. The MAC 129 is another good option.
5. Contour + highlight brush // Depending on whether you are just now getting into makeup, or whether you're a pro, this may or may not be a necessity for you. The reason I considered this a necessity is because I personally can't leave the house without a highlight. I can easily leave without a contour, but I love the look of a natural glow on the cheekbones, and there's something about it that I just can't resist. To save money, find a dual-purpose contour + highlight brush. I love the Hourglass Ambient Powder brush (I totally don't use it for what it is meant for). I use the sides of the brush to apply the contour to the hollows of my cheekbones, and the center of the brush to blend it out. It is also perfectly fluffy and narrow, so I use it to apply a highlight to the tops of my cheekbones and the center of my nose. For contouring and highlighting, you want a brush that isn't too dense if you are using powder products, because it can apply too much product and make your complexion look muddy. Of course, if highlighting and contouring aren't of interest, this may not be a brush starter necessity for you! Sephora has several contour brush options, MAC Duo Fibre brush is another great choice, and Real Techniques.
Eye brushes:
1. Crease + blending brush // To save money when you are just getting started into makeup, you can find a brush that you can use dually for a crease brush, and for blending your shadows. The shape of blending and crease brushes tend to be quite similar, and if used properly, you can easily intertwine two uses into one brush. I highly recommend the MAC 224, it is tapered enough to use in the crease, but fluffy enough for blending shadows together as well.
2. Lid brush // To really pack on the color of a shadow, like a metallic or shimmer in the center of your lid, or even for an all-over natural matte shadow, you'll need a lid brush. If you are using a lid brush for a heavily shimmery shadow, consider spraying or wetting your brush prior to packing on the color. This will apply more pigment, and prevent the fallout that a lot of color-packed colors will have.
3. Angle brush // Last but not least, the angle brush. Before I really got into eyeshadows, this was my #1 used eye brush, because it is so multi-purpose. I use my angle brush to highlight the inner corners of my eye, to apply winged gel liner, to pack color under the waterline, to create faux liner, to correct lipstick mistakes, and to contour my nose. The reason I didn't include a lip brush in this essentials kit is because an angle brush is all you need! If you need more precision applying a dark lipstick, simply dip the end of your angle brush in the lipstick and apply to those thin corners and iffy areas. Then, cover any mistakes by dipping this brush into your concealer, and applying where needed. Angle brushes have so many uses, not just for the eyes.
If you guys are looking into starting off with makeup and want a very affordable option, I suggest venturing online to Amazon or Target and finding the Real Techniques brush collections. They have 4+ brushes for $12 and up. The reviews on their brush collections are amazing, and even compared to high-end brushes, people tend to gravitate towards using them every day, including makeup artists. I haven't tried them myself, but know many who rave about and love them. If you are willing to spend a bit more, I would head into a Sephora to have someone test the brushes out on you for the exact purposes you are looking for, they range from $15-$35 generally. They are always happy to help, and getting another opinion is always helpful. It also makes a big difference feeling brushes first-hand and knowing what feels right for your skin.
I hope that a post like this was helpful! If it was something that you enjoyed, or didn't, please let me know in the comments below. If this is something you guys are interested in seeing more of, I'd be happy to do a makeup starter kit, or something along those lines. For a look into all my personal makeup brushes, and the ones I consider essentials, watch the corresponding video below.
If you're already a makeup pro, what are your must-have brushes? If you're a beginner, what brushes do you have in your collection, and what brushes do you want to add?
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