My Most Used Makeup Brushes + Review*

When I first started getting into makeup around two years ago, I thought the most important thing to getting an impeccable look was the quality of the makeup you were using. I would get frustrated sometimes because my bronzer looked muddy or my eyeshadow wouldn’t blend out as nicely as I saw on Youtube or on some of the images I saw online. I kept thinking if I buy more expensive products than they would blend and apply better but even after buying several products by well known brands like Urban Decay and Kat Von D, I still wasn’t getting the results I wanted. Sure, some of it was human error since I had just started I didn’t know important key things like the angle my brush should be tilted at or what a transition shade was; however, I did come to realize makeup is 50% makeup quality and 50% makeup tools. I eventually stopped being hardheaded and invested into some brushes and over time I found some of the brushes that are my go-to’s. These brushes all vary in price from $3 to $25 yet they are my most used and they’re never left behind when I travel!
The brushes will be listed in the same order as the picture above from left to right. I’ll be going into detail about why I like them, what I use them for and even some cheaper alternatives for some of them.

• Real Techniques Bold Metals 100 Arched Powder Brush: This brush is marked as a powder brush but I use this brush primarily to apply blush. It’s fluffy enough that it distributes the product evenly and doesn’t pick up too much product at a time. Its oval shape allows you to cover more surface area of your skin which is great because the blush applied to the skin won’t be concentrated on just one area like the apples of your cheeks, unlike other brushes. I personally like a very natural flush of color and that’s why I really like using this brush.
• EcoTools Large Powder Brush: I also use this brush for applying blush and therefore to me, this brush is a cheaper alternative to the brush above by Real Techniques. You might think, what Alejandra are you sure, they’re completely different in shape?! But yes, since this brush is fluffy the blush applies in very similar manner too. The only slight difference with using this brush is that since it is round you don’t cover as much surface area as the Real Techniques brush so you do have to blend further up your cheek.

• Sigma F80 Flat Top Kabuki Brush: When I apply my liquid foundation I want an even application and I want a good medium to full coverage. This brush is so densely packed that the bristles don’t really absorb your foundation but rather push it into the skin. This style of application allows for higher coverage so all those pesky spots that usually peak through when you use your beauty blender are actually gone! I’ve noticed that when I use this brush I like to do a buffing motion which helps prevent any “cake” face. In addition, I notice that I use up less foundation when I use this brush than when I use a beauty blender.
• e.l.f. Powder Brush: My cheaper alternative to the Sigma F80 is this brush. e.l.f. says it’s used for powder but I never use it for anything other than liquid foundation application. The bristles on this brush aren’t as tightly packed as the Sigma F80 by any means but it has a long diameter so you cover more area…yes, I am using math terms to talk about makeup. The only downside is that you get less coverage so you do have to go in a second time to really make sure those spots are completely covered. Even with the second layer of foundation my makeup never looks cakey thanks to the flat top shape and buffing motions.

• Tweezerman Brow Brush: This brush is perfect for my brows when I use powder brow products. I love this brush because it isn’t too thin so it requires less time to really go through both brows. The brush is sturdy enough to provide straight lines around the top of my brows and the tail. If you have thin brows this may not be the best brush to use because you will need more precision and this brush won’t be able to provide you with that. When I’m in a rush and I want my brows to be more defined I quickly grab this brush and in a minute or so I have both brows done. I tried using this brush with a pomade but it doesn’t have that much grip to it so the product slips a little and you don’t get the perfect straight lines you need. Highly recommend for powder application though!
• EcoTools Shade & Define Brush from the Eye Enhancing Duo Set: Well this brush serves two purposes, the flat side known as the “shade” side is what I use to put eyeshadow on the lid and the fluffy side is the “define” side which I use to blend shadows into the crease of my eye. The shade side is extremely sturdy and picks up product well whether it is pressed powder or loose. I use this side of the brush with cream shades, with glitter, and even metallic shadows and the pigmentation that the brush provides is stellar. I also use this side to blends some shadows on my lower lash line since it is so thin. The define shade is domed shaped and much fluffier so it blends shadows really well. It’s small enough so you can be as precise as you want with your application but big enough to blend shades into each other and blend out the edges. The great thing about this brush is that it’s 2 in 1 and takes up less space in my travel bag.
• e.l.f. Mineral Powder Brush: Some people use big fluffy brushes, or flat contour brushes, but I use this e.l.f. brush to blend out my contour and bronzer. This brush is small and domed shape with the tip of the brush being the longest so it allows for more accurate application. The brush helps to blend out the products effortlessly for a very natural look and it doesn’t pick up too much product at a time. If I’m in a rush and can’t find any other of my brushes I use this to apply blush and setting powder under the eyes (something I do sparingly). I usually use powder contour and bronzer but I have tried this brush with cream blush and it worked really well too.
• Glamierre Flat Top Concealer Brush: This brush surprised me to say the least. I received it in an IPSY glam bag so I didn’t have that high expectations for it to be honest. This brush fits perfectly under the eye to blend out my concealer and right into those hard to reach corners of my inner eye. The brush doesn’t soak up too much product so the concealer looks flawless once applied. This is the only brush I use for concealer besides my beauty blender.

Overall, all these brushes have soft bristles, glide well on the skin, and as explained above are fantastic. Hopefully you found a brush that may help you with a certain step in your makeup routine. If you have any favorite brushes that I didn’t mention and think I should check out comment down below. Until next time, peace out!