The last time I counted I had 43 makeup brushes in my vanity. I know it is a lot of brushes for one person to own, but that’s a part of my trade. As a beauty influencer I get brushes as gifts, as part of makeup sets and sometimes I buy specific ones.
Honestly speaking, I own forty something brushes, but I end up using the same handful of brushes every time I am getting ready or filming a vlog. I guess it’s the ease of use and familiarity with the brushes that makes me reach out for the same set each time.
Three years ago my story was different. I would try to play cool and quote fancy brush names that beauty influencers would use. Kabuki brush, dome brush, oval brush, flat brush- gosh, what kind of madness it was. But now, three years later, I don’t give a damn. I use brushes that are multipurpose, easy to use and easy to clean. Gone are the IT/TRENDING brushes talk. So, if you are a newbie and feel lost in the BRUSH SPACE, then this might be the post you would want to save and add to your RSS reader.
Here is a list of some of the makeup brushes I recommend every girl to own, but it’s not limited. Since I like to use my hands and fingers especially when prepping my skin, I don’t really need that many brushes. Plus good quality makeup brushes can be expensive, so why waste your money in buying brushes that you won’t use as much.
The angled blush brush
I use this brush all the time. I really need to thank the makeup Gods for inventing this little sucker. Ideally, this brush is supposed to be used with blush but I can get away with using it for contouring, for my blush, for my powder/ highlighter and sometimes even for my foundation. The angled tip helps reach every nook and edge. Areas around the nose, the temple, the jawline- this is the brush you really need.
The flat eyeshadow brush
As the name suggests, it is used for the applying eye shadows. It comes in different sizes and I would say this medium-sized one is my favorite. Let’s cut to the chase, if you are not a professional MUA or doing over-the-top eye makeup, you don’t need many eye shadow brushes. A flat brush does most of your work. From applying shadow to the crease or under waterline, to blending, this one brush does it all.
The Pencil brush
This brush is the holy grail of all brushes. This brush is used for precise shading on the lid, in eye crease or along lash line. I like to use this brush for both the inner and outer corner of my eyes and also to contour my nose. The pencil tip works great for touch ups and corrections. Just make sure to clean the brush before using it on different areas of the face.
The dome brush
Another must-have brush: the dome brush. Shaped like a dome, this brush is the best when you need to go light-handed. This is my go-to brush for highlighting, eyeshadow blending and softening any hard lines, dusting set powder under the eyes, or for powder touch-up on smaller parts like my nose and chin.
The lash dual ended brush
This brush is dual ended- one end has a brow brush and the other has an angled stiff brush. The brow brush is used for brushing the brows and the other end which technically should be used to fill-in eyebrows, I like to use it for applying gel/shadow eyeliners. The angled tip makes it so much easier to give shape to the eyeliner.
Some brush maintenance tips
- do clean your brushes with a good brush shampoo once every couple weeks.
- after every use wipe off the brushes with a makeup removing wipe. This will get rid of any extra product and prevent the bristles from staining.
Shop my favorite brushes
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