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Brushes are a crucial part of any makeup lovers arsenal. I think we sometimes forget just how important they are. I know I do. I thought I would do a run down on some of my favourite makeup brushes right now.

The ones I reach for time and time again. I have accumulated alot of brushes over the years and do dip in and out of some of them. Or as I’m sure you can relate, become obsessed with one in particular and then just forget about it a month later. This makeup addict business is very fickle 🙂

This little grouping has been in constant use over the past few months. So much so I’ve really only been washing and using them… dare I say exclusively. They are all from pretty affordable brands too. I have notions of owning some more fancy brushes in my makeup future. I find it hard to splurge though when I know there are affordable brands out there making great tools for a great price point.

There is no real rhyme or reason to this list, but if you’re in the market for a specific brush for a particular use, you might find it helpful 🙂

Zoeva 102 Silk Finish:

This is my go to foundation brush when I’m not using a sponge. I use and like others, this is just my most picked up. I like that it’s quite tightly packed so it doesn’t splay when you’re buffing in product. The rounded shape makes it easy to get around the contours of your face. It’s also really soft and quick to wash too. It’s €14.50 from the Zoeva website here.

My next choice is in the same vein as the Silk Finish. This is like it’s little sister. The Zoeva 110 Face Shape.

It is pretty much the same brush just a third of the size. I saw Lisa Eldridge reach for this so much in her videos, I just had to have it. I adore it for buffing in concealer and cream contour. This is €13.50 here.

Next up is the Real Techniques Setting Brush:

This is quite a small tapered brush. I use it for setting product under the eyes or for when I want to apply a light powder contour. It also works really well for highlight too. The synthetic bristles are soft and moveable. So, it doesn’t apply too much product. I found it on the Feel Unique website here for €8.95.

The Zoeva 126 Luxe Cheek Finish brush has been the only blush brush I have used probably for about two years now.

It’s domed and is a mixture of natural and synthetic hair. It is super soft and allows you to build up product and buff it into the skin all at the same time. I love it. It is on the Zoeva website here for €17.50.

The Real Techniques Blush Brush is another favourite I’ve had for a while. This one is well loved.

It has rounded duo fiber bristles. They aren’t very tightly packed on top, so I love using this for bronzer. I think it’s a bit big to use as a blush brush. It applies powder product quite sheer, so you can build up as you go which is my personal preference. This is on the Boots website at the mo for €9.99 here which is great. It’s usually €14.99.

The Blank Canvas F28 is my go to for applying highlight.

There’s a bit of a domed brush theme going on here, I realise. They just seem to float my beauty boat. The F28 is small and fluffy. It’s a real hair brush, so is very soft. The bristles are long in comparison to the brush size, so it works great at blending highlight really well into the skin. This is currently €7.99 from the Blank Canvas website here.

My last face brush fave is another Real Techniques one. This is their Cheek Brush:

I use this for applying face powder. As someone with oily skin, I need to apply a good layer. I like using a smaller brush to make sure I am getting powder in to the places that really need it. Like the sides of my nose and my chin. This does a great job as I can be precise, but it doesn’t cake my face in product either. There’s a fine line 🙂 This was part of the Nic’s Picks Set, but I believe they do similar individually now.

The Inglot 31T is my go to for eyebrows whether I am using cream or powder:

It’s made of Taklon, so it can be used for either. It is really petite, slanted and narrow so you can be really precise with it. I’ve often used it for liner too and it washes out really well. It is €14 from Inglot in store or online here.

I have four eyeshadow brushes to end things with.

The Debs from Nima is the perfect goat haired blending brush:

It’s super soft and a little bigger than the OG Mac 217. I reach it for it more than the 217 generally because it covers more lid space and it blends out quicker as a result. It is €12 from the Nima website here.

Another Nima brush I use probably more is the Crease Blender from the 5 Piece Eye Detail Set:

It’s a natural hair brush. Great for blending out socket colours and I love it for applying washes of colour all over the lid too. The five piece set is €30 from the website here.

The Large Shader brush is another favourite of mine from the set.

I use this for the exact job it was created for. For applying base eyeshadow colours and for setting my eyeshadow primer too. Super soft and easy to use.

My final pick is the Zoeva 223 Petit Eye Blender:

It’s another Taklon brush, so great for creams. I use it to apply shadow on my lower lash line though. It’s quite dense but tapered at the top. So you can apply a good amount of product with it, blending it out as you go. A blown out lower lash line has been my go to look of late. The 223 is €10.50 from the Zoeva website here.

And there you have my favourite makeup brushes right at this moment in makeup time 🙂 Tell me, what are your favourites?

xxx

When I say top five eyeshadow brushes, I don’t mean you have to run out and buy these specific brushes. I just mean having similar brushes in your life will make your eyeshadow application a little bit easier.

I’m a firm believer in letting your eyeshadow brushes do the work for you. Obviously, makeup lovers tend to accumulate alot of brushes over time, but if you take care of yours, I think 5 (or so) will get you through any makeup look.

First and foremost, you need a blending brush.

Blending brushes can be used for pretty much everything.

The Mac 217 is probably the most infamous blending brush, but most brands have their own version of them nowadays. I use a blending brush for applying my crease colour and blending it out softly . As they have a rounded top, you use the higher bristles to apply the products and then diffuse it using the whole of the brush. It’s handy to have two blending brushes in your collection so if the one you are using gets too much product on it, you can switch, but you can always just wipe it off as you go. Noone wants a muddy crease line do they? 🙂 A blending brush works just as good for applying colour all over the lid to, so it’s a bit of a multi tasker in your arsenal which is never a bad thing.

For more defined crease work a tapered brush will come in very handy.

These are just examples of what I use, but again anything similar you can get your hands on will work fine. You just want a soft(ish) brush with a more pointed top. It will let you isolate the colour more when adding it to the crease, so you get a more distinct line there, but you can still use it to feather out the colour if it’s looking a bit too harsh.

A flat brush is a great one to have in your collection too and is definitely a part of my top five eyeshadow brushes list.

Something you can pack colour onto the lid with. It’s great to have a bigger one and a smaller one, but whatever your budget allows is really ok. You just don’t want something too big, unless you’re just using it for washes of colour all across the lid.

I think a pencil brush is another essential brush to have in your collection.

Like a blending brush, they can be used for a plethora of reasons. To apply colour under the lash line, above the lashline, in the tear duct, on the brow brone, or for applying very precise lines in the crease, if you are being particularly fancy.

Finally, I think an eyeliner brush is a must.

I think which one you choose comes down to comfortability really. Whether you are a bent liner brush gal, a straight thin brush, or one of an angled variety, there’s one of to suit all.

There are so many brands out there now that do fab eyeshadow brushes, for all different uses and price points. Sigma, Zoeva, Louise Young, Real Techniques, Mac the list is endless. And us Irish have some fab brands on our doorstep like Nima Brushes and Blank Canvas Cosmetics which is pretty brilliant.

When it comes to real hair or synthetic, just remember don’t apply liquid products with real hair brushes, it will soak up all the product and it will probably damage your brushes in the process too. Synthetic brushes are much more suited to this and you can apply powder with them aswell.

There you have it my top five eyeshadow brushes. I hope that was somewhat helpful, if you’re in the market. If you have any more questions, just ask me in the comments sure 🙂

Thanks for reading.

xxx

Posts

Favourite Makeup Brushes Right Now

Brushes are a crucial part of any makeup lovers arsenal. I think we sometimes forget just how important they are. I know I do. I thought I would do a run down on some of my favourite makeup brushes right now.

I have four eyeshadow brushes to end things with.

My Top Five Eyeshadow Brushes

When I say top five eyeshadow brushes, I don’t mean you have to run out and buy these specific brushes. I just mean having similar brushes in your life will make your eyeshadow application a little bit easier.