Sneak a Peek: Makeup Brushes
Today's addition to my makeup collection series is all about makeup brushes. Because by now you've seen over half my makeup collection, it's about time to take a look at what I use to apply it all. Along with seeing what makeup people use, I like to see what their go to brushes are to apply it.
Some of these brushes were bought individually, some came in sets, some came with a palette but I'll link everything I can, tell you which ones I reach for the most and what I use them for.
This post looks a bit different from my previous beauty posts but I'm really excited to share it because it turned out exactly how I pictured it. :)
I've used a lot of different foundation brushes over the years and these three are my go to. All three are super soft and make blending foundation really easy. I do lean towards the bottom two the most because I like that they're rounder and fluffier whereas the Real Techniques expert face brush is more dense and pinched in.Overall I will say I really like Real Techniques brushes in general (as you'll notice throughout the post) they're really good quality and don't cost much at all.
Real Techniques Buffing brushcomes as part of a set, the contour brush from this set is also a favorite mentioned below!
it cosmetics luxe complexion perfection brushon the more expensive side but it is a two in one brush
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By powder brushes I generally mean setting powder (usually I set with the hourglass palette) but occasionally use some for bronzer. This is also where I start to use brushes for something other than what they're "supposed" to be for.
e.l.f complexion brush: Lately I've been using this for powder all over the face. I also really like it for softly applying bronzer. The brush isn't that dense so you don't really have to worry about getting the bronzer too concentrated in one place (which as a super pale girl, the softer the bronzer the application, the better!)
e.l.f blush brush: I should mention I really like e.l.f brushes. Because they're so cheap, I think you'd expect a bad brush. However, e.l.f has some of the softest face brushes. This blush brush is my favorite brush not for blush; for under eye powder. This is one of the most perfect brushes I've found for setting under eye concealer.
e.l.f flawless concealer brush: this is another brush I use for under the eye powder, I also use it for powder all over my lid if I'm not doing any eyeshadow. Also good for highlighter on the cheekbones.
Real Techniques Powder brush: This is a great large, fluffy brush for powder. I've occasionally used it for bronzer as well, I have two of them because I love how soft it is. I also really like this brush for times when I get blush or bronzer too heavy, it's really good at blending it out.
Real Techniques contour brush: This is the brush I mentioned earlier that's part of a set. I use this for the same reasons as the e.l.f concealer brush and the blush brush. So if you're not wanting the set of brushes, I'd go with the e.l.f brushes. However, I did like another Real Techniques brush that isn't the exact brush as I have pictured, but very close to it!
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I'm showing all of the brushes I have for blush however I'll be honest, I don't really reach for all of them all that often. There's probably two I use regularly.
Real Techniques blush brush: I'll be honest I have a love/hate relationship with this brush. It's a good brush, it's soft, works really well with highly pigmented blushes. However it's kind of too big for my face.
Sigma F40: Hands down, this is my favorite blush brush. If I could only have one blush brush, it'd be this. It's just perfect. I've had it probably five years (should probably get a new one because the glue is starting to show which probably means it'll fall apart on me soon) but it's definitely a brush I want multiple of.
e.l.f angled blush brush: I'm not a fan of this for blush. At least not powder blush, it might be better for cream blushes because it's so dense. This brush is almost denser than the foundation brushes I use. I would see it'd be good if you have a powder blust that maybe comes off more sheer, this might help pack on the color a little better. But personally, it's not something I reach for unless my other brushes are dirty.
e.l.f stipple brush: Stipple brushes are great for blushes that are super pigmented and you need just the lightest touch to apply.
e.l.f small stipple brush: I had this brush before I ever used the bigger stipple brush, I actually prefer this one to the bigger one. If they had an inbetween size, that would be perfect. I almost exclusively use this brush with the Milani Dolce pink blush, pictured in this post.
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Now I don't do a full eye look (meaning more than one eyeshadow) everyday like I used to, so I don't use as many brushes daily as I used to. Most of these Sigma brushes came in a set (along with the blush brush mentioned, probably bought around five years ago) so I'll link the set here. All the Sigma brushes are also sold individually. The Real Techniques brushes also came in a set linked here. The Tarte brush I unfortunately couldn't find so I believe it came with a palette but I'm linking a similar. The Sonia Kashuk brush also came in a set, couldn't find the exact individually but a similar set linked here.Instead of going through each of these brushes individually, I'm going to touch on my all time favorites. The best of the best.
Sigma e35: This is my favorite blending brush, super soft and makes blending fast.
Sigma e25: If you told me I could only have one eyeshadow brush, it'd be this one. I reach for this one to do just a single eyeshadow all over the lid, blended through the crease. It's the best.
Real Techniques accent brush: I mentioned in my eye makeup drawer post, that I like to take eyeshadow on the bottom lashline and smudge it under there. This is the brush I use mostly for that.
Before I end this post, I also want to mention what I clean my brushes with. As of late I've been using this soap diluted in warm water and it does wonders and keeps the brushes soft. Also mixing warm water, a splash of vinegar and dish soap works really well. I don't think it makes some brushes as soft as normal, but it's really good for getting all the foundation out of brushes and beauty blenders!