My Favourite Makeup Brushes

As requested by one of my Facebook friends here are my current favourite makeup brushes.

There are so many different brushes out there it can be difficult to know what to use! My collection consists of a mixture of high end brands and also some more affordable brands.

Foundation

The Beauty Blender

For those of you that still use a traditional foundation brush put it aside and give the beauty blender a go! This is my go to for applying foundation it really does give the best finish and trumps any brush I have ever used.

To apply you run the beauty blender under cold water until it expands then squeeze out the excess water so that it is still damp. I then apply a small amount of foundation on to the back of my hand and gently tap the foundation  in a bouncing motion on to my face. This gives flawless buildable coverage for any foundation cream or liquid. I find it works particularly well with foundations that dry quickly such as the Estee Lauder Double Wear and it gives you a little more time to play with. You can buy cheaper versions of the Beauty Blender but having tried dupes and I would most definitely say that original is best!

Mac 187 Duo Fibre   (Stipple Brush) £33.50

So this brush is a bit of a splurge and there are some great alternatives out there however it does provide a flawless airbrushed application for liquid foundation.  I use the brush to dot the foundation all over my face and then gently swirl to blend it without moving the black hairs of the brush too much. This gives a light airbrushed application providing that the brush is clean. If you’re going to use this daily I would recommend cleaning this at least once a week otherwise it can get quite clogged with product. If you can’t bear to part with £33.50 then Crown Brush do a great dupe.

Real Techniques Buffing Brush (Part of Core Collection set £21.99)

I love Real Techniques they do a great range of brushes and are really good value. I have a lot of Real Techniques brushes but my favourite one is the buffing brush which is part of the Core Collection Set. This set includes the buffing brush, Contour Brush,  a small foundation brush & a detailer brush which I use for my lips. I like to use the buffing brush for BB Cream or Cream foundation it really allows you to work the product into the skin and get a smooth flawless finish

Real Techniques Foundation Brush £9.99

If you’re not ready to part with your traditional flat foundation brush then Real Techniques do a great one which is slightly angled and lets you get right into any hard to reach areas. If you’re going to use a flat foundation brush I would recommend washing once a week otherwise they tend to get a bit stiff.

Concealer

There are a few different ways I like to apply my concealer depending on what type of concealer I am using. If i’m using a liquid such as the Mac Pro-long wear which is a current favourite, I like to use my ring finger to tap under the eye area and use the pointed end of my beauty blender to blend.

Mac 188 Mini Duo Fibre brush£27.00

This is a mini version of the stippling brush I mentioned above. I like to use this to apply cream concealer such as the Bobbi Brown Corrector. Because the hairs are so soft it allows you to build the concealer without it becoming cakey. I also like to use this brush to blend in any areas I have highlighted either with my Mac Prep + Prime pen or Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer.

Mac 190 Foundation Brush £27.00

Whilst I don’t like using this for foundation anymore I do think this brush is really good for all types of concealer whether you are concealing the under eye area or blemishes. The long handle and shape of this brush allows you to get to any hard to reach areas.

Blusher/Contouring

Crown Brush BK04 £5.79

This angled brush is perfect for contouring; it allows you to sculpt and shape the cheekbones. I love the texture of this brush its quite firm which allows you to create a strong contour yet the hairs are still really soft.

Mac 168 Angled Brush £27.00

This is my favourite brush to apply blush,I have always preferred to use a smaller brush when applying blush I find that it gives more definition. This one is the perfect shape and size its fits nice and snug on the cheekbones.

Mac 129 Blush Brush £27.00

This brush is slightly bigger and I like to use this if I’m applying blush to the apples of my cheeks for a more rosy look, it’s also really good for blending blush if you have applied too much as its really soft and fluffy. If you prefer a more sculpted look I would go for the 168 mentioned above.

Powder/Multiuse

Bobbi Brown Blush Brush £35.00

This is meant to be a blusher brush but I find this way too big for blush, It is however ideal for applying powder and bronzer. I use this every day and is definitely worth the money.