Brushes, what brand and what type?

[#1]

I want to invest in some good brushes and I was wondering if anyone could recommend brushes that they use. Also, what kind of brushes are really useful for face and eyes?

Thanks, xoxo

[#2]

I think you can save the most money by first figuring out what type of brushes you need -- do you use liquid foundation, mineral powder foundation, concealer, setting powder, blush, eye shadow, cream eye liner, eyebrow powder, or whatever? I like many Sephora  brushes, especially the Complexion Brush #53 for loose powder (a great deal at $19), #47 for foundation, #45 for mineral powders, #10 for getting loose powders into creases, and #23, the bent eyeliner brush. If you use mineral makeup and would like to spend less money, silknaturals.com has some fantastic brushes at excellent prices. For less expensive eye shadow and concealer brushes, some decent ones can be found at Target (Sonia Kashuk) and CVS (Essence of Beauty).

[#3]

I LOVE Sephora Professionnel Bronzer Brush #44 http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P188220&categoryId=S4600&shouldPaginate=true for blush, Sephora Collection Professionnel Platinm Natural Fan Brush #43 http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P148009&categoryId=B70 to apply face masks, and tokidoki Pittura Brush Set  http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P266809&categoryId=B70 for eye make up.  I recently bought Too Faced Flatbuki http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P231441&categoryId=B70 and the bristles are SO SOFT!  I'm thinking of buying the Too Faced Brush Set because I like the Kabuki so much.  Make sure to get a good brush cleaner too, I use Bobbi Brown's Conditioning Brush Cleaner. 

[#4]

You have got to try eco tools brushes. You can get it at Walmart.

They are a good price GREAT qualiy, and they are natural and SO soft! Seriously, I've tried really expensive brushes{I'm talking $50 for one brush}-many from sephora's top, most "exclusive brands".

They also last for ages and apply makeup like a dream.

But remember, a makeup brush is only as good as how it's cleaned and handled, so make sure you wash your brushes monthly with baby shampoo to keep them their best!

[#5]

You've gotten some great high end recommendations. For the "low end", I recommend eco tools and the ELF studio brushes. They run between $3 to -$6 each and are made of synthetic fibers. They are a great buy and get the job done. They are the only thing that I regularly go to ELF to buy. I have found that their other stuff is touch and go, and I wouldn't buy any og the cheaper brushes.

Hope that helps!

[#6]

Sephora has some really awesome brushes, as you can see from all the other answers. I have the rounded blush brush, which is fluffy and disperses product perfectly. The platinum collection's stippling brush is also another fantastic brush I have, and it's great for pretty much every face product under the sun (probably not concealer, but foundations and brushes of every type are applied beautifully). 

[#7]

Hi Makeubsessed!

I personally LOVE the Sephora Professional Platinum Brushes and find them to be good quality and priced reasonably compared to many other brands!

Be sure to check them out! I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!

Olivia

[#8]

I really love Smashbox brushes! Yes they are pricey, but well worth it, very firm and easy to control.

[#9]

I got the Sephora brand Platinum brush set for christmas, and it definitely doesn't disappoint.

Good quality brushes are key for well applied makeup.

These brushes are pretty much a must have for any collection:

-eye: shadow, crease, liner

-face: blush, foundation (concealer is optional, but considered the difference I've noticed from using my finger compared to using a brush, it's worth getting one, seriously).

Anyways, a nice smudge/dome brush is also nice to have. just make sure the bristles are nice and soft or it's gonna hurt like the dickens when you go to blend/smudge things. Trust me, I'd know.

For eyeshadow brushes, aside from the ones I got in my set, I really love the Bare Essentials brushes.

-wet/dry shadow: awesome, densely packed bristles that are great for applying wet or dry shadow.

-light stroke: awesome for softer eye looks and washes of color.

-face: this is actually what I use to apply my blush and it works quite well. The angled blush brush is nice and I use that just to add a bit of highlight to my cheek bones with a gold-peach colored powder/shadow. :3]

[/endrant]

[#10]

I always went with Stila brushes until recent recently, lately I've noticed the hairs falling out.  I loved it when I lived close enough to a store that I could pick out  each individual brush from whichever  brand I liked best. It was expensive but I loved doing it that way. But unfortunately that is no longer an option for me. I do like th Bare Minerals brushes. But the other day I got a roll of 37 brushes on ebay for,  I think it was, $30 - no shipping.  I got them and like them. Worth much more than that. I'm quite pleased. And They have many more they are auctioning off.

Good Luck!

[#11]

I've listed below some of the necessary eye brushes in the Sephora Brand.  Sephora Brand has good brushes and they are more reasonably priced than a lot of other brands.

Professionnel Blending Eye Brush #29:  http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P188216&categoryId=C17387&shouldPaginate=true

Professionnel Rounded Crease Brush #13:  http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P188208&categoryId=C17387&shouldPaginate=true

Professionnel All Over Shadow Brush - Large #21: http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P188213&categoryId=C17387&shouldPaginate=true

Professionnel Small Synthetic Eyeshadow Brush #26: http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P189144&categoryId=C17387&shouldPaginate=true

If you don't use a gel or cream eyeliner or brow powder the two brushes listed below are not a necessity.  Optional brushes for applying brow powder and gel/cream eyeliner:

Professionnel Brow Brush #10 (if you use brow powder): http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P188206&categoryId=C17387&shouldPaginate=true

Professionnel Pointed Liner/Eyeliner Brush #17 (for eyeliner gel/cream application):  http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P189141&categoryId=C17387&shouldPaginate=true

These are the types of brushes that I use every single day.  There are a lot of other brushes that you may want to use once you get used to using brushes, but these basics will get you started.  I hope this helps you.

[#12]

 I agree with IslandQt MAC brushes aren't all that. I buy MAC brushes when they are unique, and I can't find anything similar. Contrary to popular belief, Sigma brushes do work well, if you take care of them well. I have the simple set which is like 160 for all of them I believe, including the brush belt I bought. I've used them repeatedly and they still look brand new. Only thng you have to watch out for with these brushes is the black dye, tends to bleed, something that easily can be avoided with proper care. I don't like the ELF brushes, they are dirt cheap, but lack quality.  I washed one and the ferrule split from the handle. Down below, I have a few suggestions for your collection.

1. MAC 109 : This is my favorite brush for contour work, I use it to sculpt the face, and add dimension. ($32)

2. Sigma E30: This is a pencil brush for the eye, excellent for detailed crease work. ($9)

3. Sigma E40: This is a tapered blending brush, perfect for applying undereye concealers, and brighteners, and blending highlight shadows under the brow bone ($9)

4.Sigma E65: Perfect for shaping eyebrows and doing cat-like eyeliner. ($9)

5.Makeup Forever HD Blush Brush: This is a great multipurpose blush brush ($39)

[#13]

The Sephora Professionnel Platinum brushes are good. The mineral powder brush #45 is good if you use mineral foundation, or just for powder. The air brush #55 is good too, and the foundation brush #47. I also have the Hourglass Finishing Brush #7, which is expensive but I LOVE it. I've had it for years & it's just as good as the day I got it so it's a 1-time investment. 

http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P193248&shouldPaginate=true&categoryId=5879

http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml;$sessionid$WPBVT3JYR5M0ECV0KSKBPIQ;jsessionid=WPBVT3JYR5...

http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml;$sessionid$WPBVT3JYR5M0ECV0KSKBPIQ;jsessionid=WPBVT3JYR5...

http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml;$sessionid$WPBVT3JYR5M0ECV0KSKBPIQ;jsessionid=WPBVT3JYR5...?

[#14]

I really like Sephora's Platinum Professional collection brushes.  In my opinion, they are really good quality, and they do their job perfectly.

I really like the eyeshadow and eyeliner brushes from Avon and mark.  They aren't very expensive, and they're fairly good quality.

I bought a brush set from MAC; I thought it was a good deal...you get 5 smaller sized brushes for the price of one regular sized brush.  Bad idea.  The brushes are really small, and not very good quality.  The hairs/bristles or whatever you want to call them kept coming off mid application, and they weren't soft and fluffy. 

[#15]

I would say MAC brushes are industry standards at this point BUT their brush sets tend to be of inferior quality and it gets really expensive when you buy brushes individually.

I highly suggest taking a look at the brush sets from adesign. You can find them online. They're not cheap but at least their sets are a good value.

I like Sephora's Platinum collection of brushes a lot. I think they're soft and perform quite well. I have no complaints. I also like their IT collection (although some key brushes are not in that line unfortunately).

You could also go to aofmpro online and check out their brush set which gives you every brush you could possibly need and also in a brush roll so you can travel with it!

on the cheaper end of the scale I really enjoy using Eco Tools brushes (so so soft) and the Revlon brushes (especially the contour crease brush, foundation brush, blush brush and powder brush)

Good Luck!!