The Ultimate Guide On Buying Makeup Brushes That Will Last You A Lifetime

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Whether you are a newbie who's just starting out or a seasoned pro, buying makeup brushes can make anyone feel confused for many reasons. Firstly, they don't come cheap, especially the good quality ones. Secondly, there are too many types, subtypes and all of them come in different hair types as well, just in case you hadn't gone fully bonkers yet. And it's not one of those things that you want to hoard a lot of, it only makes sense to buy one set that is also the set for you. But as usual, you can count on us, your trusted beauty geeks to help you out with this seemingly low stakes but very important buying decision.

Natural vs. Synthetic: What's There To Know

Probably the most important thing to consider when selecting your makeup brushes is the hair type they are made from, which not only determines whether or not it is cruelty-free, but impacts the quality as well.

Natural brushes are made from animal hair which makes them not the most ethical choice and also a very expensive one. They're harvested from animals such as squirrels, mink, horses, ponies, and goats. Those who do not buy into the ethics of the beauty industry have claimed that it is superior in finish and texture to synthetic brushes, but as I personally stand for cruelty-free beauty, I haven't experienced it first hand.

Synthetic brushes are made from nylon bristles that are shaped in such a way that they mimic the smooth finish of virgin hair. You can hardly tell the difference in their finish, and they deliver the same finesse as long as they're good quality ones.

FYI, synthetic brushes can vary in terms of quality, pricing and durability so it's best to invest in trusty makeup brushes that will last for a while and also deliver on application.

What's Better: Beauty Sponges or Makeup Brushes

While silicone makeup sponges have become very popular in the last few years, I personally don't find myself reaching for sponges anymore as it soaks in a lot of liquid product. It causes more loss of product, which equals loss of expensive foundation, which then equals loss of money. There's also the icky feeling of mould growing inside it and thus, you have to keep replacing them regularly, making them wasteful and costly. You also need to figure out how much dampening the sponge needs to avoid a patchy base.

Are Makeup Brushes Really Worth The Investment?

Absolutely YES! No other makeup tool is as reliable and worth the money as (quality) makeup brushes. You cannot do without makeup brushes at all, no matter how hard you try to make it work with your fingers, cotton buds, and whatever you have been using to slap on makeup. makeup brushes whether it's for eyeshadow, concealer on setting your face, are inarguably essential.  Also, makeup brushes last you forever (if taken good care of), how many of us are still using that one blush brush we stole from our mom's vanity in middle school and are never planning to get rid of? Yes, that's the case with good-quality brushes, they become your beauty companions for life indeed.

Affordable vs. High End vs. Luxury: What's the difference?

For starters, the price is the first (and maybe the last) ground on which these brushes will vary from each other. But a high price doesn't guarantee good quality brushes, it all depends on the finish and quality of the bristles. Just try looking for the following things when buying makeup brushes whatever the price/brand may be and trust us, you will be sorted:

The strength of the bristles: Rub the brush against your palm to see if there's any fallout. 

The softness of the brush: Softer the bristles, the more airbrushed the blend will be.

Strong metal ferrule: This is essential to keep your brush's bristles secure and intact.

Quality vs. Quantity

In a consumerist society, we are all hoarders, and this applies best to beauty knick-knacks. But, you don't need 100 brushes to ace your makeup (unless you are a professional MUA and would like to be prepared for ). A basic collection with five or six essential types is enough to help beginners with their everyday makeup. You can always add to them if the need arises but refrain from going all shopzilla and getting your hands on every type just for the sake of it. 

Here's a helpful checklist with 8 brushes I feel are essential for beginners:

1. 1 brush to apply foundation (or concealer)

2. 1 brush for blush

3. 1 brush for contour/bronzer

4. 1 Highlighting brush

5. 1 eyeshadow brush

6. 1 eyebrow brush

You can add an eyeliner brush and a lip brush (that doubles up as a spot correcting brush) to this if you still have room in your budget. Start out with learning how to use these brushes and then move to invest in more brushes for the different creams/liquids/powders.

Foundation Brush

Foundation brushes can be of all kinds; kabuki, buffing, stippling, flat, oval, angled, the list goes on and on. The traditional kabuki is perhaps the most popular with its short and dense hair bristles, the rounded shape is best for powders like powder foundation, loose powder, blush, or bronzer whereas the flat top kabuki is multifunctional and can be used for stippling and buffing liquid foundation onto the skin.

Nykaa Kabuki Brush - Small

Nykaa Kabuki Brush - Small

450
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Sigma Beauty Flat Kabuki Brush - F80

Sigma Beauty Flat Kabuki Brush - F80

2300
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PAC Blending Foundation Brush - 254

PAC Blending Foundation Brush - 254

695
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Concealer Brush

A concealer brush is supposed to be chosen in terms of the concealer finish you are looking for. If you are one for full coverage, consider investing in a precise, densely packed brush to buff out the concealer well. If a lighter airbrushed look is what you like, then a little loosely packed fluffy brush is your superhero!

Nykaa BlendPro Concealer Makeup Brush

Nykaa BlendPro Concealer Makeup Brush

399
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BH Cosmetics Brush V7 Vegan Concealer Brush

BH Cosmetics Brush V7 Vegan Concealer Brush

550
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PAT McGRATH LABS Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Concealer Brush

PAT McGRATH LABS Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Concealer Brush

2900
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Blush Brush

With everyone being obsessed with blushes lately, a supreme-quality blush brush is a must! We suggest using a stifling brush with duo-ended fibers for your liquid/cream blushes and a rounded or angled blush brush for the powder ones. You can also opt for a pointed dome-shaped blush brush for precise application. 

e.l.f. Cosmetics Putty Blush Brush

e.l.f. Cosmetics Putty Blush Brush

590
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Real Techniques Blush Brush(RT-1407)

Real Techniques Blush Brush(RT-1407)

1299
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Charlotte Tilbury Bronzer & Blusher Brush

Charlotte Tilbury Bronzer & Blusher Brush

3850
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Bronzer Brush

A loosely packed rounded brush is ideal for bronzing as it packs on pigment lightly, giving you the sunkissed model-off-duty vibe without looking made up. But if powder bronzers are not your jam and creams/liquids are essentials for your daily beat, an angled stifling brush will do the trick!

MARS Artist's Arsenal Bronzer Brush

MARS Artist's Arsenal Bronzer Brush

349
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Milagro Beauty Angular Face Brush 10

Milagro Beauty Angular Face Brush 10

750
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Make Up For Ever Double-Ended Sculpting Brush - 158

Make Up For Ever Double-Ended Sculpting Brush - 158

5225
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Contour Brush

Underpainting is going viral all over the internet for all the right reasons. The idea of rocking seamless, natural and minimal glam that looks realistic on and off-screen ticks all the right boxes. And a key step for this is well-blended contouring done before layering on the foundation/skin tint for an undetectable snatched effect, which makes a contour brush our favorite weapon of choice.
Wet n Wild Contour Brush(E790)

Wet n Wild Contour Brush(E790)

425
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Pro Arte Precision Face Contour Brush (AF11)

Pro Arte Precision Face Contour Brush (AF11)

800
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Huda Beauty Tantour Face Contouring Sculpt & Shade Brush

Huda Beauty Tantour Face Contouring Sculpt & Shade Brush

2300
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Highlighter Brush

If your highlighter ain't beaming, then it ain't a highlighter. Even though powder highlighters are very 2016, we don't mind revisiting our powder highlighters every now and then for that pop of shimmer using a highlighter brush. But if you are still not convinced, you can do your thing with liquids or creams using the same brush for tidy application.
SUGAR Blend Trend Face Brush - 006 Highlighter

SUGAR Blend Trend Face Brush - 006 Highlighter

399
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PAC Highlighter Brush 277

PAC Highlighter Brush 277

645
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Smashbox Precise Highlighting Brush

Smashbox Precise Highlighting Brush

3000
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Fan Brush

If there's one type of brush you can miss, it has to be this one. Usually the first choice for highlighting, I would say skip on it and use a softer rounded brush instead for a (well-blended) glow-from-within look. Or, if you are keen on getting your hands on it because of the swanky shape, consider using it for contour or blush instead. 
Nykaa BlendPro Highlighting Fan Makeup Brush

Nykaa BlendPro Highlighting Fan Makeup Brush

399
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LUXIE 560 Medium Fan Rose Gold

LUXIE 560 Medium Fan Rose Gold

2200
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Eyeliner Brush

Whether you are into tight lining, winged liner, or siren eyes, an eyeliner brush with a super sharp tip is a must! The width of the brush can vary according to your liking, but one insight we can give you here is to invest in a smaller brush instead of the typical angled flat liner brush as it is the same as an eyebrow brush.

Pigment Play Precision Liner Brush

Pigment Play Precision Liner Brush

495
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Viseart Wide Liner Brush

Viseart Wide Liner Brush

1200
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Shiseido Katana Fade Lining Brush

Shiseido Katana Fade Lining Brush

2200
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Eyebrow Brush

An eyebrow brush is a densely packed angled top flat brush with short and fine bristles to ensure thin strokes that mimic natural brow hair. For me personally, a good eyebrow brush has to have a spoolie on the other end so that I don't have to go back and forth with an extra brush for brushing up my eyebrows. Not only it saves energy, but it also saves money as you don't have to buy another spoolie brush for this purpose.

Swiss Beauty Highlighting And Lash Brush

Swiss Beauty Highlighting And Lash Brush

169
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Miss Claire M31 - Angled Brow & Spoolie Brush - Rose Gold

Miss Claire M31 - Angled Brow & Spoolie Brush - Rose Gold

575
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Anastasia Beverly Hills Brush 12

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brush 12

2000
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Crease Brush

The crease brush is multitasking in the true sense, it can be used for applying a wash of colour on the crease (obviously), (pinching it to apply) shadow on the under eye, nose contouring, spot concealing, powdering and highlighting too. Rely on good quality bristles that make the product blend like butter into your skin.
VEGA Professional Crease Marking Blender (VPPMB-19)

VEGA Professional Crease Marking Blender (VPPMB-19)

400
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Morphe Tapered Crease Blender - M139

Morphe Tapered Crease Blender - M139

700
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Sigma Beauty Diffused Crease Brush - E38

Sigma Beauty Diffused Crease Brush - E38

1500
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Powder Brush

As an oily-skinned person who heavily relies on powder to make my makeup stay, I have learned that the right powder brush can do wonders. For pressed powders or compacts, always use tapered brushes with not too loosely packed hairs as you want all the pigment you can get from the pressed powder, whereas for loose powders, fluffy loosely packed brushes work best as they deposit a light fluff of powder on your face without making it heavy.
MARS Artist's Arsenal Powder Brush

MARS Artist's Arsenal Powder Brush

249
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Rude Cosmetics Silver Bullet Powder Brush - Beretta

Rude Cosmetics Silver Bullet Powder Brush - Beretta

695
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Lip Brush

People might think that a lip brush is not necessary to buy but trust me it is! I love the diffused lipliner topped with lip gloss/oil look that's been doing rounds on Instagram since last year. The clean edges and shape you get from using a lip brush make it worth every penny. Also, I find it sanitary to use a brush instead of my fingertips as it saves me from the hassle of washing my hands every two minutes.
Miss Claire M32 - Lip Brush (l) - Rose Gold

Miss Claire M32 - Lip Brush (l) - Rose Gold

450
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Simply Nam Lip Brush

Simply Nam Lip Brush

899
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M.A.C Retractable Lip Brush - 318

M.A.C Retractable Lip Brush - 318

2400
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Eyeshadow Brush Sets

Instead of looking for each brush individually, you can order one of these sets and make things easy. This is an optional addition to your brush collection. Those who are fully competent at doing an eye look (unlike me who brushes bronzer across the lids and calls it a day) can invest in these eyeshadow brush sets with different types for all the drama they could possibly want on their eyes.

Swiss Beauty Professional Pro Series Eye Brush Set

Swiss Beauty Professional Pro Series Eye Brush Set

899
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Morphe Eye Obsessed Brush Set

Morphe Eye Obsessed Brush Set

2800
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Sigma Beauty 7 Basic Eye Brush Set

Sigma Beauty 7 Basic Eye Brush Set

6800
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Pro Tips On Makeup Brush Maintenance

Makeup brushes also need some TLC to retain their shape and shelf life. You can use the same logic we imply for religiously following our skincare routine. While cleaning brushes is not a complex 10-step routine, it truly does require time and patience. Jumping to the cleaning process, you can use a liquid brush cleanser (or a mild shampoo), make sure to buy one of those silicone mats or scrubbers to get the grim off your bushes effectively, and be careful to only use room temperature water, neither cold nor hot otherwise the hairs might get ragged and start falling out. Also, air dry your brushes by laying them flat on the surface and not upside down as that can weaken the tightening at their necks. 
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An opinionated Gen-z beauty enthusiast who knows about a beauty product even before it goes viral. Oh, also loves all things food and matcha. With over a year of experience in writing, watch this space for the best recommendations :)