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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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!

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. 

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!

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.

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.

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.