Do they need to be expensive to be good quality?
Makeup brushes are my weakness. I honestly think I have more brushes than makeup. (And I have a lot of makeup). I really believe having the right brushes changes how your makeup looks, sits and lasts.
The big question is… Do they need to be expensive to be good quality? Thankfully, the answer is no! I’m not saying all cheap brushes are good, but there is an abundance of affordable ones out that that I would highly rate. This blog is going to break down:
There are 2 types of brush hairs you will come across – Natural (made from various animal hairs or furs) and Synthetic (made from nylon and other plastics). These are very easy to tell apart.
Natural brushes generally feel very soft and are best used with powders, as when mixed with liquid products, they tend to ‘shed’ easily. The main purpose of natural hairs is to create a seamless and effortless blending experience. If you are looking for brushes to blend powder products with ease, I highly recommend looking for natural hairs (unless you’re vegan – there are many vegan brush brands).
Synthetic brushes tend to have an obvious ‘shine’ to them as they are made of plastics. The bristles feel much stronger and when pulled, stay in tact and very rarely shed. These are better for cream/liquid products or when doing detailed work such as eye liner. I highly recommend synthetic when looking for foundation and concealer brushes or of course if you are vegan.
“Not washing your brushes is a bit like eating off a plate, not washing it and eating off it again.”
Often I find people buy one brush for one purpose, however brushes can be used in so many different ways for so many different things. If you are using cream products such as cream shadows, concealers, foundations, who’s to say you can’t uses your concealer brush for cream shadow? Just remember, the most important thing is to clean your brushes in-between.
I cannot stress this subject enough! There are so many reasons why cleaning your brushes is so important.
All you need is a good brush cleansing spray and a cleanser. Cinema Secrets are by far the best cleansing spray out there and Bobbi Brown have a fantastic gel cleanser.
If you want your brushes to last forever, clean them with the spray after every use and cleans them thoroughly with the gel once in a while. There is no two ways about this, trust me.
If you are a sponge lover, put them in a wash bag and pop them in the washing machine. It works a treat!
This is the part I know you’ve been waiting for. I am going to say I easily have over 500 brushes (yes I know its excessive, but I like to think I am some sort of brush connoisseur).
I hope this very thorough blog on brushes helped out!
Till next time…
G x