Happy Wednesday! How’s everybody doing? It’s been a crazy week for me so far and I have to short-change on blogging a bit this week. After spring break, everything seems to go in super sonic speed or something. Since we start our semester at the beginning of January, spring break signals the end of 2/3 of the term. Scary, huh?
As I mentioned before, today I am going to show you my brush collection. I am without shame an avid brush collector and after many years, the brushes just add up. Once in a while, I brought home one or two brushes and right now the amount of brushes I have is enough to be split into 2 or 3 sets if I were a makeup artist.
Do you care to take a look? The brushes are nowhere near the expensive range and I am not in anyway flaunting my wealth. This is just an entry to record what I have so far and if you have any questions about the brushes, please feel free to ask.
All my brushes :)
Face brushes1. Winsor and Newton series 240 brush #3: this brush I’ve blogged before and it is an artist’s brush. However, it is softer, fuller, and a lot cheaper than a MAC 129 brush. I use it as a powder brush to apply finishing powder like Everyday Minerals Natural Reflections.
2. Winsor and Newton series 240 brush #1: this brush is a smaller sister of #3 than I mentioned above. The series 240 brushes are made from goat hair and they are super soft! I use it to contour my cheeks and the circumference of my face.
3. Sonia Kashuk flat top synthetic blusher brush: this brush also has its own entry and I call it my teddy bear brush as it is as soft as a teddy bear. This brush is not only just for blushes but also to apply mineral foundations. This probably is one of the pricier brushes of the bunch but Sonia Kashuk makes great and reliable brushes that last for years.
4. Everyday Minerals dual fibre brush: this brush is no longer on sale at EDM and it is a good dupe for MAC dual fibre brush, aka my dream brush. It is good to apply blushes, especially the shimmer blushes from Adorned with Grace, mineralized, skin finishes, or finishing powder. It gives a very nice glow to the face when used with dry powder. However, it is not firm enough to apply liquid foundation.
5. Bare Essentuals kabuki brush: this brush came with the starter kit from BE when the company just came out. Back then the brushes were still soft and usable and after throwing away all the mineral foundations from BE, I still keep the brushes from the kit. It’s been 5 years and this brush is still working fine for me.
2. Winsor and Newton series 240 brush #1: this brush is a smaller sister of #3 than I mentioned above. The series 240 brushes are made from goat hair and they are super soft! I use it to contour my cheeks and the circumference of my face.
3. Sonia Kashuk flat top synthetic blusher brush: this brush also has its own entry and I call it my teddy bear brush as it is as soft as a teddy bear. This brush is not only just for blushes but also to apply mineral foundations. This probably is one of the pricier brushes of the bunch but Sonia Kashuk makes great and reliable brushes that last for years.
4. Everyday Minerals dual fibre brush: this brush is no longer on sale at EDM and it is a good dupe for MAC dual fibre brush, aka my dream brush. It is good to apply blushes, especially the shimmer blushes from Adorned with Grace, mineralized, skin finishes, or finishing powder. It gives a very nice glow to the face when used with dry powder. However, it is not firm enough to apply liquid foundation.
5. Bare Essentuals kabuki brush: this brush came with the starter kit from BE when the company just came out. Back then the brushes were still soft and usable and after throwing away all the mineral foundations from BE, I still keep the brushes from the kit. It’s been 5 years and this brush is still working fine for me.
Blush brushesBlush brushes:
6. MAC 129 SE: it’s a part of MAC basic brush set that I got as a gift from my cousin (blogged here). As I mentioned in that entry, the special edition brushes are not as full (or well-made) as the full size ones. The 129 SE I have is almost as good as the full size one and I don’t mind the short handle any bit.
7.Bare Essentuals powder brush: also came from the starter kit mentioned earlier in brush #5. Although this brush is for mineral foundation, I found out it is excellent to apply sheer blushes as well as finishing powder since the bristles are really dense.
8.Slanted brush from Big Lots: can you believe this brush only cost me two dollars? It is soft and full for a slanted blush brush so applying blush to my cheeks is fast. However, it is too thick for contouring, which is a shame since this blush is really soft.
9.Tapered blusher brush from Target: when Target started selling their black handled brushes (and they still do), I believe this brush was around $2.99. This brush gives me unbelievable cheekbones and is good for cheek contouring. However, it is not the softest of its kind. It is probably one of the first five brushes I’ve had and for years, it’s still working.
6. MAC 129 SE: it’s a part of MAC basic brush set that I got as a gift from my cousin (blogged here). As I mentioned in that entry, the special edition brushes are not as full (or well-made) as the full size ones. The 129 SE I have is almost as good as the full size one and I don’t mind the short handle any bit.
7.Bare Essentuals powder brush: also came from the starter kit mentioned earlier in brush #5. Although this brush is for mineral foundation, I found out it is excellent to apply sheer blushes as well as finishing powder since the bristles are really dense.
8.Slanted brush from Big Lots: can you believe this brush only cost me two dollars? It is soft and full for a slanted blush brush so applying blush to my cheeks is fast. However, it is too thick for contouring, which is a shame since this blush is really soft.
9.Tapered blusher brush from Target: when Target started selling their black handled brushes (and they still do), I believe this brush was around $2.99. This brush gives me unbelievable cheekbones and is good for cheek contouring. However, it is not the softest of its kind. It is probably one of the first five brushes I’ve had and for years, it’s still working.
Eye brushes
Eye brushes: I believe to have more than 10 brushes in this category
10. Coastal Scents synthetic eye shadow brush: I bought this brush to use as a foiling brush. However, it splits to tiny parts after being wet so foiling mineral eye shadow is out of the agenda. This brush is really soft and blends well but does not pack eye shadows well. On the up side, it is really cheap!
11. Medium shadow brush from Target: it is one of the first two brushes I’ve ever bought! I do not use this brush as much anymore because I have many more brushes I can use. This brush is around for sentimental reason: it is the reminder of my humble beginning when I only had two or three brushes and an eye shadow quad! Now, the secret is out of the box: I started out with this obsession like anybody else- in a drugstore and with just a few items. And I think that is the point: you don’t have to march straight to MAC and haul out $500 worth of stuff to start wearing makeup; just a few things at a time and after a year or so, you will realize that you have enough.
12. Large shadow brush from Target: the day I bought my first brushes, I went to Target and bought a medium and large shadow brush. At that time, only Target sold makeup brushes and the black handled ones are quite good. I’ve had them for close to 7 years now and they are still working fine. I used this brush a lot more than the medium shadow one since it is fuller and more blendable. Although the do not pack eye shadows as well as MAC 239, they actually blend quite well. For starters, I do recommend these brushes because they are really affordable (currently $2.49 USD a piece at Target!)
13. Loew-Cornell 270 Maxine’s mop ¼ inch brush: I believe L-C makes the best artist’s brushes ever! This tiny brush is really pretty and can be used to smudge out the liners the way MAC 219 does. Also, it is really cheap and available at Michael’s.
14. Loew-Cornell 270 Maxine’s mop 3/8 inches brush: this brush is very much comparable to MAC 239 brush and costs about 1/10 cheaper. It packs color very well and is easy to clean.
15. Loew-Cornell 270 Maxine’s mop ½ inch brush: I can’t get enough of these purple handled brushes so I got this brush from Michael’s during a sale. Although I initially planned to use it to contour my face, the brush is simply too stiff for that purpose. However, it is a nice brush to apply eye shadow all over the eyelids as it is big and packs color well.
10. Coastal Scents synthetic eye shadow brush: I bought this brush to use as a foiling brush. However, it splits to tiny parts after being wet so foiling mineral eye shadow is out of the agenda. This brush is really soft and blends well but does not pack eye shadows well. On the up side, it is really cheap!
11. Medium shadow brush from Target: it is one of the first two brushes I’ve ever bought! I do not use this brush as much anymore because I have many more brushes I can use. This brush is around for sentimental reason: it is the reminder of my humble beginning when I only had two or three brushes and an eye shadow quad! Now, the secret is out of the box: I started out with this obsession like anybody else- in a drugstore and with just a few items. And I think that is the point: you don’t have to march straight to MAC and haul out $500 worth of stuff to start wearing makeup; just a few things at a time and after a year or so, you will realize that you have enough.
12. Large shadow brush from Target: the day I bought my first brushes, I went to Target and bought a medium and large shadow brush. At that time, only Target sold makeup brushes and the black handled ones are quite good. I’ve had them for close to 7 years now and they are still working fine. I used this brush a lot more than the medium shadow one since it is fuller and more blendable. Although the do not pack eye shadows as well as MAC 239, they actually blend quite well. For starters, I do recommend these brushes because they are really affordable (currently $2.49 USD a piece at Target!)
13. Loew-Cornell 270 Maxine’s mop ¼ inch brush: I believe L-C makes the best artist’s brushes ever! This tiny brush is really pretty and can be used to smudge out the liners the way MAC 219 does. Also, it is really cheap and available at Michael’s.
14. Loew-Cornell 270 Maxine’s mop 3/8 inches brush: this brush is very much comparable to MAC 239 brush and costs about 1/10 cheaper. It packs color very well and is easy to clean.
15. Loew-Cornell 270 Maxine’s mop ½ inch brush: I can’t get enough of these purple handled brushes so I got this brush from Michael’s during a sale. Although I initially planned to use it to contour my face, the brush is simply too stiff for that purpose. However, it is a nice brush to apply eye shadow all over the eyelids as it is big and packs color well.
More eye brushes :)Eye brushes (cont.): told you I have a lot of them!
16. MAC 239SE: also from the basic brush set and I do not use it as much since I have the L-C 3/8. It is my back up brush when the cheap L-C is dirty, hehe.
17. MAC 219SE: I love this pencil brush very much and life is not complete without having a MAC 219. This brush makes smokey eyes application much easier as I demonstrated here.
18. Sonia Kashuk blending brush: beside the L-C 3/8 inches, it is one of the two brushes I use most often. Although I purchased this brush way later than say, the Target black handled ones, this is the one brush I can’t live without. Comparable to MAC 222 or 224, this brush is soft, affordable, and blends eye shadows very well.
19. Loew-Cornell AMM ¼ inch: the Ann’s Mini Mop is the brush that I hunted up and down Michael’s for months! As much as I want the versatile MAC 217, my wallet begs to differ, forcing me to look to alternative brushes (not fuel!) After climbing some rounds of Mount Google, I realized the AMM is a close dupe of the elusive 217. Also made from squirrel hair, this brush has the same shape and size as the 217. The only difference is the price tag: it is $2.99 USD! It packs color and blends well; the same way the 217 performs. The reason this brush always sold out is it is a very common artist’s brush. Also, the price is sweet: you can buy 5-6 of them if you can find them, of course!
20. Sonia Kashuk #10 slanted eye shadow brush: this brush is very old as Ms. Kashuk no long makes gray handled brushes anymore. It is a fine brush that is underutilized at the moment. However, once in a while when I want to make a sharp outer-v, this brush does the job all the time.
Eyeliner brushesEyeliner brushes: at some point in this blog, I wrote all about them. I can’t believe I have three brushes just for eyeliner. It’s a sickness, I’m telling ya!
21. MAC 266 SE: another member of the basic brush set, this brush is currently used to fill in my eyebrows since it is thin enough for the job. It is simply too thin for gel liners and too thick for tight lining. However, for eyebrow filling, es muy perfecto!
22. Coastal Scents slanted golden taklon eyeliner brush: I’ve written a lot about this brush so it’s kind of redundant to repeat. However, if you need to know one thing about the brush, it gives you a nice thick line every time you use it.
23. Loew-Cornell 10/0 spot detailing brush: this is my most favorite liner brush of all time! Since it is the opposite of the Coastal Scents one, it gives a very soft and thin line and I love it!
21. MAC 266 SE: another member of the basic brush set, this brush is currently used to fill in my eyebrows since it is thin enough for the job. It is simply too thin for gel liners and too thick for tight lining. However, for eyebrow filling, es muy perfecto!
22. Coastal Scents slanted golden taklon eyeliner brush: I’ve written a lot about this brush so it’s kind of redundant to repeat. However, if you need to know one thing about the brush, it gives you a nice thick line every time you use it.
23. Loew-Cornell 10/0 spot detailing brush: this is my most favorite liner brush of all time! Since it is the opposite of the Coastal Scents one, it gives a very soft and thin line and I love it!
Miscellaneous brushes
Miscelaneous brushes: those that do not fit into the above categories
24. Concealer/Powder brush: this cost me a dollar to Big Lots and it was a dollar well spent to me. It is a multi-use brush: the concealer end (the small end) is good to apply concealer to small spots as well as mineral eye shadows. I love to use this end to foil eye shadows, as this brush does not split like the Coastal Scents synthetic shadow brush does. The powder brush end can be used to contour the nose and it does the job very well.
25. Bare Essentuals synthetic concealer brush: it is a small brush for under eye concealing and can also be used to apply paint pots to your eyelids. This brush also came with the starter kit when I purchased my first mineral makeup set from BE.
26. Everyday Minerals foundation brush: this is an oldest version of their foundation brush. The current version has a bamboo handle and is a bit cheaper. I use it mostly as a concealer although it applies liquid foundation very well.
27. Revlon brow tool: also a thing from the past as Revlon no longer sells this wonderful tool. The spoolie end can be used to comb the eyebrows and eyelashes while the stiff slanted bristled end can be used to apply and blend brow powder.
28. Sephora professionals retractable lip brush: this brush is close to nine years old and still kicking! Sephora makes some really damn good brushes and this lip brush applies lipsticks and glosses like a charm. However, I am not aware if Sephora still makes this type of lip brush anymore.
29. MAC 316SE: this probably is the most underutilized brush of the set as it is really thin to apply lip products. However, it is good to apply concealer to very small places.
30. Loew-Cornell American Painter 4500 filbert #6: I bought it in hope to use as a lip brush but it did not work out that way. Instead, this brush applies foiled minerals well and can be used as an eyeliner brush sometimes.
Wow, it's good to get this post out of my hair! It is a very long post and I can't believe I have so many brushes! Now at least the world knows what type of brushes I use to apply makeup. If you have questions about any of the brushes, feel free to let me know. Most of the brushes have been reviewed and you can find the related articles at the end of this blog as well.
Now, the million dollar question is: Are these brushes enough for me?
You're kiddin', right? I actually have some plans to get about 2, 3 more brushes and after that I will lay low for a while. Owning a brush is like opening a new opportunity to yourself: there are brushes that I wonder how the heck I lived without for so long. Each brush has its own distinction and you should not limit yourself to a certain number of brushes. However, the morale of the story is: start slow! You should not get all the brushes in the world in one day. What you should do is getting some basic brushes to use first and as time goes by, once you feel the need of getting a new brush, you will then acquire it. That way, you own the brushes, not the other way around.
Alright, it's been a long post. I think this makes up for the absence on Monday. I'll come back on Friday if I can and show you something noice :) (that's how Australians say "nice", hehe.)
Take care ladies, and stay gorgeous!
Love,
Your Makeup Blogger
24. Concealer/Powder brush: this cost me a dollar to Big Lots and it was a dollar well spent to me. It is a multi-use brush: the concealer end (the small end) is good to apply concealer to small spots as well as mineral eye shadows. I love to use this end to foil eye shadows, as this brush does not split like the Coastal Scents synthetic shadow brush does. The powder brush end can be used to contour the nose and it does the job very well.
25. Bare Essentuals synthetic concealer brush: it is a small brush for under eye concealing and can also be used to apply paint pots to your eyelids. This brush also came with the starter kit when I purchased my first mineral makeup set from BE.
26. Everyday Minerals foundation brush: this is an oldest version of their foundation brush. The current version has a bamboo handle and is a bit cheaper. I use it mostly as a concealer although it applies liquid foundation very well.
27. Revlon brow tool: also a thing from the past as Revlon no longer sells this wonderful tool. The spoolie end can be used to comb the eyebrows and eyelashes while the stiff slanted bristled end can be used to apply and blend brow powder.
28. Sephora professionals retractable lip brush: this brush is close to nine years old and still kicking! Sephora makes some really damn good brushes and this lip brush applies lipsticks and glosses like a charm. However, I am not aware if Sephora still makes this type of lip brush anymore.
29. MAC 316SE: this probably is the most underutilized brush of the set as it is really thin to apply lip products. However, it is good to apply concealer to very small places.
30. Loew-Cornell American Painter 4500 filbert #6: I bought it in hope to use as a lip brush but it did not work out that way. Instead, this brush applies foiled minerals well and can be used as an eyeliner brush sometimes.
Wow, it's good to get this post out of my hair! It is a very long post and I can't believe I have so many brushes! Now at least the world knows what type of brushes I use to apply makeup. If you have questions about any of the brushes, feel free to let me know. Most of the brushes have been reviewed and you can find the related articles at the end of this blog as well.
Now, the million dollar question is: Are these brushes enough for me?
You're kiddin', right? I actually have some plans to get about 2, 3 more brushes and after that I will lay low for a while. Owning a brush is like opening a new opportunity to yourself: there are brushes that I wonder how the heck I lived without for so long. Each brush has its own distinction and you should not limit yourself to a certain number of brushes. However, the morale of the story is: start slow! You should not get all the brushes in the world in one day. What you should do is getting some basic brushes to use first and as time goes by, once you feel the need of getting a new brush, you will then acquire it. That way, you own the brushes, not the other way around.
Alright, it's been a long post. I think this makes up for the absence on Monday. I'll come back on Friday if I can and show you something noice :) (that's how Australians say "nice", hehe.)
Take care ladies, and stay gorgeous!
Love,
Your Makeup Blogger
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