Must Have Make Up Brushes

I could easily spend a small fortune on make-up brushes. Well, in reality I could spend a rather large fortune. I love big, soft, fluffy brushes made of real hair with sleek handles and shiny accents. I especially love the way they feel and the way they apply makeup. I even drool a bit walking down the brush aisle in Sephora. But in a tight economy, when we are all looking to save a little cash, you can have brushes that do a great job without breaking the bank.

As much as I would love to purchase all the lovely brushes at Sephora (there's a great brush set for just $275!), I know, as a beauty pro, that I really don't need all those to get a polished look. There are four basic brushes that can give you just about any look you want. All you really need are an eye makeup brush, an eye liner brush, a blush brush, and a powder brush. The rest - while fun, and a great way to apply different looks, are just a matter of personal preference.

You definitely need a good, basic, eye make up brush. The teeny tiny spongy things that come in your eye shadow compacts just don't cut it. They are like trying to paint a Picasso masterpiece with a child's paintbrush. Frustrating, time consuming, and more hassle than its worth. You are far better off investing in a simple, full size eye make up brush.

Robert Jones Sable Eye Shadow Brush #22 is a great example of a quality eyeshadow brush. It is well worth the twenty five dollars for its softness, its durability, and usability. You can use it to apply color to the lid or crease or blend colors together. M.A.C. Eye Shader Brush 239 for $24.50 is very similar in quality and price. A good quality brush made of synthetic materials is the eyeslipsface.com eye shadow brush. Although it's quality and durability can't compare to the aforementioned brushes, you can't beat the price of $1.00.

After you apply your eyeshadow, you'll want a good eye liner brush. You can use this brush in a lot of different ways - to add some very precise color to the inner corners of your eyes, to apply your eyeshadow as eyeliner (either wet or dry), or even to smudge your pencil liner and smooth out any mistakes.

MeetMark carries a cool little eye liner brush for six dollars. It's bristles are stiff and it can attach to another "hook up" brush (such as their eye shadow brush). If you want to be a little bit fancier, Robert Jones carries a flat, synthetic brush (eyeliner brush #40) for thirteen dollars, or an even tinier version, #41, for twelve dollars. Sonia Kashuk, for Target, has a sleek, black ergonomic handled precision eye liner brush for a mere $9.99. Any of these will work just fine with a little practice and patience.

A big fluffly brush can do triple duty as a blush, bronzer, and powder brush, but I prefer separate brushes for these applications. For a blush brush, I prefer a big soft brush. You could use Robert Jones Ultimate Blush Brush #64 for $49,00, the Mary Kay blush brush (sold as part of a set for $48.00), or my personal favorite, the Sonia Kashuk Highlighting Brush for $12.99. It gives you a very sheer, very blended application of blush. For those on a tighter budget, eyeslipsface.com carries a good, basic blush brush for a mere $3.00.

Once you put your blush on, you'll probably want to apply a little powder throughout the day to set your makeup. Replaceable sponges are nice, but they can leave a too much powder behind on your face. For a softer application, a great big kabuki brush does a beautiful job. I love the eyes lips face body kabuki brush, and you can't go wrong with a price of just $8.00. Taranio Tarantino makes a highly coveted kabuki brush (at least by me!) for a hefty $38.00. This natural bristle brush is a work of art in and of itself. For a slightly stiffer brush, with a little bit of a heavier application, try Sonia Kashuk's Synthetic Flat Blusher Brush for $14.99.

Animal hair brushes are softer, easier to clean, and last longer, although they may be offensive to those living a vegan or similar lifestyle. Synthetic brushes resist bacteria better but are not made from sustainable materials and don't decompose well. If these concerns are important to you, you may want to try something like the Eco Tools Bamboo brush set for $14.42 at amazon.com. Although the bristles are synthetic taklon, the handles are made of sustainable bamboo.

Whether you get your brushes from eyeslipsface.com for a few dollars, from Sephora for a few hundred, or somewhere in between, with some practice and patience you'll be able to find a simple set of brushes that work for you and fit in your budget. Remember to clean your brushes according to the manufacturer's directions for the best life and application.