brushes? help?

[breatheonbeat]

okay, so i have been thinking about getting a few new brushes. i am most interested brushes meant for the face.
i usually apply foundation with either a beauty blender or the urban decay optical blurring blush.

i need brushes for blush, all over powder, and something to work well with lightscapade (i use it all over and sometimes as a highlighter). i also want something that works with hourglass ethereal light. it just never seems to give the finish that everyone talks about, and after reading reviews on sephora, it sounds like the brush might have something to do with it.

to be honest, i don't really know what to look for. i have been using the bare minerals brushes that came with the sets. its a basic, small fluffy brush. i have 2 and they shed a bit. i also have a bigger, fluffier brush that i have been using for all over, but it also sheds. i dont remember where it is from.
what do you guys think?! i don't want to spend a ton- the UD brush was a big purchase for me at $25. so.. ~20-25 per brush, a little more if it is a magical holy grail brush that does a few things/does what it does AMAZINGLY
thank you

 

[Naynadine]

I don't know any cheaper brush brands than MAC, so I'm not sure if I can be of much help here. I have mostly MAC brushes, it took me over four years to build my collection, but recently I bought a Hakuhodo one ((J series) and now most of the MAC brushes seem scratchy in comparison :/ I'm going to buy more Hakus and also Tom Ford when I can afford them! (That might take a while, lol)

MAC's duo fibre brushes are nice though, you can't really go wrong with those. I think the 187 is perfect for Lightscapade, especially if you use it all over.
When I tried Ethereal Light with a brush I didn't get the effect everyone was talking about, either. Then I tried a fluffy powder puff anf that works better for me.

Some Hakuhodo J series brushes aren't even more expensive than MAC. (OK, the bigger face brushes are... but maybe you'd still like to check out their website as well as our Hakuhodo thread)

If you're looking at MAC for a blush brush I'd get the 116. Can't recommend one for powder as I'm still looking for one myself

I've heard good things about Real Technique brushes, they should be really affordable, but I haven't tried them.

 

[breatheonbeat]

thank you so much!!

i didn't have a pouf handy, but i applied with a little round sponge because i figured it's dense and not a brush, and the hourglass powder is noticeably better. and of course once i finally got it to work i hit pan. lolll, isn't that the way...

i love the look of the 187 brush. my favorite girl at the mac counter let me use a brush like that to try something, and i just remembering thinking 'this works so well and it looks so professional.' i didn't know what they were called. duo fibre. i am actually receiving something similar with the IT cosmetics powder foundation (which i will review in the porcelain foundations thread lol- even though i just got coverfx, my mom surprised me by ordering the IT because she uses it everyday and the 'fair' look very fair. her exact words were 'i know you have a tough time.')

i will probably go check it out at mac, though, to determine how similar they are.

116 is decent in price, so that might be worth looking into as well. usually when i give a number, i give it a pretty decent margin on either side. i figured up to 40 was decent, but i don't know, i definitely though i saw 80something brushes when i was googling.
wow i guess i like the word 'decent.'


but thank you again-i am glad for any answers, but i am happy you answered in particular, because i think we use a lot of the same products!

 

[Naynadine]

Quote: Originally Posted by breatheonbeat thank you so much!!

i didn't have a pouf handy, but i applied with a little round sponge because i figured it's dense and not a brush, and the hourglass powder is noticeably better. and of course once i finally got it to work i hit pan. lolll, isn't that the way...

i love the look of the 187 brush. my favorite girl at the mac counter let me use a brush like that to try something, and i just remembering thinking 'this works so well and it looks so professional.' i didn't know what they were called. duo fibre. i am actually receiving something similar with the IT cosmetics powder foundation (which i will review in the porcelain foundations thread lol- even though i just got coverfx, my mom surprised me by ordering the IT because she uses it everyday and the 'fair' look very fair. her exact words were 'i know you have a tough time.')

i will probably go check it out at mac, though, to determine how similar they are.

116 is decent in price, so that might be worth looking into as well. usually when i give a number, i give it a pretty decent margin on either side. i figured up to 40 was decent, but i don't know, i definitely though i saw 80something brushes when i was googling.
wow i guess i like the word 'decent.'

but thank you again-i am glad for any answers, but i am happy you answered in particular, because i think we use a lot of the same products!

You're welcome Yes, I think we do! Lightscapade and Ethereal Light are two of my favorite products ever. I'm glad you got EL to work better with a sponge. I'm using mine sparingly, because I'm scared to hit pan, lol.
MAC has a nice big fluffy powder puff BTW, which is what I'm using. I thought it was discontinued, but then I saw it on another website recently, so I'm not sure if you could still get it in the US. I bought a backup because I like it so much.

Duo Fibre brushes are great for mineralize products in general. Hopefully the one you're receiving will work well for you

 

[shellygrrl]

MAC's 116 is okay for blush, but not the greatest, IMO. (I have one, and mine isn't very soft.) I think my favourite brush for blush is the one by Real Techniques, with Sigma F40 (similar to MAC 168) not too far behind. For setting powder, the one I reach for the most is e.l.f.'s Powder Brush. I've been looking at a different brush for that purpose, though.

 

[breatheonbeat]

You're welcome Yes, I think we do! Lightscapade and Ethereal Light are two of my favorite products ever. I'm glad you got EL to work better with a sponge. I'm using mine sparingly, because I'm scared to hit pan, lol.
MAC has a nice big fluffy powder puff BTW, which is what I'm using. I thought it was discontinued, but then I saw it on another website recently, so I'm not sure if you could still get it in the US. I bought a backup because I like it so much.

Duo Fibre brushes are great for mineralize products in general. Hopefully the one you're receiving will work well for you

thank you! i'll look up the puff too! ugh if my el runs out, i am not sure if i'll repurchase that or the palette... although i don't know how the shades will look, aside from the one exclusive to the palette (which is white, so i know it won't be too dark... yikes)

 

[shellygrrl]

ahhhh! that e.l.f. one is good news for my wallet haha. is there something you don't like about it, though? or are you like me, where you get it in your head and then it opens a can of worms...

LOL! It's not a bad brush. I'm just kind of at a point where the bristles aren't dense enough for me anymore, and I want to upgrade to something else. (That said, I'd still have a use for it: it also works for blush, particularly ones that aren't super pigmented or ones where it's impossible to add too much.) Also, I'm a slight brush junkie. Real Techniques brushes are generally very good. Pretty much all of them are synthetic, apart from the Stippling Brush, which is duo-fiber. Plus, there was a limited edition duo-fiber set that was out last year (the set with the white handles); it got mostly negative reviews. I have the Blush Brush, the Stippling Brush, the Expert Face Brush, and the Starter Kit (all designed as eye brushes). I think the Blush Brush is great for either really pigmented blushes or bronzer (if you want a more diffused look). I use the Stippling Brush for cream blush and the Expert Face Brush for sharper contour work. (They can also be used for foundation.) The Starter Kit is a bit of a mixed bag. The Base Shadow Brush is excellent for applying colour. I use the Deluxe Crease Brush for concealer work. The Accent Brush is one I prefer for lips, though you could also use it to apply eyeshadow to the lower lashline. The Angled Brow Brush is a bit thick for brows for my liking (I prefer EcoTools' angled brush for that), but good for applying shadow to the outer corner of the eye or to the lower lashline if you want something thicker. And then the Pixel Point Liner Brush is (again, IMO) a bit thick for liner, but could work for apply an inner corner highlight. I wish certain ones in the Starter Kit were available individually. (That's sort of the way with brush sets, though, isn't it? There are some you really like and then those you rarely or never use.)

 

[breatheonbeat]

I have the Blush Brush, the Stippling Brush, the Expert Face Brush, and the Starter Kit (all designed as eye brushes). I think the Blush Brush is great for either really pigmented blushes or bronzer (if you want a more diffused look). I use the Stippling Brush for cream blush and the Expert Face Brush for sharper contour work. (They can also be used for foundation.) The Starter Kit is a bit of a mixed bag. The Base Shadow Brush is excellent for applying colour. I use the Deluxe Crease Brush for concealer work. The Accent Brush is one I prefer for lips, though you could also use it to apply eyeshadow to the lower lashline. The Angled Brow Brush is a bit thick for brows for my liking (I prefer EcoTools' angled brush for that), but good for applying shadow to the outer corner of the eye or to the lower lashline if you want something thicker. And then the Pixel Point Liner Brush is (again, IMO) a bit thick for liner, but could work for apply an inner corner highlight. I wish certain ones in the Starter Kit were available individually. (That's sort of the way with brush sets, though, isn't it? There are some you really like and then those you rarely or never use.)

definitely! i have some brushes that i wish i had like 6 of, and some that i wish i used more.
because they were on clearance on hsn and were highly rated, i ordered the japonesque leopard print brush set and kabuki brush last night. i definitely plan on checking out other brushes, but i had to get a few other things, so i just threw them in my cart. why not? i can always return them if they aren't decent!


pic source: http://www.supergorgeous.co.uk/2012/12/japonesque-safari-chic-brushes.html
okay, another motivating factor might have just been that they look cute. i'm not really even a leopard print fan, but i liked these hahaha.

ecotools angled brush sounds interesting to me... i have been using a tiny little angled brush that came with a bareminerals set to fit my brows in.

does it matter synthetic vs. ...?natural?
its crazy how much the brush does matter. the ud brush made me realize that- it was sooo much more dense than anything i've had before, and it changed my foundaiton application completely..

 

[Yazmin]

I agree about Real Techniques brushes. They're good quality for the price and several of the face brushes are in heavy rotation in my makeup application and have used each for more than one purpose. Some of my favorites are:

Contour brush - contouring, highlighting
Blush brush - blush, light contouring, powder
Expert Face brush - foundation, contouring
Stippling brush - foundation, cream blush
Multi-task brush: blush, highlight, powder

 

[PeachTwist]

I agree about Real Techniques brushes. They're good quality for the price and several of the face brushes are in heavy rotation in my makeup application and have used each for more than one purpose. Some of my favorites are:

Contour brush - contouring, highlighting
Blush brush - blush, light contouring, powder
Expert Face brush - foundation, contouring
Stippling brush - foundation, cream blush
Multi-task brush: blush, highlight, powder

This.

I agree about these brushes and their uses.

I think for the price, they're fantastic quality.

I'd also like to add the Buffing Brush - I use this for liquid foundation, fantastic.

I don't have the Stippling Brush, but as I recently got 2 cream blushes and have never owned any, I'd like it for that purpose.

 

[PeachTwist]

Oh, I saw you also mentioned brows.

I love the MAC 266 for brows. I know the 263 is a smaller version, but I love my 266 so much I have one for brows and one for gel liner (when I finally master the damn stuff, this is the easiest brush I've used to make it work though.)

I also just purchased a bunch of Make-up Geek eye brushes to test out, but from first glance - they're like nothing I own. Their pencil brush is much smaller than the MAC 219 which I think is going to be absolutely perfect for the under eye as I do tend to think the 219 is a bit too long/big at times. I think the biggest one I bought is the Stiff Dome Brush and without comparing, the closest I can imagine it being to is the 224 but honestly, all the brushes, to me, seem very unique and are unique to my collection at the very least and I'm looking forward to using them once I've given them a wash.

They're super reasonably priced which is a nice bonus - I think the most expensive one was $7.99 -- you seriously can't go wrong with that!

 

[breatheonbeat]

I agree about Real Techniques brushes. They're good quality for the price and several of the face brushes are in heavy rotation in my makeup application and have used each for more than one purpose. Some of my favorites are:

Contour brush - contouring, highlighting
Blush brush - blush, light contouring, powder
Expert Face brush - foundation, contouring
Stippling brush - foundation, cream blush
Multi-task brush: blush, highlight, powder

whoa!! thank you so much!!! brows are very important to me- i've mentioned a few threads here i have no pigment in them, so my eyebrows are completely up to me filling them in. they look bleached- they are difficult to pluck because i cant see them hahah. so i will look at the 266 and 263! when you say bigger do you mean wider (| vs ||||) or longer? (i hope that makes sense)

the real techniques brushes look quite affordable... is there a specific kit you guys recommend?

makeup geek intrigues me. i havent bought anything there, but i haven't heard anything bad... which is good, right? $7.99 means i can probably afford to at least give them a shot.

 

[PeachTwist]

Quote: Originally Posted by breatheonbeat

whoa!! thank you so much!!! brows are very important to me- i've mentioned a few threads here i have no pigment in them, so my eyebrows are completely up to me filling them in. they look bleached- they are difficult to pluck because i cant see them hahah. so i will look at the 266 and 263! when you say bigger do you mean wider (| vs ||||) or longer? (i hope that makes sense)

the real techniques brushes look quite affordable... is there a specific kit you guys recommend?

makeup geek intrigues me. i havent bought anything there, but i haven't heard anything bad... which is good, right? $7.99 means i can probably afford to at least give them a shot.



Happy to help!

I'm not sure as I don't have the 263, but from what I've been able to tell - the biggest difference is the bristles on the 266 are longer than on the 263. The 266 really is HG brows for me, though.

The Core Collection gives you the Buffing Brush and the Contour Brush, the other 2 in the collection I don't use but unfortunately none of them are for sale individually.

The eye brushes I don't tend to use from RT, so I personally would skip the Starter Kit unless you think it's a necessity.

The Setting Brush is great for under eye setting but it isn't a necessity.

I heard the Duo Fibre collection (white handles) is terrible, so don't bother wasting your money. Their answer to the beauty blender is meant to be fantastic. I bought it but have yet to try it.

I'd recommend: Core Collection, Blush Brush, Stippling Brush and Powder Brush/Expert Face Brush.

Makeup Geek eye shadows are fantastic - for the price, the quality is absolutely out standing and beautiful - very, very comparable to MAC and some are even better texture/pigmentation wise. You seriously cannot go wrong with them at all. Their gel liners are beautiful, soft, creamy and extremely pigmented.

Brush wise, I bought: Pencil Brush, Stiff Dome Brush, Pointed Crease Brush, Outer V Brush, Smokey Eye Brush, Crease and Small Crease brushes.

While $7.99 or so does add up, between RT and MUG, you should have a good set of brushes to start off with (but def. get 266). Though the other must-have for me from MAC is the 239. I have 3 of them. My all time favourite for placing colour. 217 is great for blending while adding colour and 224 is great for blending. I love the 227 for high lighting my brow bone - I tend to use it like an eraser if shadows have gone too high up or too far out.

 

[shellygrrl]

MAC 263 has synthetic bristles vs. MAC 266's natural ones. The 208, which is also angled, is smaller than both of them. I've not used any of them, sooooo... I have the old version of MUG's Cheek Highligher Brush, which was more of a direct dupe for MAC's 188. (The old Makeup Geek brushes were just rebranded Crown/wholesale brushes; the current ones were custom-made.) I didn't really like it much. Talking of the newer MUG brushes, I'm surprised Marlena didn't have a new flat shader brush made. Haven't tried any of the new brushes, but I definitely want to! Many of those shapes are very unique.

 

[breatheonbeat]

I have the old version of MUG's Cheek Highligher Brush, which was more of a direct dupe for MAC's 188. (The old Makeup Geek brushes were just rebranded Crown/wholesale brushes; the current ones were custom-made.) I didn't really like it much. Talking of the newer MUG brushes, I'm surprised Marlena didn't have a new flat shader brush made. Haven't tried any of the new brushes, but I definitely want to! Many of those shapes are very unique.

hmmm the natural vs synthetic is interesting.

what are the natural ones made out of? is that a strange question? i know paintbrushes are usually sable or hog hair, but i don't know as much about makeup brushes (obviously haha)

 

[shellygrrl]

Goat, squirrel, sable, horse.

 

[infinitize]

I couldn't agree more.
I also have alot of Mac brushes and thought they were the best value for the price.
but ever since I bought my hakuhodo blush brush, MAC ones feel ever so stiff and scratchy.. I just didn't think brushes can be this soft ..

 

[makeupmaiiden]

Sigma and elf! I stock up on elf during the really good sales, I must have like 5 of the gem blending brushes lol

 

[infinitize]

They are a bit over your price range, but MAC brushes are great.
I think that's the cheapest I'll go in terms of brushes because I don't want to keep buying brushes every few years.
I know its a lot up front, but it does save money in the long run..
I've heard too much about Sigma brushes being low quality..they use bloggers and youtubers to do advertisements and give them commission or gifts so its not even worth watching. I've watched a lot of "my favorite brushes" "must have brushes" videos on youtube, and most of them mentioned sigma. annoying.

Sephora has okay brushes. if you're going to buy them, you might as well keep the bare minerals.. they're as scratchy.
The body shop has okay brushes for cheap. my friend uses them and she says she has no complaints about them. they're not amazing, but aren't aweful..
Real techniques is known for ok quality brushes too. they're known for their expert face brush but you already have a foundation brush..

Also, look around. people sell perfectly good brushes because they don't need them
I sold a few Mac and hauhodo blush and contour brushes before

 

[martiangurll]

okay, so i have been thinking about getting a few new brushes. i am most interested brushes meant for the face. i usually apply foundation with either a beauty blender or the urban decay optical blurring blush. i need brushes for blush, all over powder, and something to work well with lightscapade (i use it all over and sometimes as a highlighter). i also want something that works with hourglass ethereal light. it just never seems to give the finish that everyone talks about, and after reading reviews on sephora, it sounds like the brush might have something to do with it. to be honest, i don't really know what to look for. i have been using the bare minerals brushes that came with the sets. its a basic, small fluffy brush. i have 2 and they shed a bit. i also have a bigger, fluffier brush that i have been using for all over, but it also sheds. i dont remember where it is from. what do you guys think?! i don't want to spend a ton- the UD brush was a big purchase for me at $25. so.. ~20-25 per brush, a little more if it is a magical holy grail brush that does a few things/does what it does AMAZINGLY thank you

If you are looking for good quality brushes at prices less expensive than MAC, I have Ecco Tools brushes and Sonia Kashuk that are very good quality. I also have found Bare Escentuals brushes at a discount on ebay. They are my favorite because they are so soft. Also, I got some at Coastal Scents. Their badger eyeshadow brushes are super soft.