I always get a ton of questions about the makeup brushes that I use, what brushes you should use for this or that, and the best affordable brushes. My friends, I am so excited to finally bring you a super in-depth post answering all of those questions! But first … please ignore the messy room in the background and my hot mess of a vanity station. It’s all a work in progress! Also I promise I cleaned the mirror (right before taking the photos!) but you would never know it. But that’s not why we’re here!
Today, I am sharing some of the affordable brushes that I use every day to achieve my full makeup look. I have dozens of makeup brushes, but these are my go-to’s. No, you don’t need every single one of those (and no, I don’t use every single one of these every single day), but I do rotate most of them into my makeup routine regularly. I also have many of these same brushes in my makeup kit and use them on clients – that’s how good they are!
SHOP MY VANITY:
These brushes run from $1 (yep!) to $25. Some you can get in stores and others are only available online, but I’m doing my best to link others that are similar and may be more easily accessible.
But before we get started I wanted to share my biggest makeup brush tip for you: Brushes don’t only have to be used for what they are labeled as. Try using them for other purposes and product applications! For example, I love using dense powder brushes for foundation, and I’ll use an angled eye shadow brush for detailed contouring. See, no rules!
Okay ready? Here we go!
LIQUID FOUNDATION:
Depending on the type of foundation I’m using and the type of coverage I want, I’ll use either a sponge or a brush. I’m so surprised when I hear people say they still apply their foundation with their fingers! If it works it works and that is perfectly fine, but if you struggle getting your foundation to last or blend seamlessly, try using one of these tools instead. The Beauty Blender is pretty magical and great for applying a bunch of different makeup products, gives a very natural look, and allows for building layers of foundation until you reach your desired coverage without making it thick and cakey. Be sure to get it wet and squeeze out all the excess water before each use, and tap the product into your skin. If you prefer using a brush and want a flawless, airbrush look, I love the Morphe G4 for foundation. It’s technically for powders and bronzers, but I like to break rules. Unfortunately the brush is currently unavailable, but I’m linking a few similar options for ya (this one is the closest).
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CONCEALER / UNDER-EYE:
You can lightly tap concealer into your skin using your ring finger, but if you want to ensure no creasing or want to do a full concealer highlight, you’ll want to use a brush. Again, the Beauty Blender or a beauty sponge is perfect for this. Same as above, be sure to get it wet and ring out the excess water first. If you’re more of a brush person, the Real Techniques Expert Concealer brush is great for the job. For setting the under eye with powder, again, I use the Beauty Blender (it’s so great for so many things!), and the Morphe E48 and Real Techniques setting brush are awesome.
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POWDER FOUNDATION + SETTING:
There are several great powder brushes out there and I own quite the selection of them, but I always find myself going back to the same ones. The Real Techniques Powder Brush is my old faithful, and you can’t beat the price point at under $10. I also really love the Morphe E2 powder brush, but it’s twice the price and honestly does just the same thing.
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BLUSH:
I love blush brushes! I don’t know why but that’s always one of my favorite steps in the application process. It’s just fun and I love the shape of the brushes! The Real Techniques Blush Brush is great – it’s nice and fluffy, and applies beautifully. BUT it’s not my #1. My top pick is the MAC blush brush, but it’ll cost you about $35. My next top pick is the Morphe E4, which is $14. I love the way this one contours to your cheek!
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BRONZER / CONTOUR:
Another favorite of mine in the makeup process! I feel like bonzing brushes are all personal preference … I don’t know why. I guess because everyone does it so differently. But my personal favorite is the Morphe M401 ($14). The pointed tip is great for creating a subtle contour, but it’s still fluffy enough for blending and bronzing without creating any harsh lines. The MAC 127 is another great brush for bronzing, and the Sigma F23 is a DREAM for contouring and blending it in with your overall look.
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HIGHLIGHTER:
If you’ve jumped on board the highlighter bandwagon and don’t have the right brush for the job, prepare to be obsessed. The right brush can take your gleam to a whole new level! I love applying a shimmer powder highlight with a fan brush like this Japonesque one ($18). It’s the perfect size and just delicate enough to get the right amount of sparkle on those cheek bones. If you want a more affordable option, the Morphe M310 ($5) does the job, it’s just a little larger and denser than I personally prefer. If you want a more dramatic glow, I love this A0A Studio F19 Highlighter Brush, and it’s only $1!!
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EYES:
They eyes are the nipples of the face (c’mon, name that movie!), so we need them to look GOOD honey! There are about a gazillion eye brushes out there, so my best advice would be to experiment with a few less expensive brushes to see what shape and densities you like, and then upgrade to similar styles from a quality brand when you’re ready. Here are my favorites for each purpose (I like Morphe for the quality and price point, but there are several other brands available!):
* All-over / lid: A standard oval shadow brush like the Morphe M167 will serve lots of purposes when applying eye shadow. I would suggest having two (one for dark colors and one for lights) unless you plan to deep clean your brushes before every application.
* Crease: Nothing applies shadow to the crease like the MAC 217. The Morphe M433 does a really nice job too, but nothing really can compare. However, the $6 price tag is much more appealing than the $24.
* Blending: The Morphe M514 Blending Brush is perfect for getting in the eye socket and really buffing out the crease and blending the shadows.
* Detail / small crease / under-eye: Pencil brushes like the Morphe M431 are great for doing a cut crease, adding detail, creating a dramatic outer “v” on the lid, and for smoking out your under-eye. It can also give you the perfect inner-corner highlight! This smudger brush is also great for under-eye shadow and for buffing out your eye liner to create a softer look.
* Intense lid color / glitter: You’ll want to use a firm shadow brush like the Morphe M124 to get good color payoff when applying an intense color or glitter.
* Liner: If you use a gel or a powder eye liner, the winged liner brush is great. It’s small enough to create a perfect line and wing. It’s kind of life changing! You can use it for liquid liners too, just be sure to clean the brush after so it doesn’t harden.
* Brows: If you use a brow powder or pomade, a great angled brush is a must. This Morphe angled brow brush is the perfect size and firm enough to create little tiny hairlike strokes.
* Lash curler: I’m always surprised when a client tells me she’s never curled her lashes. Pretty sure I started playing with my mom’s lash curler when I was like ten! They’ll last you a long time, so spend the $15+ on a good one that actually works like this one to get the job done right.
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BRUSH SETS:
If you want to completely update your makeup brush collection and be the proud owner of almost everything mentioned above, one or all of these brush sets might be your best option! It’ll save you money and keep you from having to add a million things to your cart. Warning: stay away from the super cheap, no-name brush sets on Amazon and Groupon. They’re just that: cheap. They shed and fall apart and are a complete waste of money. Try one of these instead! You can use Ulta coupons on them which make them even better.
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I hope you enjoyed this post and found it helpful! I know it’s a lot of information and a lot of products, so PLEASE don’t hesitate to ask me ANY questions you might have! You can comment on here, DM me on Instagram or comment on any photo, or shoot me an email. I promise to get back to you as quickly as I can! Thank you so much for taking the time to read this post and for all of your support!! I love y’all!
P.s. Some of the links above do contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission if you make a purchase through them. That being said, if you do plan to purchase any of the items above it would mean the WORLD to me if you would do it through my links. I just spent $200+ on renewing my blog and hosting site and it super hurt. All money I make from this blog (which isn’t a lot) goes right back into maintaining it so I can keep bringing you posts like this. Thank you for your help in making it happen!!
