Share: Tell us what you love and hate about Makeup Brushes!
my answer: There is so much variety to choose from – which is great because there are options but then SO overwhelming trying to narrow it down and picking the ones you’ll actually use.
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My rant is that THEY DON’T CLEAN THEMSELVES. *looks at huge pile of dirty brushes and sobs*
Agree 🙂
Ugh yes!
HA! Definitely agree
haha – I was going to say the same thing!
Um, love! Unless they’re scratchy. But they can lay down and blend pigment like my fingers or a sponge applicator never could. I actually kind of like cleaning them – it’s soothing to me! (Weirdo)
It’s soothing to me as well!!! Guess we’re both weirdos haha
Wanna soothe yourself in my cupboard some time? I’ll pay in 1 chocolate bar per brush.
Rant: I change my mind constantly on which brush I prefer to use with which product so the more brushes I add, the more I use. Then I dedicate one brush per product so I wind up cleaning a whole slew of brushes each day. Yeah, a bit cray cray really.
Forgot my RAVE part: I love the fact a single brush can be a complete game changer for a product. Sometimes finding the right tool is all it takes to move a product from so-so to fabulous.
I dislike how expensive they are! I don’t want to be spending my money on boring makeup brushes, I want to be spending it on exciting makeup!
Agree!!!
YES! I know that they’re “an investment” and can last indefinitely if taken care of properly, but it still makes my wallet weep.
I’m so glad that I found Real Techniques brushes though, they’re awesome and affordable.
The ridiculously high prices some companies charge for brushes is quite offensive. There are plenty of perfectly good, comparable brushes on the market that work just as well, in some cases better, at a fraction of the cost. Just because someone slaps a label on a brush doesn’t make it better. I have some pricier brushes, but the ones I use most are Sonia Kashik, Posh, Real Techniques, & Essence of Beauty, all of which are under $20 USD.
I have just recently starting applying foundation with the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush and I gotta say I am loving it!! I have high end brushes as well but some of Sam Chapman’s brushes are just way better than the more expensive versions from other brands. I love the big powder brush as well. So soft!!
I hate spending the money, but I am a makeup brush junkie. Nothing excites me like taking a new brush out of the packaging…. I’m getting warm tinglies just thinking about it haha.
I love my flat top kabuki for liquid foundation, and I go nuts for a nice thin firm angled brush for eyeliner. Currently in the market for a new fan brush. But, oh God, the cleaning. Once I actually get into it I enjoy it, but getting my sh*t together and washing them always feels like a chore.
I find that I am always changing my mind when it comes to brushes, so I have so many that are just sitting unused in a drawer.
The only downside I can think of is that you have to clean them, lol 🙂
I really don’t now where to start. Seems to be many choices of brushes that are all good quality these days, but choosing mid-range priced ones is really difficult for me.
Rant: Hmmm idk all the brushes I have are alright, I guess if I had to complain about any is just some of the ELF ones ended up being really scratchy and cheap. Not ALL but some. I also hate having to wash them :p
Rave: I LOVEEEEEEE the real techniques brushes (so soft and cheap), I also love my sigma’s ESPECIALLY my F80 <3333, and of course the MAC 217…my holy grail :3
RANT: The prices. I’ve recently discovered the magic of make-up (and what wonders it can do for your face and overall appearance if used correctly!), however, trying to acquire a functionally complete, brand-new set of high-quality brushes without feeling guilty about spending so much on, well, brushes, proves to be a rather challening task… For example, I am currently trying to persuade myself that I DO NOT NEED the Shiseido Perfect Foundation Brush, which retails for around £30, as I have not even found a liquid foundation that would work well for me yet, so why should I splurge on a brush that will catch dust in the drawer until I do so? But then again, what is the point of having even the best foundation in the world, if you are unable to get the most out of it by using a brush that can give you the desired “airbrushed” finish? It’s a vicious circle, I’m telling you!
RAVE: On a more positive note, I am a perfectionist, so naturally love all things precise, and I believe that applying my make-up with brushes definitely gives me the degree of precision I want 🙂
The “right” brush can make all the difference. You may want to consider taking 1-2 of your current foundations to the counter (along with your bare face-except any product you wear under foundation), and have the SA apply the product with the brush. You may find it makes little to no difference, or you my find your HG foundation.
There are also many similar brushes on the market, that are a fraction of the price. A few that come to mind are Posh, Essence of Beauty, & Sonia Kashuk, although they are completely “level”, and don’t have the same slant. I don’t know if any of these brands are available where you live, but ebay may also be an option.
Rant – the price some companies charge. It really is ridiculous. I’m a MUA but I refuse to spend a huge amount of cash on one brush just because it has a designer name on it. In my kit I have Real Techniques, Sigma and an Australian brand called Furless (which are vegan & cruelty free and holy moly the softest brushes I’ve ever felt) Price doesn’t always equal quality.
Rave – that there are awesome brushes around that don’t cost the earth. I love my Real Techniques brushes and they’re so affordable. I actually don’t know how I use to do my makeup as a teenager before I owned any makeup brushes….
My skin is really sensitive, and many brushes I’ve tried (especially ones made of fur) irritate my skin. Also, cleaning them is a huge pain!
I love the way my good brushes feel and perform. I hate that they were made from animals who were killed for their hair (among other uses). I’m really torn between my brushes and my ethics.
You could opt for synthetic fibres instead – there are some really good ones out there and as a bonus, I find they are usually easier to wash product out of and maintain their shape better.
Not all animals are killed for their hair either, I’m pretty sure goats can be clipped and some ponies have their hair harvested after they have been killed for meat so it’s being put to use and not otherwise wasted. I am having a hard time imagining how you pluck or shave a squirrel easily though…
What I love about makeup brushes: It doesn’t get “used up” when you invest in your tools. It can turn a bad product into a good one. It allows precision for the perfect look.
What I hate about brushes: I’ve been spoiled by Hakuhodo and refuse to buy any other brand.
The one thing I have noticed with the “guru” beauty people is they advise to invest in good brushes before anything else. I love my Hakuhodo brushes. They use less product and I agree, they can turn a bad product into a good one.
I have bitten the review hype on a couple of expensive brushes that are supposed to be HG’s and ended up worthless. I just dislike synthetic brushes for the most part. Just my preference.
I LURVE a well made brush – nothing pisses me off more than stabby bristles, leaky dye when washing, ferrules coming loose from handles or (and this is my biggest peeve EVER) when that mofo sheds all over my face. I hate it! Oh, and horrendously overpriced brushes – some of my absolute favourites have been free GWP, which still surprises me as they are normally a bit crap.
And whoever designed those little pointed spear shaped sponge applicators I have seen in some Guerlain and Lancome eyeshadow palettes was a genius, I love those for smudging eyeliner.
My real complaint right now is that my new MAC 217 isn’t as nice as my friend’s older one. It’d be a brush I’d have two of, one for blending concealer and the other for shadows, but not with the current quality.
Price! There are cheaper brushes and nice quality cheap brushes at Michael’s, but I think that a lot of brands slap “makeup’ in front of brush and raise the prices. A brush shouldn’t cost $30.
RAVE: I love the precision you can get with some brushes, and how they can be a game-changer.
RANT: I never know if I’m going to like a brush until I’ve tried it, and I can’t try it until I buy it. Therefore, if I put out scads of money on a brush I end up disliking, I’m stuck with it, and the money’s gone (no return policy here in Canada, for health and safety reasons). The Find-A-Good-Brush game can be very expensive to play.
I bought a nice soft set from Walmart for half price $10. It does the trick just fine !
And I clean after each Use with a baby wipe so I have nothing to really complain about
I hate that there is too many to choose them and there usually aren’t any detailed instructions of how to use them or what to use them with (I ain’t no brush expert). Also, for some reason high end brushes usually work best for me, so my cheaper brushes are collecting brush. My wallet isn’t in love with makeup brushes… I hate cleaning brushes because I am lazy.
The only thing I love about makeup brushes is what you can do with them. =] I love brushes that can multiple things..
My rant is this horrible experience: I wanted a duo-fibre brush to apply my blush so that it would do it in a subtle way, and I bought the Samantha Chapman three-brush set, which seemed a good price for 20 pounds. The big one is what I use for blush but that sheds every time I use it. The small one is too scratchy to use on my eyelid crease. And the middle one seemed good until I noticed it was shorter than it was the day before – the bristles had gone into the ferrule, so I pulled at it gently and all of the bristles came OUT. That should NOT happen with any brushes. I was so disappointed that I wasted my money on this brand, and will never buy from them again.
My rave is about Catrice brushes – incredibly soft blush and powder brushes and great little eyeliner brush that’s hard to come by at that price point. Some of the other generic and drugstore brushes have been hit and miss; some really good (I think the Barry M angled eyeliner brush), but some have been really scratchy and horrible.