For me, probably brushes… I feel like that’s an area where I really love the tools I’m using and do find they are superior to other types of brushes, often more affordable, that I have tried over time.
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Natural hair brushes have a been a game changer for me and my crepey middle-aged eyelids. I had pretty much given up on eyeshadow because even high quality synthetic brushes tended to over deposit color and skip. My guess is that a lot of the people who can’t believe more expensive brushes are worth it simply don’t need them because they are young and have tight lid skin, so they won’t be able to tell a difference until their skin becomes more lax and moves around and creases more with age. Then the brush hairs and types make much more impact and are more worth spending on.
You’ve said it so well.
Wondering if there is a good set of natural hair brushes that are reasonably priced? Suggestions. I have aging creapy eyelids too
For budget friendly, natural hair brushes I have had really good luck with the Shoushoulang, Qin Zhi, Qin Wu Tang and other Chinese-made brushes on Aliexpress. I also have a lot of Japanese made brushes, and some of the newer Chinese ones are really comparable in quality. I would say overall I find the Sonia G Japanese brushes most refined in function, but like the Chinese ones for value. The stores on Aliexpress I have shopped from and enjoyed are Qin Brush Store, ShouShou Store, Makeupstory Store, and Girlstory. My other favorite brand is Chikuhodo, another Japanese brand, but like Sonia G, they are more expensive than Chinese brushes. Chikuhodo’s US distributor is visageusa, and they will sometimes run 20% off sales, but you have to spend over $200 to get the full discount usually.
Base products are definitely an area where upgrading made a lot of impact for me.
And it starts with skincare and sunscreen, where more elegant formulas and texture prep the skin better, without pilling up. I never found a cheap primer that works for me. And higher end foundations and concealers (but not luxury) have better undertones (at least for me) and look better.
I remember how frustrating my foundation journey was at the beginning, and how I will never regret deciding to splurge one day on Estee Lauder Double Wear.
I’m still debating if to even try those splurge worthy Japanese brushes. I own a mix of MAC and Real Techniques brushes, some 5-6 years old and looking great (and I wash mine weekly), I am very satisfied with them… But I wonder if those higher end brushes really make a difference… or I’m just too of a makeup noob to even notice. 😅
I’ve wondered the same about brushes. All of my real technique brushes look just the same today as they did 5+ years ago and I’m not a delicate person. All of my Elf brushes have separated ferrule/body issues – so those few extra dollars spent on RT vs. Elf is WORTH IT. I’ve only tried a few animal hair bristled brushes but they were scratchy as all hell and my face did not like them. I won’t support using animals in cosmetics (unless they aren’t killed to make the product. think offerings like lanolin, snail mucus, and beeswax) and as RT are so inexpensive…I have a hard time coughing up $20+ on single synthetic high-end brushes. Is the difference really there?
I think using the Nude by Nature primer was an upgrade for me as it ensured my foundation and eyeshadow lasted longer than the usual.
And I would agree that having the ‘right’ brushes really helps – an angled brush for applying blush and a variety of brushes for eyeshadows (particularly some fluffy ones for blending).
It’s a tie between brushes and truly investing in my skincare. Both have been game changers to the rest of my routine.
My first upgrade that mattered as switching from drug store eyeliner to Stila’s liquid eyeliner. Stayed put throughout the day and really easy to work with!
At least I’m not the only one who can’t stand drugstore eyeliners. 😆 I tried multiple, all have pigmentation issues, bleed and smudge easily (I have nightmares from Maybelline and L’Oreal eyeliners). The `lowest` I can go for good quality is the Physicians Formula Eye Booster, but otherwise I’ll buy a mini high end eyeliner than a drugstore one.
Recently I purchased an eye set of Sonia G Brushes becasue my go to MAC ones were feeling a bit scratchy and wanted to know if by upgrading would make a difference in applying also. They didn’t disappoint so I ordered a new set of face brushes from the same brand.
I’m guessing it would be harder to go downgrade after using great quality brushes.
My “upgrade” has been thinking about my purchases before placing them. No more grabbing cheap eyeshadows on a whim just because the price is $3 (lookin’ at you, ELF and Colourpop), no more cheap brushes, no more “sets” where I can only use 1-2 of the 5+ offerings and basically sending my money to a landfill. I don’t spend a lot on beauty any more, but when I do, I know that I spent it wisely on getting quality over quantity.
Two: Concur with you that the right brushes, in particular adapted to the medium used on it and the shape of the brush for the application made a difference years ago when I began to invest in them. The other is facial creams and the right primer-foundation combination (staying with water-based [which I prefer] or silicone products for both.)