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Do you use more than one brush to apply your eyeshadow?


Do you use more than one brush to apply your eyeshadow? Do you use a different brush for each color? Or for each application method?

I use different brushes for each color as well as the application method! I typically use 3-4 brushes per look.

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divinem (Melissa) Avatar

On average, I use approximately four to five brushes if I’m going all out. If I’m in a hurry, I’ll only use three.

I’m currently enjoying the exquisitely luxurious Hakuhodo brushes. They make the art of makeup even more enjoyable.

Veronica Avatar

Yep. Unless it’s a very quick swatch of color over the lid, I generally use about 2-5 brushes for a look. Flat shadow brush for the lid, fluffy brush for the crease, a round and packed brush for the outer corner, an angled brush for the inner corner, a larger packed brush for the brow, and sometimes a flat edged brush for color under the lower lash line.

Ryou Avatar

I use at least 2 brushes for eyeshadow, a packing brush and a small, fluffy crease brush. I could use up to 4, though, with the addition of a pencil brush and a liner/detailer brush.

Quinctia Avatar

I was only using one for the longest time, because I didn’t like any of the others I had. Most eyeshadow brushes just seem way too huge for what I want to do with them. Then one day, at CVS of all places, I saw a set of two brushes…one was the same exact shape as the only brush I used, and the other was a smaller version of that brush, yay.

Now I use…TWO brushes on a regular basis.

Andreea Avatar

I use 3 to 4 brushes when I’m doing a simple look and even 6 or 7 when I’m working on something complex. It’s just wrong to use a brush with 2 different colours + every brush has a unique shape to help you get the best result ^.^

Miss J Avatar

Yes, I usually use more than one brush to complete my eye makeup. It would be an extreme rarity for me to only use one! I usually use between 3-5 brushes. I don’t always switch my brush up between colors. I may spot clean if I want to use the same brush, or if the color I used before won’t change the color or finish of the color I use after then I use the same brush. The brushes I use most often are MAC #239 (upper and lower lid), #217 (crease/outer corner), #224 (orbital bone blending with transition shade and highlight), #226 (crease/outer corner for more defined work), and #228 (precision shading and inner corner). I use a variety of other brushes, but these seem to get used most often. I bought MAC #227 and loved it only to realize I don’t find it as useful or needed as I first did, but it does buff out lines nicely if you need to clean up a mistake since it’s so large, dense, and firm. I use it for highlight sometimes, but mostly it’s an eraser for me, lol. Oh, I also really like MAC #231! I use it for waterline, concealer, and as a lip brush (Not all at the same time, though!). Any suggestions for a small, dense, fluffy, rounded domed pencil brush?

Anyone purchase the Sigma Precision Eyes Kit (I believe it’s called that, at least.)?

Mariella Avatar

Generally, I use 2 – a 239 (or Sonia Kashuk version) and the Sonia Kashuk crease brush (or MAC 217). Sometimes, I use a Quo (Canadian company) smudger brush to smudge my eyeliner.

Xero Avatar

I don’t usually use more than one color at a time on my eyes, so I don’t need to use more than one brush. I do, however, use a small blending brush in addition to my regular eyeshadow brush.

Maggie Avatar

It depends on how lazy I’m feeling and what eye look I’m doing. If I do a more elaborate look I’ll use 4-5 brushes. On a normal day about one to three. Some days I only use one color and an eyeliner pencil, others I’ll use 2 or colors and an eyeliner cream or powder.

Miriam Avatar

I use 3-4 brushes depending on the look I’m going for and sometimes I use one brush and wipe it off in between color steps. Either way works for me no matter how complex or simple the look is.

Janeen Avatar

I only use two, one to apply the eyeshadow and one to blend. I just wipe off the previous color onto my hand, plus I move from light to dark so it doesn’t really affect the color. The brush I use is the one that came with the Naked2 palette, the eyeshadow brush is small enough to achieve anything I want, and the blending brush is great.

Lauren Avatar

Yes. I use a firm flat brush (sometimes 2 if I’m using a cream shadow), a crease blush, a crease blending brush, and another blending brush for my highlight area to blend out the edges for the crease color. Oh, and a liner brush if I’m using a gel liner. So, I use 3-5 depending on the look.

Linda Avatar

3-5 on average
large brush for highlight and light blending of highlight to rest of colours
Smaller brush for packing colour onto lid
Blending brush to blend lid colours together
Bent liner brush for gel liner (dont always need this)
Concealer type brush for cream base (don’t always use this)

Meg @Rainbows Cupcakes and Swatches Avatar

I always use at least 3- shadow packer (Mac 239), a blending brush (any, but usually Mac 217) and a buffing “kitten-paw” brush to soften the edges of the look or apply highlight.

On days I have more time, I may use a pencil brush or smudger brush to do more precise looks, but usually it’s just the first three.

Courtney Avatar

Oh no. If I’m doing a quick eye that’s just one color and some mascara, then I only need one. But if I’m doing anything more complex, then I need more. One for paintpots, one for applying shadow, one for blending, one for lining, etc.

Alyssa Avatar

It depends on what products I’m using. For most days, I use two different shader brushes for different colors, a crease brush, a blending brush, a pencil brush, and an eyeliner brush. If I’m using a paint pot of a cream shadow, I will a different brush for that. But if I’m in a rush or not doing anything elaborate, I can get away with using only 2 brushes.

Joni Avatar

I’m lazy with my makeup and I don’t think wearing a lot of eyeshadow suits me, so I usually only use 1 or 2 brushes. One for a little highlight in the inner corners and sometimes an angled brush for liner on the outer third of my eye to just give it a little definition. I sometimes do more, but simple is the most flattering on me.

CeeBee Avatar

Usually just three, though maybe a small tapered brush to really define my crease (if I can be bothered).

Smashbox 3 (which is massive) to do crease up to brow and then a pair of Natio brushes I got for for free (GWP) and are still the best brushes I’ve ever tried!) to do my lid, one slightly softer and less dense for sweeping on colour and a shorter, rounded flat brush for the out corners and crease.

Meiya Avatar

Yes, I use multiple brushes to apply eyeshadow. Today it was –

-MAC 235 – synthetic side for a Paintpot wash, natural side for a wash of a base powder eyeshadow
-Ben Nye domed synthetic brush to blend another Paintpot color on my outer third as a base
-MAC 217 – crease
-MAC 226 – crease
-Mac 210 for liner

Liz Avatar

Well, for a normal workday, I usually only put on one shade of eyeshadow, so I use just one. When I’m going out, I’ll use 3-5brushes ;one for all over shadow, one for a highlighting shadow, one for the crease, and a blending brush. If I’m using cream eyeliner, I’ll use another brush for that.

Janet Wong Avatar

I use at least 3 brushes, MAC 217 is a must for me to blend the eyeshadow. And the other 2 would be pencil brush and flat brush.

Lindsey Avatar

Hi! could anyone give me any recommendations for brushes? I usually use one that I got from target 4 years ago. It has never shed a hair! It’s small, but usually does what I want. But I do see how a blending bush could be nice? And maybe other ones?

My mom got me a no name set a while ago, and I love the angle brush, but I feel like I could use another brush, one for eyebrows one for gel liner. The brushes shed like crazy and smell pretty bad. But the powder, blush, and contouring brushes are alright as long as I use dry things… and the eyeshadow brushes are basically useless, I only can use them to put powder on my under-eye concealer.

So, what brand of brushes are not super expensive/don’t reek/can handle putting on liquid foundation/etc? It can be different brands for a foundation brush, and ones for the eye. Ideally I could get a kit for the eyeshadows/angled brush.

Sunny Avatar

I use a minimum of 3 I think! Even if I get lazy and use MAC 217 to lay the colors down as well as blending them, I still need the 219 to highlight my inner corners!

Tuss Avatar

242 for applying shadow, 217, 226, 286 or a Clinique eyeshadow brush. Generally
I use one for applying, two for blending or applying in the crease/outer v, one for eyeliner and something for the lower lash line, maybe 219.

Ashlyn Avatar

I sometimes use 3 to 4 brushes as well. I love all of my blending brushes!!! But I wanted to try and see if I could create a look using one brush, a flat shader brush, and I thought it looked pretty good for just one brush. SO now when I’m in a rush I just use one brush and a few different eyeshadow colors and I’m out the door!!!

Lori Avatar

Good Lord, apparently I need to learn the art of application. I get the crease and packing brushes, but when I hear about these complex looks, I’m so envious. Christine, can you do a couple of step-by-step eye look tutorial — showing brush choice and why — for those of us (ME!) with special needs?

EmmyJean Avatar

Hmmm…never really thought about it before. If I have the time:
1.) concealer brush for base
2.) fluffy brush for crease
3.) shader brush for lid
4.) pencil brush for lower lash line + inner corner
5.) angled liner brush for brows and fluidline

I don’t use one for each color; I quickly wipe them with a washcloth and brush cleaner after use.

Nic Avatar

It depends. When I just wear one color, I use just one brush. When I use more than one color, more than one brush. I often use my MAC 217, because the application is so easy with this one.

Kimberly Orcutt Avatar

MAC 252 for primer, 239 for shadow all over lid, 217 to add some color to crease and in the corner, 224 to blend it all, and 275 for highlight ^_^

Wendy Lynne Misener Avatar

Yes! Different brush for different purposes. Usually 4 or 5.. Which seems excessive, but not really when they get the job done more efficiently.

Miya Caballero Avatar

For the weekends and my more detailed and colorful looks I’ll use a lot more brushes than i do for my everyday looks for work. I really only need a fluffy blending brush, flat shader/application brush, and a fine detail brush. For the weekends I’ll use like 6 colors! Lol and I like to use a different brush for each color and an extra fluffy clean brush for blending etc

Shana N Greg Bridges Avatar

Definitely 3-4 brushes minimum. 2- 239’s, one for dark colors, one for light colors and a 3rd for blending. A 4th for liner. I use a 239 because it was my first pro brush ever purchased in a kit-now Im use to it and nothing takes it’s place for me.

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