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Rant & Rave: Face Brushes

Share: Tell us what you love and hate about Face Brushes!

my answer: When face brushes shed (more than just initially), it drives me bananas! Those little hairs can be a total pain to remove from the face. Really dense face brushes can also be a challenge to clean, as so much product can get trapped in-between the bristles, so then they take awhile to dry. I love all the various shapes and options there are, though!

28 Comments

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Melinda Avatar

I use a wet sponge to apply my liquid foundation, because I feel like some brushes make my dry skin flake even more when you buff it on with a brush. However, I use them for blush, bronzer, and sometimes concealer. It is really annoying when you get one that sheds a lot, and you have to constantly pick the hairs off your makeup.

xamyx Avatar

The obscenely high prices some brands charge for brushes, while there are so many other brands available now that are just as good, and at times even better. Admittedly, a few years back, the hogher-end brushes did outperform the bargain brushes, but with brands like Sonia Kashuk, Real Techniques, Posh, Essence of Beauty, among others, there’s no reason to have such a price discrepancy.

I’ve only had one brush give me any problems with some shedding, which is a random kabuki brush, but it does such a great job otherwise with certain products that are normally difficult to deal with, the minimal shedding is something I’ve just adapted to. However, since I bought the RT Buffing Brush, I reach for that kabuki brush only when the RT is dirty.

LU Avatar

I second this. I don’t like that certain companies charge a premium for mediocre quality brushes. Even though I have ventured into the bottomless pit of Hakuhodo and the like, I still look at bargain brands for specific shapes, bristles, and styles I need (ex. Sigma F80, Sigma P82, Sigma P86).

On the rave side I love that they make application easier. I was never good at using my hands for anything besides concealer! Lol. I stil don’t know how my mom does it.

Kate Avatar

I squeeze a little Dr. Bronners or baby shampoo on my hand and swirl the brush on my palm. If I am washing my foundation brush or a dense powder brush sometimes I swirl, rinse (but not a thorough rinse) swirl and then rinse till all the suds are gone. It is really fast and completely cleans the brushes. Occasionally dense brushes take a bit longer because getting the powder out of them and making sure all the soap is out can be a pita

Lauren Avatar

I’m sort of a brush collector, so I’ve acquired a good number of really nice face brushes – 5 Chikuhodos, a Suqqu cheek, the Koyudo Red Squirrel cheek, Tom Ford cheek, the Chanel retractable kabuki, and a Hakuhodo finishing brush… Using these brushes is one of the happiest moments of my day! Some people might not think they’re worth the money, but to me they absolutely are… the squirrel hair brushes feel like little puffs of air on my face.

The biggest con is how afraid I am to wash them… I haven’t washed the Koyudo, Suqqu, or any of the Chikuhodos yet. I’ve just been wiping them off on a tissue after every use, but I know I’ll have to wash them all eventually. I don’t want to harm them in any way!

Zainab Avatar

I like how many options there are out there even though the plethora of choices can get a little overwhelming. I like how many non animal hair brush lines are available now- I’m not entirely against animal hair brushes (and my experiences might be colored by using cheaper brands) but I have found synthetics shed less and are softer.

Rants are shedding, dye leaking (ew), I hate cleaning brushes I use with liquid products like foundation because I always worry I’ll either damage the brush or not fully clean it. I’m not a fan of retractable brushes, ones with tiny handles (or really long unwieldy handles), or huge brushes that are hard to use with precision, though obviously those are things I can avoid generally. I’m also a bit annoyed by how hard it is to guess quality by price, my most expensive brush purchase (a Guerlain one) has been the biggest disappointment, but an el cheapo Eco Tools brush is one of my favorites. I also dislike how much certain brands can drop the quality of brush sets or brushes sold with palettes.

Amara Avatar

the brush i use for bronzer sheds like mad and it makes it feel like i have spiders/spider webs all over me! but i love that brush. another thing i hate is that it takes me so long to wash the brush i use to put on liquid foundation. any tips?

xamyx Avatar

I use a solution of Dr. Bronner’s castile soap & warm water, and dip the bristles in the solution, and rinse. Repeat until the water runs clear. I do this after each use, so there isn’t any caked on build-up. HTH

Melissa Avatar

Rant: I feel like using a foundation brush wastes so much product and it takes forever to apply – using my fingers gets the foundation on completely in mere seconds, which is important before work, and gives me much better coverage. Rave: well, I love brushes for every other purpose. I love trying different ones, I love that changing a brush can change a product completely.

Lulle Avatar

Rant: I feel like I need to wash my blush brushes after each use. Otherwise trapped pigment keeps coming out and mixes with the new shade of blush the next day, regardless of how much I shake, blow on the brush or run it on tissue paper. It would be okay if it didn’t FOREVER to dry…
I also hate when a new brush’s black dye bleeds the first time I wash it 🙁
Rave: I actually love the feeling of a very soft brush on my face.

Jade Avatar

I love the difference they make to finish of my base product. I often apply my BB cream with my fingers and use my Real Techniques Expert Face to blend the hairline and jaw. I HATE WASHING THEM THOUGH.

Samantha Avatar

Cleaning face brushes is the difficult part for me. Foundation brushes are concealer brushes the hardest ones to clean. I secretly curse myself for insisting on using two of each face brush daily. However, brushes are better for my sensitive skin than using fingers, saves product, and makes my makeup look amazing.

Erin Avatar

Rant- I hate it when an eyeliner brush has a hair that sticks out sideways and refuses to go back in with the rest of the pack. It messes up your eyeliner big time. Then if you decide to try and cut it off, the stubble jabs you.
I like brushes for eyes, because they can get in the small places. B. Blender for foundation. And fingers for highlighter because you can feel your cheekbones and get better placement. Lipstick is straight from the tube, and blush- haven’t found the right brush yet!

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