Share: Tell us what you love and hate about Makeup Brush Sets!
my answer: A lot of brush sets are, unfortunately, inferior in quality compared to the full-sized ones or ones sold individually, so that is the biggest downside. I love when companies create sets of brushes without sacrificing quality, as you can often get a slight discount, and you can also get a good idea of what brushes are must-haves.
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You can get a good deal on a set, sometimes, but the bad thing is some sets aren’t always a good deal if you’re not gonna use all of the brushes.
I usually feel that the sets are lacking in quality compared to individual ones. So I rarely ever get sets per say! I go for individual brushes from diff brands and create sets of my own!
I’m a HUGE (did I scream that??) fan of Sedona Lace brushes. I grab them instead of my Sigma brushes and honestly, the set that I have from Sedona Lace is the exact same quality as their individual brushes. The drawback to owning sets is that they include brushes that I wouldn’t use.
I like when you can get a bit of a deal on brushes you’d want to buy separately anyway. But it drives me up the wall when you can only get a particular brush in a set, and it isn’t sold separately.
I feel the same way, I ordered a brush set from MAC once for around $50, and the quality wasn’t as good as a single brush is. I took it back and got two good quality ones..it’s not worth it to me.
I prefer to pick my brushes one by one, because in brush sets there are always one or two brushes that I don’t need or won’t use.
I love a brush set that is well priced and with overall quality, but the truth is that I never use all the brushes. I still prefer to buy single brushes if possible!
Speaking as a person who owns like one brush but wishes she had more: I’ve looked at a lot of sets, trying to figure out if they’re worth the expense when I don’t even know what half the brushes are for…
If someone would sell the MAC 217, 219 and 239 (I think those are the ones I see most often recommended) for a decent price bundled together (collectively, they cost somewhere in the region of $150 here), I might be convinced to go for that!
MAC’s brush sets certainly do seem to be of markedly poorer quality than their regular line brushes (of course, they are a better value but I think it’s a shame to have to sacrifice decent quality for a reasonable price-point and if Real Techniques has taught us consumers anything, it’s that you CAN get great brushes at affordable prices). And my quibble with Real Techniques is that the brushes they sell in sets (albeit reasonably priced sets) are ONLY available in sets, which is silly. I would like 4 or 5 domed shadow brushes but I don’t need 4 or 5 of the other brushes from that set. AND while I’m at it, in Canada (unless you luck out and find a single brush at some place like Winners or Marshalls), only the brush sets are carried/sold. WalMart carries them but none of the single brushes which is another annoyance!
I like brush sets when they’re great quality because it’s cheaper than purchasing individually. However, I haven’t come across too many brush sets where all of the brushes were fuctional or necessary.
A small to mid-sized set can be a good way to try out different shapes and sizes before committing to pricier brushes. Quality can be lacking but not always. My favourite eyeshadow fluff brush is a Lancôme GWP that I’ve had for at least 20 years and it’s still in great shape.
I’ve kept brushes that I didn’t think I would use only to use them for a different purpose, such as a tiny lip brush that’s perfect for smudging eyeliner.
Rarely do brush sets make financial sense to me. There are invariably brushes which go unused. I prefer to buy brushes individually. I do think sets are perfect for starting out though.
I actually have a huge preference for shorter handled brushes, so I tend to like sets. I actually just got a great little Smashbox brush set at the Rack. Five brushes (all five of which I like and use) for $15 minus my discount? Score.
I am constantly disappointed by the quality of brushes that I get these day. Sometimes I find the cheapest ones are the best. Very hit and miss
I’ve purchased brush sets and have ended up using only a handful of brushes in the set. I’ve also purchased one of the Real Techniques brush sets and have wished certain ones were available individually. So I’m not a massive fan of brush sets. I prefer to buy individual ones.
I hate it when there are always some brushes that I would never use in a brush set, or worse, there’s only one brush I want, but I have to get the entire set to get it(yup, I’m talking about Real Technique).
I also feel like sets lack in quality compared to buying a single brush. And I find that typically with sets, there are usually 1 or 2 brushes that I probably won’t use.
I agree with everyone else that quality of the brushes tends to be a little lacking. However one of my biggest peeves is companies including a lash-brow comb IN EVERY SINGLE SET. I have far too many of those darn things and I only have one favorite.
EcoTools 6 piece eye makeup brush set is fantastic! Other than that set, I prefer picking my own brushes over buying a set. I like to mix and match 🙂
Me too. I don’t need 20 eye brushes, just the few that I use regularly.
I have a mini set of MAC brushes and they are not nearly as high quality as their single, full-sized counterparts. With that said, two Christmas’s ago, my mother-in-law gave my a full set of sable brushes in a snake-skin fold out carrying case. They are far superior to any other brushes I have ever used. So, yes, sets can be magnificent if you know where to look (and have the funds to buy). I wish my mother-in-law had given me more info to go on with those brushes than the fact tney are sable.
Why do they always have flat foundation brushes? I have never found a use for them and it has put me off buying so many sets (probably a good thing!) I’d rather an extra blush or powder brush!
I love make up brush sets but before I buy them I make sure that I will use most if not all of them. If I cant use most or all of them then I just opt to buy the ones I need one by one.
Sets are good for those who are just beginning though