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Do you use a lot of different makeup brushes in a look?


Do you use a lot of different makeup brushes in a look? Or just a few tried and true favorites?

I’m more of a tried and true kind of gal! There are brushes that just work, so I reach for those often, and then I work my day down the line depending on how many looks I’m doing at that moment (usually no more than two per eye is my skin’s tolerance), as I try to use one brush per color when testing!

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Meiya Avatar

I probably use about 8-10 in a given look. All over eyeshadow base, creme shadow, base shadow brush, fluffy domed brush, tapered crease brush, domed blending brush, fine eyeliner brush, smudger brush. Depending on the foundation, I’d use a brush for that, then one for blush if i’m using powder. Oh yes, a brush for creme bronzer & one for creme highlighter. I have about 70 brushes, so the brushes I’d choose for the abovementioned 10 might rotate.

Ryou Avatar

I’m still living out of my suitcases and I keep all my make-up brushes in a medium-sized brush roll. Obviously I don’t have space for a lot of brushes, so I just select a few that work really well and stick with those. I find that it’s better to have multiples of a brush you use the most than having a million different brushes with very specific purposes.

LU Avatar

I don’t think I use a lot, I prefer my tried and true brushes. For eye looks, I use 3-5, and for face makeup I use 4-7. It’s usually 7 total on an average day, and closer to the 12 for special occasions.

CatherineM Avatar

It really depends on the look I’m going for. Most days its 3-4 brushes for my face (concealer, powder, blusher, and sometimes a foundation brush), one for brows, and 2-3 for my eyes. I find that I reach for my Bobbi Brown Eye Sweep brush and my MAC 217 most often, sometimes adding a liner or small detail brush. I have worn eye looks where I used 5 brushes or more, but those are very rare.

Michelle Avatar

I’m also a tried and true kind of girl.
Love good make up brushes!
Love Tom Ford Contour eyeshadow brush.
When I dont have time, I just use this brush and the TF blending brush to apply eyeshadows from a nude palette.
Xoxo

a cactus Avatar

I don’t have all that many brushes yet and I’m kinda new to any advanced makeup technique so I’m still experimenting with what I have. So yeah, I do tend to use a lot in a look. Probably way more than necessary… Which is fun, but cleaning them is another story!

CeeBee Avatar

I definitely have my favourites – I have three core eyeshadow brushes, an angled brow brush and I use the RT blush brush as a powder brush. I have tried about a dozen foundation brushes and right now I like a dense, soft angled taklon brush for liquid foundation and it gives an immaculate finish.
Conversely, the best brush I have found for cream blushers is made from natural goat hair and one I got or free with a Pupa baked blush, so that was a bonus!

I probably use about 8-10 brushes for a full face on any given day.

KAYLA Avatar

HI!
I don’t know if you would call this a question idea but it’s funny you posted this b/c I have been searching for new makeup brushes for 3 day’s ( I’m O.C.D. when iy comes to my makeup & skin care, lol….oh & clear acrylic’s!hehe)! I have been driving myself & family nuts!
I have found some good deals on Sephora & Ulta w/ some / most of the brushes I want to replace (but of course they always have 1 or more I don’t use, etc. in them) and I’m not sure what is the best bet. I want to buy good brushes & keep it around $50 top’s w/ tax. hehe I heard Mac has great brushes but no kit’s to bring the price down (haven’t looked much but figure)!
I don’t know much a/n Mac & didn’t buy my 1st piece from them until I started reading you’re site & sighned up for E-Mails, etc.! I just NOW found (well, they just now got in) that lip color Lip Blossom after all that time after you posted. The woman didn’t even know what I was talking a/b, then said you bought it at another store then day before yesterdat it was there…..YAY! GAAAH! lol I like it better than the coral’e color I bought ( not so coral’e, lol)! But yeah, sorry I’m off topic & rambling!
I just need help w/ a cpl of things that are driving me CRAZY (I have anxiety & this is not helping). Usually I can find & do no problem but this has been a task. Maybe I am being to picky but I have learned the hard way to maybe ask someone who know’s what’s up 1st. So, if you can give me any suggestions on a good brand of brushes & maybe a plave that has clear/ clear acrylic containers w/ lids that I can store them WITH LIDS that look nice PLEASE LET ME KNOW! We could talk a/b good brushes, keeping them clean & how do you clean them (ppl), and makeup/ brush storage for 2014, unless you alreadt have & I missed it ( & if so I apalogoze)!
Thanks & Keep it Coming!
Kayla
PS. Muji’s are on sale just in case you didn’t already know 🙂 ! xo

Christine Avatar

Hi Kayla,

I would recommend trying Real Techniques or Sonia Kashuk if you’re on a budget – you can get really good brushes and they both have several sets available. MAC is going to be a lot more than $50, and their pre-made sets aren’t high quality at all (not worth $50, or even $20).

As far as storage goes, you might consider a glass or acrylic jar meant for storing food – like glass canisters for flour, etc. as they’ll be taller and come with a lid!

Jade Avatar

I feel like I use as many as I need…! The more complex the look, the more brushes I use. I do TRY to use as few as possible (so I have less to clean LOL) but I end up just using what I need to. I need a few more eye brushes though… I’ve been on a blush brush binge recently LOL

Sarah Avatar

I tend to. Not only to get use out of them, but they all serve different purposes 🙂 I even have certain brushes for specific textures. As far as regular brush usage goes, though, the brushes I use for the face are pretty much a set thing, but my eye brushes can vary depending on the look I do

Dua Avatar

I only use Sigma, so no.

… and the everyday brushes are Face (powder), one brush for (Highlight / Contor / Blush), 2 brushes for the eyes & the gel eyeliner brush.

Veronica Avatar

I have a few brushes that I know just work… I reach for them often, so in a daily look, I use the same 7 brushes. But for special occasions, or when I have time to experiment, I like to bring out everything and play with different ones. Sometimes I will use 6 different brushes for the eyes alone.

Kiss & Make-up Avatar

I just made a little calculation, and for my eyes I usually use two or even three eyeshadow brushes, two blending brushes, plus another two brushes. Does that count as a lot? I guess it does 🙂

Eileen Avatar

I typically use 8-10 brushes for a full face makeup and I have my favorite types of brushes that I reach for day after day. I never use a brush more than twice, though, and so I have dupes of all my daily use favorites. I also have a lot of brushes that are product specific or that I use for special effects but that’s because I love brushes and not because they’re necessary.

Lisa Avatar

Like Christine, I use a few tried a true brushes. I know what I like and because I have somewhat small eyes and small face, the brushes I use really need to accommodate that. On an average day, say I’m going to class, then I use 3-4 on my eyes and 2 on my face.

Lisa Avatar

Hmmmmmmm. Define a lot. :). I tend to reach for the same favorite brushes over and over, but the amount depends on the look Im trying to achieve. If it’s full makeup, then there is a brush for tight lining, a regular lining brush, shadow brush, corner brush, contour brush and blending brush and eyebrow brush and spoolie. That’s 8 for eyes if I’m doing full makeup, not counting the individual brush I use to set my concealer/powder. My blush brush will change depending on the consistency of the blush I am applying (I have 3 that satisfy powder, creme, or liquid consistencies. I have 2 contouring brushes, again one for creme, one for powder, and the same for highlighters. I won’t bore you by going on and on. The point is I have over a hundred brushes but reach for my same trusted ones over and over!

Ludmila Assumpção Avatar

Face: One for foundation (I apply concealer with my fingers), another for contour and blush (I use the same), and other for highlight.
Eyes: One for blending and another for details, or to apply eyeshadow..If I use gel eyeliner, a pointed one. So, in media, I use 6 brushes for a full face. I think I´m not a freaky for brushes.
Mostly of my brushes are and Real Techniques, and some MAC too.

Dreamer19 Avatar

I usually use eyeliner, (gel), so I use a brush for that. Most of the time I just use a Hakuhodo J5523 (MAC 217 dupe) for the lid as well as the crease. Sometimes I use the J142 for the crease. And sometimes I use an eyeshadown brush (flat) for the lid, e. g. Artdeco or Coastal Scents. I use a CS pencil brush for the inner corner for highlighting. And I use a CS eyeshadow brush (medium? I don’t really remember, an older one with pink handle) for the browbone if I use a highlight there and to blend a bit with the crease color. (Or I use an all over base first, like a matte cream/skin color and I use this same brush for that.) I use another (Hungarian brand) flat eye shading brush with a fairly thin tip to apply eyeshadow under my lower lashes. So that’s about 5-6. And here I was thinking, oh, just a couple! 🙂

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