Get Updates by Email

We hope you'll consider supporting Temptalia by shopping through our links below. Thanks!
Sephora Amazon Ulta Nordstrom

50 Comments

Discussion and debate are highly encouraged, and we expect community members to participate respectfully. When asking a question, please check the post above for information regarding pricing, availability, dupes, and availability, and keep discussion on-topic.

Please do not ask if/when a review will be posted as we cannot review everything and often change priorities from day-to-day. If you have general feedback, a product review request, an off-topic question, or need technical support, please contact us. Thank you!

Comments that include advertisements, self-promotion, insults, etc. may be in violation of our comment policy and subject to deletion. Please see our comment policy for more information.

Comments on this post are closed.
Nicole

I love my Chanel brushes. The ‘made in France’ ones. I got the impression some Chanel brushes are made in the US too. Who knows!

And of course the MAC 217, 239, 266, 188.

I’m dying to try Hakuhodo brushes from Japan! I don’t have the money right now, but they’re VERY high on my wish list.

ciaomichaella

MAC 217, 224, 187, 219 & 168. I also loooove the eye shadow brush @ blending brush from eyeslipsface.com ($1 each!) I buy like 5 of them at a time, especially the eyeshadow brush cuz I tend to use a lot of eyeshadow colors each day and need several brushes.

K

On the high end, my MAC 217. It’s great for both applying color in the outer corner of my eye, and for blending!

On the low end, the Sonia Kashuk Flat Top. I love this for applying foundation!

Ada

kabuki brush and some sort of eyeshadow brush. You can’t always put on liquid/cream foundations with your fingers or sponge if you must. but it’s near impossible to apply powders without a brush applicator (powder/dry compact foundation, blush, blotting powder). If you get a flat eyeshadow brush you can use it on the eyes and crease, lips, and as highlight applicator (cupid’s bow, nose)

Deah

I don’t have the budget for any “high end” brushes, so I invested in a couple EcoTool sets, and I love them. The brushes are so soft and work very well for what I need them to do!

And one of my favorite face brushes is from Target: one of those $3 Studio Tools giant powder brush. Bargains for the win =D

Iliana

For the face I love the mac 187 and mac kabuki. For the eyes, I like the body shop’s eyeshadow brush to apply creamy shadows and bases, like mac paint pots. I have yet to find the perfect brush for applying shadow! I know MAC makes good brushes but I haven’t got enough courage to drop that much money for teeny brushes 😛

Chloe

If I could only use 1 brush for my face for the rest of my life, it would have to be Sonia Kashuk’s flat-top multitasking brush. It works for foundation of all types, concealer, cream blush/bronzer, powder blush/bronzer, setting powder, luminizer, and the list goes on and on! I’ve even used it to blend out eyeshadows on occasion. It’s cheap, sturdy, available in brick-and-mortar Targets, and the handle is gorgeous. It looks and feels totally high-end but is only 15 dollars! Definitely my favorite brush ever. My only gripe is that it takes forever to dry after cleaning, because it’s so densely packed.

coco72

For face: MAC 109, MAC 187 (I have 2 ones), MAC 168 and Coastal Scents Flat Bronzing brush

For eyes: MAC 219 (2 ones), MAC 226 (LE), Mac 212, MAC 209 and one from Make up designory similar to MAC 239

Maeve

Thanks! I know you did an essential brush list two years ago, but do you think you would revisit that? I’d love to see if they changed and what else you would recommend now.

Katie

For the face: 190, 109, 168, & 150.
For the eyes: 224, 239, 217, & 266.

I actually think it’s necessary to have TWO 266’s for brows and eyeliner. Problem is, I lost my first one and I just know that the moment I buy another one, I’ll find it and be stuck with three!

Michele

I love some of the ELF brushes as well especially for eye shadow and Kabuki. I have a bunch of them which is great for switching colors. I like my MAC 130, 214, 219, 239, brushes but am kicking myself for spending the $ for the 187 as I hate it. Some of my favorites are good quality artist brushes bought at Michaels.

IDA

The MAC 217 brush is by far my #1 favourite brush and since two weeks back another favourite is the Sigma Flat Top Synthetic Kabuki from the “Sigmax HD brush kit”. Love it!

As another reader wrote, I would also like to try the Hakuhodo brushes. Have you tried them? If so, I would love to hear what you think about them. Thanks in advance!

Kelli

MAC 217, 239, 190
Sigma SS252, SS239, SS219, SS217, SS224
Coastal Scents Italian Badger Angle Blush Brush
ELF Mineral Angle Blush Brush
Stusio Tools (Target) Crease Brush and Blush Brush
Eco Tools Powder Brush

tara lee heather

Well i have brushes that i got from my makeup school all are great
but i really do love my E.L.F and ecotools
faves: elf kabuki , elf round top brush , elf studio blending and ecotools travel kabuki.

Anna

Since I went vegan on brushes, I have been loving my Advanced Beauty Tools chrome collection and Ecotools brush set 🙂 They are so soft and do not shed at all! Plus ABT’s face brush is so big and fluffy that it picks up color and distributes it evenly on my face. The eyeshadow brush is just small enough to apply color on the corners of my eyes for that subtle smokey feel 🙂

Annick Chantal L. H.

un petit coucou de Paris (hello from Paris)
My brushes faves a big discussion…. you’ll see below the message is long, very long…
I love Mac brushes even though I don’t have a lot. My faves are: 150, 129, 187 (but I only these brushes for face) 217, 239 and 266 (and this is what I have for my eyes).
Next but not least Chanel
I also love Chanel brushes. I don’t use the “made in France” that I collect (they are beautiful) but the brushes I bought in USA ten years ago. I am so surprised that those I bought in the states are for many of them made in china, like the eyeshadow brush #2 (its French “name” is “pinceau ombre” according to the website (and the MUA who sold me with a big smile. She was so nice that we spent 2 hours discussing things and others (in French “choses et autres”) such as Make-up, chanel, etc.) which differs with the French “name”). It works perfectly even though it sheds a little bit. Comparing to the French version eyeshadow brush # 15 (petit pinceau paupière in French which is not the same French translation I found in the Chanel USA website), I may say the American version sheds, but a little bit. I nevertheless love it. I’ve two more chanel faves — American version as well as French version — #1 (which doesn’t seem to exist in France!!!), the #3 the famous blender or crease brush (French version doesn’t exist). My French chanel faves will be of course the #15 (see above), the #17 which corresponds to Mac 227 (I don’t have it… yet) and the #12 for eyeliner, brow and for smudge. Now the face, chanel has beautiful brushes, I’ve some both bought in France and in America, the kabuki one (or touch-up, or #8) (bought in the two versions) is fabulous. It buffs perfectly. It’s called in French “le petit pinceau” because of its size, I suppose and “par coqueterie”. I also have the foundation brush (#16 in America) but I don’t have the French version and according to my Chanel counter (in Paris, (42) Av. Montaigne and (31) rue cambon), if I want it only the American version is available right now. As I already have it, so… the pinceau poudre #6 (pinceau poudre plat #3 in France) is one of my fave with the Mac 150.
Next is two Louise Young I only have: LY34 (foundation brush) and LY 14 (socket brush). Love these brushes (and of course my Shu Uemura, Nars and Bobbi Brown, but if I have to add all brushes I love…). That’s it. Now I dream to test mac 131, 188, 138, 134, 116, 109 (that I’ll ask for christmas), LY 10, 11, 12,15, 16, 18, 19, and LY 05 and LY07, and sigma one because I heard their are great… and the Hakuhodo brushes as well… salut (bye)

Marcela

Mac brushes are expensive, but I’ve been slowly building up my collection of must-haves and they’re great! I love strong, bold eye makeup and these brushes work wonders for me (you just have to know the proper use for each one):

213, 217, 219, 239

If you don't see your comment yet, it's still in our moderation queue. We try our best to approve comments within 24 hours (and reply to them within 72 hours) but can sometimes get behind. Thank you for your patience!