Eyeshadow shader style brushes–they’re small, slightly stubby, densely packed and a little rounded at the edge. I’ve worked my way through an assortment of them over the years, but I still find that I can do all of my eye makeup with that one tool if I need to!
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Iām on the same page here with the Sonia G jumbo blender from the Sky set. I have very hooded eyes and wear simple eye looks typically a midtone matte from lid into ācreaseā, an upper crease colour and a darker outer vee colour..thatās it. Sometimes I will add a duo or multichrome mid lid to dazzle it up a bit.
The jumbo blender is just awesome for addressing my hoods. I can use the flat part for lid, then turn on an angle to do blending into crease and upper crease colours and smoked out. I can also use it for lower lashline also on angle because I enjoy a grungier lower.
Anyhow, this has become an eureka type tool for me when I originally thought the brush was too big, wasnāt stiff enough. As we all have learned, try your tools and products in multiple ways.
Tools-wise, my Shiseido stubby-handled, angled kabuki brushes (perfect for any foundation or CC cream and also cream or powder blushes). This brush has, I believe, been replaced with a synthetic version which I’ve no interest in owning. Also the MAC 217 eyeshadow brush – I could probably do all my eyeshadow with that brush alone if I had to. Also, Sephora used to have (it’s gone now but I got 2 of them and had hubs shorten the handle on the one I use for concealer) a cream eyeshadow brush #28 that is great for cream type shadows but it’s also the BEST concealer brush for the under eye area that I’ve ever had.
Cosmetics-wise, even though I’m not a fan of bronzers, Too Faced’s Sweetie Pie Radiant Matte Bronzer is a fantastic and versatile product that works for me as a blush, a natural looking bronzer, a “healthy flush of colour” all over face powder. I love it. Of course, it seems to be discontinued now (what else is new?) but I got a backup when they were marked down at Marshalls.
I’m holding dearly on my 8 years old MAC 217 brush. š Great multi-tasker, but the new version is not as good.
Itās so true. I really can do my whole eye look with a MAC 228 or an Urban Decay Moondust brush, or even a MAC 219.
I also honestly really love the double-sided Urban Decay brushes that came with the Basquiat, Electric, and certain Anastasia palettes. Not all of them, just the heavy, dense, black bristle ones.
Iāve also really loved the move toward using fingers with certain formulas. Itās really demystified makeup application.
I still have the brush that came with the Urban Decay Naked Smoky palette, although I throw away the palette 6 years ago. Looks and works like new. I often took it when traveling, since the big brush is great for both blending and packing, while the other side is great for detailed work and smudging the lash line.
One super old natural double ended brush set I bought ages ago! Still in great condition after roughly 12 years of steady usage. I use the end of one to fill in my brows, another to sweep on a coat of MAC Orb to my browbone and downward to set my primer, the other end makes for an excellent crease brush with pinpoint accuracy, another one has a fabulous flat shader on one side and a perfect pencil brush on the other. It did come with a very nice blush brush, too. But that one piece fell apart several years ago.
Shelby Wilson showcased a long time ago that you can use the Real Techniques Setting Brush to do your entire makeup. I knew before, but she prove it. Tool wise, you can’t get a better multitasker.
Runner ups are a good concealer (which can be also used as foundation) and a brown powder (either face or eye shadow) that can be used for eyes, contouring and filling in the brows (shade off course differs from person to person).
Skincare wise, runner ups are a well formulated cleanser (you can use it as body wash or even hair wash, if it’s a simple formula) and an oil or oil blend (can be used on the face and body as moisturizer, to tame hair frizz, hydrate cuticles and so on).
A really good fluffy brush for blending and adding eyeshadow to all of my lid.
Urban Decay Naked Basics. I know I say it a lot, but it’s amazing. I took it traveling. It works for any kind of eye look from one-and-done to smokey. I can do my entire face with it except for foundation, blush, and lip color. When it was (stupidly!) discontinued, the first thing I did was buy a back-up.
I just bought the Sonia G Builder three and Iām currently waiting on it to arrive from Beautylish. I decided it must be the next best thing after trying an assortment of shader style brushes from Kolinsky, Sable, goat, and synthetic. I read your review of the Builder three a while ago and finally decided I had to have it.
Abh eyebrow powder. In a pinch, it becomes eyeshadow and eyeliner.
My two rephr brushes 15 & 16, same for my Marc Jacobs or Wayne Goss. Any descent rounded small to medium slightly dense blenders.