6 Makeup Brush Essentials

Makeup brushes are rather new to me - about a year ago, I was still smoothing my foundation in with my fingers and hoping for the best with eyeshadow. Unknowing of the hygiene risks, I had no idea why you would want a makeup brush. It was only when I discovered youtube that I finally bought my first brush set, the good ole Real Techniques yellow handled set that had something for everything. Since then it's been a whirlwind and I've finally honed down my collection to ones I all use and decided to share my top 6 makeup brushes.

For foundation, I love the Tarte the Buffer Airbrush Finish which is ideal for lazy girls as it is huge so really helps speed up foundation application. Because the bristles aren't too dense, it is ideal for creating a natural flawless finish. I find this is also great for buffing together the foundation & concealer. But for other days where I have a bit more time to spend on my foundation, I've recently discovered the Real Techniques Bold Metals Foundation Brush* which is an unusual trianglular shape which makes it incredible precise for foundation application, particularly around the nose and eyes. The bristles are quite dense which means it's also quite high coverage.

For blushes, there are two brushes I'm obsessed with, the Zoeva Luxe Sheer Blush Brush and the Real Techniques Stippling Brush. I reach for the Zoeva number for all my general blush needs as it is quite a large brush and provides a (you guessed it) sheer wash of colour to the cheeks. The only downside is that the bristles are all white, it has been slightly stained by some of my blushes. The RT number is what I use for my cream blushes. I normally apply them to the cheek with my finger tips and then use the brush to buff them into the skin.

For highlighting products, my fave brush has to be the Zoeva Luxe Highlight Brush* which has a similar shape to a blush brush as it's quite dense in bristles. As I love my highlight, this packs a punch and is great for buffing them into the skin whilst still not distracting from any pigment. Real Techniques does a similar version which is called the setting brush.

There are three brushes I adore for my eyes, and they are all Zoeva. The Brow definer, despite supposedly being for brows, I use for my waterline and really precise eyeshadow. It's also my go to for days where I don't want a harsh liquid liner, so use it to create an equivalent with a brown eyeshadow - a much softer look. The Zoeva Pencil Brush is another favourite for precise application - I use it for a darker colour in my outer corner. And then of course a fluffy brush which is normally my MAC 217 which is ideal for blending, but it's slightly disfigured from travelling so I decided to photograph the Zoeva equivalent which is just called a Blending brush. RT again have a few similarities, their purple buffing brush is fab.