Are expensive makeup brushes necessary?
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free skin care · Mon Jul 06, 2009 11:12 pm

I just purchased Makeup 4ever HD foundation. Of course the sales girl said I had to use it with the special "stippling brush" (around $40!) I already have kabuki, and this and that. Remember when one blush brush was enough? What can I substitute? Sponge, fingers? Do I have to have another million $ brush? I also bought some new powder blush and was told to get a different brush. Do these tools really make a difference? Help!

free skin care · Tue Jul 07, 2009 2:19 am

to a certain extent, the fibres of your makeup brushes will affect application greatly. although i am quite wary of high-end brands that have overpriced brushes, because they often do not source their own materials but instead buy generic models and relabel them.

through this forum i found out about a-squirrel brushes, which offer pure goat/squirrel hair powder brushes and these are simply the softest i have ever used. i also got a travel-size eye makeup brush set with a purchase, and again the difference of using pure untreated squirrel fibre compared to pony/hare etc is amazing.

i often read reviews on face brushes that comment 'it is the softest ever' and whenever i visit a particular stand that sells the mentioned brush, the fibres of the likes of bobbi brown, mac, even chanel, are no way near the softness of a-squirrel. i have also learned the lesson that, every brand (even drugstore) has a particular brush or two that is great but in no way does it mean that the entire range is wonderful. i have some smashbox eye makeup brushes that are very good quality, comparable to mac or bobbi brown. however i'd never buy their face brushes or other accessories.

as for synthetic fibres, generally mac or other no frills brands, like la femme, studio direct make decent brushes. however in the case of needing a very precise applicator (eg fine liner, angled liner) particular brands do stand out because of the quality and durability of the fibres. i can think of Shu Uemura, kevyn aucoin as noteworthy.

in terms of brush functions, i feel that a certain brush can have multiple functions. there is no definitive rule. however, as you improve your technique in application, you will find the need to have more tailored shapes to achieve a specific effect. i have a stippling brush, but i find it horrible for applying foundation. it is too sparse and you are better off buying a quality sponge or synthetic flat edge foundation brush if you prefer to use something other than your fingers.

sponges are a whole other art too. there are actually different classes of sponge... in japan, most medium high end and high end brands develop their own unique sponges for foundation application. they use special techniques to create the most suitable 'cushion effect' for either a wet, dry or transitioning foundation. and yes a dense or sparse sponge can make a huge difference to the blendability and finish of a sheer or high coverage pressed foundation/powder.

free skin care · Tue Jul 07, 2009 5:33 am

wow, thanks! such an informative post! I'm sorry to be posting without adding new info to the discussion, but I thought miranets deserved some recognition, I will definitely check out a-squirrel brushes, thanks again!

free skin care · Tue Jul 07, 2009 6:57 am

You should try sigma brushes. A whole set for $79

http://www.sigmamakeup.com/products.html

They are very good quality. I bought the Face and eyes kit and they have the stippling brush there too. I use it every now and then, but it takes while to apply foundation with the stippling brush, so I rather use a sponge ($2 for a whole big pack!!)

free skin care · Tue Jul 07, 2009 8:52 pm

If you are amateurs, it is unnecessary.Because you do not feel the difference between expensive and cheap

free skin care · Tue Jul 07, 2009 11:58 pm

Thanks for all the great information. The squirrel brush sounds interesting. Where can they be purchased? The stippling foundation brush sounds too tricky for me. I'll stick with the sponges. I was also told that for applying foundation a synthetic brush was best.

free skin care · Wed Jul 08, 2009 5:00 am

I think it's unnecessary,but quality must be good! I purchased a cheap brush,but it work well, seems very natural,nobody found I maked up! Smile

free skin care · Wed Jul 08, 2009 6:42 am

I think good brushes make a huge difference. Smile

I bought a nice set of makeup brushes on ebay. They are made from squirrel hair. I only paid about US$30 for it. 22 brushes and it came with a belt. Smile

The quality is better than my Smashbox brushes!

free skin care · Thu Jul 09, 2009 7:17 am

Yeah I agree that good brush really helps a lot!

Good quality brush will "add" the make up without harmful to the skin.

free skin care · Thu Jul 16, 2009 8:02 am

funkydory wrote:

You should try sigma brushes. A whole set for $79

http://www.sigmamakeup.com/products.html

They are very good quality. I bought the Face and eyes kit and they have the stippling brush there too. I use it every now and then, but it takes while to apply foundation with the stippling brush, so I rather use a sponge ($2 for a whole big pack!!)

I agree their brushes are great and to take the guess work out are numbered the same as MAC brushes.

free skin care · Thu Jul 16, 2009 6:50 pm

For a powder brush for blush or loose powder, I found MAC has a really nice one with great application.
Maybe other members will share what brush they found to be the best for them.

free skin care · Thu Jul 16, 2009 8:00 pm

One of my favorite brushes is a duo-fiber "skunk" or "stippling" brush that I got at Target for $1.99. The brand is StudioTools. I like it every bit as much as my MAC 187 and actually use it more because I'm not afraid of wearing it out or washing it often.

free skin care · Thu Sep 24, 2009 3:22 am

m... for me, I think using a expensive brush of course will help you alot!
But I think if I just wear make up going party, not going on stage, sometimes I even don't use brushed, what I need to do is use my finger or sponge to blend the color. I think the results are same!

free skin care · Thu Sep 24, 2009 10:30 am

ww.essentialbeautysupplies.com has some MAC clones. I had some problems with my MAC brush and they replaced it for me no questions so that is one thing to consider depending on who you buy the brush from. Is customer service an issue or is more price an issue?

I got a cheap FO brush that worked great for about two years then it stopped picking up pigments and didnt spread evenly. I had to get a new one so I didnt have a FO until I got another one. Things to consider.

free skin care · Thu Sep 24, 2009 12:19 pm

Unless funds are really a problem, I think that expensive brushes are a great investment and a worthwhile luxury. They make us feel good whenever we use them; they inspire our creativity and unlike makeup or skincare products, they do not deteriorate. If properly cared for, good brushes can last a lifetime.

If money is a problem, though, it's better to get Loewe-Cornell brushes from the art store rather than cheap makeup brushes, although, past a certain point, these can cost as much or even more than high-end makeup brushes.

Some tips:

Limited edition brush sets are not at all the same quality as single brushes, especially MAC ones.

Many of the MAC brushes on Ebay are fakes.

Wash them with a mild shampoo and do not dry them upright.

free skin care · Thu Sep 24, 2009 3:15 pm

Justine1900 wrote:

Many of the MAC brushes on Ebay are fakes.

I wouldn't limit the fake brushes on Ebay to just MAC. I ordered one by Bare Escentuals (one that I had already bought before) and the quality was nowhere near what I had gotten before. I'm convinced it's a fake and I won't order brushes from Ebay anymore. Sad

free skin care · Thu Sep 24, 2009 8:27 pm

I think expensive brushes help a lot! So just go and get some, you will use them like forever!

free skin care · Fri Sep 25, 2009 1:48 am

i've tried tons of methods and brands..
recently i bought these 2 sponges, 1 for powder and another for liquid foundation. Both from Shu-Eumura. Best purchase for coverage application ever.

free skin care · Fri Sep 25, 2009 1:50 am

Also, quality for expensive brushes tend to be better, at least its' less harsh on your skin.
Depends on brands, like i had a set of Estee Lauder brushes..a little harsh compared to my Napoleon Perdis ones.

Tue Feb 16, 2010 7:00 pm

kdd2411 wrote:

funkydory wrote:

You should try sigma brushes. A whole set for $79

They are very good quality. I bought the Face and eyes kit and they have the stippling brush there too. I use it every now and then, but it takes while to apply foundation with the stippling brush, so I rather use a sponge ($2 for a whole big pack!!)

I agree their brushes are great and to take the guess work out are numbered the same as MAC brushes.

free skin care · Tue Feb 16, 2010 7:19 pm

i don't think expensive makeup brushes are necessary...but they make the job much easier.

i find that the expensive brushes are contoured properly. eg an artist's paintbrushes are his/her tools. this is important because it makes the application of powders and shadows smooth and even. with superior brushes there is more control in which the product is applied, and thus a superior effect.

free skin care · Tue Feb 16, 2010 11:03 pm

i do not think so,i like the price and product all good

free skin care · Wed Feb 17, 2010 2:39 pm

Expensive brushes? No.

Good quality brushes? Yes!

free skin care · Wed Feb 17, 2010 7:34 pm

It all sort of depends. You can spend money on a brush and use it for multiple things not just pigeon-hole it to one. I personally purchase numerous brushes - mostly MAC - but only because I want to invest in them. Do I need 6 eyeshadow brushes? No definitely not, but I like to do various looks with eyeshadows. I could probably get away with 2 eyeshadows, a face brush and be done with it. But I personally like to have multiple ones that can provide me with multiple effects. Bottom line - its really up to you.
Regarding your foundation - you could just use a sponge and stipple it with that. But if you look at how much you spend on disposable sponges it might be worth it to invest in a brush that could last you years. Sephora also has two lines of brush - the black ones are a little cheaper than the silver "professional" lines. Also (not sure where you are) but in Canada Shoppers Drug Mart has the Quo line also with the regular and professional line and the prices are pretty reasonable. Or fall back on one of the best tools you have - your (clean) fingers. Even with all my face brushes I find I use my fingers for my foundation on an everyday basis.

Thu Feb 18, 2010 12:58 am

I bought the Sigma Make up brush set and I'm very pleased with it. For $80 you get all the brushes you need (as an amateur).

They are good quality brushes, but I must say the 187 brush bleeds quite a bit. Quite disappointed with that.

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