Archive for the ‘Makeup Brushes’ Category
Make Up Brush Sets – What to Know Before You Buy
Make up brush sets; you’ll find a lot of them for sale, but which ones are right for you? From sets for the face, sets for the eyes and all-around brushes for makeup, there are plenty to choose from.
How much should you pay? Where should you buy them? What should you look for?
And why even buy make up brushes? Read on and find out!
Why Make Up Brushes?
If you’re used to the foam applicators in eyeshadows, foam wedges for foundations and puff pads for face powders, you may be wondering why all the fuss about makeup brushes. Sure, you need them to apply blush, but why otherwise?
First, make up brushes give you more options. A foam applicator for eyeshadow may get a basic job done, but for a better look, you need a brush…a few of them. From getting into tight places, to blending shadows, to adding liner, make up brushes give you more precision.
Consider next, applying a setting powder to your face after putting on your foundation and blush. A puff puts on a heavier layer than does a brush, and the puff could make you look powdery.
Cosmetic Brush Sets
Cosmetic brush sets can get you several makeup brushes for a better price than buying the brushes individually. And if you’re not sure exactly what you need, a set can give you the basics, for both face and eyes.
A decent cosmetic brush set will contain at the very least the following brush types:
- Face brush
- Blush brush
- Eyeshadow applicator brush
- Eyeshadow blending brush
- Brow brush
- Eyeliner brush
(Sometimes an angled brush will serve as both a combination brow and eyeliner brush.)
These are the bare minimums you should look for, and there are all kinds of other specialized make up brushes available; for example, kabukis, lip liners, foundation brushes, angled blush brushes…the list goes on and on.
Make Up Brush Sets – Cost
So what do make up brush sets cost? It varies from less than $20 to well over $300. And while price is somewhat reflective of quality, some of the under $20 sets are indeed decent. Not professional quality for sure, but fine for everyday looks.
M.A.C. is the reigning chanp of makeup brushes, but they don’t often sell sets – usually just in their stores as specials. (And trust me — the M.A.C. sets you see in some advertising and on ebay are not the real thing.) And M.A.C. is expensive; a single small brush can set you back 20+ dollars.
What are some other names to look for? Bare Escentuals makes some nice ones, as do Sephora and Sigma. On the lower-cost side are Coastal Scents (here’s a set I just bought
Where to Buy Brushes for Makeup?
Here are some of the places and brushes where I have personally shopped:
These are just a few of the brush sets out there. Naturally, there are plenty of other manufactuers; some pretty darn nice and others that aren’t worth the bother (scratchy, sheds). These should get you started, though.
