Favourite Makeup Brushes

Hi everyone :D

Long time no post. Finally on a friday and Saturdayy I am free to take pictures in the sunlight because I'm finally home in the mornings. I've recently bought new brushes and decided do a post on my favourite ones so far. Enjoy! :)

                                         

(From L to R: ELF Studio Line Powder Brush, Ecotools Tapered Blush Brush, Sigma F80 Flat Kabuki Brush, Real Techniques Contour Brush, Real Techniques Setting Brush, Sigma E35 Tapered Blending Brush, Sigma E55 Eye Shading Brush.)

Ecotools Tapered Blush Brush

Why I love

• I've been looking for a blush brush that doesn't just deposit the powder onto your cheeks, but one that does so in a controlled and angular way. 
• The tapered design allows you to have precision for applying blush, especially if you are going to contour your face later. It gives you the line for application of bronzer later. 
• The brush is so, so, so soft. You would think that such a soft brush wouldn't be able to pick up powder, but it does so effortlessly. Some blush brushes that I've used in the past just waste my products because when I apply it to my face, there's hardly any powder - most of it had fallen off. 
• This brush is eco-friendly, and its products are biodegradable - great for all you people out there trying to save our world and the environment!
• The sleek design and long handle is great for comfortability when applying blush. This is definitely my go-to brush for blush!

Cons?

• With the tapered design, I thought it would be a little bit more precise - but in saying that this is a blush brush not a contour brush.
• No more that I can think of. 

Sigma F80 Flat Kabuki Brush

Why I love 

• I really cannot tell you how amazing this brush is until you've tried it for yourself. A few weeks ago I stumbled on the website redefiningbeauty.com.au, and they are authorised resellers for Sigma brushes in Australia. The brushes that I ordered arrived in just 2 days, amazing service. 
• If you have trouble blending foundation into your face, this is definitely the brush for you. Previously I have used my Real Techniques Expert Face Brush, which is good in that it applies well on the skin - but since it is more rounded at the top, it is harder to blend without getting those horrid streaks on your face. I also use the Real Techniques Buffing Brush in the Core Collection, which was good too but I still had to rub off the streaks with my hand.
• The Sigma brush, however, blends any type of foundation effortlessly. I don't know how I've lived without it before. 
• The flat top of the brush is very soft but packed quite densely. It picks up liquid foundation well and distributes all the product on your skin flawlessly, unlike the real techniques brushes where the liquid kind of gets stuck in the bristles and doesn't go on the skin. 
• Definitely my HG foundation brush. 

Cons

• Like most Sigma brushes, the shedding is pretty bad. I find that with the Kabuki Brush, some of the bristles were uneven so I had to cut it off. The shedding hasn't been too bad so far but I will give an update on it after I give my brushes a good wash. 

Real Techniques Contour Brush

Why I love

• I have yet to find a really good contour brush (I have my eyes on that new Nars one but it is so goddamn expensive!), but this one will do! 
• Like all Real Techniques brushes, this brush is super duper soft and picks up the bronzing powder really well. It is quite small so you can be more precise when contouring your face. 
• It is multi-purpose, so you can use it for blushes and highlighters as well - it not a tapered design, but it is pretty accurate. 
• The handle is pretty sleek so there is good grip when you are contouring or putting blush on your face.

Cons

• Like I said, this brush isn't the best contour brush but it is not too bad. What I don't like about this brush is that it puts too much bronzer in the places that I usually start with on my face. It doesn't blend out the bronzer as well as it should. 
• I usually have to use another brush to blend out the bronzer so it doesn't look like I have a muddy face.

Real Techniques Setting Brush

Why I love

• Another Real Techniques Brush, and this one really has no flaws! At first I was wondering why so many people were raving about this brush. It seemed like your typical mini setting brush for powders underneath your eyes.
• Little did I know that this brush was absolutely perfect for liquid concealers! It is very fluffy like the contour brush so I thought it would only be good for powders. 
• I usually dot the concealer on my dark circles and redness around my nose. With this brush, I swiftly blend in the concealer and it looks flawless, almost like a HD effect. 
• Before this brush I used my fingertips usually, and it would never blend properly into the skin - only on the surface which looked quite noticeable. This brush has saved my life for concealing! 
• And of course, you can use this brush with powders such as the NYX HD finishing powder for under eyes to set your concealer as well. 
• Very handy and multi-purpose! Love this. 

Cons

• None! Everyone needs this brush in their collection!

 Sigma E55 Eye Shading Brush

Why I love

• This was one of the brushes that I bought on redefining beauty because I did not own any brushes that were simply to deposit eyeshadow all over the lid. I have a few cheap ones that seem to pick up a lot of product but by the time it gets to my lids it just falls off. 
• The eye shading brush is so densely packed as well as being really soft. It picks up my ChiChi cosmetic eyeshadows really well! Since it is very soft, it doesn't feel scratchy on the skin of the lid at all. You guys should really invest in buying good quality and soft eye brushes because scratchy brushes will really irritate that area of the skin.
• Overall, excellent basic brush for applying shadow your whole lid!

Cons

• I guess it's not multi purpose, but overall nothing to really complain here.

Sigma E35 Tapered Blending Brush

Why I love

• I have been looking everywhere for a great blending brush, because it is very important for your eye makeup collection! Without a good blending brush, trust your eyeshadows to look muddy and have a splattered 90s feel all over your lid.
• Previously, I have been using the Crown double ended blending and pencil brush duo. They are great but quite scratchy and causes irritation to my eyes. This brush is again very very soft and a bit more tapered that my Crown one.
• There is also the Tapered Blending E40 but I heard that one sheds a lot, and I haven't had the same problem with this brush.
• This brush blends effortlessly, and makes it easier to create that gradient look for your eyeshadows which gives more the eyes more depth and dimension

Cons

• The brush is a little bit big for my eyes - I kind of wish I bought the small tapered blending brush instead.
• It blends well but I have kind of give it more room, or it will blend to the outside of my eyelid. 

E.L.F. Studio Line Powder Brush

Why I love 

• This was one of my first brushes every, along with my ELF Small Stippling Brush. I have had this for about a year and a half now, and it has not shed and has stayed in shape ever since I got it. 
• Recommended by a friend, she said that this brush was really soft and picked up powders very well. I have used it for powders ever since then and it has been great. 
• I think I really have a thing for flat top brushes, because I just feel that they mould to your face better when you are using them. 
• The bristles and the actual head of the brush is a perfect size, as it distributes the powder evenly over your face, not causing any big patches. 
• Overall it is just really soft and I feel privileged to use such a heavenly feeling brush over my face! It has made me love setting my makeup the favourite part of my routine. 

Cons

• Since it's only about $8, the handle is quite flimsy and the glue is not as secure as my other brushes. I would recommend buying a few of these just in case the handle does fall off! KMART sell ELF products in Australia now!

Product listing and locations:

Ecotools Tapered Blush Brush - $7.58 @ http://au.iherb.com/EcoTools, or $16.99 @ priceline.com.au

Sigma F80 Flat Kabuki Brush - $25.00 @ redefiningbeauty.com.au.

Real Techniques Contour Brush (part of Core Collection) - $19.53 @ http://au.iherb.com/Real-Techniques-by-Samantha-Chapman or $44.99 @ priceline.com.au

Real Techniques Setting Brush (Single) - $8.68 @ http://au.iherb.com/Real-Techniques-by-Samantha-Chapman or $14.99 @ priceline.com.au

Sigma E55 Eyeshading Brush - $14.00 @ redefiningbeauty.com.au

Sigma E35 Tapered Blending Brush - $14.00 @ redefiningbeauty.com.au

E.L.F. Studio Line Powder Brush - $3.26 @ http://au.iherb.com/E-L-F-Cosmetics, or $8.00 @ participating Kmart Stores, or $8.00 @ elfcosmetics.com.au

Have a great weekend guys! Hope this helps you with what brushes to buy for your brush collection! 

Janie xoxo