makeup brushes 101

when thinking about what i should blog about, i try to imagine things have to do with beauty and fashion that i get a lot of questions from my friends and family about. the vast majority of beauty questions that i get are about makeup brushes. if you've never used makeup brushes before, they can be extremely overwhelming and intimidating. i mean there are all different shapes and sizes and their are pages upon pages of them on beauty websites like ulta or sephora. i know a lot of people just use their fingers or the sponge tip applicators that comes with their makeup. however, if you're using the right makeup brushes and know how to keep up with them, they can be your best friend. i mean the difference is pretty much incomparable. i did a youtube video on this same exact topic when i was making beauty videos in high school (if you remember these, you rock), but i thought i would make a blog post about them to persuade more of you to be #teammakeupbrushes! let me go ahead and start this off by saying i have never paid for than ten dollars for a makeup brush, swear. and i've had some of my brushes for 5-6 years and they are still going strong. in this post i'll be discussing my favorite brushes from my two favorite brush brands, how i use them, and how i clean all of my brushes. if you're interested, keep reading :)
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e.l.f. - this is the brand i started using when i first got into my obsession with makeup (i can do a whole post on my favorite e.l.f. products if you're interested). the products are, most of the time, pretty nice quality, and their brushes are phenomenal, especially if you're just getting into makeup brushes. the best part? they start at $1!!!! you can't beat that with a stick, people. i have had the tops of their brushes fall off on me, but i just hot glue them back on and go on with my day. you are getting what you pay for as far as their aesthetic, but the actual quality of them is great. i will say that not all of their brushes are worth it, but i'll let you know which are. also, they do offer a few brush sets, but if i were you, i would stick to just buying the individual brushes, because it's the same price, and you get to pick which brushes you specifically want. you can purchase e.l.f. cosmetics at target, walmart, and some other drugstores, and on the e.l.f. website.  also! sign up for their emails to get updates on their current coupon codes, or check out retail me not, because e.l.f. almost always has some kind of deal going on. 

1) e.l.f. essential blending eye brush: okay, this brush is everything. i have probably purchased ten of them in my life. if you're going to get one, i would recommend buying a few more, because you're going to love it so much and want more than one. i use this brush to apply color to my crease, and to blend my eyeshadow to make it appear seamless. the way it's kind of tapered makes it fit perfectly into your crease and create the most gorgeous looks. blending is definitely the secret to having beautiful eyeshadow, so this brush is a must.




2) e.l.f. essential eyeshadow brush: this is the basic of the basic of makeup brushes. you can use this one to put color pretty much anywhere, i use mine for applying my lid color. since it's flat, i like to put a light, shimmery color on the other side, and then the darker color on the other side and blend my lid that way. i have a ton of copies of this brush as well. another way that i like to use this brush is kind of strange.. i like to dab it in my face powder, and pack it on around my nose and under eyes, because it allows for more precise touch ups than a typical powder brush.



3) e.l.f. essential eyeliner brush: another great brush. i like to use this one to apply eyeshadow on my lower lash line and blend it out. it's nice because you can decide if you want a more precise line, or if you want it more dramatic and smudgy. also good if you're starting out with gel eyeliner and you need a cheap brush, i've only used it for that reason a handful of times because i never really saw the hype revolving around gel eyeliner. i could also seehow this brush could be used for eyebrow makeup application, but i typically like to go for an angled eyeliner brush for eyebrow shadow (more on that later).



4) e.l.f. essential foundation brush: once again, if you're just starting with makeup, this would be great as a foundation brush, and it's what i used in the beginning for quite a while. it's very straight forward and easy to apply. however, i use this brush for now to blend in my concealer. it isn't too mind blowingly awesome, but it gets the job done. i also like this brush for applying my face highlight color, because it's good for really packing it on. if you like a more natural looking highlight, go for a face blending brush.




5) e.l.f. studio powder brush:  this one is probably my favorite face brush in my collection. if you buy more than one, you can use one for foundation and one for powder. i love this one so much for my foundation because i can just put the foundation right on top of the brush, and buff it into my skin (not spread, but buff in circular motions), and it doesn't leave and brush strokes. i think this one really helps you achieve an "airbrushed" look.

ecotools: this brand is more of a step up from e.l.f., but still great prices. i prefer the ecotools face brushes over the e.l.f. ones for the most part, because they are so nice and soft. you can buy ecotools and most drugstores and online at iherb.com.

1) ecotools bamboo 6 piece brush set: i use every brush in this set every single day. i use the fluffy powder brush to apply my face powder to my face (pat!!! don't!! buff!!! if you buff, you will take off all your liquid foundation and it will be totally tragic. learn from my mistakes!!) , and i like to use it to blend all of my face makeup together. i use the concealer brush in the set to apply concealer to cleanup around my eyebrows and lips, and it's pretty much bomb because of how it's tapered. i use the eyeshadow brush to apply shadow to my lid. the eyeliner brush is how i get my brows on fleek, and i wouldn't trade it for anything. the slanted one is good because it makes the eyebrow powder application so precise. and the eyebrow tamer is nice to brush out your brows or laashes the avoid any clumps. and they all come in a cute little makeup bag! i mean you would be nuts to not buy it for $13.

2) ecotools domed bronzer brush: if you're into the current trend of contouring your face, or even just like to apply bronzer, this brush was made for you. the angle gives you the best application, without a doubt. i like to have another of these to apply blush as well.

H O W T O C L E A N Y O U R B R U S H E S:

i get asked a lot if the upkeep of makeup brushes is hard and the answer is no. when you first get your brushes, i would recommend for you to wash them to clean off any dust they could have built up over time in the packaging, and in case anyone was putting their little, germ-y fingers on them in the store. after that first initial wash, it's up to you on how often you want to wash them. i definitely wouldn't advise you to wash them after every time you use them, that will dry them out quickly. if we're being completely honest here, i only clean my brushes when i feel as if i really need to. one of these occasions is when i do a family or close friend's makeup and used my own brushes, i would definitely wash them before touching them to my face. secondly, whenever i feel like my foundation is going on uneven and chunky because of product build up in my brushes. and three, when i get bored. just use your own best judgement, if you think they're getting grimy, then wash them. 

a lot of companies will encourage you to buy a makeup cleanser, and i'm here to tell you that is a huge waste of money. you're basically paying $20 for soap. here's my secret to getting my makeup brushes as clean as possible for under $10:

1. for brushes that have cream/liquid products like blush or foundation, use olive oil. i know it sounds kind of crazy, and you're probably thinking it will break you out, but i guarantee it won't. the oil really breaks down the foundation and gets it right out of the brushes. you might need to go back and forth between step one and two to get the stubborn residue out of there, but it's the only thing i have ever used and will ever use in my life. just put a quarter size amount of olive oil in your hand and dab your brush in it, and play around with it until you can see that there is no foundation left in the brush. 

2. use antibacterial hand soap to sanitize your brushes and get the olive oil out. i know it might seem like straight up hand soap might be rough on your brushes, but i haven't had any brushes break or fall apart from this, scouts honor. if you're worried about that, you could use a moisturizing hand soap, but i like to use the antibacterial to ensure i don't leave any cooties on my brushes. keep washing the brushes until the water runs clear, or else you're just leaving the bacteria in there to settle! (gross)

3. set all of your brushes out on a towel, and wait. for me if takes overnight for the brushes to dry, and you're good to go the next day.