Nice set of makeup brushes. What should be the minimum set

Creating a beautiful make-up is a whole art, a creative process, and cosmetics alone are not enough here. As a real artist, a girl needs not only paints, but also brushes. However, there are hundreds of them on the beauty market! How to choose the best makeup brushes - the ones that really come in handy?

Rules for Choosing Good Makeup Brushes

Experienced makeup artists advise you to follow the following rule: to work with decorative and skin care cosmetics, it is better to take a cream texture synthetic brushes, and for loose products are ideal natural. But there are exceptions to every rule - for example, if you are allergic to wool, you should use only brushes with artificial bristles.

The choice should be made in favor of brushes from trusted cosmetic brands- they monitor the quality of the product more carefully. The bristles should be moderately flexible, not rough and not too stiff. You can check the brush for convenience right in the store by moving it along your hand in different directions. The villi should not scratch and cause discomfort to the skin. You also need to make sure that the handle fits well in the palm of your hand.

In addition, behind the brushes you need to properly look after. It is strictly forbidden to wash them with hot water, because in most cases the hairs are held by glue, which after such washing can lose its fastening properties. For the same reason, brushes should not be dried with a hair dryer. They are washed two to three times a week in warm water with shampoo, and then rinsed under cold running water. Dry the brushes in a horizontal position, spreading them on a towel.

Professional makeup brushes are indispensable helpers in creating a flawless make-up. Demand, as it usually happens, generates a lot of offers, therefore, seeing a variety of brushes for professional makeup, beginners have questions about pile, selection rules, etc. For girls who love to do make-up, and for beginner makeup artists, we have prepared an article on the optimal set of makeup brushes.

Despite the fact that everything natural is usually better, the situation is twofold here: each type of makeup brush bristle has its pros and cons.

The main rule when choosing makeup brushes: the softer the pile, the more transparent the shading effect will be, the less dense texture will turn out. Working with a dense pile, on the contrary, will allow you to achieve a less transparent texture.

Goat makeup brushes are the most versatile; available from almost all manufacturers. This make-up brush bristle is characterized by medium hardness, ideal for picking up compact textures (powder, blush). In addition, goat brushes can be used for eye makeup, contouring.

The bristles of pony makeup brushes are softer. The cost of pony and goat brushes is about the same. It is believed that pony hair brushes are best suited for shading shadows.

Boar bristle brushes are characterized by a hard bristle. This is perfect for eyebrow makeup.

Sable brushes are the most expensive, as they allow you to achieve the most dense texture and clearly convey color. This pile is very elastic, has soft tips. The bristle of sable makeup brushes is great for eye makeup (pencil shading, applying a dense layer of shadows).

Lynx brushes are less soft than those of sable, and are not packed as tightly. Such make-up brushes are great for "tap" work (to create an ideally shaped arrow, you need to move the line to the side) and shading the pencil when making up the eyes.

And finally, the expensive and ultra-soft bristles of makeup brushes are made from squirrels. Due to the fact that this is the softest pile - powder, blush, shadows are applied with the most transparent, light layer. Squirrel makeup brushes are ideal for loose textures.

A set of synthetic brushes is cheaper than natural bristles. Synthetic bristles can be both soft and hard (you can determine this visually or, if you make a purchase in an online store, by reading the reviews of those who have already used this brush).
Synthetic bristles of makeup brushes are optimal for creamy, liquid textures (tone, corrector, lipstick). Unfortunately, if liquid textures are applied with natural materials, the latter can deteriorate. Synthetics can work with dry textures, but the result will be less accurate than when using natural pile.


To understand which brushes are needed for makeup, you should consider the main types of brushes. All professional makeup brushes can be divided into several groups: for the face, eyes and lips.

Face brushes

Fan brushes. They are large and small, helping to gently remove excess dry products (blush, powder, shadows) without smearing them. Large fan makeup brushes are also used to apply powder in a thin layer.

Tone brushes. There are 2 types. A flat, rounded brush made of synthetic bristles, as it does not absorb creamy textures, it consumes foundation more economically. To avoid streaks on the face, the pile is gradually reduced. A round brush with a flat edge is used to blend the edges of foundation.

Corrector brush. Small, flat. With its help, it is easy to mask dark circles under the eyes, unwanted reliefs, as well as pimples.

Powder brush. These make-up brushes are the largest and softest. Thanks to its voluminous size, the brush distributes the powder in an even, thin layer.

Blush brush. Small copy of the powder brush.

Angled correction brush. Allows you to outline the contour of the face, making the cheekbones, forehead and chin more textured. Such make-up brushes are compressed at the base, have a beveled edge.

Kabuki brush. The owner of a short handle and plentiful lush pile. These professional makeup brushes are designed for applying mineral loose powder or blush.

Eye brushes

Shadow brushes. The pile is soft, with slightly beveled edges. There are 2 sizes. A wide brush for professional make-up allows you to easily and quickly apply the main tone to the entire eyelid. With a small brush it is convenient to draw the outer corners of the eyes.

Tapered blending brush. Makeup artists use to make smoother transitions between colors.

Pencil brushes. Ideal for drawing small details and shading a pencil in a pencil technique.

Angled flat brush. It is very convenient for her to draw arrows with eyeliner (liquid or gel), as well as shadows.

brush barrel. A densely packed, round brush that tapers slightly towards the edge. Mainly used for shading and drawing the crease of the eyelid.

Lip brush. Such make-up brushes have a dense, small pile. Thanks to the thin tip, you can accurately draw the contour of the lips, making it perfectly even.


After the set of brushes is purchased, it remains to decide on the storage location. There are 2 ways - open and closed.
With the open method, make-up brushes are stored with the pile up in a stable container of suitable height. Various, sometimes unexpected items are used as such a container at home. A stationery stand, a glass vase or glasses, a kitchen cutlery holder, Ikea flower pots - there is no limit to the imagination. As a rule, to make a set of brushes look beautiful and stable, the container is filled with coffee beans, sea stones, beads, etc. In order not to damage the handles of the brushes, only objects with rounded edges should be poured into the container.

Makeup artists usually store brushes in special stands. Of course, this is not so creative, but it looks very neat.

With the closed method, a set of makeup brushes is stored in a case. With frequent use of brushes, it is not very convenient to constantly get them out of there. Also, since the brushes make the case dirty, it will need to be cleaned from time to time. When transporting brushes, as well as when traveling, you still cannot do without a special case.


It is recommended to wash makeup brushes once every 2-3 weeks. To do this, in a small container you need to add a tablespoon of any mild shampoo, warm water and 3 drops of tea tree oil (the product has an antibacterial effect). After dipping the brush in water, rinse it by scrolling counterclockwise. After that, professional makeup brushes should be rinsed under the tap, also scrolling counterclockwise. To prevent water from getting on the handles, while washing the brush, be sure to hold the pile down. After wringing out excess moisture from the brush, wipe with a dry towel, giving the pile the correct shape. It is recommended to dry makeup brushes on a towel, strictly in a horizontal position.

What brushes are needed for makeup, where to store them, how to properly care for them - we hope that we were able to clearly answer these questions. Let your set of makeup brushes delight you with flawless work for many years in a row!

Although, if desired, makeup can be done simply with your fingers., outstanding brushes can change the approach to make-up and help develop skills. In any case, the choice is purely individual and is determined only by your needs and tastes. Unfortunately, this does not make the task any easier. Everyone who is not indifferent to face painting somehow accumulates a set of brushes and sponges: some of them are used every day, meeting others turns out to be a mistake, others come to us along with cosmetics and, as a rule, are immediately put aside. We talked to people for whom brushes are a professional tool, and found out what they personally choose for themselves, guided by empirical experience.

I am a big fan of the form, my passions change periodically: just a year and a half ago I was crazy about thin beveled brushes, but over the past year, torch brushes have won my heart. Now I have over 15 of them. After the shape, when choosing, I pay attention to the pile (I love synthetic ones tenderly), build quality, and so on. Not so long ago, I went crazy over an unusual or, conversely, minimalistic design, strove for a unified look, but now the shape has overshadowed everything, so what kind of handle and color are there, the tenth thing: it will be bright - good, monochromatic - no worse.

In make-up for myself, whether for daytime or for “special occasions”, the main factor is the time that I can spend, and depending on it, the number of brushes is determined. As a rule, this is a set of three: for a tone (fluffy or with a densely stuffed pile), which, if necessary, can be powdered, shading or a medium-sized torch, which can be applied both shadows and a highlighter, and sculpt the face (although the latter is rather to the previous brush, which works easily with modern cream correctors), and a thin flat beveled for eyebrows, arrows, lips and just clear lines.

The more time I have for makeup, the more opportunities I have to use the brushes in this set in different sizes. The daily option “on the run” looks like this: dip the brush twice into the cushion, because after applying with a sponge the finish is too dense for me, draw a contouring stick on the cheeks and blend where necessary - powder, bring eyebrows and polish with highlighter. If more time appears, arrows, shadows or blush are added, or whatever the mood is.

I am convinced that almost every brand that produces brushes can find a worthy copy. In professional ones, of course, they are more common, but the mass market can also surprise. Dearly loved by American bloggers and makeup artists, Morphe Brushes clearly show that affordable products should not be discounted. If you look at today's prices, the most expensive of my brushes are MAC, which have served me faithfully for more than four years. Most of the space in my tube is occupied by the middle price segment: Real Techniques, the recently released trio of Pudra, Sephora and NYX. Can fingers replace hands? They can. Summer. Because in winter in the morning in our climate, even if you are in a hurry, the tactile pleasure of spreading creamy silicone textures over the skin with cold extremities seems doubtful. Invigorates, of course, but better give me two extra minutes to meditate with my brushes.


Katya Gorelova

makeup artist, hair stylist

When choosing brushes, I first of all pay attention to pile and build quality, and only then to design and other characteristics. It seems to me that the brand is important, and it's not about the price. There are inexpensive brushes of decent quality. For everyday makeup, I use cream products most of the time, so I'm comfortable using my own hands as a tool. But just in case, I have two brushes in store: Tom Ford 02 (it is universal and suitable for contouring, applying tone and blush) and Zoeva 227 for blending shadows. There is another Tom Ford beveled brush, but I hardly use it. In general, I like MAC, Zoeva, Bobbi Brown instruments. I think every brand has good and bad brushes. I often buy eyeliner and lipstick brushes from art stores, as they are the ones most often lost and worn out. The only thing that is unacceptable to me is fakes. That's what you really can not buy, this also applies to cosmetics.

I think that it is quite possible to do without brushes and special tools. A couple of times I had it so that I forgot the brushes, and I had to paint only with my hands. But still, it seems to me that it is worth having a good brush for tone, powder and blush and a comb for eyebrows. Personally, I can leave nothing for myself, but if I need to choose only one tool, then let it be my Tom Ford brush.


For me, the softness of the pile is important - no one likes a hard brush that almost scratches the skin. At the same time, the origin of the pile does not interest me. Obsolete sources claim that it is better to choose artificial brushes for liquid and cream textures, and natural ones for dry textures, but in practice, many makeup artists like to apply concealer with a MAC 217 goat hair brush. There are brands that only make vegan brushes, such as Make Up For Ever. In my personal permanent set, there is a regular brush with which I comb my eyebrows, and a mini version of NARS Ita Kabuki. This is a flat brush for blush and bronzer, but my cheekbones do not see it - I put shadow on her eyelids. It turns out beautifully make up the eye in one movement.

When I want to make winged lines, I use an angled eye or brow brush. This form is convenient to apply both cream and dry product, and even paint eyelashes. I remove all excess with a cotton swab dipped in micellar water. On special occasions - when I have time to wash the sponge immediately after makeup - I apply the tone with a beauty blender. In terms of quantity, the Make Up For Ever and NARS tools lead me. I bought them specifically for studying to be a makeup artist, in order to immediately work with good tools. Then I didn’t understand well and didn’t know that Sephora, L’Etoile, and art supply stores have excellent brushes. First of all, it is important that the brush does not fall apart after contact with water, does not scratch the skin and is universal in use.

You definitely can’t make up your eyelashes with your fingers, and it’s difficult to comb your eyebrows. I tried - it doesn't work. The main tool in my make-up is a brush for eyebrows and eyelashes. The best thing about this brush is the price. Even if it is a cheap disposable brush, it will still perfectly comb your eyebrows and paint over your eyelashes.


Due to the fact that I am constantly in a hurry and late, it usually takes me five to ten minutes to make up. I don't use brushes at all just because I have a beauty blender. Anything I can't apply with a sponge, I apply with sticks. This is an ideal format for people like me: highlighters, blush, shadows - applied, blended with a finger, went. I can put on makeup without brushes, but I can't without a blender. When going to some important events, I remember that I am a makeup artist and take up brushes. Here I can use from two tools at a time to infinity - it all depends on how complex the makeup I do and how much time I have.

The difference between mass-market and premium brushes is that the latter are much easier to work with: high-quality brushes apply and blend better. Of course, a good makeup artist who knows how to paint will do makeup with any brushes. Here the question is rather that there is no need to suffer if you can take a tool that will save time and will be pleasant for both the master and the client. I choose brushes depending on what I need: sometimes I'm looking for a certain shape, sometimes I need a good natural bristle, sometimes, on the contrary, I need synthetics. The most expensive tools in my case are Annbeauty blending brushes.

My opinion is this: if it is more convenient for a person to paint with his hands, then why take up brushes and torture yourself? Usually for those who do not use brushes, but want to buy them, I advise you to take a small quality set so that there is freedom for experimentation. This is a pair of face brushes (powder, correction), eye brushes (flat and fluffy), lip brush. Brushes are an individual story, everyone has their own favorites over time.


Personally, I can't do without a neat synthetic lipstick brush because I hate curved contour. It doesn't have to be expensive: I like to go to art stores and look for "tongues" of different shapes there. I can make up my lips with any such reed brush, and it is also suitable for arrows, cream shadows and, in extreme cases, for eyebrows. In general, I usually only paint my eyelashes and correct the tone, so my palms and cotton swabs are enough for me.

If you believe that there are graphic make-up artists and color make-up artists, then I am one of the first and do not like shading a hundred shadows on the eye. Therefore, I do not have a collection of blending brushes, and for myself I use only one, Mizuho CMP527. It's very soft and does what I can't do with my finger, namely spreading dry shadows very gently and evenly. Although I usually paint with cream, which is easy to apply with your fingers.

Any brush should be strong, be it professional, luxury or mass market. That is, the pile should not fall out, and the handle should not be flimsy. Synthetic brushes can be bought cheap, they are distinguished from expensive ones only by the shape (and even then not always) and the richness of the packaging. At the same time, sometimes the desired shape can only be found among brushes for nail art or in the same art store. Good natural and cheap brushes are harder to find, I don't even try. Their pile should be evenly matched and should not prick; the type, softness of the pile, its length, shape and assembly density also matter. I won’t talk about the beauty blender and MAC brushes, everyone already knows about them.

I notice that not everyone has tried Japonesque brushes, although they are very high quality. The hair is durable, and there are cool shapes - I recently bought a large flat tone brush like Becca's (funny, these are the brushes used by the kabuki actors that inspired the creators of Japonesque). The new synthetic Pudras are also good. Shaquda are also great, but due to the cost, I can only look at them and test them in master classes for now.

When choosing makeup brushes, the principle “the more expensive, the better” does not always live up to expectations. Also, the rule of the superiority of natural materials over synthetic ones does not always work in this case. Moreover, for some cosmetics, only artificial ones are generally recommended, for example, for a set of liquid tonal foundations or lipstick. On the other hand, they have a more aggressive effect on the skin, so they should not be used for shading.

Moisturizing, preparing the skin for makeup, should be applied with an artificial brush. This is due to the fact that its villi are not hollow, therefore, they do not absorb the composition. Thus, it is possible to optimally calculate the amount of the product: it will be exactly as much on the skin as it was on the brush.

The next stage is the formation of a base for makeup. A flat natural brush with the addition of artificial fibers is suitable here, which makes it more rigid, similar to a spatula. This is a very important stage of preparation, because during it the skin seems to be polished, its tone is evened out, and excess foundation is removed. After that, she is ready for the main manipulations.

Liquid foundation and blush are applied with an artificial brush, then a natural brush is used for blending. There are combination brushes that combine both materials. For concealer, an artificial brush is also taken, but smaller. For dry blush, correctors and powder, natural bristles are preferred. The best effect is obtained by using the so-called kabuki brush with a short handle.

Different materials of eye makeup brushes give a completely different effect. Knowledge of these features is no less important than possession
shading technique. A brush made of natural bristles gently blends the loose product over the surface of the eyelid, creating a wisp. Synthetic, on the other hand, gives a uniform color rich coating and is more suitable for cream structure products, as well as soft pencils and kayals.

Similarly, artificial hair is recommended for eyebrow liner. With such a brush, you can evenly put the product in one motion, and not in separate strokes, like a natural one. The result is a solid line. On the other hand, if you only need to finish the eyebrows a little, filling in the gaps between the hairs, then natural material is preferable.

And finally, for lip makeup, it is also better to choose brushes with synthetic fiber. The narrow and short one perfectly draws the contour, while the wider and longer one fills it with lipstick in one simple movement.

Makeup brushes need to be carefully looked after, otherwise even high-quality tools will lose their properties over time. So that the artificial villi do not begin to exfoliate, the brushes must be formed after washing and dipped in boiling water from time to time. You can shape them with a napkin. Natural brushes should be washed with shampoo and sometimes conditioner to restore softness to the bristles.

To dry, the brushes are placed on the edge of the table so that the part with the pile remains in the air. Then air circulates around it, and water, escaping, does not accumulate in the metal part and does not dissolve the glue.

01.12.2016

The best budget makeup brushes. Nice set of brushes

A wave of poverty has swept over me, and for some reason, right now it is vital for me to buy makeup brushes with an adequate price-quality ratio. Has anyone ordered brushes on Ali? They beckon with a beautiful picture, but are they any good? Advise the best makeup brushes, reviews? That is, it is clear, of course, that the expensive ones are usually very good, but maybe there are good ones for which you won’t have to starve.

Here I am with Ali, for a beginner, ok, they look beautiful and paint norms.

A colleague uses Rive Gauche makeup brushes.

Deklie. I have several selective brushes from different lines, both synthetic and natural bristles. Inexpensive and decent.

They say that if you buy a set of makeup brushes on Ali, throw away your money in vain, Ali does not collect the product at all (especially shadows), they climb and are unpleasant to the touch.

Do you need beautiful or high quality?

For example, from just super brushes, they are inexpensive.

Manly pro, as an option.

Essence are good!

Brushes Just, Rubloff, Natalia chic.

In addition, plus Rive Gauche brushes, Essence tolerable too. I like UBU. Just - I plan to order and try it out, I've heard a lot of good things about them. True, the latter have risen in price, dogs

A set of makeup brushes from Rive Gauche pleasantly surprised me with the quality. Although there is nothing to compare with, they are my first, but for their price they cope with the tasks set by 5 plus.

I ordered 270 rubles on Ali. I'm not complaining about the quality yet.

I also have a few non-professional makeup brushes, but artistic ones.

Here I have a brush for blush from letual, I really like it, but over time, the hairs began to split.

I also took cheap ones in the nearest cosmetics store, disgusting quality, the pile climbs, bends, sticks out. A friend ordered me to DR with Ali, about 800 rubles a whole set of makeup brushes came out, very pleased, the quality is decent, everything is well typed and does not climb. There is nothing to compare with anything from the expensive segment, but so far I think there is no need for more.

In general, very cool silicone brushes, just amazing, you will find it, try it.

- Essence, Limony, Valerie D. Valerie D has the best makeup brushes. From Letual, Sephora, Manly pro are also good. They also praise morphe brushes, they have beautiful sets for 30-50 dollars. On iherb you can buy Real Techniques inexpensively, they are also nothing. But it is better to buy the necessary minimum separately, anyway, not all brushes from the makeup kit will come in handy and fit.

Malva brushes are good. I also have with Alik. And for a long time, a year and a half or two. Nothing comes up.

Like brush mac, Just and ManlyPro.

The production of brushes, as it were, in China for the most part. Just and menli pro is China by special order, that is, with a logo. So you can find good brushes on Ali. But looking for what. For example, the Chinese have excellent synthetics, for example, I have a zoeva brush for tone and a complete analogue for 2 bucks from Ali. But with natural makeup brushes for shadows, it’s more difficult. Although, again as an example, there are brushes with coastal scent, about five ideal natural brushes, very similar to the mac brush. And although this is a US company, but again, China with a printed logo in fact. And I suspect that all this can be found on Ali.

Well, rubleff, of course, look, if not China.

I support Real Technics, the quality cannot be compared with Jast, Manly and other Chinese and budget ones.

In stores, a set of 5 makeup brushes costs about 4 thousand, but on their native iHerb the same set is 1300.

Well, I personally do not like Real Technics at all. For me, too soft and smooth pile, which does not gain shadows at all. I only left one for myself, which is for powder. More or less nothing. For blush, it’s generally a disaster, if the blush is a little more dense and pressed, you won’t get it in life with this hare tail.

I love Rial Technics just for super softness and I love it, it’s just perfect for powder, final shading, light smokey, in short for makeup with soft feathered lines. But in general, all the brushes in the case are a hodgepodge, of course.

If there is a specialized shop for hairdressers, there are natural makeup brushes and cheap.

Just tin not comfortable. For tonalka and everything dry, they specifically go bald.

Brushes Just - they are better to take brushes for dry products. But for a brush that is designed for foundation, it is better not to spare money.

Here are some of the most popular eyeshadow brushes on Ali, 40 hryvnias, they don’t climb, they are perfectly washed, they seem to be extinguished quite well.

In short, they will criticize me now, but I took the risk of buying makeup brushes, in particular, for eyeshadows at fix price, and they turned out to be normal, but it’s better not to take it for powder, they have pile sticking out from everywhere, you can immediately see that not really.

I don’t know if there is one in Russia, but Luxvisage, Belarusian ones, are very good.

For tone divage. Very cool brush.

Look at Ali like Zoeva. Very high quality. As a variant of a brush from an art store, it is generally beneficial for shadows.

With Ali, I’ve had it for a year, maybe more, they are stuffed well, they don’t climb, I was satisfied. A friend also has an alik and is completely satisfied, the main thing is to take care of them and everything will be fine.

I've also been using artistic brushes for makeup recently, a really cool idea.

I ordered a set of brushes on ebay, 15-20 pieces a year ago. They are from China and cost about 5 €, but they are still in excellent condition, the hair does not climb, and the brushes themselves are very soft. True, I had to wait about two months for delivery.

I've been waiting with Ali for a month now, I hope they are normal, according to reviews they only wrote good ones, it seems that they have risen in price a little lately.

Ali has zoreya. They say a good fake zoeva. Everything suits me, but I can’t say anything about the similarity with zoeva, I never even held them in my hands.

And I would order mediocre, but not the cheapest for sure. Better in smaller quantities. For my eyes there were Rive Goshevskie, Jast and Valeri-d. Now I bought Zoeva - the difference is such that it is a pity for the time and money, and the shadows that were mediocrely spent with old brushes. And for the face of a pet - real technix and ecotools. They are relatively inexpensive if ordered from iHerb.

On iherb, the ecotools eye kit is pretty good. I also had a set of Rive Gauche makeup brushes for 600 rubles in my first year at university - quite good.

I advise you not to spare money and order brushes 231 and 227 in the joint purchase of Zoya - you will not need anything else for eye makeup.

I bought on buyincoins, in fact the same Ali, a fake of Eco Tools, here they are generally chic.

Ali brushes are simply impossible to use, they are more for beauty. Buy yourself zoeva brushes and you will be happy

I realized a long time ago that the cheaper the brushes, the more expensive the cosmetics you need to buy for them. For example, the shadows (sorry) of Vivien Sabo, Rivgosh are not picked up with a brush at all, they only dust. And with a brush from Dolce, although I don’t really like it - it’s fine, like luxury. Think about what you save. Artists do not paint with cotton swabs, not because their hands are made of priests.

My love is Real Techniques! This set of makeup brushes and egg sponge fulfills all basic needs. Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman, Limited Edition, Deluxe Gift Set, 5 Brushes + Clutch

With Ali, only not the cheapest ones (I have 3 sets of brushes, they are not bad), Just, Essence.

Cheap and cheerful: buy art brushes in Ikea (a set for creativity) There are different sizes. And blush can be applied. Seriously. Recommendation from Elena Krygina. Natural makeup brushes for a ridiculous price.

What do you use? I tried with synthetics and protein, but shadows, for example, are poorly typed on them. The brush is scary.

I definitely tried synthetics and ponies. It’s hard to say about the rest: my uncle is an artist, he gave up this business, gave away his brushes, their pile is in order, and the inscriptions have been erased over the years. Synthetics are too hard, but the ponies are super.

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