Favourite Face Brushes

I believe the base to your makeup is the most important. How flawless and seamless your foundation is can make or break your whole look. That's why it is so important to have good quality makeup brushes who will become your best friends. Sure, fingers and a sponge may be the preferable method for certain foundations but when in doubt, I always go back to my brushes. My makeup routine has been totally revolutionized by the introduction of some good brushes and are still to this day permanent in my routine, with a few new favorites.
I will only be talking about face brushes as they are what I use on an everyday basis, where I usually have no need for eye brushes.


In order of application, the Real Techniques Buffing Brush is my first call and is definitely my favourite brush out of the bunch. I honestly do not know how I was coping before I finally ordered the Real Techniques Starter Set just for this particular brush. It makes blending and buffing foundation a dream due to its density and rounded shape that makes it easy to get even into the crevices of the face like the sides of the nose and around the chin. It has not shed once and I can't say enough good things about my beloved buffing brush.

If I ever want to concentrate my foundation around a certain area (usually the chin which is my problem area), I have been reaching for the BornPrettyStore Flat Foundation Brush* available here. Its sheer density and compact size makes it great in patting the foundation in layers to cover any spots. Because it's smaller and so dense, I have found that it is not as good as buffing and blending as the Buffing Brush, which is why I reserve it for a different purpose.

As someone with acne-prone skin, sometimes foundation just doesn't do the job in covering up those pesky pimples, which is why I like to go in with the Real Techniques Detailer Brush. I know some find it an unnecessary brush in the Starter Set but it does a great job at precisely applying concealer to a small area. I then use it to blend out the sides around the pimple and it instantly becomes less noticeable.

Moving onto powder, I just can't get enough of the Elf Powder Brush. Its flat, dense surface makes it easy to pick up and place powder all over the face. The only danger is that sometimes it can pick up a bit too much powder but nothing a little tap of the brush can't solve. It's affordable price point is another huge plus.

If my under-eyes decided to adopt the panda look one day and some concealing is needed, I prefer to use a smaller brush such as the Real Techniques Contour Brush to set it with some loose powder. I only ever contour once in a blue moon so it is nice to get an alternative use out of the Contour Brush and it is the perfect size to fit under my eyes.

Finally, for cheeks, the Ecotools Blush Brush is an old favourite. It was one of my first ever makeup brushes and is still much loved. It is a thin, yet wide brush so it is a breeze to apply colour to my cheeks just by placing it flat on my (non-existent) cheekbones and blending upwards.

RT Detailer Brush || Ecotools Blush Brush || RT Contour Brush || BornPrettyStore Foundation Brush || RT Buffing Brush || ELF Powder Brush

In terms of cleaning and drying, I don't find a problem with any of these brushes. At most, it takes the Buffing Brush and the Elf Powder Brush 24 hours to dry. I clean my brushes every 3 weeks, which could be improved, but I actually enjoy washing my brushes. It feels like I'm giving my children a well-deserved bath (please don't judge). And as you can tell, Real Techniques is one of my top brands for makeup brushes.

What are your favorite brushes?

*Provided for consideration. All my opinions are 100% honest.