The Brush Edit

Brushes are something I use on a daily basis, but very rarely talk about. I'm not by any means a brush snob, I have a few MAC, Dior and NARS brushes, but for the most part, my most used brushes are high street ones. So here's the lowdown of the brushes in my daily rotation (if I had any brain cells I'd have photographed them in some kind of order that made sense, but I didn't think about that at the time and I don't fancy washing them again to photograph them!).

The first brush pictured is the Topshop Domed Shadow brush, which I don't think they actually do anymore (helpful I know). I picked this up on a whim, I think it was about seven pounds, and I actually love it. It's got quite densely packed bristles, and it's slightly domed, which means it fits perfectly into the crease of my eyelid, for applying shadow directly into the crease. 

Next is a little Angled Brush I got in a Umberto Gianni travel brush Christmas kit from Boots aeons ago. It's a small angled brush that I use for so much, usually either for filling in my brows with powder, applying shadow as liner, or taking eyeshadow along my lower lashline. It's really small and thin compared to most angled brushes, making it more precise.

Next is the NARS Eye Shader Brush, which came with my And God Created the Woman Palette. I use this occasionally to apply colour to the lid, but mostly to sweep under my browbone after I've finished my eyeshadow to blend out any harsh lines, or to apply highlight under my brow. It's super soft, but just a little too big for shadow application.

Next one along is the & Other Stories Artist Brush, think of it as the MAC 217, but with slightly longer bristles. This is my absolute favourite eye blending brush, it's so easy to use, I prefer it to my 217, and it's only £7!

You'll all know the next one, the Real Techniques Buffing Brush is the best foundation applier I've ever tried. I use this on a daily basis for seamless, flawless foundation. It's super soft, washes well, and just an all round good'un. I'm considering buying a second one because it's also super handy for powder too!

A recent addition to the tool ranks, the Eco Tools Buffing Concealer Brush is awesome for, you guessed it, blending in concealer. I like to use this on any redness or blemishes I want to conceal, I place the concealer where I need it, then use circular motions to buff it in. This brush is excellent, it blends in seamlessly but doesn't compromise the coverage.

The MAC 215 is the only MAC brush of mine that actually gets used a fair bit. It's got short, densely packed natural fibre bristles that are perfect for really packing shadow and colour onto the eyelids. I haven't found anything better than this!

For under eye concealer, I really love the Real Techniques Duo Fibre Eye Brush, it blends out concealer flawlessly, and doesn't let it settle into any creases. It's the perfect partner to the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer.

For setting powder, no surprises here, the Real Techniques Powder Brush is my first love. I don't wear powder everyday, but when I do I love to just dust it all over my face with this, it doesn't disperse product too heavily which I really like. On a daily basis though, I like to use this after I apply blush and bronzer to just blend out the edges a little more, I find that when I take the time to do that my makeup looks much more natural. 

The Real Techniques Expert Face Brush is a great all rounder brush, I actually have two of these in my collection, they are so handy. This is what I use to apply my foundation when I'm after a little more coverage, the bristles are slightly denser than the Buffing Brush, so it gives a fuller coverage finish. I also love this for cream cheek products, particularly the Chanel Cream Blushes, Benefit Sunbeam and the Bourjois Bronzing Primer. It really buffs them into the skin leaving a natural finish.

And last but certainly not least, the Space N.K. Contour Brush is just one of those brushes that everyone needs. Perfect for applying blush and contour, it's slightly angled and very fluffy. I also use this to apply the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders. I love this because it really picks up product, the natural bristles give a lot more pigmentation than artificial ones would. 

Those aren't all the brushes I own, but they are definitely my favourites! 

Phew! If you made it that far, I salute you! Let me know in the comments what your favourite makeup brushes are!