Basic Makeup Brushes Everyone Needs

Long gone are the days where I would sit in front of a mirror for 2+ hours to carefully apply my makeup for a (hopefully eventful) night out.

The old saying still rings very true – the older you get, the less time you have. Or, maybe it’s the simple fact that the older you become, you actually end up caring less about wearing as much makeup as you did when you were younger.

I’ll generally choose to do anything else (i.e sleep, walk, drink more coffee) than spend an extra 10 minutes on my makeup. But, just the other day, I decided to put my makeup brushes to good use and actually spent 20 minutes instead of my usual 10 getting ready and can I just say that my makeup looked so much better?! I mean…everything was blended, my skin was glowing, my eyeliner was on point, and it all stayed put throughout this heatwave!

So, I’m here to walk you through which makeup brushes are the basic essentials that everyone needs. I’ve had way too many people tell me they don’t use brushes, only their fingers, so now’s the time to invest in some quality brushes. They’ll last you for years to come as long as you take care of them and yes, your makeup will actually look so much better. Trust. Me.

The Basic Makeup Brushes You Need:

Face Brush 

Everyone needs an amazing powder brush to set everything in place. I love this brush because, on the smaller end, you can gently pack your powder underneath your eyes so your under-eye concealer stays put and doesn’t run. Use the larger brush to set the rest of your face. Genius. I typically love using a loose invisible powder like this one from Hourglass because I HATE having to change my foundation color AND my powder color every season.

Foundation Brush

A good foundation brush is everything. Not only does it seem to seamlessly melt your makeup perfectly onto your face, but it actually saves your product in the long run since you don’t have to use as much as you would by using your fingers. The key is to start in the middle of your face and blend outwards towards your hairline.

Contouring Brush

This brush is great to define your cheekbones and sculpt your face. I love using this brush with my Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow. If you don’t have this, you need it because it sculpts and gives your face so much more definition. I’m already on my third one and don’t know how I’ve lived so long without it.

Crease Brush

What I love about a good crease brush is that not only is it great for applying and blending your eyeshadows, but it’s also great for applying your concealer. You can dab concealer onto your problem areas, then blend the concealer in with your crease brush for a more fine-tuned-almost-airbrushed look. If you’re on the hunt for a great concealer, I’m obsessed with Glossier’s Stretch Concealer at the moment because it just melts into your skin and lets your skin look like, well skin.

Angle Brush

A good angle brush is the key to getting a good liner or winged liner look! I am never without one. My top 2 favorite angle brushes are this one by M.A.C and this one by Makeup Forever. They get the job done and always make my liner look the sharpest.

Blush Brush

Everyone needs a good blush brush for that “perfectly flushed” face glow and I really like this one for both my dry and wet blushes. When applying your blush, make sure to apply a little color onto the apples of your cheeks then blend outwards towards your hairline in mini circular motions. If you’re looking for natural and nontoxic blushes, Kosas is a personal and office favorite!

Flat Brush

So, if you want to define your waterline, you’re going to 100% need a good flat brush to do that. I personally love the M.A.C 212 Flat Liner brush to apply liner on the bottom of my eyes. Adding liner to your waterline really makes your eyes pop and adds a little bit of necessary drama.

Eyebrow Brush

Well-groomed brows are a must even if you’re not a makeup person. Eyebrows define your face, so you better make sure that they look good. This eyebrow brush by Makeup Forever is wonderful for separating your eyebrow hairs and grooming them in all the right places. If you’re looking for a great eyebrow pencil, this one is great at defining them if you have thin brows (like I do) or thick brows.

Noteworthy but not necessary:

A good blending brush to make your foundation and highlighter look absolutely flawless.

Lastly, don’t forget to wash your makeup brushes at least once a week if you can. You don’t want all of that oil and dirt buildup to cause any unnecessary acne or breakouts. To keep my brushes clean after I use them, I like spritzing the M.A.C brush cleanser on them. It’s under $20 bucks and I pour it into a little spray bottle to last me for months.

Did I miss any brush essentials? @ me and let me know!

x Jane

Photography by Karla Ticas