Monday, August 30, 2010

Which Makeup Brush Is Your #1 Brush? (Also your #2 brush)

About a week ago, I was talking to Mai and asked her what is her favorite makeup brush that she absolutely can't do without.

She told me that it's kind of tied between two brushes but probably her #1 brush would be MAC Angled Brow Brush #208. The other brush which follows with a very close #2 would be MAC Large Shader Brush #252. (Mai can't count because I asked her for 1 but she answered me with 2. LOL!)

I found this interesting because the brush that I absolutely can't do without would be my Angle  Brush. I  have the MAC Small Angle Brush #266 and one from Sephora. I was born with very sparse eyebrows so I have to draw them in. I use an eyebrow pencil to do so but I soften up the pencil lines with a brow powder, which I apply with the angled brush. I have also used the brush to line my eyes using Bobbi Brown gel liner or even a dark eyeshadow. I think that it's quite versatile in that way.


Mai's close 2nd is the MAC #252. I have never used this brush and actually, it's the first time that I've seen it. For me, I think that it's a bit too large. I'm having a problem deciding which would be my #2 brush because I use a variety of brushes for different things. I think that it would have to be my eyeshadow brush. Again, I have two that are very similar. One is MAC 233. For some reason, I can't find it on the MAC website but I did buy it recently. I actually have two of them. The similar one that I have is NYX but I'm not sure which number it is--2, 3 or 4. It doesn't have a number on the brush. Both brushes are very smilar except that the NYX brush is much softer.


I am not particular with sticking to one brush brand. I do like MAC brushes but I also have NYX, Sephora, Kirkland (Costco), etc. For me, it's a matter of what works.

I don't know about you but I do not use the applicators that come with the makeup that I buy. I used to try using it once in a while but finally gave up. I was just dumping it but recently started saving it. I have a small container full of sponge applicators, brush applicators, etc.


So, I want to end today's post with 2 questions:

1. Which are your two "can't live without" makeup brushes and
2. What do you do with your included makeup applicators?

*Kat*

Coming up in the near future, I'll be asking what is your can't live without non-makeup, non-skincare item(s) that you use when you do your makeup. I also have some product reviews from a small purchase from A Pop of Kawaii that I just received.

8 comments:

Georgina said...

hmm..my favorite brush is shu uemura's 20 face brush i use it for blushers. its very nice.

the containers with your random applicators and puffs looks cute hehe i use the eyeshadow applicators which come with the palettes because (sometimes) it gives me more pigments than a dry brush. :D

galpal.hi said...

Thanks for participating coffregorge. I'll need to check out Shu Uemura's 20 face brush to see what it looks like.

Thanks! Those containers are like little crate boxes with lids. I used to use the sponge applicators but I'm a blending fanatic so I find the application and blending with a brush is easier. Also, I didn't feel like I could clean those sponge applicators well. I've also had them crumble on me and that wasn't pleasant.

*Kat*

K said...

My favorite brushes right now are the Sonia Kashuk flat top brush and the MAC 217.

I can't live without a flat shader brush either, but a lot of different brands have these, so they aren't must-haves in my book. The 217, on the other hand, applies and blends much easier than any other brush I've used and is really unique!

After trying a lot of different expensive foundation brushes such as the MAC 187 and the Shu Uemura 18, I found that a $10 brush is the best for blending my foundation!

If the sponge/applicator is of good quality, I keep it. Sponge applicators are pretty good for applying eyeshadow, especially for pigments that I've pressed!

galpal.hi said...

Thanks for sharing K! Yes, sometimes the best things are the ones that are not the expensive, name brand items. It always feels good to find "The One" and especially if it's inexpensive.

I do use sponge applicators in a pinch but maybe I'm being paranoid about not being able to clean it. Brushes you can wash but not the sponge applicators.

*Kat*

. said...

That's interesting actually. I also have the Mac 208 and I never use it anymore! I was recommended it by the Mac MUA to line my eyes but I find that it doesn't create a fine enough 'flick' for my liking! Maybe I ought to be using it for my eyebrows instead (like the name of it suggests..)!

Now I think about it one brush that I reach for time and time again is my Bobbi Brown face blender brush! I guess that's my #1. I find it good for so many things - blush, powder and blending! I'm not sure what my #2 is though. The Mac 187 tends to be pretty useful for my liquid foundations and BB creams I think.

The little sponge applicators I normally leave in the palettes they come with but hardly ever use them! In fact I'm more likely to use my fingers to apply than the sponge applicator (although the majority of the time I grab my Mac 217 and brush some on). I always scoff at those Japanese magazine make-up tutorials where the girl actually uses them. The majority of them feel like they are abrasive/drag across my skin and deposit colour unevenly! I don't know if the last bit is just me though!

Unknown said...

I love using Mac 213 brush for eyeshadow application but my favourite has got to be the Nars small dome brush for applying colors on the eye bone and blending.

I hardly use the included applicators from the eye quads, I think they are quite abrasive to my skin so I always would end up grabbing my Mac or Nars brush and do the work =)

I think I also have the 233 too, a really good applicator.

galpal.hi said...

Hi Jian! How are you doing? Thanks for commenting and sharing what is your favorite brush.

I used to leave the sponge applicators in the palettes but they would get dirty from the fly away powders. Plus, I had a few start to decompose. LOL! That goes to show how old some of my palettes were. *hides* It's nice to read that others are like me and don't like the sponge applicators that come with the palettes.

*Kat*

galpal.hi said...

Lisa, thanks for sharing your "go to" brushes. I'm going to have to go and take a look at what the Nars brush looks like and see if it's something that I'd like to add to my collection.

*Kat*