My Top 5 Go To Face Brushes

ELF Studio Powder Brush, MAC 159 Duo Fibre Face Brush, ELF Studio Small Stipple, Brush, My Brush Set Fan Brush, Sedona Lace Dome Contour Brush

Creating the perfect look isn’t just about the products and techniques. Your tools play a major part too! Makeup is an art and your face is the canvas so you want to be sure you’re using the right tools to craft your masterpiece. Can you imagine Leonardo da Vinci painting the Mona Lisa with sponge applicators and thin, scratchy brushes? Probably not. You may not be a makeup artist but you’re still an artist and building a good set of brushes is important. The right tools can help simplify your routine or completely transform the way you apply makeup.

That’s why I have two sets of faves that I always reach for–one for my eyes and one for my face. They’re pretty much foolproof and help me apply and blend my makeup just the way I like it. Here’s a quick review of my top 5 go to face brushes:

MAC 159 Duo Fibre Face Brush

The Ultimate Cheek Brush

MAC 159 Duo Fibre Face Brush ($35)

The MAC 159 Brush almost never leaves rotation because it’s extremely versatile and such great quality. I’ve had this brush for about 3 years now and it still looks brand new even though I use it pretty much everyday. It’s made of both natural and synthetic fibers that are very soft and work well with powders, creams and liquids. I usually use the MAC 159 Brush as a blush brush but it’s also an amazing highlighting brush as well. It picks up pigment well but not too much so it’s great for achieving that soft, diffused look I like for my blush and highlighters.

ELF Studio Powder Brush

The Foundation & Powder Brush

ELF Studio Powder Brush ($3)

This budget beauty makeup wonder truly does it all! Whether I’m in the mood for liquid or powder foundation, I know the ELF Studio Powder Brush is going to get the job done. It’s made of incredibly soft and dense synthetic bristles–perfect stippling and buffing in foundation or pressing and sweeping powder. I always reach for the ELF Powder Brush to apply and set my foundation because it delivers a smooth, flawless finish and the quality is pretty darn impressive for the price.

Sedona Laced Dome Contour Brush

The Bronzer & Contour Brush

Sedona Lace Dome Contour Brush ($17)

I’m a highlighting and contouring junkie so I like to have multiple brushes on hands to sculpt my face to perfection. The Sedona Lace Dome Contour Brush is one my favorite brushes for bronzing and contouring because it has a small shape yet it’s still dense and fluffy enough to easily blend my favorite products. The Dome Contour Brush is made of soft natural bristles so I tend to reach for it when I’m working with my bronzer and contour powders. It’s become my go to brush when I want to achieve a natural defined look.

ELF Studio Small Stipple Brush

The Ultimate Cheek Brush on a Budget

ELF Small Stipple Brush ($3)

The ELF Small Stipple Brush is another multitasking wonder. Made of highly soft synthetic bristles, the Small Stipple Brush works well with creams, liquids and powders making it the ultimate cheek brush on a budget. For years, I’ve used this little beauty as a blush and highlight brush but I recently discovered that it’s also a wonderful contour brush. These days, I reach for it whenever I do a cream contour which is pretty often. However, I have about 3 of them so I can still use it for cream blushes and highlights too when the mood strikes.

My Brush Set Fan Brush

The Highlighter Brush

My Brush Set Fan Brush ($30 for set)

It took me forever to understand exactly what the hell a fan brush was or how to use it but let me tell you–it is the best kind of highlighting brush ever. This is actually just a no name fan brush from a brush set my mom gifted me but it’s now my all time favorite highlighter brush. It picks up just the right amount of pigment and delivers a soft, diffused airbrush glow that’s to die for. It makes even the most glittery of highlights look soft and beautiful.

What are your go to face brushes?

One Thought to “My Top 5 Go To Face Brushes”

  1. Rachel Runyan

    I never know what to do with a fan brush, other than dusting off eyeshadow fallout. lol
    I love that you included some e.l.f. brushes. The small stipple brush is a lifesaver. As fair as I am, I wouldn’t be able to wear intensely pigmented cream blushes and highlighters if I didn’t have it.

    My five go-to face brushes are: Real Techniques Blush Brush, e.l.f. Kabuki Brush, BareMinerals flat-top Kabuki brush (DC’d, I think), e.l.f. Contour Brush, and Coastal Scents Classic Flat Tipped Shadow Natural BR-C-N41 (the best thing for contouring my nose).

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