In a perfect world…but one where you don’t have six dozen different brushes, what’s the bare minimum number of makeup brushes you need to comfortably do an entire makeup look from start to finish?
For me it’s four. Actually, I could probably get away with three, but four is my magic number, and they’d be…
- 1. An angled eyeliner brush, which I could use to fill in my brows (I’m back on an eyeshadow-as-a-brow-powder kick) and line my upper lash line.
See what I’m doing here? It’s multitasking madness, yo! I like the NARS #47 Angled Eyeliner Brush (it’s a splurge at $28, but DAYUM! — it always does my winged liner right, and I recommend it to beginners all the time). The good ol’ MAC 266 is another great one.
- 2. A tapered blending eyeshadow brush, which I’d use to quickly get a base color all over the lid. Then I’d clean it by running it across a paper towel before using it again to blend my eyeshadow.
And, as long as I’m not working with any dark or bright colors like blues, greens and purples, it could also double as a highlighting face brush.
Right now Laura Mercier makes my favorite version of this type of brush, which she calls a ponytail brush.
- 3. A domed eyeshadow brush, which I’d use for crease work. LOL! — “crease work.” Makes it sound like I’m building a better mousetrap or something. 🙂
I’d also use this one to run shadow along my lower lash lines. MAC makes my standby favorite, the 217. I consider it an absolute essential in a makeup bag.
- 4. A medium-sized face brush, which I’d use to apply all of my face stuff (powder, highlighter, bronzer and blush) because it doesn’t just take a village, people! It takes a small nation!
I really like the MAC 128 Split Fibre Cheek Brush because you get both natural fibers (good for powder products) and synthetic fibers (best for cream products) in the same brush head, but I usually just use one side to apply my products and then blend with the other.
You are literally getting two brushes in one!
I guess the theme here is multitasking… I like brushes that do different jobs.
How about you? How many brushes do you need?
Loading ...Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
I’m right there with you at 4, but if I’m being honest, it’s probably 5… An angled brush for brows, a powder brush that I would use for all over and setting, then I’d probably have one more for blush/bronzer (because lets be real, if I’m going minimum, there isn’t a contour in sight), a fluffy eye (I’d probably use it first to throw a soft crease shad in, then wipe it off and use it for highlighting) and a smaller more detail eye brush to softly line my upper and lower lashes and a bit of outer V definition. That was a GREAT question to get the brain working this morning! Hope you a Le Bebe are feeling AWESOME today 🙂 And of course, Tabs too 🙂
I’d say 4-7. I can get away with probably 3 eye brushes, then a powder brush, a blush brush and a contouring one. Oh and highlighting (but that’s borderline minimal, lol- I never miss those steps though).
Let me count… At least 2 for eye make-up… Brows I can do with a pencil… Face with the hands except for powder and blush… Lips, free-hand… So wow, just four, actually, if I really wanted to!
Where are those pink brushes from? They look fabulous!
Andrea, I would like to know too.
Hi Andrea and Sandy,
They’re by Sonia Kashuk from last summer. I’m not sure if they’re still available though!
Hmmm…eyeshadow, blending, angled eyeliner/brow gel, blush/contour, highlight, powder = 6 minimum for me. Ideally also a lip and small concealer…but so many products have built in applicators now, yay!
I usually use about three. Sometimes more.
You put Tarvo in your banner…i NEED that color oh my gosh and it isn’t out yet.
I cry.
And I use about 4 and a beauty blender
i just got a 217 for Christmas and it’s everything you promised it would be! i absolutely love it!
So glad you are loving it! 🙂
Six would be my minimum to include:
1. A flat top, dense foundation brush
2. A face powder brush
3. A blush brush
4. A concealer brush
5. A dense eye crease brush
6. A small eye lid brush
I would prefer to have at least 2 additional eye shadow brushes, and I’d have to skip highlighter and bronzer with this scenario. But I could come up with a functional look with these. The concealer brush probably isn’t critical – I could use my fingers, but I prefer not to touch the delicate under-eye area with my fingers.
What are those pink brushes?! ?
They’re by Sonia Kashuk and are from last summer. I’m not sure if they’re still available, unfortunately.
Aww! Guess you’re the lucky duck! ?
Let’s see…
Flat shader brush, crease brush, blending brush for the eyes, that’s 3. I can apply my powder with the puff, foundation with my fingertips, and if I use a cream blush I’d also apply it with my fingers, lipstick directly from the tube…
So 3, and I could even make it 2 if I use my crease brush to blend!
I just packed for a weekend away where I need to be kinda glam for one day. So we’re going with 3 as a minimum but 5 makes me so happy. MAC 187, 217, 239, an off brand like 224, and a Sonia Kashuk duo fiber fan brush.
My minimum is just two. A medium sized face brush and and an all-over shadow brush, which is dense enough to put shadow on the lid, but soft enough to blend, like the Ecotools full shadow one. I don’t need the angled brush cause I do my brows with a pencil, and I don’t do liner often anyway.
I remember reading that François Nars can make a full face makeup with his hands and only a brush for loose powder.
Being real I can do the same if everything is in cream form. If powders were involve I’d only add one for blush.
The least I can get away for a full face is:
1) Real Techniques Blush Brush for setting powder, blush and highlighter.
2) e.l.f. Contouring Brush.
3) Flat shader brush for packing color on the eyelids.
4) Crease brush.
5) Fluffy shadow blending brush.
6) Angled liner/brow powder brush.
7) Eyebrow spoolie.
My makeup is pretty simple right now so it’s 4 to 7 or so.
Karen, I’m really impressed that you do it all with four brushes.
What would be my bare minimum for a complete look? Oy! I counted, and for a complete look I usually use 15 or 16 brushes, a different one for each eyeshadow color, cheek product, etc., plus a lip brush for the edge of my lipstick.
So, let’s see… do a lot more with my fingers… tightline with a pencil instead of gel liner and a brush…
I would need at least one flat and one domed eyeshadow brush, say Make Up For Ever 226 Medium Eye Shader Brush and 216 Medium Precision Eye Blender Brush; a spoolie for my brows (I like Sonia Kashuk’s); and a brush for setting powder, highlight, contour, blush, and blending those face products — I could do all that with either the Make Up For Ever 160 Blush Brush or the Wayne Goss 00 brush. So, that’s four, as long as I choose a lipstick that doesn’t need a brush and tightline with a gel pencil. But I would much rather use separate brushes and then clean them, instead of having to clean just a couple of brushes over and over again between products. Plus I’m kind of a nut for wanting the perfect tool to do each job. I could get by, but I wouldn’t be having as much fun with my makeup.
For me it’s three brushes! I could do eyebrows with a pencil, and blush with my fingers using a cream blush. So what’s remaining would be an eyeshadow brush for blending, crease work and under eye concealing (Sigma E25), a buffer brush for liquid foundation (Sigma F82) and a small face brush for targeted powdering, highlighting and contouring (real techniques setting brush).
It depends on the type of liner I wear. Or if I feel the need for foundation. But I guess at least four most times.
That brush holder, tho…
4-7 for me.
4-7 for me. 4-8 if we throw in the beauty blender because I. Absolutely. NEED. IT!!
3 usually. Sometimes 4 if my undereye concealer requires one.
Depends on the look, I think. Some days I’m swiping on a cream shadow with my fingers and I’m done 🙂 Other days I’m using brush after brush to layer or correct a look. Most days I use at least 3 – 4 brushes.
Monica.
The absolute minimum brushes/tools I think anyone would need is 5. This works if cream blush is used, I believe clean fingers are our best tools to apply certain products, like concealer, cream blush, highlighter, foundation/tinted moisturizer etc.
1. Spoolie to brush eyebrows
2. Thin angled brush for eyebrow powder and/or lining/smudging eye liner pencil or applying eyeshadow in lash line.
3. Small fluffy eyeshadow brush to apply crease shade and blend
4. Flat eyeshadow brush to apply any shimmer or glittery shade to lids
5. Med size soft rounded with tapered tip powder brush to apply under eye setting powder, around nose and chin, center of forehead.(oily areas)
I’m a 37 year makeup artist in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Hope you like my suggestions. Of course these are cruelty free brushes/tools!