What Brand Of Makeup Brushes Are The Best?
How Do I Know What Makeup Brushes to Use?
Whether you are a makeup beginner or you are updating your makeup bag, let me guide you through my most trusted makeup brush brand!
There are multiple brush brands on the market, and some are just not worth investing in. Why? Well, it comes down to the quality, or lack thereof, of the bristles that the brushes are made from. It is too easy to look at the price point and decide to pick up something that is on the cheaper side because it is not such an outlay.
The thing is, you want to invest in your brushes so they last years, especially when you take the time to look after them and keep them clean!
Over the years, I have picked up different brands and quickly found brushes that do not stay in shape after washing or feel rough on the skin. It is frustrating and a waste of money. But rather than tell you about the brands to avoid, I would much prefer to highlight the one makeup brush brand that always pulls through!
Meet Zoeva! A German born brand created because the market was missing high-quality brushes!
“Our founder Zoe Boikou and her sister Barbara have been beauty lovers from the very beginning. Their journey began in 2008 when Zoe realized that there were no adequate, high-quality brushes on the market at an affordable price.”
When I trained to be a makeup artist back in 2014, Zoeva was the very first brush I experienced using. At the time, I was unaware that they were one of the highest-quality brushes available at affordable prices. Since purchasing different brands and subsequently throwing away terrible brushes, I have always come back to Zoeva.
My kit brushes are 80% Zoeva, and I have multiples of the same brushes to serve my clients. I am always adding more brushes due to the demand of being a makeup artist and not being able to wait for brushes to dry after deep cleaning. I still have the original brushes I purchased 6, 7, and 8 years ago! There are many things that I have noticed about the quality of this brand, and for me, they tick all the boxes.
Let me give you the highlights.
They are super soft and are always soft after a deep clean. My brushes have been washed 100’s of times and are still the same!
They always reshape with no problems at all.
The bristles do not splay and poke out everywhere.
The bristles are still white and look brand new after multiple washes!
The wooden handles never split after many washes (a lot of other brands do and need to be thrown out).
I want to introduce you to the Zoeva brushes I ALWAYS recommend to my clients during makeup lessons. These are the key brushes I believe you need in your makeup bag! I prefer to purchase individual brushes so you can tailor your makeup bag to your needs. Brush sets are great, but unless you are going to use every single brush, it is better to buy them individually.
Here is a roundup of the face brushes I would recommend for applying your foundation and concealer.
The 102 Foundation Blender is perfect for buffing your foundation into the skin or where you would like to use less product. I find this brush makes it easier to control the amount of foundation you use, which, by the way, is a lot less than you think! The 104 Foundation Buffer has that flat edge, which helps you build more coverage, which is great if you like full coverage. I would tend to use this brush with more of a patting motion, tapping the foundation onto the skin.
The 142 Concealer Buffer is great to have if you do not like to use fingers when blending in your concealer. It is dainty enough to get into the small areas around the inner part of your eye and around your nose. I like to use this brush in a patting motion with firm pressure to push the concealer into place.
Zoeva 102 Foundation Blender Brush
When it comes to blush, bronzer, and face powder, my preference is the 126 Blush Blender. I like to use this on its side to sweep the product onto the cheeks. One thing I always do and teach my clients to do is to multitask the brush. I will initially use this brush to set the makeup with face powder, then I will use it for bronzer and blush. The reason being that it helps all the powders blend seamlessly on the face!
The 127 Blush and Contour is a great brush to use if you want a more precise application using the tip of the bristles as opposed to the side of the brush.
Both brushes are always so soft after multiple washes! You just need to shape them after you have washed them to help them dry back into their original shape.
Eye brushes are the area my clients are most interested in, mainly due to their lack of confidence when applying eye makeup and their confusion about what to use for the application. These brushes are non-negotiables in my kit; I always need to have plenty of eye brushes, as these are the only ones I will ever recommend! I have tried multiple eye brushes over the years, but they will never compare to Zoeva.
These brushes always stay soft and keep their shape after washing; they are amazing!
The 234 Smoky Shader is a great flat brush for laying down a cream base on your eyelid or to sweep eyeshadow all over the lid. They will help to build a good pigmented layer of powder eyeshadow. If you only use a cream base, such as the MAC Paint Pot, you can easily choose to just use your finger instead, so an optional brush to add to your makeup bag
My workhorse of all the eye brushes is the 227 Eyeshadow Blender. Used to apply all eyeshadows, this brush will help you achieve a seamless blend when used with light pressure. The bristles help the powder eyeshadows glide onto the lid and have the flexibility to not leave the eyeshadow looking too strong or hard. This is the key brush to purchase and use to apply your eyeshadow!
The 228 Crease Definer is perfect to really nestle into your eye crease, but it is also great for lightly blending over the eyeshadow and around the edges to smooth out any harsh lines. I find this to be a great brush to use if I have applied eyeshadow too high up the eye towards the brow or too far out to the side. I refer to this as my magic eraser as it just lifts away the excess eyeshadow powder, making it ideal for cleaning up any mistakes.
Zoeva 227 Eyeshadow Blender Brush
Zoeva 228 Crease Definer Brush
There are probably two other brands I would recommend for one or two brushes, but in all honesty, Zoeva is by far the best quality and well-thought-out brand. If I had not discovered them years ago, or if they did not exist, I would be continually replacing brushes and feeling frustrated at the lack of quality. I can hand-on-heart say that Zoeva makes my makeup application so much easier and a breeze!
Disclaimer - Affiliate links are used in this post, if you click on the links and make a purchase I earn a small commission from the retailer at no extra cost to you.
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