Save/Splurge: Makeup brushes

I am constantly shocked how much makeup brushes cost. To get a nice set, I might have to harvest a kidney or promise my first born child, but I’ve found a few brands that have worked for me, for better or worse.

“Splurge” brushes: MAC

• How much it costs: $13-$45+ (depending on the brush)
• Where you can buy it: MAC counters (Nordstrom, Macys, Bloomingdales) and online
• What I do like about it: I have the blending brush and it is amazing. The quality of the brush is definitely noticeable because it lasts and the bristles remain soft on the eye, especially after lots of cleaning. I highly recommend as well the Mac Brush Cleaner ($11), it does the trick. The brush does a great job of spreading the eyeshadow along the lid and blends colors from the crease very well. It has also survived being packed in tight places, dropped and sat on. It’s almost, indestructible?
• What I don’t like about it: It does need to be cleaned regularly, which isn’t a bad thing, unless you’re forgetful like me. Really, I’ve been very happy with this brush

If I could, I would make my entire brush collection MAC brushes, but until I win the lottery, I’ll invest in brushes I regularly use and wear out and look for affordable options for the smaller brushes.

“Save” brushes: Sonia Kashuk for Target

• How much it costs: $7.99 – $21.99 (depending on the brush or if it’s a brush set)
• Where you can buy it: Target and Target.com
• What I do like about it: It’s affordable and the bristles are soft on the face. They also come in a nice, soft travel case to protect the brush from getting dirty from the makeup case over time. The powder/face brush does provide good coverage and takes to powder very well
• What I don’t like about it: Let’s be honest, it’s affordable, so the quality is compromised a bit. My powder/face brush sheds like a small dog and gets so dirty so quickly that I have to clean it twice a week and even then it never seems to come clean. Along with the shedding, it does so regularly on my face, causing me to always check for small hairs before I leave

I like these brushes but am realistic when I buy them in terms of how long I’ll keep them and how well they’ll fare in my makeup case.

Bonus “Save” brushes: Sephora Professional

• How much it costs: $5 – $36 (depending on the brush)
• Where you can buy it: Sephora stores and Sephora.com
• What I do like about it: These are affordable but the long-term quality of the brush compared to Sonia Kashuk is much better. The bristles are soft and sturdy, it barely sheds. It’s easy to clean and wears well over time. They also provide very good coverage and blend colors well too
• What I don’t like about it: While the overall quality is good and much better than Sonia Kashuk (for the brush part), they do tend to break easily. I kid you not, I’ve broken 5-6 of the brow shaper and eyelash brushes. I snapped them all in the same place and I wasn’t using them with extreme force on the skin. And if you buy a lot of them, they all look alike so I have a hard time just reaching in to grab one and know which it is without seeing the bristle. Overall though, I have no real complaints

I would continue to use these brushes and even upgrade to the Professional Platinum collection if I had a few extra bucks.

What kind of brushes do you use?