My Favourite Makeup Brushes

Makeup brushes play a big part in creating a flawless makeup and I think that they are really important. Brushes can help you to make the most out of your makeup and guide you when applying products. It is definitely worth doing your research when deciding which brushes to buy so I have decided to write this post which will hopefully guide you in the right direction.

I believe that investing in good quality makeup brushes is the best option. They can be pricey but if you take good care of your quality brushes, they should last a very long time.

I have a handful of favourite makeup brush brands which I trust to provide me with good quality brushes which will perform and last well.

Real Techniques 
Real Techniques is a fantastic brand with quality makeup brushes at affordable prices. Professional Makeup artists, Sam and Nic Chapman help to design the Real Techniques brushes which gives me a lot confidence that the products they produce are of great quality.

I particulary love the Real Techniques face brushes including their Expert Face brush, Sculpting brush, Setting brush and the Blush brush. The Expert Face brush is brilliant to use when applying foundation and the Setting brush is the best brush that I have ever used for blending concealer underneath the eyes- it is AHmazing!
I use all of these brushes regularly and I recommend them to everyone.

Considering the quality of these brushes with their affordable price, I think that they are great. On the other hand I have experienced the brush hairs shedding and handles becoming weak over time which suggests that they do not last.

Real Techniques brushes are made from 100% synthetic hairs and they are a cruelty free brand. You can buy the brushes at BootsUK, Superdrug and online at Feelunique.

Zoeva
Last christmas I was gifted the Zoeva Luxe Complete makeup brush set and I have been obsessed with the brushes ever since. Zoeva is a German makeup brand which you can buy online from Beauty Bay and Selfridges online and selected stores across the UK.
These brushes are mid-price range and are of a fantastic quality.

In my professional makeup kit I mainly use my Zoeva brushes because I know that they will perform well, look smart and keep their shape and quality even after thorough sainitizing in-between makeup applications.

Like I mentioned above, I own the Zoeva Luxe Complete makeup brush set which features 15 of the brands finest brushes, made from a custom blend of natural and synthetic bristles. I would highly recommend this set; it includes a fantastic variety of brushes to ensure that your makeup application is flawless every time.

I love all of the Zoeva brushes and a few of my favourites include the 102 silk finish which is my favourite foundation buffing brush, 102 concealer buffer which is a great brush for applying concealer underneath the eyes and around the nose. I also love the 317 wing liner brush which I use to apply eyebrow gel to give a crisp finish.

If you love MAC makeup brushes but are put off by their expensive price tag then Zoeva is the perfect affordable alternative. Zoeva have so many dupes for MAC brushes for example the Zoeva 227 is basically identical to the MAC 217 (and for more than half the price!)

MyKitco
MyKitCo is a makeup brush and makeup accessory brand owned by renowned makeup artist, James Molloy. MyKitCo have a great range of products designed for both professional artists and makeup enthusiasts. When you order makeup brushes from MyKitCo you are guaranteed high quality products.

I love my makeup brushes from MyKitCo because they are fantastic quality, have a professional feel, are affordable and last well. The brushes are all extremely soft to touch and they pick up and blend makeup perfectly. Considering the high quality, I think that these brushes are extremely good value for money and I would recommend them to everyone.

My favourite brushes from MyKitCo are 1.6 Smoothing Shadow, 1.7 My Ultra Multi, 1.11 My Tiny Liner and 3.4 My Expert Line & Define.

If you want to find out more about MyKitCo and the products that they sell, check out their website here and my previous posts about the brand, here and here 

Crown
Crown brushes is another professional artistry brand which have a large range of quality brushes at affordable prices. Unfortunately, Crown brushes are difficult to get hold of in the UK and I have only ever been able to buy their brushes at makeup exhibitions such as IMATS and online.

A few of my favourite brushes from Crown include the C139 Stiff Tapered Crease which is a fantastic soft brush which applies eyeshadow effortlessly in the eye crease. I also love the SS036 Small Cheek Contour which I use to apply foundation and concealear around the small point of the face (around the nose, under the eyes.)

MAC Makeup Haul

MAC Makeup will always be a staple in my professional makeup artist kit. I love that they offer specific professional artistry products whilst also offering a great range that works for all ages, all sexes and all races.

I recently received my full professional makeup artist discount therefore I am very lucky to receive a large discount on MAC makeup which really helps me to build my professional kit. 

Last week I visited my local freestanding MAC store to stock up on my favourite products and also see if there was anything new for me to try out.

Mineralise Skin Finish Natural, Medium & Dark Tan

I needed to re-purchase my favourite setting powder, Mineralise Skin finish natural in the shade medium which is a staple in my kit. I use this powder to mattify the skin and to set makeup into place. It adds a small amount of coverage but never looks cakey. I really like this powder because it works on all skin types and always leaves a great finish on the skin. 

Because the Mineralise Skin finish powders are my favourite powders EVER I decided to pick up the dark tan shade which will be perfect to use as a bronzer on warm skin tones.

Face & Body, C5

Face & Body is the foundation that I use the most in my kit so I picked up a new shade.
It is a water based liquid foundation which has a very light coverage but can easily be built up. 

I love Face & Body because it gives a beautiful sheen to the skin without looking like there is too much makeup there - I hate it when you can obviously see foundation on the skin. 

As an artist, I always prefer to apply a light foundation all over the skin and then use a high coverage concealer just in the places where it is needed. 

The majority of people never need a full coverage all over their face -  so why completely cover everything? I believe in enhancing people's natural beauty! 

I use Face & Body in a variety of different ways including using it alone, mixing it with a full coverage foundation/ cream or buffing it all over the body for a great glow. 

I picked up shade c5 which has a warm tone and will be great to use on tanned skin.

Lipstick, Diva & Kinda Sexy

MAC Lipsticks are the best. They have every shade that you could think of in a variety of different finishes including matte, satin and cremesheen. I especially love MAC matte lipsticks because they have a great pigment, are easy to apply, have amazing lasting power and never dry out the lips. 

I especially love wearing dark berry lipstick around this time of year so I decided to treat myself to a new lipstick from MAC. Diva is a matte dark berry red which I love. 

The second lipstick which I picked up was Kinda Sexy. This is a pretty apricot pink colour which I was really missing in my lipstick collection. I think that this is a really nice nude shade which will look great on pale skin.

Lip Pencil, Nightmoth 

To wear alongside Diva lipstick, I bought Nightmoth lip pencil which is a strong deep berry shade. This pencil will work with almost every dark berry and purple lipstick and I am sure that I will get a lot of use out of it!

Glitter, Red 

I recently saw a photo on the legendary makeup artist, Pat Mcgrath's Instagram of a makeup that she had done where the lips were coated in a stunning bright red glitter. I have wanted to re-create the look ever since but I was missing a red glitter in my makeup collection to do so. 

MAC Glitters are a PRO product which means that you can only buy them in freestanding pro stores or online. Unfortunetly there are no PRO stores near me so I had to buy my glitter online at http://www.maccosmetics.co.uk .

I have used glitter from MAC before and I know that they are great. I cannot wait to try and recreate the image that Pat McGrath posted (Keep an eye on my instagram for when I do! @alicemariemua )

(Makeup by Pat McGrath)

Brow Sculpt Pencils, Spiked & Fling 
Strong drawn on eyebrows are finally becoming something of the past. Softer, ungroomed eyebrows were spotted all over the catwalk this season and I really love this messy look.
Not long ago, all I would ever use to fill in eyebrows was a gel product like the Anastasia Dipbrow pomade which gives a strong defined look however recently all I have been reaching for is pencils and tinted brow mascaras to help myself achieve a softer look.

MAC recently launched their brow sculpt pencils which come in 8 shades and have a thick waxy pencil on one end and a handy spoolie for brushing the brows on the other end. These pencils are ideal for applying a touch of colour and definition to brows which already have a good shape.
I have been using the shade Spiked on myself and I really love it.

Spiked is a deep brunette shade and Fling is a great cool toned taupe which will be great for blondes.

Soft Served Shadow, Softened Up

Cream eyeshadows are great to use when you want to create a really quick and easy look which still looks impressive. You can simply apply them with your finger and blend out the edges with a big fluffy brush and you're done! I love them!

I love MAC's paint pot shadows which are great to use as an eyeshadow base or on their own for a quick look. MAC recently launched their new soft served shadow pots which are very similar to the paint pots however these are a cream formula which quickly dry to a powder once applied to the eyes.
The formula of the soft served shadows is very unique and like nothing I have ever tried before. All I can say is that they look absolutely beautiful on the eyes and they blend like a dream.

Softened Up is a warm copper shade with a gold shimmer- it is the perfect autumn colour!

I have a feeling that these are limited edition so I would really recommend you picking one up if you see them in store or online!

Have you been makeup shopping recently? What have you bought?!
Let me know in the comments!!!