Makeup gets complicated at times ……and expensive. When you are first getting into it, people tell you that high-end everything is the way to go. If it doesn’t come from Sephora or MAC it’s trash. I’m here to tell you that this is a lie. I am a makeup hoarder, yes, but only because I’ve learned that going high-end for everything isn’t necessary. Yes, quite a bit of my stash is on the pricier side, but most of what I have is drugstore or indie brands. This includes my brushes. Brushes are just as important as the products you use. Using a crappy brush with an expensive product means you more than likely just wasted your money. Often times when a product appears patchy or streaky, it has more to do with the brush or sponge you are using for application than the actual product. But since I’m not wealthy enough to break the bank on brushes, much like I can’t for cosmetics most of time, I’ve compiled a list of my top 5 affordable brush brands.
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Morphe Brushes
- Some of my favorites are the Morphe M439 (foundation), Morphe G17 (blending), Morphe E20 (contouring). Morphe often has deals on Hautelook.com and many Vloggers have affiliate codes you can use for discounts. Many brushes are vegan and all are cruelty-free. They also make really good eyeshadow palettes and gel eyeliners.
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Bdellium Tools
- Bdellium tools makes brushes for regular makeup and SFX makeup at great prices. They offer various brush collections for different needs. Their Green Bambu, Yellow Bambu, and Pink Bambu series are all eco-friendly and vegan. My favorites are all from the Yellow Bambu collection, 776 (blending), 781 (crease), and 540 (lip brush).
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NYX Cosmetics
- NYX just recently got into the brush game and I’m really impressed. The best part about this is that you can find them at Ulta or on the Ulta site and use coupons with them. My favorites so far are the 22 (foundation) and 14 (eyeshadow).
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ELF Cosmetics
- ELF Cosmetics is what I would call the sleeper in the brush game. I wasn’t impressed initially when they first came out with their $1 brushes, but when they started making brushes a few extra dollars I started finding some gems. My favorites are the Flawess Face Brush (perfect for blush) and the Concealer Brush ( I use it for applying eyeshadow base more precisely).
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Real Techniques
- Real Techniques are another brand that can be found at Ulta and are eligible for coupon use. There makeup sponge is also quite dope if you don’t want to shell out $20+ for a Beauty Blender. My favorites are the Sculpting Brush (I use it for bronzer bc it’s to wide for contour) and the Setting Brush (perfect for setting under eyes or applying highlight).
Honorable Mention
These didn’t quite make the cut for top affordable brush brands, but they are still really, really good. BH Cosmetics and Wet n Wild.
*One day I will risk trying some no-name brushes from Amazon, but not today.
