My Favorite Makeup Brushes! Part 2: Favorite Eye Brushes

3:37 PM



As a continuation of my last post about my Favorite Face Brushes, I wanted to also talk about a few of my favorite eye brushes as well. With so many shapes and sizes of eye brushes out there, it can be a little tricky to navigate which shapes, textures, and densities will be most handy in your beauty kit. You can use this as a good basic guideline to figure out what you are missing in your eye brush arsenal!

Here is a recap of some of my favorite eye brushes, starting with the necessary basics and moving onto the more advanced set.

Eyeshadow:

This is my very favorite crease brush in the whole wide world. I swear I recorded this brush but the video footage magically disappeared so I want to extol how beloved this brush is here. I found out about this from a makeup artist friend and have been hooked ever since. The perfect blending brush for those with small lid space! And it's from Target! 

This is your basic flat shading brush which you can use to pack color on the lid, twice even (one color per side)! It's not astounding in any way, but definitely a go-to necessity.

Pencil brushes are an Asian girl's best friend. This little guy can help to define the tiny outer crease area that larger brushes make muddy and in a pinch, I can get away with using only this brush for an entire eye look. When looking at pencil brushes just make sure you get a dense one. Floppy brushes can't pack on color as well, which is an important factor for crease definition.

Now I wanted to move onto a few more advanced brushes that I love. The following brushes aren't necessary for the most basic of brush collections, but are definitely also in my daily go-to list. Having the best fitting tools always makes the job quicker and easier and makeup brushes are no exception! Check out my favorite "intermediate" brushes below!
Rock & Republic 201
This is a discontinued brush from Rock & Republic that is large, dense, and fluffy which is the perfect recipe for a great brow bone highlighter. I can use just one sweep of a light color under my eyebrows and it instantly brings extra light to my face. (If you have larger, deep-set lids it can also work to pack color onto the eyes as well, but on my flat lids a smaller brush works better.)

Coastal Scents Doefoot Brush (old)
I apologize for posting so many discontinued brushes in this list! When I first put it together I had no idea that companies had stopped offering some of these, but you'll have to take my word for it that you can find similar shapes from several companies. I have a few of these doefoot brushes and they are very soft and lovely for applying highlight colors as well. I find these to work better for highlight shades that are more pigmented since it will give a softer look than the dense R&R 201. This also works nicely for contouring/highlighting the sides of the nose and other areas of the face as well.

Sigma Performance Eyes Kit (E21 Smudge Brush)
I've always considered a small smudging brush to be absolutely a necessity for applying shadow to the lower lashline. Since my eyes are smaller, I don't want to apply too much in that area for fear of looking like I got a black eye instead of a sexy smoky one. This is one of the best precision smudgers I've come across and it's the little brother of the E20 Short Shader Brush which you can buy individually. 

The E21 only comes in the Performance Eyes Kit which is unfortunate, but I highly recommend getting this kit if you have flatter lids or smaller creases and need thinner brushes to accommodate more intricate eye makeup application. 


MakeUp Show 5E05
This brush is no longer carried from the place I got mine from, but I believe Make Up Show still produces them so if anyone knows where to get it, please let me know in the comments. It's another intricate brush that I adore for applying highlight shades into my inner eye corners. It's small, dense, and soft. Very nice.

Eyeliner:

Out of all the various types of eyeliner brushes that I've tried, the basic synthetic angled eyeliner brush is my favorite for applying gel liner like how I showed in the Perfect Winged Liner tutorial. I rotate them out every 2 years or so when they start to fray, but low end or high end, they all seem to work fine as long as they have a sharp, thin edge. Those on a tight budget should also try angled art brushes from the hobby store! They are made of the same synthetic fibers and work just as well for only $1-2.

Really quickly before I end my post, I did want to mention my favorite travel kit which is perfect for novices who don't have any brushes but want a quality, relatively affordable kit with all the basics. (7 brushes and container for $59. Compare that with the MAC 150.) It's also available in classic black, pink, and purple, but my favorite is the cute aqua color. I've tried a lot of travel sets but this one has the most of my go-to brushes in one cohe set.


I hope this helped those of you who are looking to fill out your makeup brush collection. A lot of brush use comes down to trial and error and seeing what works best for your face, eyes, and personal needs as well so it's not like any one person's favorites will work for everyone but sharing our favorites never hurts, right? 

If you didn't see my video overview of all of my favorites, check out Part 1 here! Let me know what your favorites are in the comments below. :) 

Disclaimer: Some of the products in this post were provided by their subsequent companies for blog consideration. All opinions are 100% honest. This post is not sponsored, just me sharing my favorite brushes. :) 

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27 comments

  1. ♥ JMarch 26, 2012 at 5:45 PM

    I love your favorite makeup brushes posts and video! Have you ever tried any of Ecotools' makeup brushes? I've seen people raving about their brushes, if you've used, I'd like to hear your thoughts about Ecotools, or how they compared to Sigma brushes? Please!!! Thank you~~~~

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. JenMarch 27, 2012 at 2:21 PM

      I haven't ever tried them myself, but I've only heard good things too! If I were more into synthetic brushes I'd definitely give them a try since they are super affordable. :)

      Delete
  2. Michelle | Icefrost Beauty DiaryMarch 26, 2012 at 7:30 PM

    Hello!
    I love makeupshow brushes too! They are really soft!
    These brushes, I get them from the supplier directly.
    Do you need my help in getting any makeupshow brushes?
    Cheers, Michelle

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. JenMarch 27, 2012 at 2:22 PM

      Haha I have so many brushes right now that I'm really not in need but if something happens to one of my beloved brushes I'll let you know!

      Delete
    2. BooBooNinjaMarch 30, 2012 at 5:21 PM

      You're quite lucky, Michelle.

      Delete
  3. JessicaMarch 26, 2012 at 9:06 PM

    nice

    ReplyDelete
  4. AngelMarch 26, 2012 at 9:24 PM

    Long waited video, I am soosossoo happy that you u made it !! sososo useful Jen !!
    Thank you so much !!

    ReplyDelete
  5. SophiaMarch 26, 2012 at 10:15 PM

    Have you ever tried the ones from elf? I heard they had some good eye brushes. For only $1 I wonder how good "good" is lol.

    http://www.besophiacated.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. JenMarch 27, 2012 at 2:23 PM

      I've only bought 1 Elf brush and to be honest I wasn't impressed. It was a $1 eyeshadow brush though, so it's not like I was expecting a lot but it was scratchy on my lids. I'm spoiled with having several nicer brushes already! I have heard though that their studio line does have nice brushes that are better quality and still very inexpensive.

      Delete
  6. BooBooNinjaMarch 26, 2012 at 11:11 PM

    I really wish Sigma sold their travel brushes individually. Thanks for the recommendations.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. JenMarch 27, 2012 at 2:25 PM

      Ooh that would be nice! I like the shorter handles a lot. Maybe we could make that suggestion to them. :)

      Delete
    2. BooBooNinjaMarch 30, 2012 at 12:14 AM

      I like shorter handles too. They fit my hands better.

      Delete
    3. BooBooNinjaApril 11, 2012 at 2:55 PM

      I've tweeted and facebooked Sigma but they haven't responded. :(

      Delete
  7. LeeloMarch 27, 2012 at 4:09 AM

    Great post! I really want those Sigma eyebrushes.

    ReplyDelete
  8. freckled.asianMarch 27, 2012 at 7:24 PM

    Hi Jen! Just wondering whether you have tried the NYX brushes before (since you seem to use a lot of their makeup products) :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. GinaMarch 28, 2012 at 12:39 AM

    great recommendations! I have become a sigma fan, ty.
    Also, I was wondering if you can do another video on your skin regimen. Feels like it's been awhile since you updated us and as a fellow girl suffering from mild acne and pigmentations, your videos are very helpful and informative :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. PRELUDEMarch 28, 2012 at 4:37 AM

    Hi Jen! This is probably unrelated to the post above. But I'm curious to ask what's your favourite app for iPhone/ iPad? Thanks :) LOVE your tutorials btw! Keep rockin' :D

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anabel NoveMarch 29, 2012 at 9:53 PM

    Hi Jen! Yes! I found many eyeshadow brushes too big for my Asian eyes. Definitely thinking of trying the Performance Eye Kit. Thanks for the review.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Michelle Alexandra JapMarch 30, 2012 at 1:09 AM

    thank you so much jen for doing these brushes review! i've been desperately wanting the Make Me Cool kit, especially since i watch Raeview's review on it a few days ago, but i wasn't sure if i really should. Now after reading these posts of yours, i was like "wow what a coincidence, i am so gonna get it now". you're my most favorite makeup guru, n for some reason, i only trust ur judgements when it comes to makeup :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. cmoziloMarch 30, 2012 at 10:24 AM

    Just an FYI, Sigma has a discount code for 10% off your purchase in this month's People StyleWatch. Enter "APRIL2012"

    ReplyDelete
  14. DaisyKApril 2, 2012 at 11:21 AM

    Hi Jen. Thank you for this wonderful review! I was just wondering.. What do you think of the Sigma Vegan brushes? Have you tried them yet?

    ReplyDelete
  15. SaraApril 9, 2012 at 3:32 AM

    Thanks for the brush tutorial... I did order some from Sigma based on your recommendations.

    Do you think travel kits (while they are great in value) hold up as well as individual brushes, quality-wise?

    Also- can you tell me what lipstick/balm you're wearing in this video?

    I wish you could be my makeup artist! Thanks for all your helpful videos!

    ReplyDelete
  16. UnknownApril 21, 2012 at 8:10 AM

    Hi Jen,
    makeupshow brush can order from the below link,
    but I dont know they post to worldwide or not

    http://brushworld.taobao.com/

    ^.^

    ReplyDelete
  17. PiscininaJanuary 4, 2013 at 6:26 AM

    Hi Jen, do you think the vegan version of Sigma travel kit (Mr. and Mrs Bunny) has the same quality of the standard one? I want to buy the travel kit, but here in Europe I have found only the vegan one! Thank you for your kind attenion, Eleonora

    ReplyDelete
  18. JenniferIsAwesomeJanuary 22, 2013 at 1:52 PM

    Do you use a beauty blender? It works great.

    ReplyDelete
  19. UnknownMarch 5, 2013 at 7:51 PM

    Hello Jen, Thanks for the tutorials! they are very useful to me! they are very professional, but since i am a newbie, which basic eyeshadow brush do you think is a *must have* item for people like us? Thanks a lot!

    ReplyDelete
  20. UnknownMarch 27, 2013 at 10:45 PM

    hi jen,ur post is very useful.Since i stay in india wanted to know where n how can i purchase these products from.

    ReplyDelete

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