Good brush set?
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Aug 18, 2016
Bea S.
My mum has spoken about getting "a good set of makeup brushes" so my dad wants to surprise her with a nice set. He's set me on the task of finding nice sets at different price ranges. So does anyone have any suggestions? Price doesn't matter too much but preferably nothing overly expensive.
Aug 18, 2016
Grace N.
Rae Morris is on here and really good. It is sort of expensive (like $15- $30) but they have AMAZING brushes.
Aug 18, 2016
Roz X.
The "It Cosmetics" brushes are lovely. So soft..just a dream to work with.
I don't know if you have Ulta there, but the "It Brushes for Ulta" are also a delight.
Aug 19, 2016
Leuca S.
In terms of synthetic fibers, which will be easier to maintain, the It Cosmetics brushes are basically goals as far as I'm concerned. Royal and Langnickel's Revolution line of brushes are also really good, and they're pretty affordable; I think they make their own brushes too.
For natural bristles, I think Wayne Goss' brushes are amazing for the price, but I also love my Chikuhodo brushes. I'm much more picky about my natural hair brushes, because I buy them specifically for the texture.
Aug 20, 2016
Paige K.
BS mall brush set off of amazon there not expensive but they work GREAT!
Aug 20, 2016
Jacqueline H.
In a very general sense, the most commonly used material for synthetic brushes... Nylon and Taklon. These materials are different from natural bristle brushes in the sense that they do not have scales or cuticles, and they just aren't as 'absorbent' and will not trap or hold makeup the way natural bristle brush would. When it comes to creams(lipsticks, cream blush, concealers, foundations) and liquids, synthetic brushes have it all over natural bristle brushes because they simply don't absorb as much product. For the most part, they are easier to care for; however, there are some down sides to some synthetic materials, especially Taklon. In my opinion, Taklon material used in brushes tend to fan out over the course of time and become very stiff.
There will always be a heated debate over synthetic versus natural bristle, and most muas and enthusiasts generally will have a preference to one over the other. That aside, there are some varying issues that are tied to the preferences of synthetic over natural. Synthetic brushes are comprised of man made materials. For the most part, synthetic brushes are almost always cruelty free and PETA approved. With synthetic brushes, one can be assured that no animals were harmed in the making of the synthetic materials. When it comes to natural bristle brushes, that particular issue is murky, and another debate unto its own.
Natural bristle: Unlike most synthetic brush material, natural bristle has a Medulla which is covered by a thick sheath called a cortex, and is layered by cuticle which is like looking at a microscopic shell of scales. The scales and hollows in the cuticle structure are what is responsible for holding and trapping whatever makeup media is picked up, and when one places and presses the brush on the area, the 'trappings' will release whatever it is that they have picked up. A natural bristle brush picks up and deposits product very differently that most synthetic brush materials do, and when it comes to powder products: shadows, face powder, powder foundations, powder blush, powder highlighters, etc. etc. natural bristle is able to deliver and 'apply' (not necessarily blend in some cases) powder makeup media more effectively.
Now bristle types types and qualities largely affect the value and the price. The bristle type, density, cut, and shape directly effect the quality. In terms of price, how the bristle is harvested and cut matters. Virgin, first cut bristle is big money. First cut is also considered cruelty-free, because the material is sheared from the tips of the fur. Blunt cut bristle usually comes from the lower cut of the fur after the tips have been removed. Blunt cut bristle is coarse and can in some cases feel very prickly/tingly against the skin. Blunt cuts are usually used in lower quality brushes. Why? Because they are cheap. With natural bristle brushes, the shape of the tips is what is important. High quality natural bristle makeup brushes are hand made, not machine cut, as hand shaped makeup brushes have their tips (first cut) still intact whereas mass machine produced brushes are not hand shaped, and end up getting their tips trimmed off. :(
When it comes to natural bristle, the most commonly used materials? Badger(Similar to squirrel, kolinsky, weasel,red sable, High quality badger goes from light to dark back to light again with very visible thin tips. Beautiful material to work with.) Goat (several different types and grades), Squirrel ( Several different types and grades), Sable(Red and the 'bomb' Kolinsky(No other sable like it, produces more intense and true washes of color and has a snap, very springy and can pack color easily.), Pony, Pahmi,
Different types and grades of goat and squirrel bristle produce different results, and are better for different skin types than others. If you have very sensitive skin, gray and Canadian blue bristle brushes would be the way to go, synthetic brushes are also an excellent option for those with sensitive and/or acne prone skin as well. When it comes to goat, there are many grades and cuts. Capra in my opinion is gold. This bristle type is suitable for more moderate to intense washes of color and can also be used on more sensitive skin types.
All that being said, both kinds of brushes (synthetic and natural) have their pros and cons. When looking at sets, you'll either see all synthetic, or sets that have both natural and synthetic brushes in them. There are some things that natural bristle brushes do better, and there are some things synthetic brushes are better for. Both can coexist in the makeup world. :)
2 other things you should take into consideration when choosing brushes: The ferrule material and the handle. The ferule is the metal tube that connects the brush material to the handle. Ideally, you want a brass ferrule or copper with nickel-platting for corrosion resistance. Anodized Aluminum also makes for a sturdy ferrule, but if you want to spend a little bit more, brass and copper are the way to go in my opinion. Whatever the ferrule material is composed of, also make sure that the ferrule is double crimped and seamless; you don't want a wobbly hobbly handle down the road. Nowadays, as far as handles are concerned, you will see everything from wood, to metal to acrylic. If you go with wood, make sure they have a few good coats of lacquer to protect the wood from water exposure.
Back to the Royal & Langnickel Revolution brushes. If you want all synthetic, these brushes are the way to go. These brushes are made with Nartrafil. It is a polyester filament that has a textured surface that very closely mimics the pick up and deposit of natural bristle bristle. Construction wise, these cannot be topped: Titanium plated brass ferrule, molded acrylic handles that have sort of a rubber coating to them. I couldn't even begin to imagine what one would have to do to obliterate these brushes. They are very reasonably priced, and if you want the benefits of both synthetic and natural bristle, there is no other set to consider (just my opinion) I'll attach a few of the Revolution brushes that I have so you can have a look see.:) Here's a link to the Revolution brushes:
https://beautyusa.royalbrush.com/collections/revolution
Good natural bristle: Personally, I do not find washing a natural bristle brush any more difficult than washing a synthetic brush. Brush washing is brush washing, and if you do it correctly, you won't have problems with either synthetic or natural. Here are some really good sets that I think you'll like: Reasonably priced, well constructed, and all inclusive in the sense that you won't need to buy outside of the set to get what you need for application:
BDellium Studio Series Set: I love these brushes. I have 4 sets, and I have not 1 complaint.
http://bdelliumtools.com/studio/studio-luxury-24pc-brush-set-with-roll-up-pouch.html
Royal & Langnickel Master Pro
https://beautyusa.royalbrush.com/collections/master-pro
The London Brush Company: This company also makes the most wonderful brush shampoo. ;)
http://www.londonbrushcompany.com/collections/brush-sets/products/makeup-brush-set-debut-bolt-on
If you want to get into Japanese brushes, that's a whole different world with a side of wasabi. These brushes have to be taken care of very differently, and due to the high grade bristle material, aren't as durable if mistreated. I like to call these more 'sensitive brushes.' If you are willing to lay down fairly serious serious money, you won't be disappointed. If you are interested into going into this realm, let me know, and I can break it down a bit more for you in terms of brands and recommendations. 2 recommendations in this category that are really good entry points?
Wayne Goss Brushes, and the Chikuhodo Passion series. High quality brushes, very reasonably priced. Both sold on Beautylish.