As a professional makeup artist for 30+ years, I&#;ve collected multitudes of makeup brushes. I&#;ve worked on designing them, (some I even have my name on), been given them to me by friends, received lots from manufacturers and brands and of course, I&#;ve purchased hundreds. Some, you fall in love with and guard them like jewels- others, not so much. 

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Do better brushes make a difference in your makeup application? Absolutely! First, it&#;s how the product is picked up and held, then it&#;s that you can achieve correct placement with the right shape along with the firmness/softness and blendability of the brush. Of course, there&#;s also the way it feels and looks- is it soft, lux and beautiful or old, dirty and beat up? Perhaps it&#;s time for an upgrade!

When it came time to create a new, custom designed from the ground up collection of makeup brushes, I took all of my favorites, picked out the elements I loved of each one and combined those elements into a collection of perfect brushes that I&#;m incredibly proud of. 

The Essential Pro Makeup Brush Collection is all vegan, cruelty free, with incredible soft, yet durable lux fibers.  They provide easy pick up and hold color, then deliver it with precise placement, definition and blendability. They&#;re evenly balanced to feel great in your hand and look gorgeous whether they&#;re on you vanity or in your bag. The yummy dark chocolate brown matte handle and ferrule with cream fibers are the height of sophistication- in the coolest way.

If you&#;re wondering about how to make the most of your brushes, here&#;s a description of each one and how it&#;s used.

Create more definition and precision with your eye application using our Contour Brush. Use the tip to pick up eyeshadow and apply in the outer corners of your eye or blend into the crease. The tapered tip will provide more precision and the contoured, round shape blends out the edges.

The paddle-shaped Shader Brush is an essential multi-tasker. First, it allows for targeted shading on your eyelids. Its firm, dense shape will pick up shadow and apply it to mimic an eyeliner with a softer effect. You can also use this brush to smudge out your I-Line eyeliners for a smoky effect on both upper and lower lash lines. This brush is firm and flat and works really well for applying shimmery shadow to the lid- fluffy brushes don&#;t hold your shimmery shades like The Shader Brush.  It also works perfectly as a lip brush!

A large, fluffy eye brush, the Blender Brush is used for the placement or blending of powdery or creamy products. In addition to placement of larger areas on your eye, like a soft wash of color on your lid, this brush is used at the end  of your eye application to soften and blend all shadows. It can also be used for targeted highlighter application on small areas of the face.

Our double-ended Angle/Spoolie Brush has a firm, angled brush for lining or stamping at the base of your eyelashes and shapes brows with precisely distributed color. The spoolie brush applies mascara, combs lashes and brows, blurring color for a natural-looking effect.

Ultra fine-tipped, The Liner Brush delivers a precise, firm stroke with which to line your eyes. It makes winged liner a piece of cake! It&#;s detail and angled handle shape make it easier to direct color, doing all the work for you. Use it with shadow, gel, or liquid liner to achieve eyeliner perfection!

The ultimate streak free foundation brush, our Complexion Brush provides natural looking flawless coverage of your favorite liquid, cream or powder foundations quickly and easily. Dense and compact, one makeup artist friend says it&#;s like a brush and a sponge had a baby! 

The domed, angled shape of our Blush/Contour Brush makes applying blush easy.  A large, angled brush that is specifically designed to expertly hug the contours of the face, the brush does the blending for you. It can be used with cream or powder blush, bronzer or contour for beautiful results.

I designed the Powder Brush as a large, incredibly soft brush ideal for applying loose and pressed setting powder formulas. Because of the tapered shape, you can also use the tip to apply powder blush with precision. Use the side of the brush to dust a bit of bronzer or contour products around the face or set your foundation focusing on the center of the face. 

The brushes are available individually or save $$ with a Set of 5 for eyes and Set of 3 for complexion. I confidently recommend them as I know they&#;ll make the ritual of applying your makeup that much more enjoyable. Beautiful tools for your beautiful face! xxoo, Leslie

Why You Might Not Need to Spend a Fortune on Your Makeup Brushes

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Makeup brushes. To splurge or not to splurge? 

Whether you&#;re a makeup newbie or a pro, many of us have somehow ended up with some sort of selection of makeup brushes over our lives.

And while some might have been in your makeup bag for years, others may have let you down sooner than you&#;d hoped. 

But is it the expensive ones that last the distance? Or do the cheaper brands always come up trumps?

Here, I ask whether investing in expensive makeup brushes really does make a difference. Or, if choosing affordable options can also be a success story. 

I spoke to Jenepher Reynolds, founder of About Face Cosmetics and makeup artist Azesha Ramcharan for their take on how to know a decent makeup brush when you see one. And how much of our hard-earned cash is worth spending on them. 

Brushes VS other tools

What you use to apply your makeup first comes down to personal preference. If you like the feeling of effectively painting your foundation on, a brush is the perfect tool. Alternatively, if a damp sponge feels more satisfying or fingers feel more thorough, then choose accordingly. 

Think about what formula you&#;re using too. &#;You should use makeup brushes over fingers or sponges when blending powder or dry cosmetic products,&#; explains Reynolds. &#;A brush will blend eyeshadow, blush etc to create a seamless look.&#;

What you choose depends on your coverage needs too. &#;Fingers or sponge can blend liquids and creams for a natural finish,&#; says Ramcharan. &#;Brushes can provide a fuller coverage.&#; 

Are more expensive makeup brushes best?

On the one hand, spending more can pay off. &#;Premium brushes are often hand made from high quality materials and can last many years if cared for well,&#; adds Ramcharan. 

&#;[They] may feel softer and less scratchy than their cheaper counterparts. Brushes at very low-price points may not hold up to repeated use.&#;

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This of course makes sense. The cheaper the makeup brush, the cheaper it probably was to make in the first place. This often equates to less thought going into its materials, potential longevity and functionality. 

However, Reynolds says it&#;s not only about what you spend. &#;I believe it&#;s a question of quality and not expense,&#; she says. &#;A prestige line could carry expensive makeup brushes but they may not be of the best quality. 

&#;The brand knows that people will pay for the brushes based on the brand name so quality may not be the company&#;s main concern.&#; 

This is music to my ears. I mean come on; we all love a bargain. And some brush sets are amazing value. That is, as long as you know what you&#;re buying. 

&#;If a set of 20 brushes costs $30 and you don&#;t even know what some of them are used for, more isn&#;t better,&#; says Reynolds. &#;In my opinion [you should] think twice about that purchase even if it&#;s just $30.&#;

So there is an argument for both sides. But overall, it seems that choosing quality over cost wins. 

How to spot a good quality makeup brush

First, look at the hairs (or bristles). &#;In this day and age, there&#;s no need to buy animal hair [makeup] brushes,&#; Reynolds says. &#;Brushes with synthetic hair are now made to emulate natural hair.&#;

She continues, &#;a quality brush will be dense in bristles but each individual hair will be fine (thin and soft). This will create a streak free application and help make blending products onto the skin so easy.&#;

Also, when shopping for your makeup brushes, try to have a feel of them first. &#;I want it to feel soft in my hand, not coarse,&#; Reynolds says. 

&#;Also, hold the handle with one hand and gently grasp the brush end and stroke it. I know &#; weird! But if any hairs come out into your hand, don&#;t buy it. It&#;s not well made, and you will be dealing with brush hairs on your face every time you put your makeup on.&#;

Next, consider its handle. &#;It may be made out of wood or plastic and the ferrule, typically made of metal, is the piece that attaches the bristles to the handle,&#; she explains. &#;The ferrule should be double crimped to ensure it is firmly attached to the handle.&#;

Roger that.

PRO TIP: When shopping for yours, first think about how many you might need. &#;On average, a foundation, concealer, powder, blush, contour, crease, shadow and angled liner brush will do the trick,&#; Reynolds says. 

&#;If you prefer to do your foundation and concealer with a sponge then forgo those two brushes, and if you keep it simple on the eyes, maybe you only need one [eye brush].&#;

Our pick of the best makeup brushes

• I am a huge fan of Real Techniques makeup brushes &#; their Expert Face Makeup Brush (£9 from Boots UK /$9 from Look Fantastic US ) is a staple in my makeup bag thanks to its softness and ease of use.

   

• Another brilliant &#; and affordable &#; brush brand is Eco Tools. Not only do their brushes feel premium on application, but the brand is also environmentally friendly. 

  I particularly love the Start The Day Beautifully Kit (£13 from Boots UK), which includes a powder brush, three eye brushes and an angled base brush.

• If you&#;ve got the budget to spend a little more, then consider MAC. Their 184S Duo Fibre Fan Brush (£24 from MAC UK /$30 from MAC US ) for example is a different shape to standard foundation brushes and offers a more lightweight way of applying liquid bases.

• And finally, the Trinny London T-Kit (£28 from Trinny London UK ) is a three-in-one brush. It has a lip brush, angled liner brush and smudging brush. It&#;s perfect for on-the-go and the ends are magnetic that click together seamlessly to avoid any mess.

The takeaway

According to the experts, the main thing to consider when buying makeup brushes is not the money, but the quality. Try not to be blinded by brand names and use Reynolds&#; tips on how to spot a good quality makeup brush.

If it costs £2 and has all the qualities listed then I&#;d say you&#;ve found yourself a bargain. If it costs £40 and the hairs are prickly and already shedding, put it straight back and forget it ever existed!

Full transparency? How brands can charge £40 and above for a single makeup brush, that can usually only be used for one product, baffles me. Especially after discovering my love for brands like Real Techniques. 

They don&#;t overcharge for what I believe are really decent brushes and, guess what? These brushes have lasted just as long as any of my premium priced ones &#; if not longer. 

Meet the experts

Azesha Ramcharan is a makeup artist based in NY&#;s Hudson Valley region. Clients have included NBC, The Juilliard School, Hessel Museum of Art, Craftsy, VOZ, and Kate McCleod.

Jenepher Reynolds has worked in the fashion, beauty, and cosmetics industries since . Having worked on such celebrities as Norah Jones, Wayne Gretzky and Harry Connick Jr., Jenepher&#;s resume is impressive. And it doesn&#;t stop there. When she grew tired and frustrated with the mark-up on make-up, she did something about it, and launched About Face Cosmetics, her own line.

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