I haven’t been buying a lot of makeup lately (I’ve developed a bit of an unhealthy obsession with other things like skincare and gasp! scented candles) but there’s one thing I’ve been indulging in recently and that’s makeup brushes. Not just any makeup brush, I recently took the plunge and went for a couple of high end, pricey makeup brushes notably from Tom Ford, Hakuhodo and Wayne Goss.
So, I was talking about it online to my friend who’s my sounding board and we got round to discussing these really expensive makeup brushes. I have started seeing a lot of these luxury makeup brushes appear in people’s blogs and Instagram feeds and how everyone goes “OMG you NEED this! It’s perfect for applying blush/eyeshadow/powder” blah blah and I can’t help feeling that it’s not all true, because statements like this sway people and make them irrational.
Despite the fact I do own some luxury brushes and I enjoy using them, I don’t think anyone actually really “needs” these brushes at all. In fact, while I agree that you need good makeup brushes, I don’t agree that you have to sell a kidney to buy that Hakuhodo or Tom Ford brush, no matter how amazing it is, because you could quite easily get similar results from a more affordable brand, but a GOOD brush.
I think it’ll be interesting to hear your thoughts on this, or if you have compared a luxury brush to a regular one and think that my statement isn’t quite accurate 🙂
I liken these luxury makeup brushes to a luxury bag. We all want one. We lust after one. We know that for the most part, they are well made, are made of better quality material and will last longer with regular use.
Yet, we also know that a good quality more affordably priced bag, can serve the same function just as well. Think LV Neverfull vs Michael Kors Jet Set tote 😛
Ditto makeup brushes. What you want is a good makeup brush because a good brush can actually make your makeup look better. For example, a good blush brush will ensure that the amount of product that is picked up is sufficient, that it will deposit it on your skin without streaking and that it will be comfortable to blend on your skin, without scratching it to bits. You get good blush brushes in the expensive brush category – Lunasol, Tom Ford, Hakuhodo – but you can also find a good brush in the inexpensive brush category – The Body Shop, Real Techniques, Ecotools – are a few that come to mind.
Here are some tips I have for getting good brushes without burning a hole in your wallet.
Brush Kits or Travel sets
When I first started using makeup brushes, I got myself a travel set from one of the MAC holiday collections. It was pricey, but I got a set of brushes that I could practice with. They aren’t the best quality brushes around, but they could cost as much as one full size MAC brush so I think it’s a good start. Incidentally, despite MAC not being my favourite cosmetics brand, I do have a soft spot for some of their brushes and still use a couple to this day. The MAC239 gets a lot of use and abuse daily.
Later, when I wanted to get into Shu Uemura brushes (also very high quality and pricey brushes) I too got a travel kit from one of their holiday collections. It allowed me to get the feel and to understand how much more superior their brushes were to many others in the market, and I got them at a more affordable price tag. To be fair, the quality in the kits aren’t as good as the full sized ones, but honestly, can you tell if you aren’t an expert makeup artist? I couldn’t and I still can’t because the results I get are similar.
Synthetic bristle brushes are usually more affordable
If you want something affordable, then my suggestion will be to look into synthetic brushes. Real Techniques have good brush sets and their singular brushes aren’t too pricey either. Ecotools too does fairly good brushes (I still use their blush brush) as does The Body Shop and Sigma synthetic brushes are impressive too for the small price tag.
Sometimes, look into the indie mineral makeup brands. They usually have very affordable brush kits that do a good job, or singular brushes that similarly do a good job. I’m not much of a fan of mineral makeup, but the one good thing that came out of the trend were the affordable, good quality synthetic brushes.
The other upside about synthetic brushes is their softness and the fact that they are definitely cruelty free since they are made from man-made fibres, and if you have religious concerns then synthetic brushes are the safest because no animals are involved. Personally, I’m not so into synthetic brushes, as I explained here, so I don’t use many, but if you use a lot of cream based products then they are your best friend because they will clean out easily and dry quickly. One exception to my no-synthetic-brush rule is the white handled Tony & Tina eye brushes you see in the picture above. They are excellent bar none and cost me just US$10 for a set. Well, a little more because I had it shipped to me but they are great (and discontinued :P).
Expect to pay more for good quality natural hair brushes
A common thing you will notice among luxury makeup brushes is that they are usually natural hair brushes. After playing around with brushes (I do have a lot of them, but I just don’t talk much about them :P) I have come to learn that for the most part, for natural hair brushes, those that come from Japan are superior to most that come from China, and they are also more expensive.
This is true in the quality of the brush, the softness, the density and the make. A good natural hair brush feels softer and more delicate against the skin. One that isn’t as high quality can feel rough and irritate the skin. So, if natural hair makeup brushes are your thing then yes, expensive brushes can quite often mean a better makeup brush because it is just better made. However, we are also starting to see many little Japanese makeup brush companies appear on the scene. Hakuhodo and Chikuhodo are 2 I know of, that sell their own brushes as well as make them for many luxury brands. Even then, their own name brushes aren’t cheap even if they could be cheaper than their branded counterparts. But the quality is impressive.
That said, you don’t NEED that Tom Ford Bronzer brush that costs US$115 (even if it’s really nice to use) or that US$100 Hakuhodo brush. While pricey, the Lunasol Cheek Brush N that I love (and that I know many of you love too) does a good enough job for RM150 (US$47). I was going to say try the Shu Uemura #20 blush brush but I think it could be pricier than the Lunasol (I can’t remember the prices so if someone wants to help out, please do!). But it is also for this reason of softness and quality that I couldn’t like natural hair brushes from brands like Sigma or even MAC because they really grated against my skin for face brushes.
Can I use a paint brush for makeup instead?
Logically and technically you can. Practically I wouldn’t because that’s just me. Besides, as any painter can tell you, a good quality paint brush can be very pricey too, and a cheap one isn’t always good. I’d stick to brushes meant for makeup.
Are you into makeup brushes? Do you think expensive makeup brushes are necessary?
As I said above, I think luxury makeup brushes are like luxury bags. They aren’t necessary. We all want one but the reality is that not all of us can afford one off hand; and whilst it’s nice to talk about saving up for one, if you ask me, I’d rather eat and enjoy myself or travel, while using a good quality but more affordable makeup brush. Truth to tell, few of us general users can tell the difference in results 😉 But if you can afford it then I think some brushes are very splurge-worthy!
Paris B
PositivelyNice says
I do! Strangely, I do not own any high-end (4 digits) bags!! I have held out for this long, maybe because the price really is that much higher. But I can afford to indulge in high-end brushes because they are still cheaper in absolute price. So I definitely LOVE my luxury brushes to bits, and feel that nothing else can replace them.
I do love the more affordable brushes for specific purposes. For example, none of my high-end brushes have come close to EcoTool’s blending brush. That is just the best at getting its job done. And none of any expensive brush has come close to my Sasa lip brush. The Real Techniques Blush Brush and Stippling Brush are also not replaceable, because they are so niche, it is so difficult to find another brush that is the same shape, softness, density, and does the job in exactly the same way.
I also like MANY of Sephora’s brushes and Bdellium Tools. All are under affordable brushes category.
Yet at the same time, Tom Ford, Estee Lauder, Hakuhodo, and Lunasol blush brushes, together with NARS Yachiyo, are equally irreplaceable for me.
Rae Morris has an awesome #10 eye brush that is pretty unique too.
ARGH, I couldn’t get my hands on Wayne Goss. T_T
PS: Haha! I am in the same situation as you right now – indulging in all these stuff that nobody sees, and never blogging about them, ever. =P Sometimes I feel bad that I am “secretly” using all that good stuff.
LOL@candles. haha. Went through one round of that. Still have some of my stash of candles. I am into aroma oils at the moment (not crazy yet).
Paris B says
I think if one looks for exact dupes of high end brushes in the budget or more affordable category, it actually is hard or almost impossible to find a “dupe”. What I’d rather do is like you, pick up a brush that works, be it luxury or not. Some do double duty, but they could look or apply products differently and feel different on skin. So, whilst I still don’t think an expensive brush is necessary, finding that good brush to work for you is 😀 I hear Wayne Goss brushes are back in stock by Nov so you can try checking them out then. So far, I’m most impressed with #8 which is excellent for tightlining. The others I got haven’t quite wowed me to be perfectly honest.
As for our secret indulgences, I think some things don’t have to be shared 😉 Also, sometimes people get really judgmental and I hate that 😛
PositivelyNice says
Sorry, I need to add MAC #217. They keep saying Sigma is the same, but I don’t find it so. The MAC #217 really does not have a luxury replacement.
Generally, MAC brushes ARE madly expensive for their quality though.
Paris B says
I actually only have 1 full size MAC brush the #239 which I love and I think I got it for RM80 back in the day. Didn’t consider it too expensive but I didn’t like their face brushes, no matter what anyone said. I found I preferred Shu Uemura’s brushes which are also incredibly expensive 😛
Stepford Witch says
I am so glad you posted this because right now I’m experiencing brush envy and dying to get a hak to try out. But I cannot find it in me to dole out that much cash. I’m quite happy with some brushes I have from MUFE (the old ones), NARS & MAC.
By the way, what do you think of the Wayne Goss set?
Paris B says
Hi Stepford Witch <- cute name 😉 I know what you mean about experiencing brush envy. I went through that phase too, and it's so hard when everyone is bragging about their latest expensive brush acquisition right? It sounds like you already have brushes you like that work but yeah, doesn't stop us wanting more eh? 😉 I didn't get the whole Wayne Goss set, only a few brushes. So far, I'm on the fence about them except Brush #8 which I love! I'll have a post about it soon 🙂
Shay says
Actually I seldom buy expensive brushes because I buy some some nicer quality travel brushes eg lancome, laurer mercier, etc from eBay. I don’t like all of them. Sometimes I prefer no brand brushes I got cheap from websites.
Anyway, I realized that how good a brush is really how they suit me. Softness, length of hair, control, handle length, makeup used, etc
All these contributes to how much I like brush. But I have also learnt to make do. The next thing to work on is being diligent in washing the brushes.
Paris B says
To be honest Shay, I don’t think much of Lancome or LM brushes. I know Laura Mercier brushes get a lot of love but I don’t like them. Estee Lauder does one of the most horrible brushes IMO 😛 You’d think that if they wanted to focus on makeup, they could come up with some good brushes, considering their might 😛 But yes, not everyone likes natural hair brushes and in that case, synthetic brushes are great. They are almost always soft, and affordable. Brush washing? Now that I have to be more diligent in too! Might be why I collect brushes – saves me from washing too often LOL!
Jennifer says
Interesting topic 🙂 We might perceive that the more expensive and branded tools and makeup products that we use, we will get a better and desired outcome. To a certain extent, that is the wonder of branding and advertisement. Of course, we get what we pay for and the price tag will commensurate the quality. I like the way you purchase the travel sets to test drive the brushes from various brands.
I read the review of Hakuhodo and Chikuhodo brushes with excitement and marvel at the wonders of these brushes. But they are beyond my league while my skills catch up with me. I am attracted by Sigma’s colourful brushes and got a set. I must admit that I have not appreciated the full set like the reviewers did. I like the eye makeup brushes but the powder brushes were so so. I also got a travel set from Loving Mineral and this is the opposite of Sigma. I love the powder kabuki brush and duo fibre stippling brush. Haha, maybe there is no one set that fits it all for me yet.
Paris B says
That’s true, Jennifer. The common perception is that the pricier the object or product, the more likely it will work better. Sometimes, that’s true. Quite often, it isn’t 🙂 If I’m to be honest, I’d say that Sigma’s eye brushes aren’t bad. But their face brushes scratch my skin to ribbons (if they are natural hair) Loving minerals does very nice brushes because it’s synthetic and therefore softer. I think a travel kit is a good way to start but full size individual brushes are the way to go forward once you work out what you need 🙂
Cynthia says
Me me!! I need a Hakuhodo and Tom Ford. Lol… To be honest, I find Real Technique and Ecotools a pretty good brush. So we doesn’t really need to splurge on the expensive one. But women…..sometimes we just need to treat ourselves good 🙂
Paris B says
Hahaha don’t we all “need” Hakuhodo and Tom Ford brushes eh? 😉 I think it’s nice to have them if we can afford them, without having to sell a kidney yet having owned a couple, I do just as well without 😉
terry says
I do love good makeup brushes. Also, like you, I prefer good quality natural hair (especially squirrel) over synthetic ones. This is mainly due to practical reasons, since even though synthetic hairs are much easier to wash, and they keep their shape better, I find that the way they deposit pigments are not as fine, making the results a lot more cakey and obvious to the eye, an obvious example being the Real Techniques Powder Brush. Just my two cents, though.;)
Paris B says
Ooh I love squirrel hair brushes! When I buy good brushes, I make sure they’re squirrel hair – so soft! 😀 You are right actually, about how different brush types pick up product. Natural hair gives a softer, more diffused finish, while synthetic brushes can deposit colour more strongly and don’t blend out as easily. That said, depends too on the product we’re using. Sometimes, when I’m faced with a particularly stubborn product, out comes the synthetic brush! 😀
makeupmag says
TONY & TINA!!!!!! #memories
lisa says
I remember Tony and Tina!!! That was one of the makeup brand that got me excited back then…. Good old days.
Paris B says
*high5* 😀
lisa says
I’ve several cheap/free/expensive brushes which work so well for me and at the other hand, i have several cheap/free/expensive brushes which are lousy. So, it all boils down to our techniques and needs. I also think when it comes to acquiring “our favorite” brushes, it comes with experience after “more than several” trial and error what kind of cheap brushes will work and what sort of expensive brush will very soon be an white elephant. For affordable brushes, i love my real techniques face brushes. Yay!
Paris B says
Good point, Lisa about our personal experiences. It’s taken me a while to work out what I want in a makeup brush so I’ve accumulated a lot of crappy ones along the way haha! But once I worked it out, it’s a lot easier to build on that 🙂
Melissa Ting says
It really depends on the quality of a brush. What will you recommend if I am searching for a affordable price range of a powder brush?
Mine I realize the brush started to fall off after I wash it. 🙁
Paris B says
For an affordable powder brush, I’d suggest Real Techniques Blush Brush. I know it says blush brush but it’s HUGE so I use it for powder and it’s great. Otherwise, you can look into Ecotools as well. That said, one of the nicer powder brushes I’ve used is the Lunasol Powder Brush, which is lovely and soft. RMK does a very good one too. It may or may not be within your budget but it’s worth taking a look for a high quality natural hair brush.
Melissa Ting says
May I know where you get the Real Techniques Blush Brush? haha… I always use the same brush for blush and face powder.
Paris B says
You can get RT brushes at Shins stores (at a terrible mark up but instant gratification) or you can buy them off iherb. If you use my link here you can save up to $10 if you spend over $40 or $5 off if under. Shipping is affordable too and that would be the best place to get it at the best price 😉
Melissa Ting says
Thank you very much for the info!! I do agree that Skins always mark up the price. Sasa too. The price difference is just too much.
Paris B says
yep! Hence I don’t shop there on principle 😉
shusheshe says
Well, I haven’t had much luck with the cheap or even mid-range makeup brushes, ie. Sigma (cheap) and MAC (mid-range). Both of these have either shed (on MY FACE even), feels really rough on my face or bleed dye while I’m cleaning them. So lately I’ve been saving up for the more expensive Hakuhodo (or other Japanese) brushes that feels wonderfully soft on my skin and don’t have any of the above problems.
Paris B says
Wow sounds like you got lots of duds! I don’t think much of Sigma or MAC face brushes, but their eye brushes aren’t bad. I have a couple of Hakuhodo eye brushes and I can’t say I love them, but their face brush is sublime! 😀
shusheshe says
My biggest MAC offenders ARE their eye brushes. The 239 I have is the scratchiest eye brush I’ve ever had and the 224 & 226 both shed and bleed. The one face brush I have from MAC is good though with none of the problems. I don’t have any Sigma eye brushes, only a set of their face brushes with all of the problems I listed.
I also have a couple of Bobbi Brown brushes and they are mid-range in price and quite nice actually. But yes, Hakuhodo face brushes are sublime, which is why I’m saving up for more.
Paris B says
Lol! Ah well their quality sounds inconsistent. Still once you’ve found some good brushes, stick with them. Not always easy to find good ones to suit our purposes 😉
Michael says
I bought a Guerlain kabuki once. Not only it has a very coarse texture, it smells horrendously repugnant upon washing. I’m much happier with my eco tools that cost a fraction of its price.
That said… Tom Ford brushes, despite their stratospheric prices, are just divine… Oh, Tom, why does everything with your name on it have to be cray cray expensive?
Paris B says
Hi Michael I have to agree with you on the Guerlain kabuki. It felt so awful I couldn’t bring myself to buy it! The 2 Tom Ford brushes I own, I do like. I’m not sure if I’d get more (never say never!) but the prices! That man’s name sells, that’s why 😀
melanie says
I don’t care how much it costs (mostly) as long as it works. I used to have a powder brush and eyeshadow brush from Covergirl that I loved. They were both under $10. I stupidly threw them away a few years ago when I was moving and I have missed them ever since. I have gone through several different eyeshadow brushes looking for one I like but I’m using my finger and a Clinique chubby eyeshadow stick at the moment.
I’ve been on the hunt for a powder brush recently. I have one that came with my Bare Minerals kit but it scratches my sensitive skin and leaves behind bits of hair every single time. The only good thing about it is that it is undyed hair, which brings me to another powder brush… I got a powder brush from Missha because the one on sample was so soft and seemed good quality. I’m convinced they had a fake on display because the packaged one I bought was terrible. It shed and broke and scratched like crazy. The first time I washed it the water turned black with dye. Chucked it in the bin then and there.
I think I’ll take a trip down to Mitsukoshi tomorrow and have a look at the Hakuhodo brushes, I’ve walked past many times but never stopped.
Paris B says
Ouch that Missha brush sounds like a right dud! If you do have access to Hakuhodo, I do recommend checking them out. Hold on to your wallet though. You might want to buy everything 🙂
Joyce (bronzerbunny) says
funny enough, I have a coworker who has bought makeup brushes for painting! 🙂 anyway, I don’t have to have expensive brushes, but a lot of the time the shape/feel etc that i’m looking for just can’t be found at the drugstore. I really like a few from real techniques, and i have one ecotools eyeshadow one that is really good too, but other than that my preferred brushes are at the very least sephora brand lol. I haven’t gotten into suqqu, TF, and all those pricey brands though!
Paris B says
Waaah I hope your co-worker wasn’t using the expensive ones! haha… I haven’t tried the brushes from Sephora yet but I’ve heard they’re quite good for the price too.
Jessi says
hahaha…totally agree, sometimes I prefer to use my
fingers ! My best work is done using my fingers, so far it’s
working just fine.
Paris B says
Fingers are definitely one of the fastest way to do makeup. Many makeup artists use their fingers to finish off too!
melanie says
I did get a Hakuhodo powder brush. I love it so far, it’s shed a couple of hairs but that’s over a week of using it not per minute of using it. I found the sales assistant pleasant and not pushy. She didn’t try to sell me the most expensive brush or push additional brushes on me as well. She listened to my concerns about my sensitive skin and the powder finish I was looking for and recommended the flat rounded shape squirrel hair powder brush. It’s a pricy brush at around ¥6,500 but considering I’ve gone through 3-4 terrible brushes with an average price of around ¥1,800, it might actually be a bargain.
Paris B says
I have a squirrel hair blush brush and it’s very lovely! It’s great to know you had a good experience at the counter. I haven’t yet experienced it myself but I’ve been told they know what they’re doing!
Memoiselle says
Hi Paris,
This is an interesting topic and I have to agree with most of the thing you have written.
I have quite a number of brushes and some of them are on the expensive side. I agree that actually I don’t need the brush but looking at my collection makes me happy.
My favorite brushes are not always the expensive ones; but so far my Tom Ford cheek brush makes me very happy with its quality.
Paris B says
Hi Memoiselle, I think if we can afford it and it doesn’t mean we’re eating bread and water for months on end then expensive brushes do quite often result in better product application and quality. I just didn’t want people thinking that you NEED an expensive brush for good application, because that just isn’t true 🙂 I do like my Tom Ford bronzer brush too. So lovely and soft!