By Sheila Arkee
I happened to have a makeup gig recently that gave me a really good reason to get my brushes in tip top shape! With that in mind, I figured I would use the opportunity to show you all the core brushes in my collection. These are my MUST HAVES that I have been using for many years and I wouldn’t go on a makeup job without ‘em.
These brushes are all about five years old. Remember to take good care of your brushes and you will not have to replace them for quite some time! Check this past Breaking Down Beauty for brush care tips.
For The Face
From left to right, my favorite face brushes are:
- Powder brush
- Blush brush
- Small contour brush for cream foundation and blush
For The Eyes
From left to right:
- Crease brush, for getting a really defined crease
- Large blending brush for eyes and around the eye area
- Blending brush for the crease and all over
- The best brush in the entire universe, for blending and placing color in the outer corner
- Not pictured: Flat shader brush for lid and browbone
More Eye Brushes
From left to right:
- Angled brush for liner and eyebrows
- Small brush for placing color under the lid and smudging liner
- Brush for grooming brows
What are your essential makeup brushes?




Yep, the 217 really is the best brush in the entire universe. I use mine for concealer.
Sooooo versatile. Can’t leave home without it!
Great intro to brushes! I was wondering what is the name of the brush 2 over from the duo fiber brush in your first picture (the one above your intro paragraph)? Is that a MAC powder brush?
Thanks!
Siu – yes it is! It’s the #150
Thanks for the reply!