Makeup Wars: Favorite Makeup Brush

This week for Makeup Wars we've decided to tackle a topic that you might not think about too often, but definitely can make a big difference in your makeup application. We're showing of our favorite makeup brushes!

My favorite brush is one that I've talked about a lot, though I have to admit that there were 2 close runner ups brushes that you should know about. The first is my blush brush, which was a freebie in a Clinique gift with purchase well over 10 years ago. I should probably go and pick up a new one (with nicer bristles), it looks like this blush brush is the same size and shape as the brush that fits my cheeks so perfectly. I'm also a huge fan of that $1 ELF eye shadow brush, it's a great size for apply all over the lid, the bristles are soft and hold just the right amount of product. I have 3 of them and I have to restrain myself from picking up more when I see it in stock at the store!

The brush I've chosen to feature is one that changed how I do my eye makeup for my regular, every day looks. For years I'd been trying to perfect a darker crease, and it turned out that I really needed a brush that fit my eye a bit better. For me, that was the crease brush that came in my Laura Mercier Luxe Eye Portfolio, but I pulled out the brushes that were a similar shape so you could check them out.

1. Buxom Smoky Eye Brush, $17: A slightly larger version of the pencil brush that I think every company makes, this is great for targeted application of colors. It tends to pick up a lot of color very easily, which can be a good thing or a bad thing. It also tends to pop up in special smoky eye sets (this is from one at Sephora), which can be a great deal.

2. ELF Contour Brush, $3: This is a bit flatter than the other brushes and rather than using it in my crease I've found it works great for adding definition to my outer lid.

3. Coastal Scents Classic Detail Pointed Brush, $2.49: Really, this is a cheaper alternative to #4.

4. MAC 219 Pencil Brush, $25: This brush is a classic, and a lot of people do use it for their crease. I've definitely found that it is too small to work in my crease. It's great for adding a little extra color under my eye or if I want to add a little highlight to my inner eye corner.

5. MAC 226 Small Tapered Blending Brush, not currently available: Many people really, really love the 226 for their crease. It is a slightly smaller, thinner and more pointed version of the 224. For me it is a tad too big for my crease, instead I like to use it for blending that area.

My friend Karen over at Makeup and Beauty Blog has a great post on why you should covet it. It is not part of the permanent collection, it comes and goes as a specially available brush with different collections. Mine is from a holiday eye set, so watch for it in those sets as well.

6. Laura Mercier Eye Crease Travel Brush: For all the reasons that Karen loves the 226, I love the LM Crease brush. It is a little bit shorter and the tip isn't quite as pointed, which fits into my crease a bit better. It's about... 90% the size of the 226, which is just a touch too big for apply makeup into my crease, and the tip is a little more blunted.


What do you use to apply shadow to your crease?