The best investment for your cosmetic collection is getting the best makeup brushes money can buy. And there is no other than Shu Uemura for the best of the best. You will hear otherwise but take my word for it, you spend wisely on a nice set and you are set for life. I got my first Shu Uemura brushes as a gift from my mom when I was 16. She got me the powder brush, a cheek brush and a shadow blending brush. All in sable or kolinsky (kolinsky is a kind of mink). Almost twenty years later, the paint on the brush handles have peeled away but there is not one hair out of place on the brush itself, it is in mint condition. (I have continued to collect brushes and now have over 20, all of which look brand new. I clean them religiously and keep them in a leather satin lined pouch.) So you might be asking, OK so these brushes last forever but what does it do to make me beautiful? Well, natural fibers adhere to powder because they are porous so when applying, it goes on evenly and smoothly, instead of having a heavy first stroke. You get the truest color from your makeup. Synthetic fibers act like a broom, the makeup just sits on the surface of the brush and it sweeps around, you can use a Q-tip or the eraser end of your pencil to get the same effect (the sponge applicator that comes up your shadow is just as useless). Shu Uemura has natural and kolinsky, the difference is the natural is either squirrel, badger or pony (or a blend) and the kolinsky is pure mink and oh-so-soft. To start your set, I recommend the following (trust me, you will get hooked and buy every brush they make).
This is a shadow brush for blending, I also use it to apply the base color all over the lids. Since blending is the most important step in applying shadow, I would not skimp, in fact if you can only get one brush, this is the brush I would get. It is expensive but perfect blending is the key difference between amateurs and professionals so unless you have a makeup artist living with you, this is still a bargain. $270 at Shu Uemura.
Use this brush to apply the shadow, you can actually use the same brush for different colors if you use natural hair brushes and not get a muddled mess. Of course, you should clean your brushes regularly to keep colors as pristine as possible. Or like me, you go ahead and buy one for every color you use. I actually do shades, so I use all my dark browns with one brush, eggplants with another and of course the glittery shades you need to isolate and have a specific brush for. If you use white to highlight, you need a separate brush to keep the white as bright as possible. But for most people, you stick to a certain palette so one or 2 brushes is sufficient. $67 at Shu Uemura.
Applying blush can be tricky if you are using a darker shade, so having a natural brush is of utmost importance in avoiding the doll face. An even application of blush cannot be any easier with this brush; just smile and brush on cheeks. $50 at Shu Uemura.
If you’ve gone as far as spending $454 on 4 brushes, it makes no sense to get frugal when it comes to brush maintenance, spend the measly $13 on the cleaner. It cleans and conditions at the same time without having to use water, which can damage natural hair. Put the cleaner in a small container (shot glasses are perfect) and start with the brush you use the lightest colors with. Swish it around and dry on a paper towel until it wipes clear. Do this at least 4 times a year (that is very low maintenance!). $13 at Shu Uemura.
