My Favorite Budget Brushes

I have a soft spot for nice brushes, but I don't like spending loads of money on them.

They make all the difference in makeup application, and make me feel like a real artist, even when I'm just goofing around at home. I can't tell you how many times I would get frustrated with those cheap little applicators that come with the products, wondering why I couldn't replicate any of my favorite looks at home. 

But then I discovered the ELF brushes, and instantly fell in love. At $1 a pop, they are definitely worth testing out. Although I've found brushes that I prefer since then, I still have a handful sitting on my bathroom counter. It's always good to have back ups for when you don't have time to wash your favorites and good to have a budget option for those brushes that you rarely plan on using. In my case, it's a underused smudging brush that I love. Luckily, I only spent $1 on it, because there is no way I use it enough to justify a $30 purchase.


My most loved:

I then moved on to Real Techniques, because every youtuber and their dog claims to love them. These are darn good brushes and definitely a step up from your average ELF brushes, especially when it comes to longevity. Quite a few of my ELF brushes started falling apart after a year and of half. I don't have this problem with Real Techniques.

Note: I love their blush brush, but not for applying brush. It's my favorite all-over bronzer brush.

But my absolute favorites brushes the new Zoeva brushes. All of them. They're just brilliant and even softer than the Real Techniques brushes. Plus, when it comes to their eye brushes, I find the Zoeva brushes deposit color much better. These are slightly more expensive than the other options, but not by much. I've also heard that some people like them better than MAC brushes. But seeing as I don't currently have any MAC products, I don't have an opinion on the matter.

*No brushes were cleaned for the making of this post - because it's Wednesday and brush cleaning is my weekend activity. :)