Sometimes it takes forever to find the perfect brush. Aside from finding one that offers accurate application and long time for usage and safe keeping, sometimes we want to indulge in the materialistic and just have our brushes look cute. Who hasn’t looked at a bright color (if that’s your thing) on a brush and thought “ooohh I think I need that” or come up to your favorite makeup counter and saw that they added brushes to their line?
Now I don’t know if y’all ever heard about that scraggly word assume yet or not. I heard it first in elementary school from a teacher (yup – classy) & was informed that when you assume, you make the first three letters of the fourth and the last two. Get it? Well, sometimes it’s easy to assume. It’s easy to get caught up in the branding of a product and assume that if the product is great, the rest of the brand will follow. The same with assuming of economics; if something is cheap, it’ll treat you right, or it will just have to do, being that the budget is apparent and not budge(t)-ing.
Now here’s the thing y’all. You can get away with doing plenty with nary a single brush. So really, the necessity is to get a good brush. And until then, there are plenty a cheap alternative to keep you pretty.
First – your fingers. Most everyone is blessed with plenty a digit to use as makeup applicators. These will never be too big for your face as they are yours, and they will be much better at carrying product b/c you can easily feel how much is picked up. The negative? Oils on your fingertips may not always aid in the longest lasting look.
Second – Q-Tips. Now these bad boys come plenty in a pack and can be used for makeup removal, touch up, application, testing, and oh yes – ear cleaning! They are sized appropriately 
enough to fit in your pocket, in your wallet, cosmetics bag, anywhere! I also don’t think there are many a negative about q-tips available. The only one for me is using it with glossy or creamy products, because the cotton gets fussy & attaches itself to parts of my face that I’d rather it didn’t.
Third – don’t look at me like I’m crazy, but – testers! Plenty a store gives out testers & many will attest to the fact that I get plenty a tester to carry with me in my bag for last minute application & fixes. I especially love the mascara testers to use in lash separation post mascara application on the go, and for brown brushing if the winds get rough.
Last but not least – there are lots of “good enough” and mini brushes that come with the products you already buy. Beyond the “gift with purchase,” many companies are adding efficiency to their products by supplying you with a “one stop shop,” so that you can have a mirror and applicator in one product.
To get a good brush, I searched the net for a bunch of tips and tidbits on what would help you get a good purchase with no buyer’s remorse to follow. I found these two to be the most helpful: Makeup Tips: Brushes and Cosmetic Mall, Guide to Selection.
From what I’ve read, and mostly from what I look for on a regular basis, this is what the mental checklist ought to include:
- Soft & comfortable feeling.
This is something you are putting on your face.
- Doesn’t shed when testing on your hand.
Granted, there will always at one point or other be shedding for a brush. That admittedly, is the nature of it. It won’t last for an infinity. However, if it is already shedding on your hand, that is not a good foreshadowing for applications to come.
- Easy to hold.
Without touching your face (the brush needs to be washed before you let it touch your face post purchase!) try to mimic your application technique. Does this feel fine? Is the handle too big/thick/short?
- Shape of brush.
Just because it says eyeshadow brush doesn’t mean it will serve you well as an eyeshadow brush. Perform the same motions that you do on your face while testing on your hand (i.e. blending). Does the brush go too far? Does it not cover enough space?
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Have you found the right brush(es)? Still searching? Tips and tricks? Tell me all!
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Much like food comes with stamps and labels advising you to use the product before a specific date, cosmetics follow a similar practice. The difference with cosmetics is that there is a life expectancy image cleverly placed on (usually) the label sticker, with a number inside of it. The numbers will vary from months to years. This applies to the open date, as air starts to get in and around the particles and contaminate all the good relations you worked so hard to cultivate.
Sometimes Yaya 