MAKEUP BRUSH COLLECTION | DE-CLUTTER + NEW BRUSHES | PART ONE

Hello everyone! If you read one of my recent posts talking about my january must-buys, then you will probably know that i talked a little bit about being inspired to have a good makeup brush de-clutter after picking up a new brush set in the sales and receiving one for Christmas also. With that in mind i thought why not document and share with you all of the new brushes i have to replace old brushes (which lets face it, who hasn't held onto/hoarded too many brushes?) and also the brushes i still wanted to keep in my collection. As i do still have quite a large amount of brushes, i thought i would split this post into two parts starting with face brushes.

ps...insta girl perfecting powder brush 
For the longest time i have used the Real Techniques blush brush as a powder brush, but i decided as it was well overdue being thrown in the bin, why not just try a different one out. I picked this one up in Primark for £6 recently and i was so amazed, as the bristles are super soft and it is really well made as it feels weighty rather than plastic-y. I definitely want to pick some more up soon.

real techniques fresh faced favourites set
So this is the brush set that i received for Christmas from one of my sisters, which was perfect timing because some of the brushes inside this set i already owned and they were also ready for being replaced. This set contains a bb/cc brush, contour brush (one of my faves), a detailer brush and some of the exclusive set wedge sponges all for £19.99 from Superdrug in selected stores and online.

real techniques filtered face set
This was the particular brush set i was talking about that i picked up in the sales for £40 instead of £80, which is such a bargain for what you get inside of the set and a lot of the brushes are everyday favourites of mine. This set contains the following face brushes, buffing brush, contour brush, setting brush (which i now own three of but it is probably my all time favourite brush from the brand) and a stippling brush.

real techniques bold metals 301 flat contour brush
So the final Real Techniques brush of the bunch (can you tell by now that they are my favourite?) and the most expensive brush i own now, but probably one of my top favourites to apply and blend cream contour out with. As the bristles on this brush are quite dense you can be a lot more precise with the product you are apply and to where, especially when it comes to contouring your jaw or nose. If you were to buy this brush individually it would set you back £22, although Boots currently have a Bold Metals set available containing six brushes and two sponges for £50 (half price).

freedom ff104 powder and bronzer brush 
If i am ever asked on what really affordable but great quality brushes to try out, i always recommend Freedom brushes and more specifically their face brushes. I first tried these particular brushes out last year for the first time and i was/still am honestly shook on how great in quality they are for under £2 each, i love using one for applying bronzer and the other for blush.

freedom ff103 stippling brush
Another freedom face brush that i probably couldn't be without now actually, is the stippling brush. A lot of people tend to use a stippling brush for applying foundations/bb-creams, but i actually love using mine to apply highlighter with as it applies the right amount of product and blends it out flawlessly. To do this i don't pick up the product head on, i use the side of the brush to apply and blend out on an angle. This brush is also under £2.

mua f11 highlighting brush
Fun fact when i first started out with experimenting with makeup MUA is actually the brand of brushes i first owned and i loved them, obviously over time i have replaced them until recently when i picked up a few new ones to try again. The brushes i particularly picked up were highlighting brushes, the f11 (ABH highlighting brush dupe), f7 small fan brush and the f8 fan brush. Just like Freedom brushes, MUA brushes are also perfect if you are on a budget but still want a great quality product. 

shop the brushes sold separately...
| ps...insta girl perfecting powder brush (in-store only) | real techniques setting brush | real techniques stippling brush | real techniques flawless base makeup brush set (contour + buffing brush) | mua f7 brush | mua f8 brush | freedom ff104 brush | freedom ff103 brush |

xo.

EBAY DUPES FOR HIGH-END BRUSHES

Hello everyone! If you are a makeup addict or just a frequent makeup wearer, then you will know one of the key things to have is makeup brushes, just like a painter needs paint brushes to do their work. A lot of the time we tend to spend a fortune on brushes, because lets face it half of the time they aren't the cheapest of items. Now with the aid of eBay and Amazon, there are so many different high-end brushes that have been duped "look-a-likes" that are just as good as the real thing (with the exception of a few misses). With that in mind for today's post i thought i would share with you a selection of eBay dupes for high-end brushes/brush brands.

1. nars yachiyo kabuki brush £43 vs. 

eBay flat kabuki powder brush £1.64

I am all about a splurge from time to time but i have to be honest, i don't think i would ever spend £43 on a single makeup brush, a set yes maybe but not a single brush. With that in mind eBay have an identical dupe for famous NARS yachiyo brush and i bet there is barely any difference, plus you could go through around 25 of the eBay dupes for the price of one NARS brush.

2. tarte airbuki bamboo powder foundation brush £23 vs. 

eBay flat powder foundation bamboo brush £1.39

Literally how identical are the two of these brushes and so unique in their shapes, as it is a great really dense brush and perfect for blending all over face products (whether that be foundation or powder). This brush is also one of those dressing table piece items, especially if you are into mixing woods and metals together.

3. real techniques bold metals arches powder brush £22 vs.

eBay seven piece metals brush set £6.99

If you really don't justify spending £20+ on technically still a drugstore item/brush, then eBay or Amazon have you covered on that front as they have so many different metal brushes on offer, from single items to sets and talking of sets you can actually buy a few different sets for the price of one single brush. The eBay dupes are also still as weighty feeling as the real deal, which amazes me as the product is obviously a lot less costly.

4. tarte the slenderizer bamboo dual ended contour brush £27 vs.

eBay double sided bamboo contour brush £2.81

Another great unique/dual purpose brush that is identical to one from Tarte, this particular brush picks product up so well and is great for applying/blending out cream products, such as contour/concealer etc. The feel of the bristles are super soft yet sturdy and is super handy for travel.

5. anastasia beverly hills dual sided brow brush £14 vs.

eBay double ended brow brush £1.39

Who doesn't love a good dual ended brow/spoolie brow brush? I know i do, as they are super handy when going in with a brow pomade and you can brush through the brows by simply twisting the brush around. I am also extremely picky when it comes down to the angle/shape of a brow brush and this particular eBay brush is just as great of an angle/density as the ABH number 14.

6. nars ita kabuki brush £43 vs.

eBay flat kabuki contour brush £1.88
Finally we have another brush that i would never justify spending £43 on and it is another ever so famous brush from NARS, that i have actually tried the real deal out before and i wasn't that impressed if i am being completely honest. That being said my friend picked up an eBay dupe for under £2 and it became her favourite contour brush, so naturally i had to give it a try for myself and i actually ended up preferring it.

♥