Makeup brushes are the tools of the face and you’re makeup is only as good as your brushes. That doesn’t mean you have to use the most expensive brushes in the world however some are definitely better than others. Personally, I like to use synthetic brushes. Not only because they’re cruelty free but they soak up less product, stay in shape better and decent ones are just as soft as natural hair brushes. Great brushes at an affordable price can be found from brands such as Sigma, Zoeva, Real Techniques and Crown. More expensive great brushes can be found from nearly every brand on the market but some notable ones being MAC, Charlotte Tilbury and Bobbi Brown. The most important thing though is to keep your brushes clean. Not only does this prevent bacteria building up but also the less product is on the brush already the more seamless your makeup application will be. Below is a few of my most used brushes.

Real Techniques Blush | My favourite brush for powder. Perfectly sized to get underneath the eyes but not so small it takes ages to powder the rest of your face.

Zoeva Luxe Sheer Cheek | The best face brush I’ve found for applying blusher or diffused contour and bronzer. For this reason, I have two of them.

Real Techniques Contour | To add some concentrated contour, particularly under the jawline or on the nose, this brush is the perfect size. It’s also great for blending under-eye concealer. This brush can only be found in the Core Collection however the other brushes in the Core Collection are also really great and make the purchase worth it.

Zoeva Luxe Soft Definer | I love this brush so much I have two. Perfect for blending but also adding diffused colour into the crease for subtle, everyday definition.

Zoeva Luxe Petite Crease | My favourite brush for adding that inner corner highlight that I can't go without. It’s  also the perfect size for adding controlled colour into the crease.

Zoeva Wing Liner | Perfect for emphasising a 60s cut crease, adding shadow onto the lower lash line or creating winged liner with gel or eyeshadow, see the full post here.

What’re your favourite brushes?

~ Jade xx

Contouring is a step we all take to make our cheeks more chiseled and our noses more straight. It’s a step I prioritise in my makeup routine - along with my brows - and one I hate to skip. 
For my contour in the past I have raved about the Sleek Face Form Kit in ‘light’ - review here - which I still love, however recently something new has entered the ring, the Barry M Chisel Cheeks Contour Kit. This new little gem from the high street contains a contour shade, a bronzer and highlight shade. The contour shade is the best high street contour colour I’ve tried - even better than the Sleek version - as its very ashy and pigmented which is the perfect combination to create realistic contour as most contour shades from the high street are too warm toned which doesn’t create a shadow but rather a brown stripe across your cheek - not a good look. The bronzer is pigmented and completely matte which is great to add warmth to the face without it looking like mud, which bronzers with shimmer can do. The highlight shade is great for highlighting under the eyes because it is also matte. It has been my first time using a matte highlighter and I can say I prefer it to shimmer ones. I often find that shimmer highlighters look too overdone like you’ve had a fight with a fairy or touched cheeks with a Kardashian whereas a matte highlight still brings light to places you want to bring forward without everything being too reflective. These powders aren't the mist blendable though so it's better to start light and add more rather than going straight in with a lot of product and not being about to blend it out.

I’m a big lover of winged liner, I think I’ve donned a defined sweep of black liner nearly everyday since I was around fourteen years old. There’s something very put together and feminine about it which I love and it’s a trend that will never cease to exist. However, it takes some practise to get right - I still don’t get it right every time - and sometimes you need something a little softer than the graphic black line will provide. Recently I’ve been liking creating my feline flick with a dark brown shadow and an angled brush. I still achieve that feline flick which I much prefer to a straight across line but it’s a less bold version - which is great if you’re a beginner or aren’t confident with wearing bold liner. All you have to do is load the brush up with shadow and create a line following your bottom lash line upwards, bring the end down to your top lash line to create a triangle and then fill it in, just like you would with gel or liquid liner. Shadow is also great for this as it’s a lot more forgiving than liquid and you can blend it out to create a smoky effect or keep it subtle for daytime.

What makeup trick are you loving at the moment?

~ Jade xx

Zoeva brushes have been mentioned left, right and centre recently. A German brand which offers professional synthetic and real hair brushes at an affordable price, sounds a little to good to be true right? I recently got my hands on the Rose Golden Luxury Brush Set*, an eight piece set containing five face brushes and three eye brushes.

Firstly the appearance of these brushes is gorgeous. The rose gold ferrule with the dark contrast of the handle, every about these brushes feels luxury. The brushes also come in a brush case which makes travelling with these super easy and you don’t have to fear that the bristles will get squished and bent. The synthetic bristles are so soft that they feel like real hair and they apply makeup so smoothly with minimal effort. My favourite brushes from this set are the Luxe Sheer Cheek brush which is perfect size for contouring the cheekbones, the Silk Finish brush which has become my new favourite brush to apply foundation with and the Luxe Soft Definer which applies and blends shadow so effortlessly that even someone foreign to makeup couldn’t mess up a smoky eye. Shedding hasn't been an issue for me either which is a big win as having to pick brush hairs off your face after applying your makeup is never fun and something very common with brushes at a cheaper price point. The price of these brushes is amazing too. The set costs £55 GBP which leads each brush costing around £6.90, which is amazing as finding decent makeup brushes for under £15 a piece is incredibly rare.

Zoeva as a company also has amazing customer service which is something I always love about a brand and makes me even more inclined to purchase form them again.

Have you tried the Zoeva brushes?

~ Jade xx