BUT.....while we're waiting. I wanted to share some of my favorite brushes.
This is a close up of how I have my brushes organized on my desk (as you can see....I love brushes. I'm obsessed with brushes.)
The purple brushes in the long clear vase right in front came from eBay. They aren't a name brand, and I only bought them because they were pretty and purple (let me tell you, not a great way to shop for makeup brushes). When I got them, they smelled like plastic and the bristles (goat hair) were really stiff. I washed and sanitized them really well, and the bristles were still very prickly and hurt my face when I used them! I was disappointed, so I stopped using them, but left them there because they were pretty. Then, one day I was bored and in the mood to clean some brushes. I scoured Pinterest for a good brush cleaner recipe and ended up smooshing a few recipes together and made my own. I used (no particular amounts of each) olive oil, vinegar, Dawn antibacterial dish soap, and a little bit of Pantene shampoo. After I rinsed them really well in warm water, I put some Pantene conditioner on them (figured it couldn't hurt, right?) and let that sit for a few minutes before rinsing well. Make sure you rinse REALLY well if you try this concoction - if you don't get all the soap mixture out, an oily residue will be left on your brushes.
I. was. AMAZED.
After they dried, the brushes were SUPER soft and I love using them now! They really feel like high end brushes now. Maybe not as soft and luxurious as my absolute favorite brushes (don't worry, we'll get to those), but definitely soft and easy on the face.
I also think that Sonia Kashuk brushes deserve an honorable mention as close runner up to my favorite brushes.
I have a few Sonia Kashuk brushes, and they are SUPER soft and wonderful quality, especially for how inexpensive they are! The purple brushes on the left are the new, limited edition, 15 pc Anniversary Set and they are selling out in Targets all across the country! I was lucky to find a Target that had a couple in stock - they were on sale for $34.99 and I got an extra 10% off with the Target Cartwheel app (make sure you get that app if you do a lot of shopping at Target!). They are going for insane amounts on eBay!
They are really soft and this set includes face brushes as well as eye brushes - there's a great contour brush and really nice fluffy brushes for blending. These should be the last brushes I need to buy. Ever. Really, there is no need for any other brushes - this set has it all.
But, I'm sure that won't stop me from adding to the collection. :)
And now, it's time. Let's move on to my absolute favorite brushes of all time!
Aren't they gorgeous?!
Seriously, IT Cosmetics brushes are the softest, most luxurious brushes I have ever used. The brush on the bottom of the pic was the first IT Cosmetics brush I ever used, and fell in love with it instantly. It is the Heavenly Luxe French Boutique Blush brush - retails for $34.50, but I bought it as a set that included a blush on QVC for $32. QVC has some great deals on bundles like this in their Beauty section where you can usually get the brush and a piece of makeup for the same price or even less than the brush costs on its own.
The shorter flat top brush that is pictured is the Heavenly Luxe Flat Top Buffing Foundation Brush - it retails for $49, but comes in a set on QVC that includes the IT Cosmetics Celebration Foundation (which I love!) for $43.50. QVC is currently (until 8/31/14) offering a supersize bundle, which includes the brush and 2 of the foundation compacts for $54.52.
And last, but certainly not least, is the one brush that I love the most :) the huge brush. the softest, fluffiest brush. The Heavenly Luxe Jumbo Powder Brush - retails for $58. $58! But, again, QVC has it in a bundle! The bundle includes the Heavenly Luxe Jumbo Powder Brush and the Anti-aging Vitality Face Disc (which has a bronzer, blush, and illuminating powder) for $48.50.
I am not affiliated with QVC or any of the companies I've mentioned, I just think they are great companies and products. And if you can get the brushes for a better deal for the brushes with a makeup product than you can even buy them on their own, why not?! Also, remember to use Ebates - you can get money back on a lot of your online purchases! Check it out here - ebates.com.
Guess this didn't turn out to be a short post! Hope you enjoyed reading about my brush collection and if you have any questions, leave a comment below! Thanks and have a great day!
