The five best brush sets I've ever tried

BrushesTools

Mar 12

How many makeup brush sets does a girl need in a lifetime? One or two should be enough, if you choose well and take care of your tools seriously. A good starter set should have basic face, cheek, and eye brushes that would cover most if not all of your makeup application requirements. When you're ready to go pro or just obsessive (haha), it would be nice to add a specialized set for your needs. After that you can just buy single brushes that would simplify and streamline your style of product application.

I've had many brush sets in the past, but these five are my top picks. Some of these I've had for years but they're still in mint condition. I hope you find something here to add to your collection!

The Zoeva Luxe Complete Set (P7,220 at Sephora PH) is hands down my favorite brush set. It's a 16-piece collection of well-curated brushes in natural and synthetic hair. I can subsist on this set alone, I'm not kidding! It has pretty much everything I need for a wide variety of looks and techniques. I use them everyday.

If the cost sounds daunting, just think of it as something you'll use for a good amount of time. My set is two-years old and it's still in fab condition even when I abuse them daily.

The Suesh Personal Luxury 10-Piece Makeup Brush Set (P3,150 at BeautyMNL) is another all-around versatile set. If the Zoeva is beyond your budget, this is a good alternative as it also has a good selection of face and eye brushes. They look classy too! I particularly love Suesh's eyeshadow brushes - I reach for them every single time I do my eye makeup.

The Charm Travel Pro Suzie Set (P1,925 at Beauty and Minerals) has winner face brushes. I love their Stippling Brush and Blush Brush in particular. The size also makes it travel-friendly, so I pack a few of these whenever I will need to retouch outside the house. The rose gold case is so pretty!

The Real Techniques Duo-Fiber Brush Collection (P1,149) is perfect for blending cream and liquid products. I'm very particular about how my base looks, so I like refining my blending with stippling brushes. These three brushes come in different sizes for different areas of the face.

The Real Techniques Core Collection Brush Set (P1,150 at BeautyMNL) is a classic. Again, if you love getting that perfectly blended concealer foundation, this is The One. These brushes buff like nobody's business, and the shapes and sizes in this tight set are just pure love. Would you know, I've had these for FOUR YEARS. Still as good as the day I got them. The handles got sticky over time but here's how I fixed 'em.