They say expensive brushes are some of the best investments you can make if you're serious about getting your makeup right. That may be true five years ago, when only high-end brands would make brushes fit for the high strandards of makeup enthusiasts and professionals alike. But it's different today. It's easy to find good brushes without going over a thousand, maybe even 800 bucks a piece.

You can go even lower, if you like! Take for example this Ecotools 5-Piece Mineral Brush Set (P549 at Kalm Cosmetics). This travel-sized brush collection is a great buy for beginners and those who like to apply their makeup on the go! It's specifically created for loose mineral makeup but it can definitely be used with traditional pressed makeup as well.

The set contains a Mineral Powder Brush, Concealer Brush, Eye Shading Brush, and Mini Kabuki Brush. They're mainly for applying powder base makeup. The synthetic bristles are super soft and dense where it counts, thus turning your makeup into a smooth, even layer all over your face.

This is a common question: "I'm new to makeup, what are the basic brushes I need to buy?" I always recommend just three brushes - a powder, kabuki-type brush that can double as a brush brush, an angled brow brush, and a mid-sized fluffy eyeshadow brush. You can use your fingers for liquid and cream makeup. These three brushes, IMHO, are indispensable. 

When you start to feel the need for more precision, that's when you should start purchasing individual brushes or brush sets - not before! Some girls would flat out get a set and then later on think that they got a crappy deal. Thing is, they should have considered first if the brushes in the set are something they would need in their routine. When buying brushes, think of your normal makeup routine first - what kind of makeup do you prefer to wear? What kind of look and products do you want to incorporate in the near future? Then, buy brushes accordingly.

Anyhoo! Today I have here the Charm Travel PRO Sonia Makeup Brush Set (P2,750). This is a special edition set from Charm to celebrate their fifth (going on sixth) anniversary! The case is extra pretty and the matte gold ferrule whispers "luxe".

The brushes inside are the same ones as the current, slightly cheaper iteration of the Charm Travel Pro. I have already reviewed that one with tips on how to use it so I won't go into detail on Sonia. Just enjoy the pictures! ;)

The Charm Essentials Pretty in Pink Vegan Brush Set (P2,500) is not your normal brush set. What sets it apart from the multitudes of other sets out there is the carefully designed brushes that are also multi-purpose. A slanted mini-flat top brush, a fluffy highlighter brush, and a fine smudge brush are just some of its more distinctive charms. Pun intended!

What makes it more interesting is the fact that the brushes perform really well even with what should be a handicap - they're made of synthetic fiber, not animal hair. The former is amazing at picking up cream and liquid makeup but normally not so good at working with powder. In these Charm brushes though, the vegan hair does the job of picking up and applying makeup wonderfully, no matter if it's a powder or liquid.

I'm a huge fan of Sophie's brushes. Not because we're friends, but because I know that her product is something she thought long and hard about, painstakingly honed to near perfection. She's a little bit OC and a workaholic, which is what makes her a successful businesswoman AND the ideal person you want working on your brushes.

Thus, I'm very happy to present her new tools: the Charm Vegan Brushes. She has been developing this for a year! She explained that the synthetic vegan hairs are a challenge to get as stiff or as soft as you need them to be. If you've tried synthetic brushes before, you'll notice that they're harder to control than animal hair brushes especially if you attempt to use them with powder makeup.

That's not the case with these vegan brushes - at least, from what I've tested so far.

I'm sure that you've already seen the blogger raves for the Charm Travel Pro brush set. All I can add to the conversation is that yes, this is a great set that you really won't regret buying. It's expensive at P2,200 for the whole set, but then again it's an investment that you'll probably use until you're sick of it. ;)

What I like most about this set, aside from the portability, is how useful ALL the brushes are. Some brands throw in brushes just to pad the set and make you pay more for them, but in the end you just use five out of say, ten brushes. That's a waste of money. But this Charm set has a well thought out selection with no repetitive or ineffective brushes in it. 

Now, like the Version 2 set, this set is not exactly for makeup beginners since the brushes are designed for precision application. But I hope that with this post, you'll learn how to maximize this set whether you're a beginner or an advanced makeup enthusiast!

Face brushes

Eye brushes

The Concealer Brush (top) is perfect for hiding spots, eye bags, and uneven discolorations in your skin. It's best used with cream or liquid concealer.