On a Quest for Flawless Looking Makeup

I never really believed that applying makeup took that much skill. A little foundation here, a swipe of mascara there, and you were done. Well, I was wrong. All these years I had been using as little makeup as possible, since anything more was too much of a hassle. What if while using a liquid liner I drew a huge line all over my face? If I tried anything more involved that one shade of eye shadow, it was a lost cause, a major case of racoon eyes. And don't get me started on deep shades of lipstick.

So what's this miracle cure? Call them the tools of the trade - good quality makeup brushes. When it comes to getting complicated makeup techniques down, you really need the proper tools.

On my search for the best brushes, I had a hard time believing that good quality has to mean outrageously expensive. If that were true, the $50 spent on some powder brush would really make my makeup look five times better than a $10 brush. I will admit that the cheap synthetic brush set I got when I first started using makeup was pretty bad, and it really hurt my eyelids.

After finding that most brushes were way out my price range, I was thrilled when my mom agreed to buy me the eye definer brush from Bobbi Brown. The makeup artist at the Bobbi Brown counter used it so expertly, I thought for sure this brush would make me a pro. I didn't want to spend $24 for it, but I sure wanted that brush. Thanks, mom.

I continued my search for more brushes after that. I looked at MAC, Origins, Estee Lauder, Philosophy, Bobbi Brown -- they were all more of an investment than I could afford right now. I'm not made out of money, you know! Well, all of my research finally paid off. While at my last visit to my hair salon, an Aveda concept salon, I noticed that Aveda makes brushes, too, and not just for your hair. I timidly asked my stylist, "How much for the eye shadow brush?" I was thrilled to hear her answer "It's $12". Finally good quality at a reasonable price!

I agree that good quality makeup brushes are an investment, but don't blow your life savings just so your face can look pretty. Do your homework so when you do make a decision you feel like it was the best one for you.