Weapons of Choice: Affordable Makeup Brushes + Where to get them

My favorite makeup brushes

 I believe that the tools we use to apply makeup on our faces are just as important as the makeup itself. I am a huge fan of makeup brushes. I have never tried the mainstream brands like Mac, Sigma, Zoeva, and Morphe to name a few. Fortunately, in the last several years, more affordable and accessible brands have made their way in the cosmetics scene here in the Philippines. Let me share some of my favorite brands and finds.


Whenever I buy makeup brushes, I usually get individual ones. I have never tried getting an entire set in the fear of getting a brush that I won't like or will not have use for. I am a huge fan of soft bristles and affordable prices.

Face Brushes

 Let's start with face brushes. I am a freak for buying more than I need. I think I even have more face brushes than I do eye brushes. I love all shapes and sizes. Whenever I find something new in the market, I try my best to get my hands on them. Here are a few of my favorite face brushes that have become a staple of my everyday routine:

We'll start from the very top, working our way down. ;)

1. The topmost brush I use not as a powder brush but a bronzer brush instead. I got this brush for not more than 150 pesos in Landmark Makati. I tell you now that Landmark is one of the few places I love getting affordable brushes from.

2. This angled kabuki brush is also from Landmark Makati. Can you believe that I've had this for more than 5 years? It is quite deformed but I still love it and use it everyday. I use this to apply my BB cream or liquid foundation. I have tried replacing this with other brushes like the flat top buffing brush from Real Techniques, but I just can't get enough of this brush. It applies face products so well. I believe I got this for around 160 pesos. It's so good that I gifted one to my very good friends. It is still available, last time I checked. An added bonus is that this has never shed a hair in its entire life.

3. This is another Landmark find. It is an angled blush brush perfect for applying rouge on my cheeks. :D This is a recent find and I incorporate this in my routine every now and then but for everyday, I usually use the next brush on the list...

4. This is an Up&Up brand from Target which I asked my mom to get me. These are not available locally. However, this brand is very affordable and of great quality. If I'm not mistaken, this costs around $6. I've had this for several years as well and nothing has truly taken its number one spot when it comes to applying my favorite blushes which are the Tarte Amazonian Clay blushes.

5. Last, and most certainly not the least is the Up&Up powder brush.


Eye Brushes

I don't usually wear eyeshadow on a regular basis. I'm still trying to perfect applying eyeshadow on my lids but that doesn't stop me from getting a few small brushes to ease up on my application. Here are some local brands that are just as affordable and popular in the Youtube and Instagram community.

Let's start from the top going down, again.

1. Marionnaud double-ended brow brush has been in my collection for years. I have several backups of this because they are truly affordable. One brush only costs Php 69 pesos if I'm not mistaken. You can get this at any Watson's along with other brushes from the same line. I love using this to apply powder shadow on my brows to set the eyebrow pencil. I then use the spoolie end to comb through my brows to make them tamed and natural-looking.

2. This brush is from Clover Collection and it is the tiny crease brush. First of all, I love how this looks like, pink handle, rose gold ferrule and white brush tips. Can we say adorable? This can be bought individually or in a set. I got this for 130 pesos at a Clover pop-up store in Glorietta. However, if you can't find them there, you can easily purchase them through Zalora (just search Clover Collection) or on Instagram. This is perfect for blending color in your crease. This distributes the product evenly and blends out smoothly.

3. This is another Clover Collection. They just have a few brushes but they are great quality. They also recently came out with face brushes which I can't wait to get my hands on. Going back to this slanted liner brush, I love how small this is. It's perfect for applying gel liner or even eyeshadow. :D

4-6 These three are all from Beauty Cosmetics (Instagram and Facebook). I really love this brand. They constantly come out with different brushes, individual or set, and maintain their affordability. I use any of these three as blending brushes. I also use the pink one to apply eyeshadow on my lids.

There you go! Those are all my favorite brushes. How about you? What are your favorite brushes? Where are they from?

See you next time!

Love,
Maple