I have a confession to make: While I’m more than happy to press expensive moisturisers or luxurious eye shadow palettes into the hands of friends and family, when it comes to makeup brushes, I’m something of a hoarder. Yes, despite being basically unskilled in the art of makeup application, I just cannot resist the allure of a new, fluffy makeup brush to add to my collection. Do I have any idea how to use all of the ultra-fine eyeliner brushes and densely packed kabuki brushes collecting dust on my dressing table? Not at all. But I love that they’re waiting for a moment when inspiration might strike and I’ll require a flat foundation brush to create a full-coverage skin look or a fluffy blending brush to experiment with some colourful eye shadow. That is until now. While pre-pandemic, I was used to working in an office with a huge beauty cupboard, working from home means that I effectively live in that aforementioned beauty cupboard now. And it isn’t all that pretty.
So the first thing that I’m culling from my collection is my unused makeup brushes. And although it hurt me deeply to do so (beauty-editor pals will understand the pain of parting with beautiful products), it means that I know have a carefully curated edit of the very best makeup brushes that will actually get to fulfill their purpose—to apply makeup to my face on a regular basis.