Are Professional Makeup Brushes Really Necessary?

When you are shopping for makeup, buying the more expensive ‘named’ brands certainly makes sense from an economical point of view – strangely enough.  You want something that will last the day, stand up to sweat and time, and leave you looking incredible without damaging your skin.  In these cases, named brand makeup will last longer, and save you from having to buy more makeup for two or three times the amount of time as if you’d bought cheap makeup.

So what about the makeup brushes you use to apply your cosmetics with?  Do you really need to spend a fortune on the best makeup brushes MAC or Sephora have to offer?  

First, there are a few things to consider.  For instance, how often do you wear makeup?  If you rarely put on anything beyond foundation, a cheap brush for those rare occasions you decide to wear fancy eye makeup isn’t a bad choice.  If you use makeup brushes frequently, however, you will find that cheaper options start to fall apart before too long.  Getting an unglued horse hair falling into your eye when you’re trying to put on eyeshadow is nobody’s idea of fun.  MAC makeup brushes and other great brands can last up to ten years or more, so if you’re going to use them a lot, consider making the investment. 

Of course, quality is just as important as durability.  Many professional makeup brushes are also designed to be less damaging to your skin.  The strands and fibers are very delicate, and there are no irritating chemicals used in making them so that they will not irritate the skin.  A great professional makeup brush can last you a long time and won’t make you itchy minutes after applying your makeup – a common problem with cheap nylon brushes dyed black. 

Whether or not the expense is justifiable is really a personal decision, but there are certainly some benefits to making the purchase.  When you want to look your best and want makeup brushes that are built to last, considering the purchase of brushes from the best companies in the business may well be worthwhile.