Part 2 of this post focuses on the 5 eyeshadow brushes I couldn't live without. Click here to read Part 1, which featured all of my favorite face brushes!

 

There really isn't a better name for this kind of brush, since it only serves one purpose in my routine: setting down primer. When you use eyeshadow primer, you're left with somewhat of a sticky, tacky surface on your eyelid. It's best to "set" that tackiness by covering it with a skin-tone shade eyeshadow before you attempt to blend other colors on top of it. I always use this Sephora brush for that purpose. It's fluffy and picks up just the right amount of product, and it applies a light layer of eyeshadow very evenly on top of the primer. They have changed the look of their Crease Brush since I bought this one, so the link above will take you to the new version, but any fluffy crease brush could do the job!

 

This is one of those brushes that changed my makeup game once I started using it. I thought I knew how to blend colors into the crease before I had this brush, but I was wrong. The 217 does all the work for you, creating the perfect shadow in your crease no matter if you're going for a light, natural look or a smokey eye.

 

The downside to this brush is that it isn't sold on its own - you have to purchase it in the Real Techniques Travel Essentials Kit. However, it is totally worth it. This brush is the perfect combination of fluffy and dense, so it is able to pack color onto the lid and lightly blend it out simultaneously. In a pinch, you could really do an entire eye look with just this brush: the flat side can pack color onto the lid, the top is tapered in enough to fit into the crease, and the fluffiness allows you to blend everything out.

 

Although I certainly could use my Sephora Crease Brush to do my blending as well, I prefer this one by Sigma. It is a fairly standard blending brush, but it just somehow does the job better than any other I have tried.

 

This may be a dual-ended brush, but the reason I love it is the end that is perfect for smudging shadow under the bottom lashes. It's technically called a "Crease Brush" but in my opinion, it is way too dense and small for the crease. That makes it perfect for a soft, blown-out shadow look under the eyes. Most days, I do this instead of true bottom eyeliner, and this brush does it perfectly.