The beauty industry has grown consistently through the years but with the recent boom in social media channels like YouTube, makeup artists and beauty enthusiasts make it easy for us to learn tips and tricks, must haves, where to buy, best products, etc.  however; this also brings up the question about our beauty tools…specifically our makeup brushes and what they are made of.

Back in the day, natural hair makeup brushes were first choice for professional makeup artists, but we really have come a long way with creating synthetic hair makeup brushes that provide similar results. Of the two, natural animal hair used to be the all-time favorite of makeup artists around the world because of its ability to pick up pigment resulting in less fall out and waste of our favorite cosmetics. The reason for this is the simple fact that animal hair is much like human hair and is very porous. This helps the MUA’s because it allows for more precision application and placement of product. For those of us who are not quite as savvy with our makeup application, practice makes perfect with natural hair makeup brushes so keep on creating those fabulous looks and you will be a pro before you know it! Keep in mind that these brushes easily pick up product and holds on to it until you place it, meaning less fallout. This also means that you may need to clean your brushes more often to remove any residual product left behind due to porosity. Natural hair makeup brushes work very well with face powders, eyeshadow pigments, eyebrow powders and mineral powder make up, so many find these an essential part of their beauty arsenal.

There are many types of animal hair that may be used but a few of the most common are squirrel, badger, pony, and goat hair.  BJF goat hair is used for top grade makeup brushes by some of the better makeup brush companies including Beau Gâchis Cosmetics in a few of the brushes within their 7-Piece Makeup Brush Set with Leather Case.  With the exception of a few of the brushes included in their 7-piece set, the remainder of their brushes are made with high grade synthetic hair.

Synthetic hair makeup brushes used to be the most affordable makeup brushes and were pretty much the only choice for those on a budget however; recent technology has become advanced enough that synthetic brushes have started to meet and maybe even surpass the quality of natural hair brushes. With high end synthetic brushes like Beau Gâchis Cosmetics’ 4 Piece Highlight and Contour Makeup Brush Set you can’t even tell when a brush is synthetic because the bristles have been crafted to replicate the look, texture and performance of natural hair bristles. Synthetic hair makeup brushes really have come a very long way over the years and in some cases, works even better than natural animal hair which is a plus, especially for those who may have allergic reactions of animal hair. Typically, these brushes are made from either nylon, taklon, or polyester fibers. Taklon was created specifically to sort of mimic natural animal hair thus making it a great alternative for those who prefer vegan makeup brushes.  Even though these brushes still aren’t anywhere near as soft as natural hair brushes, they can be a better choice for the application of liquids and cream makeup products such as foundation, concealer, cream eyeshadows, and lipsticks.

So which brush is right for you? Well it simply comes down to personal preference and trial and error. The good news is that finding a quality makeup brush doesn’t mean it must have a high price tag on it. If you want to try something new, check out the reviews and find out what others are saying about it. And if a company truly stands behind their products, they most likely will have some sort of customer satisfaction guarantee. Keep in mind that the best makeup brush for you is the one that works best for your makeup application.

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Brushes included:

Contouring Brush – made with high grade synthetic hair, aluminum ferrules and matt black natural wood handles.

Flat Contour Brush – made with high grade synthetic hair, aluminum ferrules and matt black natural wood handles.

Fan Highlight Brush - made with high grade synthetic hair, aluminum ferrules and matt black natural wood handles.

Tapered Highlighter Brush – made with high grade synthetic hair, aluminum ferrules and matt black natural wood handles.