There are two types of make-up brush to look for: those with synthetic hairs such as nylon, and those with natural hairs. Synthetic brushes contain hairs that are very tightly packed together and form precise brush heads, like those found on an angled brow brush.
Natural brushes contain hairs that don’t gravitate towards each other, resulting in larger, fluffier brush heads, such as those on powder brushes. Natural hairs are porous and better-suited to powder products, whereas synthetic hairs are ideal for foundations or gel liners. Look for brushes that are cruelty-free if you are opting for natural hairs.
There are a number of companies in Ireland creating make-up brushes, among them Nima Brush, AYU, Buff & Blend, Blank Canvas and Callanberry.
Dublin-based Buff & Blend was established in 2015 by Nicola Costigan, who set about creating cruelty-free brushes. Brush sets generally represent the best value. Buff & Blend’s Eight-Piece Pretty in Pink set is great value, at €80, and a perfect starter kit.
AYU make-up was created by Suzanne O’Neill and contains a range of sophisticated black and gold brushes. Its travel set contains five brushes – two face brushes and three eye brushes – which come with full-size brush heads and shorter handles to make them compact (€35).
