Favourite Eye Makeup Brushes

Following up on my favourite face makeup brushes post post my makeup brush buying obsession earlier this year, today I’m finally talking all my favourite eye brushes. Glancing at all of these brushes definitely makes it clear that I had a bit of a moment with Rae Morris and pencil brushes but eye makeup is my favourite part of makeup and apparently I couldn’t even keep this under 10 but decided to include some alternatives that could be utilised if your makeup preferences were different to mine.

CREASE BRUSHES

T-B: Rae Morris Deluxe Point Shader, Hakuhodo J142, Rae Morris Deluxe Round Shader, Rae Morris Medium Point Shader

Rae Morris Deluxe Point Shader: Grey Squirrel

There are number of crease brushes out there and I don’t think this one is anywhere close to some larger ones which I find totally unusable. It fits well into the socket of my eye but doesn’t spread colour where you don’t want it. The reason why I have a bit of a thing for Rae Morris eye brushes is the fact that despite being ultra soft, they pick up product extremely well. The shape of this one is quite tapered so actually it still ends up placing most out the product in a more constricted area but because it’s larger otherwise, it diffuses the product across the whole socket area.

Hakuhodo J142: Goat

This one has the same tapered shape but is a lot slimmer than the Deluxe Point Shader and places the product more directly into the crease and creates a more defined look. It is less also less silky but equally soft on the eye and if anything will simply picks up more product. Admittedly, I might use this bit more because I can be a bit more haphazard with my application and the goat will often get the job done quicker than the squirrel and if I were to pick up crease brush, this would be my pick.

Rae Morris Deluxe Round Shader: Goat

This one is a similar size to the J142 but slightly shorter and rounder so it will give a more diffused application. I personally use these interchangeably but if you are put off by tapered blending brushes then this one is a good staple.

Rae Morris Medium Point Shader: Grey Squirrel

If you love to really sculpt out your crease, a small crease brush is essential because it allows you to literally create a socket line and then blend the edges without disrupting your work. The Medium Point Shader is very much a baby sister of the Deluxe Point Shader but because the bristles are a lot shorter, the brush is a lot denser and ideal for creating definition. It can also double up for diffusing colour on the lower lash line but I have designated brushes for that.

SHADING BRUSHES

T-B: Hakuhodo J004G, Rae Morris Creme Shadow, Wayne Goss 06

Rae Morris Creme Shadow Brush: Goat/Synthetic

I call this the improved version of the MAC 217 and as far as I’m concerned also a more versatile take on the Hakuhodo J5523. The Rae Morris is actually slightly wider than both and simply covers more of my eyelid so as an all rounder is definitely beats both for me. You know the gist, it’s one those that blends colour, packs colour and can also be used with cream shadows.

Wayne Goss 06 Brush: Blue Squirrel

I also picked the Wayne Goss 06 over the J5523 (MAC 217 is not even being considered because I’m so over that brush) simply because the squirrel hair is a lot thinner and I find this to be a more precise take on this kind of brush. It is a lot flatter so I wouldn’t recommend it for blending colour but by far this is my favourite brush for washes of colour. Part of the reason why I like it for that purpose is that it’s extremely silky of course.

Hakuhodo J004G: Goat

I actually find flat shader brushes to be quite hard to find on the market because for some reason a lot of the brushes that brands put in this category are actually more reminiscent of the Wayne Goss 06. The brush is essential for packing colour all over the lid so density is a requirement that J004G passes with flying colours. It picks pigment well, the size distributes colour all over the lid quickly and is gentle on the eye – definitely a big staple for me.

DETAILER BRUSHES

T-B: Rae Morris Lash Line Smudger, Hakuhodo G5514, Suqqu Smudging Brush, Chikuhodo Z10

Rae Morris Lash Line Smudger: Goat

I don’t reach for this brush on a daily basis but this size is excellent for detail work around the eye such as highlighting or placing dark colours on the outer corner. It also works well to place colour on the lower lash line if you’re going for a more defined look as opposed to the other pencil brushes which can blend the colour down there. Because of the size, this is densely packed but extremely soft so it can pick up harder pressed shadows without hurting your eye.

Hakuhodo G5514: Horse

Now, I almost exclusively smudge dark reddish brown eyeshadow along my top and bottom lash lines so pencil brushes are staple in my collection. If you didn’t care for softness, I’d say to just pick up the MAC 219 instead these three but frankly a rough brush is the last thing I want to use around my eyes. The G5514 is the smallest pencil I own which means it has the potential to create quite a precise line but because of how soft it is, you can still blend it out. I mostly use this on my top lash line for a slimmer line.

Chikuhodo Z10: Grey Squirrel

This is one is my go-to for a medium blown out look. I will either use to smoke a pencil liner with an eyeshadow on the top and softly blow out a dark shade on the lower lash line. Once again, this works similarly to MAC 219 but is pleasant to use unlike the MAC 219 that makes me feel like I’m just dragging the skin around my eyes.

Suqqu Smudging Brush: Goat

I purchased this brush in Selfridges which does not sell squirrel hair and it is my absolute go-to for a really smokey lashline. It’s quite a bit rounder and denser than the Chikuhodo so it covers a bigger surface. It’s still soft but also less flexible so you definitely gets smokier quicker and I’m a big fan of the look.

Now, I absolutely went a bit excessive on the detailer brush front but I love all these brushes for different jobs and it really just depends on what look I’m going for. While, I was definitely on a bit of a search trying to complete my brush collection, I’m really happy with where it’s at at the moment and feel like I have a brush for every job I could think of doing. What are your favourite brushes? Just in case, I’m missing out on something…