Hi there everyone!! Today I'm going to give you some advice on brushes. When someone would come up to me and say, "I don't have any decent brushes, and I'd like to start out by buying just a few today", I'd pull out my top 5 that I think are pretty necessary for everyday makeup application. Some people may ask the question, "are these brushes really worth the money?" Very honestly I can say definitely. MAC brushes, made with natural fibers, synthetic fibres, or a combination of both are hand crafted (with the exception of the holiday brush sets), and feature wooden handles and nickel-plated brass ferrules. The difference in buying cheaper brushes versus MAC brushes is that with the cheaper versions you will be having to buy new brushes YEARS earlier than if you invest in high quality brushes. As far as application goes, with my own experience I've actually had an incidence where I didn't have my brushes and used someone else's brushes that were of a lower quality and I truly had a difficult time. So here it goes, my top 5 starter brushes!

1. MAC 129 Brush: Intended for use on face and cheeks, this medium/large fluffy brush has a rounded tip with soft, natural fibres that grab product easily. What's great about this brush is that it's a two in one. It's big enough to be used as a powder brush and small enough to use as a blush brush. I even use this brush to apply highlighter to the face!

2. MAC 219 Pencil Brush: Love this brush!!! I love the look a smokey eye gives, and this is a must have for that look! This cone shaped brush with a tapered point is made with natural fibres that also grabs product easily. You can use this brush by defining the crease with a deeper shade. Or you can use use eyeliner, draw a line on upper and lower lash lines, pick up some eyeshadow with your brush and start blending them together with short, eraser like strokes and voila! You've got a smokey eye!

3. MAC 217 Blending Brush: This soft, fluffy, natural fibred brush is oval shaped and has a rounded tip. It is intended to grab powder product easily and blend them with ease. What I love about this particular brush is that it's not so flimsy that you have product flying all over the place, so it really gets the job done. Pick up a tiny bit of product, place in your crease and blend by going back and forth (in crease) in a windshield wiping motion. Moving the brush in quick tiny circles to blend is also very effective. I like to combine the two blending techniques to get the most flawless application.

4. MAC 263 Brush: This small, flat, firm angled tip brush is made with synthetic fibres and goes in my purse with me! It is intended for lining and shading emollient, powder, or water-based products. For a soft look dip into a brown shadow to line the eyes, and for a more dramatic look I love dipping this brush into my Blacktrack Fluidline (gel liner) and lining eyes with that. This brush is also amazing to do brows with. Dip into a brow powder or shadow of your preferred shade and start filling in brows with short upward strokes for a natural look.

5. MAC 242 Brush: This medium sized, dense, paddled shape brush is made with both natural and synthetic fibres and has a slightly fluffy, rounded tip. It's amazing for applying eyeshadows, concealers or other emollient based products. With the 242 brush I first apply Prep N Prime Eye, then use it to apply Paint or the Paint Pot on top of that. If necessary I'll use this same brush to apply a touch of Creme Colour Base and use this same brush to start packing on eyeshadow or pigment on top of that. Then you can clean it and use it for your concealer!!! This brush rocks!

Well, there you go!!! Hope this helps you out! There are pictures of the brushes below. If you have any questions about these brushes, or other MAC brushes, let me know!! Enjoy!