Something that you should know about my little makeup stash is that everything in general is literally under $8. I believe that makeup can be slightly overpriced, so I make sure to do my research to make sure I am really getting my money's worth. Regardless of the prices, these are my absolute favorite tools that I would definitely have a hard time doing my makeup without, and they all just happen to be under $5, which I think is a fabulous bonus.


So, in no particular order...

1. Flat Eyeshadow Brush
E.L.F. - $1


This brush is your basic flat shadow fluffy brush. Though it's not the best quality, it is definitely worth at least $1! I mean like, $1? Cheaper than a bag of chips! You can see the hairs starting to poke out a bit, and it's starting to lose its shape from being washed too many times, but I really don't mind buying a replacement every so often. The hairs aren't silky soft like the luxury ones, but they are definitely not coarse and they do not irritate the eyes.




The shape is perfect to pack on eyeshadow to your eyelid. I also use it to wedge colour into my crease as well as blend it in by rotating it so the corner is in my crease. I also find the rectangular corner of the brush the perfect shape for my inner tear duct area, so I use it to apply some brightener.

If you're in Canada, you can find this at most Dollarama dollar stores (though it is $1.25). You can also find it at US and Canada Targets or online here.


2. Small Precision Brush
E.L.F. - Mine came in a kit, but similar brush is $3

sorry for the out of focus-ness :$

This lil' guy is actually supposed to be used for concealer believe it or not, but I rather use it as an eye brush. It's super small (I compared it to my finger in the first picture), and super skinny, but not small enough for gel eyeliner in my opinion. It's really, really soft, rounded, slightly tapered and very firm.



With the perfect balance of small size and fullness, I like using this to apply eyeshadow to both my top and bottom lash lines. The precise-ness of the brush is great when you want to use eyeshadow to give a more natural definition and thickness to your upper lashes, or to apply eyeshadow on top of eyeliner to give it a messy, smudged look.

Like I mentioned before, this concealer brush was part of an eyebrows kit and I don't think you can buy it on its own, but a similar one I found is the Precision Eye Brush, which you can buy online here.


3. Eyelash Curler
Forever 21 - $4.50 ish


I like to give my eyelashes a few good squeezes, but the process is much longer than that. My friends who have watched me do my makeup know that my eyelashes are *the* priority, and if my eyelashes suck, my day sucks tbh. I curl my eyelashes until I am satisfied with the placement and spacing of my eyelashes. Maybe I'll dedicate a different post to my eyelashes and mascara routine...

Though you may not find this exact colour in Forever 21, they almost always sell the same kind of eyelash curlers with different colours and patterns.


4. Spooly Brush
Free at any makeup counters like Sephora



Back on the topic of my eyelashes being a priority, this spooly is a lifesaver when it comes to combing out clumps and straightening crooked eyelashes. I use this a lot to pull and comb my eyelashes and make them the way I want them to look, since I am very picky with my eyelashes. I also use it to groom 'dem brows and blend my eyebrow products. Gotta keep dem brows on point, am I right?

Again, almost any place that sells high end makeup will have some of these available for customers. Go ahead and take a couple, they're disposable and cheap anyways.


5. Q-Tip Cotton Buds
Any department or pharmacy stores - $2-6 depending on quantity

Out of focus once again, but let's face it, this photo's just here for formality.

I could have put something else on this list that I use often while doing makeup, like an eyebrow brush, blending eyeshadow brush or angled eyeliner brush, but even if I used all of those brushes or any other tool in the world, I would still need a cotton bud. These things are like that best friend that picks you up when you've messed up and helps you fix your mistakes, because that is exactly what they do. They're so inexpensive, and you probably already have some of these lying around in your bathrooms.



I always use cotton buds to clean off mistakes and other unwanted mishaps. It's also really great to clean off lines and make edges more crisp when doing eyeshadow. I also use it to smudge out pencil or gel eyeliner, usually when it's uneven or I made a mistake. Just a little cheat I do because I suck at eyeliner.

You can get these almost anywhere that sells toiletries.


So that about does it for today folks! I've been neglecting the beauty part of this blog, which is supposed to be a major topic that we talk about! Do not fret, getting more beauty posts up in here (*chants gangster style* up in where? UP IN HERE.) is one of the things I'm trying to do more of!



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Post By M. Anne

Via CheezBurger