Makeup brushes come in a variety of prices and quality, and sometimes the more expensive brushes are really the only ones that will be worth your money. My favourite makeup brushes are from MAC, but they are very expensive. It may range from R200-R250 per brush depending on the size, density and purpose of the brush. I have managed to collect a good amount of brushes over a long period of time. I prefer to buy a good quality brush than one that is cheaper because I end up wanting to throw away the cheap, nasty brushes because the hair is so scratchy on my skin, or the hairs start falling out. It is definitely not worth buying a cheap brush that you going to hate from day 1. A cheap brush still costs money. Rather save up and buy one brush at a time until you get the ones you want. When I first started out in makeup, I just used my fingers to apply makeup. It was time consuming because it is hard to get precision with your fingers, and I find that you waste a lot of eyeshadow this way, because it’s much harder to pack on colour. So by using makeup brushes, not only are you saving time, but you are saving the amount of makeup that you use. I’m just going to mention the brushes I feel are necessary to have if you want to be able to create a variety of eye makeup looks. I will also mention if I’ve managed to find a cheaper alternative, but still good quality brush where possible. There are four main brushes you should have for eye makeup: The Flat Stiff Brush: This brush is used to pack colour on your lids. It needs to be flat and the hairs need to be dense so you can pack colour onto your eyelids. This brush needs to be stick so it picks up plenty of eyeshadow. I have not been able to find a good quality flat stiff brush at any drugstore. So I was forced to buy the MAC 239 brush, which I am very happy about. Its R230 though. Stiff Dome Brush: This brush also works well in packing colour and is nice for packing colour on your outer V, and also works for blending. This brush is great for creating the perfect smokey eye as it feathers dark shadows very well . I didn’t find an affordable dupe for this brush either, so if you want this you can buy the MAC 217. I personally didn’t buy this brush, because I have a smaller eyelid space and a pencil brush works for me. I do want this brush for my collection in future though. Soft Dome Brush: This brush is similar to the stiff dome brush, but much softer. The bristles are less dense and this brush is great for blending shadows together. Blending is the most important part of creating a beautiful eye makeup look. If you don’t blend well, your makeup will look unflattering. I managed to find a dupe for this at Diskem. I got the Revlon Eye Contouring Brush. It has soft bristles and is the perfect size for blending shadows in the outer V. If you a high roller you can buy MAC’s 224 brush. Pencil Brush: This brush is used to smudge eyeshadow on the lower lashline, smudging eyeliner or creating a very defined crease. I personally use this brush in place of the stiff dome brush because it gives me more control. Did not find a dupe for this brush, so MAC is your best bet. This brush is the MAC 219.