The Best of 2016: Beauty Tools

Good makeup is either from good products or good tools. I like having both. So besides having a banging foundation, wouldn't it all go to waste if your brush just leaves it streaky? So here are my top beauty tools for 2016. Some life changing and some just remain as old reliables.

I've bought a total of 2 new brush sets last year, both from Zoeva, and they aren't just aesthetically pleasing but actually functional. But I'm still a big fan of Real Techniques as they've never disappointed me aside from a few factory duds.

BASE

I've been applying my foundation with two very trusty brushes, namely the Zoeva 104 Buffer Brush which just makes it so fast and ridiculously quick to apply foundation on the face, it's soft like a kitten's paw and I can't be without it, but since it gets sooo dirty, I'm still pretty impressed with the second one, the Real Techniques Sculpting Brush for working in foundation especially in the nooks and crannies. Then there's that 110 Face Shape brush which is actually a favorite of Lisa Eldridge, it's compact and really meshes product into a second skin finish, but because of its size it's more for precision and touch ups and when you spend 10 minutes just blending in foundation or blending in concealer. 

For setting, I have the very label use specific Real Techniques Setting Brush, something so essential for my under eye game. It just sets it perfectly under there. No complaints whatsoever. And the Zoeva 106 Powder brush is a good choice for diffusing a bunch of powder all over your face, but it takes up a lot of product so be sure to have a bucket of powder or better yet a pressed one to get just enough product so pat on skin.

 CHEEKS

My favorite cheek brushes are constantly changing but I've decided that I'm very in love with these ones. For contour and shading I reach for the Zoeva 127 Sheer Cheek Brush for precision sculpting and the Real Techniques Multitask brush for a more natural contour look or for a bronzed complexion.

For blush I love either the Real Techniques Duo Fibre Face Brush for very strong pigmented blushers and the Zoeva 126 Luxe Cheek Finish for more shimmery, fairy flushed blushers. And the only highlighter brush that's in my heart is the Real Techniques Contour brush, a favorite for 4 years now. 

EYES

It wouldn't be a beauty tools post without an eyelash curler, so I've finally convinced myself to get the legendary Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler, which is truly a life changing purchase leading to a little break from eyeliners and eye shadows and just some good old big fat lashes, which brings out the ability of most of my mascaras. I should've bought this sooner really.

Eye shadow brushes to me are basically crease brushes now since I really just like a nice crease color on the daily if I'm feeling fancy. My top picks are the unfortunately not as well known, Soffia Opulence blending brush, so soft so reliable and I'm forever loyal to it, and the 228 Luxe Crease Brush is a fluffier version which can really cover a bigger portion of the crease and though it tends to be a tad scratchy, when used the right way, it delivers the effect I desire. and while the Zoeva 227 Luxe Soft Definer isn't a crease brush it smoothly delivers a nice wash of color on the lid and very gently as well. 

For brows it's definitely the Zoeva 317 Wing Liner Brush, the nice sharp shape is perfect for filling in my sparse brows and since I have two, I use the other one for powder liner, my top choice for defined eyes instead of the usual eye liner, it's softer and easier to work with if I make a mistake.

And that's it for my best beauty tool picks for 2016. I'm not really sure if I'll be buying tools again but I will be on the look out for gems on the local scene.