So I've been searching for a cheap brush supplier on the internet, and I've found a GREAT one!
Crown Brushes is a wholesaler for other, popular brands - they have many of the exact same ones for wholesale prices! If you choose to buy from Crown, here are the brushes I recommend for my basic makeup steps:
From the "Kabuki" series:
KB3 - Kabuki brushes are AWESOME for powder! And it's only $7.49~ ($45!!!)
From the "Studio" series:
c142 - Blush brush $4.69 ($32)
c152 - Eyeshadow brush (this one can be used for your eyelid color and your highlight color) $1.99 ($22.50)
c138 - Eyeshadow brush (this one is for your creases!) $1.87 ($23)
These four brushes would normally go for over a hundred dollars all together. No joke! Those prices in parenthesis are the prices for the EXACT SAME BRUSH at mac!
If you choose to do the more advanced makeup route, I'd get these brushes in addition:
From the "Studio" series:
c104 - Contour brush (for cheeks and face contouring) $3.70 ($32)
c220 - Angled eyeshadow brush (for nose contouring) $3.85 ($24.50)
c313 - Duo fiber brush (for applying highlights anywhere on the face) $5.39 ($34)
c151 - Eyeshadow brush (For lid colors, leaving the 152 for your highlight) $1.79 ($19)
If you got every single brush I just described at mac cosmetics, you would -easily- be spending over $200 all together. But getting the same brushes from crown, you'd spend just over $30!!
EDIT: If you're leaning towards an already-put-together set, I would suggest the badger hair set. It's got everything you need for the basics, plus an eyebrow brush and a lip brush, and a mascara brush (which, as long as you keep it clean, is really good for separating your lashes after they've been all mascara-ed)
It's a little more expensive, but badger hair is incredibly soft, and will last much longer than the "studio" line brushes!
