Le Métier de Beauté Makeup Brushes

Much has been written about Le Métier de Beauté's makeup brushes lately - and for good reason. They are fabulous brushes. I own the three shown above: Blush ($55), Eye Shadow Brush #1 ($40), and Large Concealer Brush ($50). I love their magnificent quality. I also love the fact that no animals suffered to make them. I will tell you that Charlie thinks it's the cat's meow to have his face stroked with my Blush Brush.

The brushes have short handles. With some brushes, I prefer short handles. With others, it's a toss-up to me; I can use them short or long. I know some makeup artists prefer long handles because they give them room to work at a reasonable distance from their clients. Personal space is not an issue to me when I'm applying my own makeup.

The Blush Brush is tapered for natural blush application. It's made with 100% natural goat hair. It's the one I bought most recently, and it was easy to clean up for this photo. It's nice and fluffy and allows me easy control to ensure I don't apply so much color I have to start wiping it off (or covering it with foundation), a casualty that's not uncommon with some other brushes. My skin is fair, so I need to use a brush that allows me to build color - not forces me to subtract it.

The Eye Shadow Brush #1 is as close to perfect as it gets. Also made from 100% natural goat hair (my those goats are soft!), it's just the right size for my eyelids. I use it as intended to apply shadows to my lid, and sideways in the crease. I'd really like to have the Eye Crease Brush for that, but I spend too much money and have to make brushes work for me when my credit card bill gets painful or I start thinking about retirement. The Eye Shadow Brush picks up exactly the right amount of shadow for my tastes. I can always add more, but it gets tricky to remove shadows when you've already primed your eyelids or added a base shadow shade. Starting over is not a happy option on work mornings when I spend too much time on my computer and not enough applying my makeup. I love brushes that make it easy for me to swipe and go.

The Large Concealer Brush may be the superstar among celebrities. It's described as narrow, but that's a front-to-back measurement, not a description of side-to-side width. It's actually a wide brush. It is the most perfect brush I've ever used to apply and/or blend concealer under my eyes - or anywhere on my face anywhere except on my eyelids. I can quickly smear a stick concealer under my eyes and make the application perfect with only a few strokes of this brush.

The synthetic hairs on the Large Concealer Brush are easy to clean. I didn't clean them for this photo, so you can see my under-eye concealer on the tip. The hairs are coated with something to allow the brush keep the hairs from absorbing product - and, I suspect, to give this brush its amazing ability to blend concealer flawlessly.

Would I like to have more Le Métier de Beauté brushes? Absolutely! I reach for the three I own more frequently than other brushes in the same categories. That's high praise because I have a collection of fine brushes. Should you try at least one? Yes, but be prepared to want more (or all) of them. Next on my wish list are the Eye Crease Brush, the Flat Liner Brush, and the Powder Brush. I need a second job - err, make that a third, since writing this blog is my second job.

You can purchase Le Métier de Beauté makeup brushes at all Le Métier de Beauté counters. I bought mine at Neiman Marcus.

Photos by Best Things in Beauty