The BE concealer brush is one I couldn't be without. Also, E.L.F. eyeshadow brushes are excellent and so cheap that you can have one for every color you own (just my opinion 
.
I have the Sephora foundation and concealer brushes and like them both immensely. This topic has been on my mind lately so thanks so much for the post!
I love MAC brushes and my BE concealer brush. The MAC brushes that I have came in a set that I got at Christmas about five or six years ago and they are still as good as new! (The holiday sets are a good bargain for what you get, too!)
Smashbox is coming out with some great brush sets at really reasonable prices! I got the Mod Chic last Christmas and plan to get the Beyond Beauty set that's out now for this year. At under $100 for a set of six, there's an insta-collection of a dozen brushes for under $200!
for face i never go anywhere with my mac 109 "buffer" brush... i use it for powder, blush, bronzer.. i am pretty much obsessed.
i was fortunate enough to attend the make up artist trade show in pasadena this summer and sat in on the brush seminar and it was there that i learned about royal & langnickel brushes. i got the complete professional set at a super cheap promo/show price and i am totally in love. royal & langnickel was originally an art brush company that decided to go into makeup brushes (since some already interchange the two) so quality is a given. and they're just such pretty little brushes... the professional set comes with this gorgeous aqua-y blue hardware that makes your brushes stand out from the rest, making them easy to find if you ever get your kits mixed up...
btw, this is the first time i'm commenting on your blog, but i totally love it and read it pretty much everyday.. keep up the good work!
i love all my japonesque brushes and they're pretty cheap. i use the flat eyeliner one all the time.
Sonia Kashuk brushes at Target are pretty fantastic, I got the travel set about five years ago and they're still in perfect condition.
Mary Kay also has a FABULOUS new brush set that includes 5 brushes in a carrying case that doubles as an evening bag! The set includes a powder brush, blush brush, angled eye brush, stiffer eye brush, and a combination eyebrow/eyeliner brush. The cost for the whole set? $48! Check it out!
Instead of a smudger you can just as easily use Q-tips for blending eyeliner into the lash line. My friend who is a makeup artist taught me this when she would smear tons of liner underneath my eyes and then blend it into a sexy, smoky look.
Besides, you can throw them away after each use. Isn't the smudge "brush" hard to clean thoroughly?
Love the post! Now you need to write about how to clean your brushes. 
Wow Kristen, I can tell a lot of work went into this post! It's fabulous!
Just wanted to give my 2 cents on brushes--I love Billy B's paintbrushes! Have you tried them yet?
Stylebites - dammit Rachel stop trying to get me to save money! Hehehe. I love q-tips for smudging liner, but for applying darker shadow in the lashline and on the lower lid, they just don't cut it...they don't pick up enough product or distribute it evenly. But for smudging liner, Q-tips rock.
Brush cleaning will be next...nothing beats Bobbi Brown's simple solution of cleaning them with baby shampoo.
Shannon - I haven't tried Billy B's brushes yet, but I'm dying to! Lots of buzz around them and everyone says they're great.
Hi! Can you use a lip brush as a concealer brush? I rarely use my lip brush and I find that it's hard to blend my current concealer with my fingers as it's so dry/creamy, and it leaves a sort of whitish mark behind that is the result of poor blending. I don't want to shell out another $20 for a brush since I'm still young and don't have much money..
Thank you for your input!
