At the Make Up Counter: Brushes

This week has seemed to drag on, and not in a good way either. Work has been busy and it has just been so stressful. I've had 3 or 4 posts on draft for the past week and I just can't seem to find enough time to get them done.
Finally I have a few minutes to myself to get something complete...

I want to preface this post by saying I am a complete amateur at makeup. I love playing with it, experimenting and what not. But I have no proper knowledge and I am not a make up artist. Having said that...

 I was asked recently where you can find good affordable makeup brushes. So I decided it was a good time for a post on makeup brushes...

Of course we have all heard of MAC brushes being really good, I however haven't used those yet but I am pretty sure they would be awesome. Check out Allthatglitters21's MAC brushes video, she really does a good job of explaining all the brushes she owns...

I have a Bobbi Brown Foundation brush which I love. However Bobbi Brown brushes can be very costly, my foundation brush alone was $35 dollars. On a college student's budget that doesn't get very far... that is why that brush was a gift from my aunt.

Bobbi Brown Foundation Brush

My main brushes have come from Coastal Scents. I love this company, which I have said before. The brushes can be bought individually or in sets and they're priced just right. The low prices of the brushes allows you to buy many and experiment finding which ones work for you!

Coastal Scents 13 piece set

I have the 13 piece brush set, $16.95, its really good for anyone just starting out in the makeup world. It gives you a good base of brushes to have.
The 13 brushes in the set contain a blend of sable and goat hair, except for two synthetic brushes. I found that even though these brushes have a low price, they are a good quality. I have been using them for over a year now and none of them have shed and all remain in good condition.
The brushes come with a carrying case, which I dont really use. The case isn't anything amazing, though other sets come with cuter cases. The only times I have used the case was to protect my brushes while traveling.

Aside from this set, other brushes I use often include:

• Crease brush, not really sure where this one is from, Avon or Mary Kay someone gave me a brush set for my birthday forever ago. But I still love this one. 
• While I don't own any, I have used Sephora brushes before and liked them. 

Cleaning brushes:
Cleaning your brushes is very important! They are going on your face and in your makeup and along the way they will pick up bacteria which can cause infections!
I use Sephora Anti-bacterial brush cleaner at least once a week. Anytime I use my brushes on someone else I clean them before and after use. Also when using liquid/ gel eyeliner, liquid foundation or a cream eyeshadow, the brush should be clean after each used.
At least once a month, I thoroughly wash my brushes using Johnson's No More Tears baby shampoo.

Just remember to have fun with your makeup, play around with the brushes... nothing is set in stone.