these spectrum makeup brushes are affordable magic

My makeup brush collection has historically been embarrassingly sparse. I was living with a set of cheap starter brushes I got as a gift, an off-brand beautyblender, an EcoTools kabuki, and a Real Techniques foundation brush for years. Sad, I know. A few weeks ago I finally decided it was time to upgrade.

I was looking for something that was a good balance between budget-friendly and high-quality, and hoping for a little style, too. I thought that might have been too high of a bar to set until I came across Spectrum.

Spectrum is a UK brand that makes vegan, cruelty-free brushes in a range of pretty magical colors. Their brushes have a luxury feel but won't totally break the bank - individual brushes range in price from just over $5 to $13 each. And they just look gorgeous on your vanity.

They were having a sale, so I went a little crazy and got 12 brushes. I bought the ten-piece starter set and two additional brushes from their standard collection, the C04 contour brush and the A05 blush brush. The brushes cost about $50 total, but the $20 international shipping is what killed me. I think my bank account shed a couple tears.

I was almost convinced to buy these brushes based on appearance alone. They've got baby pink handles and their bristles are a blue/purple ombre. I'm a sucker for pastels, what can I say?

The first thing I noticed after I unpacked them was just how soft they are. Touching these brushes is like petting a kitten. And even though they're super soft, they're still dense enough to use with liquid and cream products without a problem.

in order: B03, A07, A15, A01, B06, C04, A06, B04, A05, A17, B01, and A09

My favorites so far are A01, B01, and C04. A01 is a fluffy powder brush, and it's great for brushing a light layer of setting powder over my face. B01 is a flat-top buffer, and I love it for applying my (liquid) foundation. It actually gives me a smoother finish than the Real Techniques brush I've been so attached to. C04 is the only contour brush I bought, and it's perfect. It picks up just enough product and lets you create really subtle shading or build it up.

I haven't had any problems at all with these brushes yet - no hairs falling out or anything. I'd say they're well worth what I payed for them.

Of the other brushes Spectrum offers, I love the Glam Clam set ($79.08):

A photo posted by Spectrum Collections ® (@spectrumcollections) on Jun 2, 2016 at 9:55am PDT

And the Marbelous collection as well:

A photo posted by Spectrum Collections ® (@spectrumcollections) on Aug 1, 2016 at 8:33am PDT

They're all so beautiful! I was really torn between all of these. I only decided on the brushes I got because pretty much all the other collections were sold out.

Let me know if you've tried any Spectrum brushes or if you want more information about any one of these brushes in particular!