Good brushes are a must!Mecca is fantastic for brushes and for make overs, the staff are great. Some brands I love are stilla, nars, perspectives. I have a vincent longo foundation brush and its my prize possession it gives a flawless look, can't recommend that enough (its for liquid/wet/creme foundation, not compacts/powder/wet to dry). I loved stephane marais but I can't find it anywhere. I am still using their foundation, loose & pressed powder. I love my Yves Saint Laurent Radient touch pen, its magic! Most of this stuff has a nice pricetag to match but its def worth it! and if you take good care of your brushes they'll last forever, and you'll look a million dollars!

*hugs*
Cailin