ROAD TEST: The $30 makeup brush kit that seriously lifted my beauty game.

In a world saturated with Instagram influencers and Pinterest boards, one might be forgiven for feeling overwhelmed when it comes to applying their own makeup.

I would consider myself to be your average makeup user. My daily routine takes roughly 10 minutes and it includes moisturiser, foundation, powder, blush, simple eyeshadow and mascara. I’m not terrible, but I am no Kylie Jenner.

For big events like weddings, engagements and milestone birthdays, I have been known to fork out the cash to have my makeup professionally done.

At $120 a pop, I can’t help but shudder when I think about how much money I could have saved if I were to step up my game. I could have bought so much avo on toast with that money. Or, who knows, maybe I’d even have a house deposit.

That’s why I jumped at the chance to try out the Illuminate Me 32-Piece Brush Set. I figured the more brushes I had, the more I could experiment and find what works for me.

The basic brushes were easy to identify - foundation, eyebrow, blush. I had no idea what I was meant to do with the other 29 brushes, luckily my work wife is a makeup artist and she gave me an in-depth explanation about each one - which I have now summarised for the other makeup novices out there. (You’re welcome)

1. The smaller the brush, the better the precision.

I know this seems obvious, but I always use bigger brushes for my blush and bronzer. I tried using the smaller brushes to concentrate on my cheeks and I definitely noticed a difference. No contouring necessary.

I also dusted some highlighter on the top of my cheek bones with the smaller fan brush. My favourite discovery was using a smaller brush to powder my T Zone. Lord knows it needs the extra attention.

2. Angled brushes are for eyeliner/eyes/eyebrows.

I am not game enough to attempt a winged eyeliner just yet, however I know it will be possible with various shapes and sizes offered in this pack. I did use them to fill in my eyebrows and that worked a treat as well!

3. The less fluffy the brush, the more product you use.

So in other words, the denser the brush, the more targeted the area. So I used one of the dense brushes for concealer, which really made a difference to the appearance of the dark circles under my eyes, (which are definitely hereditary and have nothing to do with binge-watching UK Love Island past midnight.)

Using what I learnt about angled brushes - I was genuinely excited when I picked up a dense, angled brush and knew what to do with it - it was for the crease above my eyelid!

4. Fluffy brushes are for blending.

Normally, I use a grand total of one brush for my eye makeup, which is potentially why I can never get them quite right. Since acquiring this set, I have been using four brushes on my eyes and I can definitely say it has made a difference. Two dense brushes to dust colour along my eyeline and crease, one flat brush to apply product and a fluffy brush to blend. I still need a bit of practice but my smokey eye has stopped resembling a black eye.

These brushes are a revelation. For a beginner, the variety allows me to try different things and see what works for me. They are super soft and so silky smooth that no product falls off them and onto your clothes while you're applying makeup. The foundation brush is particularly smooth and doesn’t create any streakage.

Using all these different brushes has added about five minutes to my routine but the compliments have been worth it.

You can get Illuminate Me 32-Piece Brush Set for just $29.95 at Mamamia Shopping - as well as a whole heap of other beauty bargains.