Beauty writer Sali Hughes trimmed her vast makeup brush collection to five essentials after a friend noted their space footprint—these are among her most asked-about items online. Her picks: a fluffy concealer brush (Hourglass £40 or budget Sculpted by Aimee £14, for light coverage and fixing mishaps); Saie’s £26 foundation brush (clean with Fairy Liquid to avoid streaks); Make Up By Mario’s £33 double-ended brush for powders, bronzer and blush; Vieve’s eyeshadow blender (two sizes, £23/£24, pick by eye size); MyKitCo’s £19 small smudge brush (multi-use). She excludes a mascara spoolie from the core five.