I am Austrian, currently living in the UK (London).
My obsession with makeup brushes started early on with collecting a lot of MAC brushes for many years, which back in the days was the best brand of brushes I knew of. Although now, in a more modern world - with Bloggers and Vloggers - I started to learn about a whole new world of makeup brushes. Once I heard of the rumour about some fantastic makeup brushes from Japan (the godfather country of makeup brushes) my ears and eyes grew big ... bigger ... and bigger. Finally, in 2011 when my husband went on a trip to Japan I sent him to the Hakuhodo store in Tokyo with a rather long wishlist of makeup brushes I wanted to have. Obviously, my list was wayyyy too long, but he was kind enough to pick up some of my first Japanese handcrafted makeup brushes, which I still own, use and treasure a lot!!! Likewise with my husband who doesn't share but understands my obsession and he sometimes even helps me feeding it
On days that need to be celebrated (Birthdays, Christmas etc) and on days that don't have a cause for special celebration, merely celebrating new makeup brushes 
. Anyhow, ever since then I was completely and utterly hooked and it didn't take long until some more of them followed into my collection. I have not bought any Mac brushes since.Now, moving to London opened up once more a larger world of new brush obsessions ... I started collecting Suqqu, Chikuhodo, Tom Ford, Wayne Goss, Koyudo (thanks Sonia for introducing me to this brand) ... pretty much in this order
I am far NOT finished collecting some more precious goodies and even though my collection is not the largest I scream ... Houston, I have a problem ... I need them all!!! However ....
you know what Houston screams back at me? ... Cornelia, you need them all!! One brush at the time 
That is my little brush story and actually thinking of it, my first high end makeup brush I ever bought was the Estee Lauder Powder Brush which I bought when I lived in Switzerland (makeup is VERY expensive in Switzerland!!!). I remember so well how shocked I was when I stood at the cashier desk to pay for it and was too afraid to say no. I bought a powder and a brush and remember paying CHF 195 Swiss Francs. Apparently that didn't stop me from getting more and more brushes
) Well done little me 
) and always love meeting/enabling/being enabled by more brush junkies!
