Everyone's heard, at one time or another, that it's cheaper to buy make-up brushes at an artist supply store. But have you ever tried it? It's instant overload - rack after rack of brushes of every discernible shape and size. You see a nice shaped sable brush and pick it up. Aside from the handle being 18 inches long, the price is enough to cause cardiac arrest - $60 for something that might run half that at the local MAC counter. So where's the bargain?

It's there, all right, if you know what to look for. Here are some general tips to help you find the best deals.

Synthetic brushes are always cheaper by as much as 90 percent at the artist supply store. These are the brushes you can use to apply concealer, lipstick and eyeliner. Want something that duplicates the Bobbi Brown eyeliner and lip brushes? Look for a brush with an oval shape. If the bristles are too long, you can trim them with a manicure scissors. Want to knock off that Trish McEvoy No. 11 eyeliner brush? Find something straight across with a narrow row of bristles. Expect to pay no more than $3 for any of these.

Slanted or angle brushes are always cheaper by at least 50 percent or more. These are the brushes you'll use for defining the eye crease and applying powdered eyeliner and brow make-up. The fabled MAC No. 22 goes for something like $24. In an art supply store, you should be able to find one in the same red sable or kolinsky for about $10.

If you favor sable lip brushes - both straight across and shaped - you're likely to find them for no more than $8. Ditto for eyeliner brushes.

Not quite as cheap but still reasonable are straight across or "wash" brushes in camel, sable and pony that you can use for blending.

Another bargain is the white goathair brushes with bamboo handles from the orient. A great boudoir powder brush for under $10.

What's not on this list? Blush brushes and chiseled sable eyeshadow brushes. For some reason, you fare better purchasing these at the make-up counter.

But what if the aesthetics of these brushes don't grab you? Say you're a neat freak and you like all of your brushes to match. Well, there are things you can do to make your motley assortment of brushes more appealing:

• Handles that are too long can be broken or sawed down to size. After you're done, smooth the bottom with sandpaper and cover the exposed wood with black permanent marker to match the rest of the handle.

• If you don't like the color of the brush handle, you can remove the color with make-up remover for a natural wood look or cover the entire thing black with permanent marker.