The 7 Best Makeup Brushes Are My Secret to a Flawless Beat Every Time
Don’t let the paintbrush silhouette scare you.
If I've learned anything after a decade as a beauty editor, it's that your makeup is only as good as your makeup brushes. Don't get me wrong, I understand the appeal of some finger application, and I'll always finish off my face beat by bouncing a warm, damp makeup sponge, but every makeup artist I've ever worked with recommends using brushes for at least a handful of steps. "Makeup brushes provide a more precise and controlled application. They make your makeup look more natural and refined. Brushes are designed to target specific areas of the face, such as the eyes, cheeks, or lips, with greater accuracy than sponges or fingers," explains celebrity makeup artist Benjamin Puckey. "Brushes allow for better control over the amount of product applied because they let you pick up the desired amount of product and evenly distribute it onto the skin."
That being said, makeup brushes are not one-size-fits-all; you need different brushes for creams and liquids than for powders, and chances are you'll want a few different shapes and sizes, too. Lucky for you, I've spent, well, my entire life testing makeup brushes and am happy to share my definitive list of the seven best makeup brushes on the market.
The Best Makeup Brushes
- Best Foundation Brush: Patrick Ta Dual-Ended Complexion Brush
- Best Blush Brush: Westman Atelier Clean Liquid Blender Brush
- Best Powder Brush: Morphe M161 Large Rounded Powder Brush
- Best Eyeshadow Brush Set: Sigma Beauty Basic Eye Brush Set
- Best Eyeshadow Brush: Hourglass No. 3 All Over Eyeshadow Brush
- Best Concealer Brush: Anisa Angled Concealer Brush
- Best Lip Brush: Fara Homidi Lip Brush
Best Foundation Brush
There’s nothing like your foundation gliding onto the skin like butter. One half of that equation is finding the right brush that doesn’t skip, tug, or leave any bristles behind on your face. I’ve tried quite a few of Patrick Ta’s dual-ended brushes, and the quality is next level. When the brand came out with its foundation brush, I felt like the makeup higher powers finally answered my prayers. One side is flat, almost like a paintbrush, to apply foundation onto the skin. The other is densely packed but pliable, perfect for buffing the product out. It’s a genius two-in-one brush that can take the place of a brush, sponge, and concealer brush when you’re short on time.
Review: "You NEED this brush! I have to be at work at 8:30am, so mornings are rushed. The last thing I want to do is spend all my time blending foundation. I literally put my Dior foundation stick all over and blend it in with this brush. It glides the product SO flawlessly. I can’t say enough about this brush." — Sephora
Best Blush Brush
Westman Atelier’s Liquid Blender brush is just that. It’s perfect for buffing out foundation or any other liquid complexion product (I use it for blush all the time). It’s also incredibly compact, perfect for any holiday travel you may have upcoming.
Review: "I hate to recommend something so expensive, but this brush makes my foundation application and overall full face of makeup look better than it ever has. i got it during the rouge sale, will last me YEARS!" — Sephora
Best Powder Brush
This powder brush from Morphe has been my go-to for bronzer. It is massive, for starters, so I feel like I can apply my entire face of bronzer in three seconds and be done with it. Like the previous brush, it is extremely soft, and if brush aesthetics matter to you, the handle is the chicest, matte off-white shade. A good powder brush is worth its weight in gold, and this one is remarkably affordable.
Review: "I'm so pleased with this powder brush! It picks up just the right amount of product, ensuring a flawless, airbrushed finish without looking cakey. The brush is easy to hold and has the perfect shape for sweeping powder across my face and neck. I've used it with both loose and pressed powders, and it performs equally well with both. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a high-quality powder brush!" —Ulta
Best Eyeshadow Brush Set
Over the years, I’ve learned that the one thing that makes eyeshadow easy to do is having the right brushes to apply and blend the product with. I’m cheating a little bit by including an entire brush set, but this collection from Sigma is elite. The stunning range of eye brushes blends out creams and powders alike like a dream.
Review: "I'm actually really impressed with this set. The brushes feel soft but still have enough structure to apply and blend shadows really nicely. I've used a lot of brushes over time and these don't shed or feel scratchy at all. It's a great mix for everyday eye looks — you can pack color, blend it out, and even do more detailed work without needing anything else." — Ulta
Best Eyeshadow Brush
This brush from Hourglass became a favorite by complete accident. I was using it to tap some shadow onto my lid and couldn’t find my liner brush to smoke out my wing. So I used the very tip of this brush, and it came out perfectly. It’s not necessarily marketed as a detail brush, but the design of this brush is perfect for an all-over application of color as well as more targeted work.
Review: "The size of this brush is great for people with average-sized or smaller eyelid areas. If your eyelid area is "large", as is mine, then this brush probably isn't large enough to use for depositing product onto the entire eyelid area." — Nordstrom
Best Concealer Brush
I don’t know exactly what is in this brush, but I swear my concealer comes out perfectly every single time that I use it. It blends the product under my eyes without soaking any of it up, therefore keeping the coverage integrity intact. At the same time, the user experience is immaculate—the bristles are incredibly soft and the brush itself is sturdy and just feels like good quality in my hand. I have about four of them, and I will continue to repurchase them for the rest of my life. Yes, it’s that serious.
Review: "The best design concealer brush ever. It applies the concealer perfectly and evenly. And very quickly without streaking. The bristles are very soft so it doesn’t tug my under eye area." — Anisa
Best Lip Brush
Lip brushes don’t get the love they deserve, and it’s time for that to end. There is nothing chicer than taking out a lip liner brush to apply your lipstick, especially if you’re a little particular, like I am, and prefer to keep your lipstick application process as neat as humanly possible. Fara Homidi’s lip brush, which is the perfect complement to the brand’s lip compacts, is a hidden gem. It has a slightly curved design, making the brush super comfortable to hold in my hand.
Review: "This brush it’s very sturdy, I love that it’s sealed in a covered case. I know it’s not getting dirty in my bad or dresser. It doesn’t feel cheap and it works really well with this product. It applies the lip color so nicely and looks amazing!" — Sephora
How Many Makeup Brushes Do I Need?
How many brushes you really need to complete your collection? "If your routine is more complex or advanced, I’d say six to eight. If you’re more of a no fuss, fresh-faced person that likes to keep their glam basic, five should be plenty," says makeup artist Lisa Aharon. At a minimum, you'll want a foundation/concealer brush, a blush brush, a bronzer brush, a powder brush, and an eyeshadow brush.
How Do I Clean My Makeup Brushes?
It's pretty easy. Liquid soap, a solid bar, or a quick-drying brush spray all get the job done, but Aharon prefers a soap bar, as "it allows you to thoroughly work out the product and grime from the brushes." Just work your fingers through the brush until the water washes out clean. Make sure do let your brushes dry laying down too in order to preserve the brush quality.
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Meet the Experts
Benjamin Puckey is a New York-based makeup artist. Born in London and raised in Amsterdam, Puckey’s visionary talent grew from a lifelong love for fashion and art. Puckey’s conceptual approach to makeup has since launched his career into high fashion titles and leading designer brands around the world. Since his breakthrough fashion spread with W Magazine in 2011, Puckey’s work has appeared across international editions of numerous publications such as Vogue, Dazed, iD, W Magazine, Allure, and Harper’s Bazaar.
He has also worked with brands including Ralph Lauren, Versace, and Oscar de la Renta, as well as jewelry houses David Yurman and Van Cleef & Arpels. Puckey’s trademark approach to enhancing natural beauty and his pursuit of uncompromising quality resonates deeply with Clé de Peau Beauté, where he now serves as the brand’s Global Color Director.
Lisa Aharon is a New York-based, Vancouver-born makeup artist. She specializes in highlighting her clients’ natural beauty by creating flawless skin looks, working regularly with a wide variety of high-profile clientele, the likes of Rachel Brosnahan, Florence Welch, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Bock, and Anna Kendrick, among others. Her work lives in the pages of Cosmopolitan, L'Officiel, The New York Times, Elle, Schön! Magazine, et al, and Aharon has worked with major brands and photographers such as Ralph Lauren, David Yurman, Annie Leibowitz, and Jurgen Teller.
