Makeup Artists Swear by These Makeup Brushes for Beginners and Pros (2024)

Ask any professional to weigh in about the best makeup brushes for foundation, concealer, blush, and more, and they’ll probably say it’s personal. “As a makeup artist, I’m kind of equal parts fingers and brushes, but with brushes that’s where the refinement comes in,” says celebrity makeup artist Rachel Goodwin. “When you start using the right brush, the look quickly goes from regular to professional looking.” Think of chefs and their knives: Same idea here but a lot prettier. Oftentimes we, as beauty-loving nonprofessionals, focus on the flash of all the cheek-enhancing blushes, eye-catching shadows, and sculpting bronzers. But what would our fave beauty products be without their meticulous application? It doesn’t matter whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro: Brushes are necessary for an amazing makeup look. And the good news is that the majority of makeup artists say you only need four to five key picks in your tool kit (more on that later). Below, we asked a panel of pros and testers to pick the best ones to help you swipe, stipple, and smudge your way to a flawless finish.

The best makeup brushes, at a glance

Best All-Around Foundation Brush: Laura Mercier Real Flawless Foundation Brush, $39
Best Foundation and Concealer Brush: Makeup By Mario F4 Brush, $30
Best Undereye Concealer Brush: IT Cosmetics Heavenly Luxe Complexion Perfection Brush, $50
Best Eyeshadow Blending Brush: Bdellium #787 Studio Fiber Tapered Blending Brush, $14
Best Eyeshadow and Liner Blending Brush: MAC 217 Synthetic Blending Brush, $26
Best for Face and Body: Artis Fini Brush, $42
Best Multipurpose Brush: Hourglass Ambient Soft Glow Foundation Brush, $47
Best Powder Brush: Make Up For Ever Precision Powder Brush 128, $52
Best Affordable Brush Kit: e.l.f. Cosmetics Ten Out of Ten Makeup Brush Kit, $35

Your makeup brush questions, answered

What type of brush bristles are best?

When shopping for makeup brushes you can choose between a vegan and cruelty-free bristle design or one made from animal hair, says Gita Bass, a celebrity makeup artist. The difference? “If you have a porous, natural-hair bristle brush, that means it’s going to absorb product versus a synthetic bristle brush, where the product will sit on top of it,” says makeup artist ShaDara Holmes.

Synthetic brushes are great for cream-based products, says Goodwin. Natural-hair brushes, albeit controversial, are often preferred by makeup artists for their unique ability to distribute powder products on the skin. For instance, as Goodwin describes, goat hair tends to hold a lot of pigment which can be advantageous when applying something like eye shadow where color payoff is the point.

Regardless of what the hairs are made of, it’s important to invest in quality. “Make sure the bristles are densely packed,” says Bass. When bristles are close together, they will pick up more product, which means faster, fuller coverage. Higher-end brushes are typically securely held together with a metal ferrule, meaning hair is bound, clamped, and then put into the brush. Holmes also pays attention to handles. “You want to make sure that it’s not too heavy for your hand when applying products and it fits well in your cosmetic case,” she says.

What makeup brushes do you actually need?

The good news: You don’t need a battalion of brushes to get started. Global artistry director for Nars Cosmetics Uzo recommends having five on hand to create just about any basic makeup look: a concealer brush, a foundation brush, a powder brush, a blush/bronzer brush, and an eyeshadow brush. “If you had asked me this five years ago, I would have excluded the foundation brush, but recent makeup trends and newer foundation formulas require the use of a brush to get the best application results,” she adds. (Fun fact: Some makeup artists even use a clean foundation brush to prep skin by painting on skin care like moisturizer.) After all, with the right brushes you can cross over your look into new, dazzling territory.

How to clean your makeup brushes

If you ask a makeup artist this question, they’ll likely say you should clean brushes every one to two weeks. They, on the other hand, must wash theirs after each use, so we have it easy. To simply and efficiently clean them, Uzo recommends using very hot water and dishwashing liquid. “Dishwashing liquid not only effectively cleans and dissolves hard-to-remove pigments, shimmer, glitter, waxes, and oils, but it does not destroy or dry out the brush hair in the process,” she says. She suggests adding a few drops of a gentle dishwashing liquid to a medium-size, bowl of hot water. Immerse the brushes with bristles face down (that’s important) and let soak for two minutes. Remove the excess water and “lay them flat on a towel to dry to prevent water from seeping into the brush handles, which can loosen the bristles from the bevel,” she says.

Makeup Artists Swear by These Makeup Brushes for Beginners and Pros (2024)

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