Integral in achieving a finessed look, makeup brushes are the foundation from which product is applied. While you may already own the silkiest, refined foundation, blush or eye shadow, the application of these products means nothing without a quality brush to sweep them across your skin. Here, we unpack the 30 best makeup brushes to add to your kit to create a seamless, airbrush-like complexion.
1. MAC Cosmetics - Large Angled Contour Brush
To achieve a seamless, structured application of cheek contour, look no further than the MAC Cosmetics large angled contour brush. The large brush features fibres which form a buffed edge, yet are soft and firmly constructed, to ensure flawless application is achieved.
2. Zoeva - 104 Buffer Brush
With the Zoeva buffer brush, you achieve a streak-free finish through its design and quality craftsmanship. The brush contains pure synthetic hair, ensuring application of liquid, gel and cream textures is simple and won’t be absorbed by the brush itself.
3. Chanel - Fluid Foundation-Blending Brush
Chanel’s fluid foundation-blending brush is especially designed for delicate, subtle application of liquid and cream foundations. Mimicking the function of a stippling brush, the fine quality and placement of bristles ensures the brush only gently strokes the face creating a refined application of product.
4. Clarins - Eyeshadow Brush
Designed with plush, synthetic fibres ideal for effortlessly blending product, Clarins’ eyeshadow brush glides softly over eyeliner for smudged effect or seamlessly applies cream and powder shadows. The precision craft of the tool ensures you are in control of its movement, ensuring the desired look is always achieved.
5. Mecca Max - Flushed Angled Blush Brush
Mecca’s vegan brush is ideal for powder blush formulations, bronzer and highlighter. The blush brush of our dreams, it’s angular shape follows the alignment of the face intently in achieving a subtle, dewy look.
6. Charlotte Tilbury - Hollywood Complexion Brush
A multi-use makeup brush, Charlotte Tilbury has crafted a versatile must-have your kit is craving. Its large, flat top is ideal for blending the base with the reverse small angled head is ideal for concealing under the eyes and around the nose.
7. Kevin Aucoin - The Foundation Brush
Kevin Aucoin’s foundation brush is ergonomically designed, comprising of high-quality synthetic bristles arranged in formation to mimic the touch of fingertips. Ideal for applying powder, cream and liquid foundations, the versatile tool seamlessly glides across the face in achieving an even and smooth complexion.
8. Dior - Backstage Kabuki Brush 17
Taking inspiration from backstage makeup application at runway shows, the retractable kabuki brush is designed for simpler application of product, ideal for bronzers and powders. The soft, concentrated formulation of bristles ensures the brush is both luxurious and functional.
9. Sigma - Winged Liner Brush
Achieve a controlled, sharp winged eyeliner with Sigma’s delicate and tailored brush. Featuring a small, angled shape the brush is ideal when applying gel or liquid liners with ease. Small but mighty, it’s a hero when finishing of eye makeup with a flick.
10. Bobbi Brown - Concealer Brush
Bobbi Brown’s concealer brush is designed for the delicate application of product where blemishes appear across the face. Ideal for covering under eye circles and darkness, the tool is also useful in covering discolouration around the nose and uneven pigment on the skin.
11. La Mer - The Foundation Brush
A luxe brush needed in your make up kit, the La Mer foundation brush is produced with high-performance synthetic fibres designed for the flawless application of crème and liquid foundations. Its tapered design allows for greater precision and ownership of the tool when finessing your overall look.
12. Rare Beauty - Liquid Foundation Brush
A soft concealer brush evoking a sense of skin-to-skin application, this tool is ideal for blending and buffing away streaks. Using the prevision tip to reach every crevice under eyes, around the nose and near the mouth ensures flawless application and finish of product.
13. Laura Mercier - Cheek Colour Brush
With its sculpted head design and medium sized brush head, this Laura Mercier tool applies the ideal amount of product to the cheekbones for a rosy glow. Gently and seamlessly applying product, the brush has garnered a cult-following as a kit must have and one of the best blush brushes on the market.
14. Hourglass - Veil Powder Brush
A luxurious, generously fluffy brush, the Veil Powder Brush is one of the supreme tools in Hourglass’s armada. Its double-ended design allows for versatility, with the larger head primed for applying setting powders and the tapered end for setting concealer or dusting away fall out from eye shadow pigment.
15. Morphe x Ariel - Morphe X Ariel Signature Look 12-Piece Face & Eye Brush Set
Developed by makeup artist Ariel himself, this 12-piece eye and face set contains the tools necessary for creating daring eye looks, seamlessly blending product and defining facial highlights and contour. A handy starter pack for those needing to fill their kit with go-to items for daily use.
16. Bdellium tools - 988 BHD Large Foundation Brush
This large brush is versatile, ideal for either foundation application or when sweeping powder across the face. Its shape enables you to blend foundation with the side of the brush, followed by using the other side to soften the application with powder in a circular motion. All Bdellium Tools are 100 per cent vegan and cruelty free.
17. Fenty - Cheek Hugging Highlight Brush
Embracing the natural curve of cheeks, the Fenty highlight brush consists of an expertly chiselled shape that hug the area of application. Designed for the cheek, the product can easily be used along the bridge of the nose, collar bone and brow bone for maximum highlight application.
18. RMS Beauty - Skin2Skin Blush Brush
This brush is designed to mimic the touch of fingers applying product, pressing product onto the skin and creating an airbrushed effect across the face. It’s ideal for applying blush or bronzer, with its vegan fibres delicately crafted for cohesive application.
19. Benefit Cosmetics - Dual-Ended Angled Eyebrow Brush
Benefit’s answer to the eyebrow brush allows you to use pomades, powders or waxes when achieving a strong brow. With every kit needing a go-to brow tamer, the dual-ended angularity of this offering assures controlled application and seamless blending of colour. Its short, stiff bristles ensure precision needed when working on an intricate part of your makeup.
20. Nars - All Over Eyeshadow Brush
Nars’ all over eyeshadow brush features a large paddle shape, designed to layer colour across the eyelids from the base of the lash line to top of the brow bone. Constructed of synthetic fibres, the brush is appropriate for use with powder and cream shadows.
21. Tarte - Setting Superpower Powder Brush
Tarte’s powder brush effortlessly sweeps across the face, ideal for the use of translucent and setting powders at the conclusion of applying your base. Tapping off the excess product prior to brushing on the face will assist in achieving an even, buttery complexion with the brush’s loosely-packed bristles diffusing powder and keeping the base underneath firmly in place.
22. Giorgio Armani - Large Eye Contour Brush
The large eye contour brush is crafted specifically for applying a generous amount of colour to the eyelids in a controlled manner. Its soft bristles mildly sweep across the lids and ensures blending and highlighting is done with ease.
23. By Terry - Tool Expert Brush, Face and Body
Crafted from premium, cruelty-free bristles, the face and body brush evenly distributes liquid and powder products into the skin. With a comfortable grip and supple texture, the brush works best when buffing product across the body where desirable.
24. Smashbox - Full Coverage Foundation Brush
This Smashbox brush is designed to embrace facial contours for seamless foundation application. Its angular shape assists in blending full-coverage products streak-free, with its synthetic fibres providing durability and control whilst moving across the skin.
25. Morphe - M536 Under Eye Bullet Brush
Functional and versatile, the Morphe under eye brush delicately masks under eye dark circles and seamlessly blends product. The brush is constructed from soft, synthetic bristles and its rounded tip is designed to ensure applying concealer is polished and clean.
26. Real Techniques - Soft Glam Eye Brush Trio
A set of eye brushes which can be used together or individually in creating a look, the Real Techniques soft glam brush trio consists of the staple tools needed for shadow application. The 030 duo brush blends shadow into the crease, 033 is densely packed for the transition of colours and the 035 brush is deal for applying cream of liquid eyeshadow across the lid.
27. Ilia - Shadow Brush
This flat, tapered eyeshadow brush is crafted to pick up the right amount of pigment to then sweep and press across the face. It’s vegan, cruelty-free fibres ensure a soft touch and gentle application is a constant when using the tool.
28. Rae Morris - Jishaku #17 Square Lash Liner
Inspired by Japanese makeup techniques, this brush is designed for effortless application of eye liner when crafting sharp, sculptural looks. Its bristles are made from PBT synthetic fibres and is made cruelty-free.
29. Anastasia Beverly Hills - Eyebrow Brush
With a custom spooley end designed to naturally blend product into the brows, the Anastasia Beverly Hills duo brush creates a soft, raw finish to brows. The soft, gentle bristles have a superfine edge ideal for touch ups throughout the day.
30. Too Faced - Diamond Light Highlighting Brush
The striking Too Faced brush is a dream for highlighting, sweeping gently across the face and crafting a seamless sheen. Its uniquely shaped dome head picks up pigment with ease and ensures blending and application is subtle, with a finessed finish achieved every time.
