A Makeup Brush Can Make or Break Your Look—These 17 Are Foolproof Options (2025)

Why We Love It: Once you own one of these makeup brushes, you’ll want several more to throw in your purse and work bag for on-the-go touch-ups. The bristles are densely packed but luxuriously soft, making for a seamless application that feels great on the skin. And while its purpose is to apply foundation and concealer, the brush is also great for buffing in cream bronzer, liquid contour, and blush. The result is a flawless, natural-looking base. In a real pinch, you can even use the concealer brush for eyeshadow application, making it a true one-and-done tool. However, although the dual-sided design is genius, it’s not the easiest to store between uses.

Who’s It For: This brush is a no-brainer for those prioritizing multifunctionality and quality. Its ultra-plush, dense bristles make blending a breeze. An InStyle tester who tried it loved how it held onto her foundation without soaking up too much of the product, which is what we look for in brushes to achieve a flawless finish.

Bristle Type: Synthetic | Shape: Double-ended dome | Intended Use: Foundation, concealer | Vegan: Yes

Why We Love It: Makeup artist Daniel Martin, who famously did Meghan Markle’s royal wedding makeup, understands how instrumental a brush is to a final beauty look. Beyond this brush’s price (which is so good), Martin counts its versatility as a major selling point. It works beautifully with creams, powders, and liquid foundations alike. In the year-plus that we’ve owned it, we’ve experienced no issues with shedding.

Who’s It For: This multitasking brush is equally affordable and effective. Thanks to its small, tapered shape, you can be precise and controlled with your movements, blending your products until you achieve a natural finish.

Bristle Type: Synthetic | Shape: Tapered dome | Intended Use: Setting powder, powder highlight, cream highlight | Vegan: Yes

Why We Love It: The results you get from using this brush Hourglass Ambient Soft Glow Foundation Brush mimic the precise, delicate application you get from your fingertips. At first glance, the brush looks small compared to other foundation brushes; its head is roughly the same size as a quarter. Luckily, what it lacks in size, it makes up for in seamless application, flawless precision, and a skin-like finish. You don’t have to get your hands dirty to achieve any of it, either. An InStyle tester who integrated this brush into her routine found its bristles pleasantly soft as she used them to stipple, blend, and push the product into her skin. Although it didn’t leave her with a single streak, she noted that the brush soaked up the foundation quickly, leading her to use more product than usual.

Who’s It For: Who doesn’t love the precise application you get from your fingertips? With this brush, you can get all of the control without any of the mess. The densely packed bristles and unique shape are perfect for getting an even spread of foundation in hard-to-reach spots (like the area around your nose).

Bristle Type: Synthetic | Shape: Custom angled | Intended Use: Liquid, stick, and cream foundation | Vegan: Yes

Why We Love It: If you use fluffy eyeshadow brushes to apply highlighter, you’ll be excited to learn that Mario Dedivanovic (as in the Mario of Makeup by Mario and a member of Kim Kardashian’s glam team) does the same. This brush is slightly stiff, helping you apply products with precision, but it’s fluffy enough to blend formulas into the skin with ease. This highlighter brush commands complete control over where the product lands and gives a seamless buff, too.

Who’s It For: This multiuse brush’s thin dome is perfect for ultra-precise application and blending. While some might write it off as too small to apply highlight, it provides enough blendable coverage to dust highlighter right where you want it.

Bristle Type: Synthetic | Shape: Thin, fluffy dome | Intended Use: Eyeshadow, highlight | Vegan: Yes

Why We Love It: So you want to splurge…All good by us; just make sure you do it right (and by right, we mean this Westman Atelier Liquid Blender Brush). Crafted with cherry wood sourced from Japan and handmade, cruelty-free polyester bristles, this brush is about as luxe as it gets. It smooths product quickly and evenly, leaving skin with a seamless finish in just a few swipes. Similar in shape to a kabuki brush but with slightly denser, shorter bristles, achieving second-skin-like coverage is nearly foolproof.

Who’s It For: Although this brush’s bristles are densely packed and stiff, they’re still soft to the touch and feel plush—not rough—on the skin. The rounded head is ideal for pressing product into the skin, and the dense bristles ensure a streak-free application. Plus, the brush’s soft edges are perfect for hard-to-reach spots, like the sides of your nose and underneath your eyes.

Bristle Type: Polyester | Shape: Compact round | Intended Use: Blending liquid makeup | Vegan: Yes

Why We Love It: Powder foundation seems like the easiest to apply (movies made us believe we could get a flawless application with a flick of the wrist); however, we still struggle to achieve the smooth, even finish promised by so many formulas. After subpar brushes left us with patchy complexions, we struck gold with this affordable tool. Its beauty lies in its duality—the brush has two sides: a larger end to apply liquid and powder foundation to larger surface areas and a smaller end to buff concealer into more targeted areas. An InStyle tester described this brush’s bristles as “extremely soft and pillowy to the touch.” During the testing period, she could fully blend her foundation with only this brush by alternating between the two heads.

Who’s It For: This dual-sided brush is all you need for your liquid or powder foundation and concealer base, making it a great travel companion. The fewer brushes you have to bring in your makeup bag, the better, right?

Bristle Type: Synthetic | Shape: Fluffy with flat and skinny sides | Intended Use: Powder and liquid foundations, bronzers, and blush | Vegan: Yes

Why We Love It: Flat with a tapered “cat’s tongue” shape and rounded tip, this simple beauty tool is made with super fine fibers to achieve a flawless finish. The brush is ideal for pinpointing imperfections and gives professional results, leaving you with a smooth, blended layer of concealer. Best of all, the flat edge makes the brush a great multitasker—stipple on concealer under the eyes or pat powder in hard-to-reach spots. And yes, it works with liquids, creams, and powders alike.

Who’s It For: Because this brush is so great for precision, it requires more work and attention than larger concealer brushes to blend to perfection, especially when applying makeup to dry skin. That said, flawless coverage takes time no matter what, and with this brush, the result is just that: flawless.

Bristle Type: Synthetic | Shape: Tapered “cat’s tongue” tip | Intended Use: Cream and liquid concealer | Vegan: Unclear

Why We Love It: This contour brush looks intimidating at first (it’s even softer and smaller than the one we usually use), but trust us when we say it completely changes the game. Great for pressed powders and loose powder formulas, its tapered, fluffy bristles make our contour look simultaneously softly diffused and precisely defined. This brush makes defining cheekbones a breeze and doubles as a fabulous highlight brush.

Who’s It For: When using the powder formula in contour palettes, do you alternate between densely packed brushes and light, fluffy ones? Fluffier bristles, like the ones on this brush, require a bit more work but leave behind soft, buildable layers.

Bristle Type: Synthetic | Shape: Long, tapered cylindrical | Intended Use: Powder contour | Vegan: Yes

Why We Love It: Yes, this is technically a blush brush, but we prefer to use its large brush head and fluffy shape to apply bronzer. The soft, thin bristles glide the formula across the face for an even, non-streaky finish and diffuse product in a way that imparts a natural, light tan that’s never patchy. Even though the brush starts to feel slightly scratchy with continued use, it still picks up the perfect amount of product and holds its shape surprisingly well.

Who’s It For: The large, domed shape is perfect for all-over application and leaves your skin with a smooth finish. It provides light to medium coverage, and at such an affordable price point, we can overlook the fact that the bristles get a bit scratchy over time. Even then, the large dome shape remains intact and gives the bronzer a smooth-looking finish.

Bristle Type: Synthetic | Shape: Tapered dome | Intended Use: Powder blush | Vegan: Yes

Why We Love It: Phillips swears by MyKitCo brushes, and when Kendall Jenner and Hailey Bieber’s go-to makeup artist says a beauty brand is good, you listen. According to Phillips, this brush is the “perfect size and softness for applying blush to the apples of the cheeks.” The expertly bundled bristles create a dense brush with a soft, fluffy shape, which is hard to find, and it applies blush with impressive precision. Save this brush for your powder products since natural bristles aren’t ideal for cream or liquid products.

Who’s It For: This brush’s dense and soft bristles make it ideal for blending powder blushes. Its versatility also makes it great for bronzers and other powder formulas, ensuring an even application every time.

Bristle Type: Natural | Shape: Plush dome | Intended Use: Blush, powder | Vegan: No

Why We Love It: This Real Techniques brush works best with liquids and creams as its small, tapered bristles apply a precise pop of color, giving you a natural, buildable flush without looking cakey. The bristles are simultaneously dense and soft, making them ideal for cream blush. Plus, the handle has a nice weight to it, giving you sufficient control during application. If you use a highly pigmented blush, it may stain the bristles, so be sure to wash them after every use.

Who’s It For: If you’re looking for buildable, targeted coverage, this brush has your name written all over it. At such an affordable price point, this highly rated blush brush is beloved by many for good reason. It’s lightweight; the small, domed shape is great for picking up product, and the bristles create a natural finish.

Bristle Type: Synthetic | Shape: Small, tapered dome | Intended Use: Liquid, cream, or powder blush, contour, and highlighter | Vegan: Yes

Why We Love It: This large tapered brush plays nicely with liquids and cream. However, it does its best work when applying powders and blending soft washes of product to the eyes and face. It’s ideal for sweeping or swirling products, especially a light coat of powder, onto shiny spots, like under the eyes and along the T-zone. MAC Cosmetics expertly engineered the bristles to be breakage-resistant and have nonporous fibers that make it easy to clean the brush. Just wash it after each use to ensure pigments don’t become muddied.

Who’s It For: The soft, fluffy fibers and perfectly medium-sized head make this option incredibly versatile, a key attribute Martin says he looks for in his brushes. Use it to add a wash of color to the eyes, buff a dark shade into the crease for some contrast, apply highlighter, contour with precision, or put setting powder under your eyes. The brush’s fluffiness makes picking up the right amount of product easy, and blending is a breeze.

Bristle Type: Synthetic | Shape: Fluffy tapered dome | Intended Use: Powder eye shadow, powder highlighter | Vegan: Yes

Why We Love It: Hourglass brushes are luxe, thoughtfully designed, and super soft. Unlike many blending brushes, this fluffy one has some rigidity to it. Its shape and length make it great for sculpting the eyes and buffing out color without creating a muddy mess. Its unique, long shape, paired with the weighted handle and stiff base, makes it easy to maintain control and precision. And the fluffy top and flexible bristles create a soft blend that eschews harsh lines.

Who’s It For: Sephora Beauty Director David Razzano says a great blending brush is absolutely necessary when doing eye makeup, and this one fits the bill. That said, there’s a bit of a learning curve when using it due to its less tapered, stiff design, especially if you’re a beginner. But with practice, you’ll be a blending pro in no time.

Bristle Type: Synthetic | Shape: Medium, straight dome | Intended Use: Eyeshadow crease | Vegan: Yes

Why We Love It: If you take a one-and-done approach to eyeshadow, let us introduce you to your new best friend. The fluffy bristle shape allows you to quickly sweep a wash of color over your eyes or blend out any edges. Plus, the shape fits snugly into the eye’s crease and accentuates its natural shape. Additionally, the brush’s wide, tapered shape picks up color easily and blends out shadows like a dream. The custom blend of synthetic and vegan fibers creates a super soft, fluffy head.

Who’s It For: Whether you’re looking for a quick and easy sweep of color over your lid or the perfect smoky eye, this brush’s small, tapered head can handle it. You can use it with wet or dry shadows. Plus, we love how easy it is to control, meaning you can create buildable eye looks.

Bristle Type: Synthetic | Shape: Wide tapered | Intended Use: All-over lid color | Vegan: Yes

Why We Love It: Here at InStyle, we love the look of smudged liquid eyeliner, but you need the right tools to nail it (there’s a thin line between rockstar chic and smeared mess). This brush features an incredibly small head with dense fiber bristles, making it possible to lay down and buff shadow along the lash line perfectly. Dip the brush in a matte hue and run it along your lower and upper lash lines. You’ll find that the brush still feels light and luxurious at the same time. Just be sure to glide it gently around the eye area; otherwise, it can uncomfortably tug.

Who’s It For: The Charlotte Tilbury brush’s tiny tip applies shadow with precision, which can be difficult to achieve with thicker brushes. Thanks to the sturdy bristles, you can use the tip to create fine lines and graphic effects. Or, you can simply rock a soft-liner look.

Bristle Type: Synthetic | Shape: Pencil | Intended Use: Eyeliner, blending on the lash line | Vegan: Yes

Why We Love It: Upper lash liner is a dangerous game—make one wrong move, and suddenly, your liner goes from subtle to full-on graphic. This brush’s flat, angled head makes it easy to stamp on color and draw a thin, even line from the inner corner to the outer wing. Plus, the sharp tip and edges create flawless, precise wings. Thanks to the thin, flat shape, you can customize your liner width to your liking, and the stiff bristles stay taut on the eye. The brush is also ideal for gel shadow liners.

Who’s It For: Getting used to this brush shape and its long bristles takes practice, especially if you’re used to using a flat-edged liner brush. That being said, with some practice, you can use it to create thin, precise lines.

Bristle Type: Synthetic | Shape: Flat angled | Intended Use: Eyebrows | Vegan: Yes

Why We Love It: Using this brush is a staple in our routine. The two-in-one design is the perfect tool for achieving immaculately shaped brows every time. While the angled liner brush is thin enough to make hair-like strokes with cream and gel formulas, we prefer to dip it in a powder and use it to fill in a light wash of color on our brows. It helps fill in spots and gaps, and the spoolie ensures optimal color distribution. Plus, it sweeps our brows into place without scratching our skin.

Who’s It For: The thin liner brush easily picks up product and creates a subtle wash of color on the brow. You'll get excellent results even if you have little experience with similar tools. The angled brush offers precision, while the spoolie smooths out the final look to deliver natural-looking brows.

Bristle Type: Synthetic | Shape: Angled liner | Intended Use: Cream, powder, and gel eyebrow formulas | Vegan: Yes