This $10 Makeup Brush Set Has Over 4,000 5-Star Reviews on Amazon (2024)

This $10 Makeup Brush Set Has Over 4,000 5-Star Reviews on Amazon (1)

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You can have the best skin care products and the most amazing makeup, but the truth about makeup is that the finished product will only look as good as the tools you use to put it on with. Artists don't use finger paints for a masterpiece, so you shouldn't use your hands to apply your makeup if you want a truly flawless finish. "Brushes have the ability to really buff product into the skin," says Patrick Ta, celebrity makeup artist and founder of Patrick Ta Beauty. "A great brush ensures even coverage, [and] has the ability to keep skin looking like skin."

Your makeup brushes should conceal imperfections and give all-day, natural-looking coverage, and using the wrong makeup brushes (or worse, your hands) can result in an uneven tone, streaky application, and blemishes peeking through. That's why our Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab experts teamed with professional makeup artists to find the best makeup brushes on the market.

In Lab testing, we collected 381 brushes from 63 brands ranging in price from $2 to $90, and surveyed 1,557 panelists to learn what's most important to consumers when shopping for makeup brushes, including price point, ease of use, feel on skin, and application results. We narrowed down the field to 65 brushes across six categories (eye shadow, foundation, concealer, blush, contour, and powder), obscured brand labels to remove any bias, and had our makeup artists put the brushes to the test to find the best of the best.

In case you're wondering if synthetic or natural makeup brushes are better:

In our tests, all of the top performing brushes were synthetic. Synthetic brushes are the best bet for most people — they're more precise, easier to clean, more versatile, and leave a great finish. Perhaps best of all, they're cruelty-free.

"Natural fiber brushes are usually made from some form of animal hair and are porous, so they trap more product," says Edwin Batista, director of education at Dr. Hauschka. Plus, brushes made with animal hair can be an allergen trigger, and since they're porous, they can only be used with powder products, says Beauty Lab senior chemist, Sabina Wizemann.

Below, are the best makeup brushes and sets you can buy, according to Beauty Lab experts, makeup artists, and reviewers.

1

Best Value MAKEUP BRUSH SET

EmaxDesign 12 Pieces Makeup Brush Set

This $10 Makeup Brush Set Has Over 4,000 5-Star Reviews on Amazon (3)

This makeup brush set is an insane value. It boasts 12 brushes at under $10, and these brushes have over 5,000 reviews on Amazon and an average 4.6 star rating. That means it has over 4,000 five-star ratings from real users."The brushes are soft, and hold the pigment of eyeshadows, highlighters, contours really well," says one reviewer."They don't hurt your skin ...and they are comfortable hold."

The set comes with brushes for every step of your routine, from eyes to lips to face for cream, liquid, and powder cosmetics. The bamboo handles aren't too bulky, which makes them travel-friendly, too.

2

BEST POWDER BRUSH

IT Cosmetics Heavenly Luxe Wand Ball Powder Brush #8

This $10 Makeup Brush Set Has Over 4,000 5-Star Reviews on Amazon (4)

In our lab tests, this IT Cosmetics powder brush earned a rare perfect scorefor all attributes, from how easy it was to hold and maneuverto its soft, gentle, yet effective bristles,and itsfoolproof application. It was the top scorer inall of our testing.A favorite of testers and pros alike. "It's the ideal size, shape, and density to cover all areas of the face," one tester said. "It is super soft but is alsodense enough."

3

Best Eyeshadow Brush

MAKE UP FOR EVER 226 Medium Eye Shader Brush

This $10 Makeup Brush Set Has Over 4,000 5-Star Reviews on Amazon (5)

This do-it-all shadow brush earnedperfect scores from our testersfor depositing makeup. "It's really flat,excellent for packing on shadow with high pigmentation because of itsflat, dense shape." It also got perfect scores forbeing soft and gentle on skin. Use it to apply cream, liquid, or powdershadow all over the lid.

4

Best Eyeshadow Blending Brush

Morphe Y19 Pointed Blender

This $10 Makeup Brush Set Has Over 4,000 5-Star Reviews on Amazon (6)

Perfect for a smokey eye or blending color into the crease,Morphe brushes are well-loved with good reason."Theirtexture is smooth but can take the beatingI give them as aworking makeup artist. I also like how affordable they are,"says celebrity makeup artistJami Svay.

This brush "is user friendly," says one tester, because"thebristles are different lengths [so it]can blend out better." For a smokey eye, load it with dark shadow and swipe it back and forth in a "windshield motion"in the crease of the eye. For a natural look, use this light, fluffy brush to apply shadow over the lid.

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5

BEST CONCEALER BRUSH

Bodyography Concealer Brush

This $10 Makeup Brush Set Has Over 4,000 5-Star Reviews on Amazon (7)

Have under-eye circles or blemishes you need to camouflage? This little concealer brush got perfect scores for being gentle on skin and easy to maneuver, with bristles that are "soft enough to feather [concealer] out" for a natural-looking finish. One tester said that although it's a little small for the under-eye area,it's particularly "excellent for blemishes," since it packs pigment on well, which is the most important quality in a concealer brush.

6

BEST BLUSH BRUSH

Sigma Beauty F10 Powder/Blush Brush

This $10 Makeup Brush Set Has Over 4,000 5-Star Reviews on Amazon (8)

Blush brushes are designed to be more precise than powder brushes, making them ideal for applying color to the cheeks. This Sigma Beauty brush impressed testers for its softness and maneuverability, and it scored well for applying and blending product. Amazon reviewers also love it, noting that"the bristles are soft and pick up plenty of pigment ... without turning my whole cheek pink." Use it by buffing blush on in circles, or by swiping up the cheekbones.

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7

BEST FOUNDATION BRUSH

IT Cosmetics Heavenly Luxe Flat Top Buffing Foundation Brush #6

This $10 Makeup Brush Set Has Over 4,000 5-Star Reviews on Amazon (9)

This brush basically works as wellan Instagramfilter: Theflat-top brush has tightly-packed bristles to help buff any kind offoundation (liquid or powder) into skin for an airbrushed look and aeven-toned finish. "Super user friendly, perfect medium density," said one tester."Bristles are soft and pliable." It was a star in our tests, and it's also one ofTa's personalfavorite. "It does a great job of blending foundation seamlessly into the skin."

8

BEST CONTOUR BRUSH

Sigma Beauty F40 Large Angled Contour Brush

This $10 Makeup Brush Set Has Over 4,000 5-Star Reviews on Amazon (10)

The most user-friendly of all the contour brushes we tested,this angledbrush is perfect for sculpting cheekbones.Just load itwith a dark color and brush into the hollows of your cheeks for an instant lift.The Lab found that even though it works well with creams, it'sespecially reliable with powder formulas.The best part is that this brush can pinch-hit as an all-over powder brush, and will work as a blush brush. "It’s fluffy and you'll be able to blend well," said one tester.

Want it as part of a set? TheSigma BeautyEssential Kitis packed with 12 brushes for face, eyes, and lips, and the case doubles as a brush holder.

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9

BEST ANGLED MAKEUP BRUSH

Mac 263 Synthetic Small Angle Brush

This $10 Makeup Brush Set Has Over 4,000 5-Star Reviews on Amazon (11)

An angled makeup brush is a multi-functional tool that's an essential part of a well-stocked makeup bag."You can use it for eyeliner, brows, and applying your lipstick," says Ta.The tightly packed, stiffbristles on this angled brush make it ideal for precise color with cream and powder products.

10

MOST VERSATILE MAKEUP BRUSH

Morphe M401 Large Pointed Powder Brush

This $10 Makeup Brush Set Has Over 4,000 5-Star Reviews on Amazon (12)

Now 57% Off

Consider this your desert-island brush, as it can be used with many products in many different ways. "Anall over powder brush is pretty important to have for loose, pressed, and bronzing face powders," says celebrity makeup artist, JillianDempsey.Ta also loves this Morphe brushfor its unique design: "Its tulip-shaped tip allows for setting powder to get into all the creases of your face.” That means yourmakeup will stay put all day long.

This $10 Makeup Brush Set Has Over 4,000 5-Star Reviews on Amazon (13)

Jessica Teich

Director, Editorial Commerce & Product Reviews

Jessica (she/her) is the director of editorial commerce and product reviews with over a decade of experience as a product tester, reviewer, writer and editor of beauty and lifestyle content. Previously she was the beauty editor at USA Today's Reviewed where she launched the Beauty vertical and tested hundreds of products and has covered trends for publications like The Boston Globe and The New York Times. You can usually find her sorting through piles of beauty products — and testing the best ones on camera.

This $10 Makeup Brush Set Has Over 4,000 5-Star Reviews on Amazon (2024)

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