Buying Guide for the Best Makeup Brushes
A good makeup brush set is essential for applying beautifully finished makeup, and choosing the right makeup brushes are the difference between easily applied makeup and a beautiful finish or a hot mess. And with so many options out there, how do you decide? Comparaboo understands how frustrating and time consuming it can be to find the best makeup brushes for you. That is why we have put together this easy-to-following makeup brush buying guide to help you find the perfect brushes, easily!
Types
Makeup brush sets differ in the types of bristle materials the brush heads are made from. The three main types of makeup brushes are explained below for you to compare:
Natural Makeup Brushes: Natural makeup brushes are made from hair and are softer brushes. Best for applying bronzers, blushes, and other makeup powders, natural makeup brushes are a high-end choice for makeup artists and other makeup enthusiasts.
Synthetic Makeup Brushes: Made from synthetic, man made materials, modern synthetic makeup brushes are an affordable option and are especially popular among consumers. Best for putting on creams and liquids and good with powders, they are a great brush choice for all kinds of makeup.
Blended Makeup Brushes: These brushes are a blend of synthetic materials and natural hair. Less expensive than all-natural brushes, they offer the best of both worlds and are often the prefered brushes for budding makeup professionals for airbrush makeup application.
What Reviewers Have to Say
Based on all the consumers' reviews we've scanned, these are the top things they mentioned about their new stuff:
- Value for Money: The most important reviewing point that makeup brush owners rate their brushes on is value for money. Brushes that offer the same quality as professional high-end brushes but for a lot less money are the best rated. Consumers don’t want to sacrifice quality for prices and the best rated brushes with good reviews in this regard are top sellers.
- Feel: Makeup brush buyers are most satisfied with brushes that are soft on the skin yet firm enough for precision work, and they consider these brushes good investments. Feel is also a reviewing point when it comes to the handles of a brush, and lightweight brushes offer the best feel and comfort according to reviewers.
- Variability: Makeup brush sets that include a variety of brush types and shapes that can multi-task and handle a variety of application and makeup materials are rated much higher than those that can’t. From precision work to larger foundation applications, a good brush set should handle everything and ones that do are top scorers.
- Bristles: In general, synthetic brushes are more popular than natural brushes, and brushes that offer the least amount of shedding make makeup application easier. The less a brush sheds, the higher quality the design is, and the more consumers appreciate it.
Important Features
- Makeup brushes come in a variety of shapes, including flat, domed, square, or angled, and come with the following bristle settings: chisel, pointed, round, and kabuki. Domed brushes offer much softer application by rolling gently across the skin and are better for intricate application where accuracy is needed. Rounded chisel shaped brushes are the best blenders, pointed brushes make precise work easier, and kabuki brushes are the largest and most luxurious of the brushes great for blushing. A good set will have a variety of shapes and sizes to suit all applications.
- A good quality makeup brush set should include at least a larger powder brush, a medium blush or bronzer blush, a larger eyeshadow brush, and a small eyeshadow brush for blending those smokey eyes or smudging where needed.
- When it comes to makeup brushes, opt for a quality, good rated set as it is better to have four or five great brushes than 20 low quality ones. High quality brushes, which don’t have to mean a high price tag, will make application easier and last longer, making them a much better investment.
- Makeup brush bristles are held in place by a ferrule (a metal base) and a good brush will hold the bristles seamlessly without them coming detached during use.
- Each type of makeup brush set will have a different set and weight. For a comfortable brush, it should be solid enough to be durable yet lightweight enough to make application easier. When comparing top rated makeup brush sets, compare their reviews to see how comfortable their owners found them.
Top-Rated Brands
Coastal Scents: Coastal Scents have been making bath and beauty products since 2005 and produce cruelty-free makeup and beauty accessories and products.
Beau Gâchis Paris: Beau Gâchis Paris is a family owned business aimed at making affordable, quality, glamorous makeup accessories.
Shany Cosmetics: Shany cosmetics was formed in 2013 by a team of makeup artists and chemists with the goal of manufacturing cruelty-free, paraben-free, and talc-free makeup and accessories.
Real Techniques: Launched in 2011, Real Techniques’ brush collections have quickly become known for their quality products and are a popular brush choice.