27 Best Makeup Brushes for 2018

“The bristles are soft enough to blend a wash of color but have [the] density to pack on pigment,” Park says. “The slightly tapered shape distributes shadow evenly, hugging perfectly along the crease.”

Park recommends this brush for tight-lining with cream, gel, or cake liner. “It’s perfect for stippling on products as close to the lash line as possible,” she says. It also does double-duty to create “sharp edges around the mouth for a clean, perfect lipstick pout.”

Park uses “this brush to dust off any excess powder” and to “strategically place [a] pop of color at the apples of the cheek.” The natural “goat bristles are perfect to create a diffused, natural-looking highlight along the top of the cheekbones, bridge of [the] nose, and collarbone.”

Sesneck uses this natural hair brush “to buff any type of foundation [… to] flawlessly blend into a seamless finish.” If the hefty price tag is cause for concern, consider his tip: “If you wash and care for your brushes, they will last a lifetime.”

For the lips, Sesneck uses Bobbi Brown’s concealer brush: “I think it’s the perfect size and its synthetic bristles make for crisp red lips.”

He calls this brush a “must have” because it “can be used for powder, contour and blush- great for multitasking!

“This one is great for loose and pressed powder applications,” says Ardoff. On set, he uses it for touchups because, “it fans out products evenly and flawlessly.”

“It is great for blending and diffusing color around the eyes and cheeks,” Ardoff says.

“This brush is great for blending in the crease or socket of the eye,” Ardoff says. It “helps to distribute product densely and evenly” and is “great for softening and blending in areas where you would require a smaller brush.”

Ardoff uses this brush “for buffing and softening either cream or pencil eyeliner” and “for applying shadow on top” of liner for an even bolder look.

If you’re in a hurry but still want the ultimate boy brow, grab this brush. “I have literally never seen any other make up line do a brush like this one,” says Kaye. “It’s thick an

“I love the tapered shape of this brush,” says Kaye. “I can use it for highlighting, setting powder, under the eyes, and contouring.”

The perfect paint brush for contouring. “I like to use this brush with a darker shade to find the hollows of the cheeks and carve out the jawline,” says Kaye.

This is the only lip brush Nick Barose will use. “It cuts in an angle so it makes the shape easy to fit any hard to reach areas of the lips,” explains Barose. “It helps me to be precise without doing too much of the work. “

This foundation brush is a favorite of both makeup artists and their clients. “This is hands down my favorite brush for applying foundation,” says Kaye. “I have never had a client not ask me about this brush because it just buffs in the make up so flawlessly and feels dreamy on the client’s skin.”

“I use this for filling in brows and lining eyes because it has the right small shape and angle to easily line,” says Barose. “The bristles are perfect for both cream and powder formulas.”

If you’re looking for one brush to do it all, this might be it. “This dual, multi-purpose brush is great for blush, bronzer, defining contour,” says Barose. “It’s one of my kit’s favorites.”

Hakuhodo offers the ultimate set of brushes. The bristles are exquisitely cut to give an artist complete control over the makeup application process. “My favorite brushes are by Hakuhodo,” says Offer. “An extremely talented makeup artist named Vivian Baker told me about them 10 years ago, and I’ve been hooked ever since.”

“Chanel’s precision powder brush is the perfect length and density to apply bronzer on the halo of the face,” says Jenna Kristina. It’s the perfect blending brush. 

Kristina also always uses a metal eyelash comb after she applies mascara. “I like a whispie feathery lash and it always helps to take out chucks,” says Kristina. Her go-to choice is this pink eyelash comb by Hakuhoda. 

Kristina is also obsessed with Anastasia’s Angled Cut Brush’s bristles. “The synthetic hairs keep this brush sturdy and stiff for the most precise lines,” explains Kristina. “I use it to create hair like strokes with powder on brows and also for the sharpest pointed cat eyeliner.” 

The M.A.C. 217 Blending Brush is a staple in Jamie Greenberg’s kit. According to Greenberg, the brush can turn a novice into a pro in no time. 

Greenberg loves all of Jenny Patinkin’s brushes but the Large Domed Powder Brush is her all-time favorite. The fluffy fibers relax clients in her chair. 

Sabrina Bedrani loves this brush because of its ability to apply foundation evenly and smoothly. It’s also a Bella Hadid-approved brush. 

The ultimate cheekbone definer. The tapered shape works to spotlight cheekbones on  Bedrani’s celebrity clientele. 

Kira Nasrat uses Chanel’s Contouring Brush because of its slant angle that helps to sculpt the cheeks and contour the face. It also works well as a setting powder brush. 

Nasra says she has a bunch of these Utowa Hood eyeshadow brushes in her makeup bag.  “The brush is fluffy, flat and with a gradual point,” says Narsa. “It’s perfect for adding eyeshadow onto the lids, contouring into the crease, and great for blending.” She also uses it to set makeup with translucent powder in concentrated areas of the face especially the t-zone.