Essential Makeup Brushes: Your Complete Buying Guide

The world of make-up brushes is so vast and complex. If you’ve ever seen a make-up artist’s brush roll, you may have noticed how many types of make-up brushes exist and how each seems to serve a different purpose.

While make-up artists work on various faces and explore new products, those not in the professional realm often have go-to make-up brushes for daily use. Instead of owning every brush imaginable, we suggest handpicking a tailored selection that meets your needs – about five to eight make-up brushes can cover all bases. Investing in high-quality brushes ensures durability and longevity.

If you’ve ever felt confused by the multitude of make-up brushes and their uses, you’re not alone. That’s why we consulted Charlotte McHale, Clarins Training Manager, to bring a detailed makeup brushes guide clarity. She walked us through each make-up brush, offering top-notch recommendations – absolute must-haves for your beauty toolkit.

What makeup brushes do I need?

What make-up brushes are essential to own? McHale explains that these will vary for each person.

The essential make-up brushes you need will depend on the make-up you wear and the overall effect you want to achieve from your products. For instance, if you like natural-looking make-up that’s sheer and minimal, you may use your fingers to apply a tinted moisturiser and cream blush or bronzer. On the flip side, for a full-coverage base and precise bronzer application to sculpt your face, investing in quality make-up brushes, including a contour make-up brush, becomes crucial.

Similarly, a brow brush in your kit will be unnecessary if you use eyebrow pencils. And lip balm or gloss wearers don’t need to invest in lip brushes.

Exceptions aside, McHale believes that there are about eight brushes you need to create a full face of make-up. “You need two base brushes, a blusher brush, a powder make-up brush, a lip brush, two eyeshadow brushes (one for application and the other for blending), and an eyebrow brush,” she explains.

The best foundation brushes

Clarins Foundation Brush

A flat makeup brush like this Foundation Brush from Clarins is the classic choice for foundation application. The rounded cat’s tongue shape fits into all the little crevices on the face. Begin by applying foundation along the T-zone and use the make-up brush to sweep the product outwards.

This brush is one of the best foundation brushes that is also a bit of a multitasker. “This is quite good for concealer as well,” says McHale. “And I sometimes apply SOS Primer with it.”

Clarins Multi-Use Foundation Brush

This super-soft Multi-Use Foundation Brush is great for liquids, creams, and powder foundations. It helps provide light and even coverage.

McHale’s trick is to use this as a second step to blend the foundation to perfection. “I use this make-up brush after applying foundation with the flat brush. It helps buff the product in and gets rid of any stroke marks. That’s how you get a nice thin layer of foundation that lasts for a long time,” she explains.

The best face and cheek brushes

Clarins Blush Brush

A fluffy, angled brush like this Blush Brush is useful for all types of cheek products. Use it to apply blush, sweep highlighter on the high points of the cheeks, and chisel the cheekbones with contour powder. With super-soft tapered synthetic bristles shaped to fit the contour of the cheekbones, Clarins has the best blush brush that can give you precise application.

Clarins Powder Brush

This dense, fluffy Powder Brush is the best powder brush that is great for both pressed and loose powder application. Its soft bristles feel ultra-gentle on the skin. McHale likes to use it to apply both powder and bronzer.

“For powder, I use a stippling motion to press the product into the skin,” she explains. “And when I apply bronzer, I just sweep the make-up brush along the periphery of my face.”

The best eyeshadow brushes

Clarins Blending Brush

The secret to flawless eyeshadow application? Diffused colour and seamless transitions. And for that, you need a round, fluffy brush like this Blending Brush. As the best eyeshadow brush, the synthetic bristles are soft and flared, making the task of blending a lot easier to do.