By popular request, I’ve gone through all my face and cheek brushes and picked out my favorites. I’ve been testing a number of brushes over many years (over a decade from my college days) and built my collection slowly over time. My experience with face brushes has been similar to that of my eye brushes. I started with a small handful of tools from Stila, Trish McEvoy and MAC. For many years I only had 4 face brushes and to this day I still think most can accomplish most of what you need for face makeup with a powder, blush, foundation and bronzing brush.
I’ve learned through makeovers, artist tips and a number of other blogs that there are a number of brushes with different materials, shapes, lengths and densities to help you apply your makeup better. I see face brushes like art tools – you probably need a few, but there are so many different kinds out there, they are fun to play with and experiment with.
The brushes I’ve picked are from more mainstream brands that are easily accessible.
There are a number of makeup artist brushes that look and sound amazing
from other blogs but I haven’t ventured into the artist brands. I’ve broken down my favorites into three categories. Face powder, blush and contour, and creams.
There are a number of makeup artist brushes that look and sound amazing
from other blogs but I haven’t ventured into the artist brands. I’ve broken down my favorites into three categories. Face powder, blush and contour, and creams.
For all over face powders, whether it’s loose, pressed or powder foundation, I look for dense but soft brushes that will pick up product well and apply it evenly over the face. A more fluffy brush will give a sheerer application. I like larger ones that will cover your entire face with a few brush strokes.
- MAC #134 ($53) is a brush that is currently only available at MAC stores/online but it has been released and re-released at other MAC counters numerous times, this is my favorite large flat powder brush, it’s dense, soft and perfectly rounded tip for easy powder application.
- MAC #129 ($35) is the ultimate multi-taskers, it can be used for powder, blush or contour, for those who prefer a smaller brush for more precise control or someone who wants one brush that can do multiple things, this is your best option.
- Chanel Powder Brush #1 ($65) is a well-designed brush with a domed tip, the bristles are slightly stiffer than MAC but the Chanel is still very soft and picks up powder well, I like this also with pressed powders such as Les Beiges and Dolce & Gabbana’s powder foundation because it applies powder evenly on the face.
- Tom Ford Bronzer 05 ($115) is one that will break the bank but Tom Ford brushes are extremely well made, designed and deliver flawless makeup application. I purchased this as part of a brush set a couple holidays ago when they had a gift card event. This is the largest densest bronzer brush I’ve ever seen it feels like a soft kitten. If you look up reviews on this brush you will see it is well loved by many others (ie Café Makeup, RaeViewer, Temptalia)
- Burberry Beauty Brush ($52) is my favorite short kabuki brush although a number of other brands are very similar in shape, size, material and feel. I purchased mine from Nordstrom although they don’t stock it online at the moment. You can still find it at Burberry. I like this for powder or bronzer. The reason I prefer this one is the handle is square while most other brands are round. This fits perfectly in my hand and I find it easier to hold. (MAC and Chanel are very similar in how they perform.)
Many cheek brushes are multi-purpose and can be used for both cream or powder. I don’t tend to use these for creams but I’ve had artists use these on me before for cream. I’m listing a number of brushes here that I love.
- Tom Ford Cheek Brush 06 ($78) is a luxuriously soft blush brush, it picks up just the right amount of powder to apply color to the cheeks. As The Non-Blonde noted, this one is as plush as it gets. I find it perfect for Tom Ford blushes but works well with other brands. I personally don’t like it with super pigmented matte blushes because it will pick up too much color (like some NARS or MAC mattes/brights). For most everything else this one is perfect.
- Chanel Blush Brush #4 ($54) is one my smallest blush brushes. It’s shaped and tapered in a way to layer blush easily. It’s a softer less dense brush so it works for a lighter application. If you’re one who likes to go easy on the blush but still wants to be able to control how much color goes on the face this is the best option.
- MAC Duo Fibre Brush #187 ($42) is a classic must-have for highlighters. It’s the perfect brush for those Mineralized Skinfinishes to swipe a light blend of shimmer over the cheeks. I’ve had artists use this with foundation and cream products as well. It’s versatile and works well with any kind of highlighter whether it’s pressed, loose, or cream.
- MAC Brush #168 ($35) is a classic contouring brush. It’s a good sturdy white hair brush with an angled tip. I find it medium-sized which makes it good for being able to control where you place the powder. It’s also a good brush for blending around the face.
- NARS Contour Brush #21 ($42) is a new brush from NARS, you can read my detailed review here, I usually don’t like angled brushes because I am more comfortable with more traditional brushes, this one makes contouring easy especially for those who aren’t pros at contouring (like myself).
- MAC Brush Tapered Face Brush #138 ($53) is another harder-to-find brush, it’s made a re-appearance on limited-edition collections at counters, you can still find directly from MAC. For me this is the ultimate contouring brush because it’s shaped to place product right along the sides of the face where you want contour. It’s specially designed to streamline and enhance the makeup technique of
sculpting and shaping. Per MAC, “use the chiselled side for contour shaping of facial
planes; the pointed tip for applying and blending powder blush,
highlighter or face powder.” It’s another multi-functional brush that works well as a powder brush.
- Tom Ford Cream Foundation Brush 06 ($72) is the ultimate blending brush for creams. If you ever try this at the Tom Ford counter they will demonstrate how it works with their foundation stick and blends the product on the face to perfection. With most brushes you will see some kind of streaks and still need blending with fingers or a sponge, the Tom Ford applies cream product (foundation or highlighter) streak-free.
- Tom Ford Foundation Brush 01 ($72) is another cream brush designed to apply makeup streak-free. In my mind you don’t need both 01 and 06 (although the Tom Ford counter convinced me otherwise). They both perform the same for either liquid or cream foundations. If you’re trying to decide between one or the other, I would recommend 06 because it’s more unique in shape. If you want a standard foundation brush you can find many cheaper options. I find it a staple in my weekly makeup routine. It cleans easily – I use Bobbi Brown’s Brush spray cleaner after each use to lightly wipe it down but do a thorough washing after 2-3 uses.
- Chanel Foundation Brush #6 ($45) is a classic foundation brush that is soft and applies foundation quite well. In my mind most foundation brushes are almost identical (i.e. MAC, Chanel, Prescriptives etc) in the bristles. The main difference is in the handle size. I like Chanel because it’s shorter and easier to travel with. I still get streaks no matter what brush I use (with the exception of Tom Ford) but this one works very well.
- MAC Duo Fibre Brush #187 ($42) is repeated from above, I like this for cream highlighters because it will cover a large area with fewer swipes. It also works well for blending harsh lines or edges.
For face brush storage, I love Muji Acrylic Holders but they aren’t easy accessible for me and are often sold out online. I’ve used recycled candles from Jo Malone, Diptyque and Henri Bendel as alternatives. I also found clear jars from Crate and Barrel to be good for shorter brushes, tools or pencils. Stila and NARS Paint cans are also good for storing brushes if you are able to find them. Click on the Diptyque tag below for more storage ideas.
I usually use Neutrogena Body Wash to clean my brushes as the most economical method. I buy the large size at Costco which I use as a regular body wash anyways. I know many recommend baby shampoo but I always find it leaves a film on my brushes from the conditioning properties (might just be me). For those brushes that need extra work, I have three go-to’s for cleaning brushes which include MAC Brush Cleanser, Bobbi Brown Brush Cleaning Spray and Brush Cleanser (review here). These tend to be on the pricey side so frequent usage of these cleansers isn’t an option for me.
I realize this is a rather large and extensive list of brushes. You definitely do not need as many as I have collected over the years. I’ve been testing brushes for over a decade now (not to date/age myself) and have acquired them over time. Brush sets can be your most economical way to buy many at one time at a good price but those deal sets tend to be of lesser quality than individual brushes.
If I had to narrow my list down to my top picks these are what I’d narrow down my absolute essentials to: Chanel Blush #4, MAC Duo Fibre #187, MAC #134 or MAC #129, Tom Ford Cream Foundation 06, NARS Contour Powder #21.
I hope you found this brush guide helpful. The options can be overwhelming with all the shapes, sizes, materials and brands. To simplify your choices try thinking about what makeup products you gravitate towards in categories and whether it’s a powder, cream or liquid. Pick one for each main category to start.
While tools can be used for multiple areas, having more than one brush helps keep your makeup application cleaner and easier. For example while a powder brush can also double as a bronzer brush, having one brush for each product will prevent you from mixing products and accidentally brushing bronzer all over the face from left over product if you dip it into powder and bronzer (I’ve done it before and my entire face was several shades darker than the rest of my body).
What are your must-have face brushes? I would really love to hear what your tried and true are, new discoveries or staples. Also if you want to share how you store your face brushes I’m all ears. Do you store them upright in containers or put them in a brush roll?
