The perfect tools for your next look
Whether you have a makeup collection that would rival a pro MUA or just keep the basics to hand, one thing you’re going to need regardless is a trustworthy set of makeup brushes. Here, we round up some of our favourite brushes and brush sets to get you started, from blenders and eyeliner brushes to lip applicators and travel-sized heroes for 2023.
The Country & Town House Responsible Buyers’ Guide
Makeup Brushes & Sets For Every Step Of Your Routine
Morphe
Eye Obsessed 12-Piece Eye Brush Collection, £25, sephora.co.uk
Best For: Eye makeup enthusiasts
Consider yourself an eye-styling connoisseur? With these brushes in your makeup bag, you’ll be able to whip up any look you fancy.
Chantecaille
Ultimate Brush Set, £148, chantecaille.co.uk
Best For: Vegan brushes
This vegan-friendly set from Chantecaille was inspired by artists’ brushes, designed to mimic the smooth application and blending of paint on a canvas. They also come in a cute roll-up case, so you can keep them with you on the go.
IT Cosmetics
One-Sweep Wonder Make Up Brush, £36.50, boots.com
Best For: Sensitive skin
The One-Sweep Wonder was developed in collaboration with plastic surgeons to ensure that users could apply their makeup without irritating their skin. The result? A brush infused with anti-aging collagen, silk, peptides, niacin and antioxidants, that will leave you skin glowing long after you’ve wiped off your bronzer.
Charlotte Tilbury
Rose Gold Lip Brush, £20, charlottetilbury.com
Best For: Lipstick application
We can’t always get precision from our lipstick – especially when regular usage has now dwindled it more of a squashed nub. Perfect your pout with Charlotte’s Tilbury’s lip brush, which has a specially designed square head to help you find the angles you need for smooth application.
No7
Core Collection Brush Set, £29.95, boots.com
Best For: The basics
While there are many fancy-shmancy brushes and sets out there, not all of us need them (especially when starting out). No7’s Core Collection comes with four brushes to help you get to grips with a daily routine: think foundation, concealer, facial and eye brushes.
Givenchy
Foundation Brush, £39.50, givenchybeauty.com
Best For: Foundation
Givenchy has a whole host of wonderful makeup brushes to explore, but we’re particularly a fan of its heart-shaped foundation brush. The shape allows users to apply product smoothly from any angle and get into the creases that are usually hard to reach.
Rae Morris
Travel Makeup Brush Set, £312, brownsfashion.com
Best For: Travel-sized companions
Rae Morris’ travel set of seven makeup brushes features tools for the face, eyes, brows and lips – taking the term ‘full coverage’ to new heights – all tucked away in a vegan leather case and storage frame so they stand the test of bumpy journeys.
Chantecaille
Shade and Sweep Eye Brush, £40, chantecaille.co.uk
Best For: Blending eye shadow
Not only is this brush able to pick up so much pigment, it also does a great job at blending out eye shadow so that it evenly coats your eyelid. As with other Chantecaille products, this one is also vegan-friendly.
Christian Louboutin
Eye Brush Trio, £67, harrods.com
Best For: Luxury eye brushes
Consider these three brushes the holy trinity when it comes to crafting the perfect eye look. There’s the shadow brush for application, the socket mania for blending and the liner mania for applying sharp lines. The handles have also been rendered in the luxury house’s iconic red, so they’ll no doubt be an easy spot in a busy makeup bag.
Iconic London
Pro Puff, £35, iconiclondoninc.com
Best For: Face and body
The Pro Puff is designed to be used all over the face and body to apply powders – bronzers, highlighters, setting powders, glitters – and features a handle that slots right in your hand for rigorous application.
