Believe it or not, the finish of your makeup depends heavily on the makeup tools you're using and how you are swirling, sweeping, and blending the makeup with it! Being a makeup enthusiast and professional, trust me when I say that the best makeup brush sets can be your ultimate weapons to get an even and flawless look that you only see on Instagram! The best part of what I like about these sets is that they consist of all your essential brushes — contour brushes, cream blush brushes, foundation brushes, eyeshadow brushes, tapered brushes, fluffy powder brushes, eyeliner brushes, and many more!

Do I hear those are way too much to be beginner-friendly? Well, let me tell you then that's just the key to getting what you want! Fret not, most of them come with enclosed guides that tell you which brush suits which purpose! Plus, they are made of premium fibers that won't cause any allergic reactions or adverse effects on your skin! Their ergonomically-designed handles are a plus point any day which makes your sessions way more fun and easy! So, without further ado, let's delve into the product recommendations!

• 1
  Best Beginner-friendly Set

  BS-MALL Makeup Brush Set

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This brush set from BS-Mall has been a true staple in my stash since it was launched in 2014! The brushes are made of high-density fiber wool which is delicate and soft to the touch. The synthetic hair strands are given a compact design with a high-quality aluminum pipe which also gives the brush set a sophisticated appearance when you use it! Made of solid wood, the handles are ergonomic and offer a firm grip that makes your makeup application a lot smoother!

Number of Brushes Included: Pack of 18

Types of Brushes: Face makeup brushes

Hair Type: Synthetic

2

Best Travel-friendly Set

Docolor Makeup Brushes Set

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Docolor comes with a pack of makeup brushes along with a makeup sponge and protectors where you keep your brushes safely after use! Each brush’s bristles are made of soft synthetic fibers that don't soak up much of your liquid products but rather enhance their application. The wooden handles give a comfortable feeling as you use the brush to apply and blend products. With that, you can experiment and try different looks, such as smokey eyes, Kardashian-style contouring, etc. The aluminum ferrules need special mention where the bristles are combined tightly to give the brushes extra durability!

Number of Brushes Included: Pack of 17

Types of Brushes: Face makeup brushes with sponge

Hair Type: Synthetic fibers

3

Best for Professionals

Niré Beauty Professional Makeup Brush Set

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I have good news for mindful beauty enthusiasts — this professional makeup brush set from Niré is vegan-friendly and serves the purpose without harming any living being! The brushes come with a case, a makeup sponge, and a brush cleaner that makes it super easy for you to maintain them and clean them after use! Plus, the super soft bristles are less likely to harm your skin as you work with them! With ergonomic design, the brand further ensures longevity which covers most manufacturing defects!

Number of Brushes Included: Pack of 15

Types of Brushes: Vegan makeup brushes with case

Hair Type: Synthetic

Quick Tip:

After washing the brush heads with shampoo, apply some conditioner on the hair to keep the bristles soft!

4

Best Ultra soft Bristles

Laura Geller New York Makeup Brush Set

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Laura Geller’s makeup brush set consists of brushes for your foundation, cream blush, and bronzer, and two each for eyeshadow application. that take care of your makeup application like a pro. They help in building the product, thereby facilitating product application for a seamless finish. The high bristle counts ensure an airbrushed look that you have always wanted! Plus, they are super easy to clean and maintain which is everything you need for hassle-free uses. Although they have super soft bristles, they resist shedding and falling off, and the credit goes to their sturdy structure.

Number of Brushes Included: Pack of 5

Types of Brushes: Vegan kabuki makeup brushes

Hair Type: Synthetic

5

Best Vegan-friendly Brushes

Jessup Makeup Brushes Set

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Perfect for professional makeup artists, this premium brush set features almost every possible brush one is ever going to need! The densely packed hair of brushes ensures a zero-streak application of your liquid products, creating a flawless airbrushed look every time. On the other hand, the super soft bristles of other brushes are enough for setting powder, blushes, contours, and other powder products. Each brush has aluminum ferrules with wooden handles that are super lightweight and easy to handle.

Number of Brushes Included: Pack of 21

Types of Brushes: Cruelty-free makeup brushes

Hair Type: Faux natural hair

6

Best for Sensitive Skin

SIXPLUS Makeup Brushes

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This makeup brush set from Sixplus contains 15 brushes catering to different types of foundation, powder, eyeshadow, blush, and contour to facilitate application! This set is also perfectly giftable to your makeup enthusiast family member or friends! The Barbie color is surely here to impress anyone who will use the brushes while the soft and premium bristles make an anti-static and frictionless experience for you! And oh, let me tell you that you get a magnetic storage case with the brush set where you can keep ‘em safely after use!

Number of Brushes Included: Pack of 15

Types of Brushes: Facial and eyeshadow makeup brushes

Hair Type: High-quality synthetic hair and horse hair

7

Best for All Skin Types

DUcare Makeup Brushes

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The makeup brushes from DUcare come with a set of 22 kabuki brushes that consist of a foundation brush, blush brush, blending brush, powder brush, and eyeshadow brushes. Plus,  the set contains a case where you can keep your brushes after use! The ergonomically designed wooden handles offer a firm grip while the aluminum ferrule combines the bristles tightly for a streak-free finish out of your liquid products. Furthermore, the brushes with softest bristles beautifully blend out the powder products without a cakey finish!

Number of Brushes Included: Pack of 22

Types of Brushes: Kabuki face and eyeshadow brushes

Hair Type: Synthetic hair

8

Best for Streak-free Finish

EcoTools Professional Face Makeup Brush Set

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Ecotools professional makeup brushes have been one of my favorites for their classy packaging and top-notch quality that never disappointed me! The makeup brushes are made of vegan-friendly material to give you a flawless look without harming any living being! The set includes a soft powder brush, tapered blending brush, angled liner brush, concealer, and foundation brush for your full-face makeup. The ultra-soft bristles and pointy handles facilitate better control over the product during building up and blending the product!!

Number of Brushes Included: Pack of 5

Types of Brushes: Vegan face and eyeshadow brushes

Hair Type: Synthetic hair

9

Easiest to Store

LUXBRU Makeup Brush Set

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The makeup brush set from Luxbru comes with a travel case that makes it super easy for you to carry the tools with ease whenever you travel! Apart from makeup brushes, the set also comes with 2 powder puffs that you can use to bake under your eyes or to puff loose products in your face. Other than that, it also contains a mask brush and a lash comb along with 15 makeup brushes to take care of your all makeup application needs. The brush fibers are very soft yet sturdy and never shed easily!

Number of Brushes Included: Pack of 20

Types of Brushes: Face and eye brush set with puffs, lash comb, and mask brush

Hair Type: Synthetic hair

10

Editor’s Choice

Sigma Beauty Soft Blend Makeup Brush Set

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I have never met a makeup lover or professional who doesn’t have at least one makeup brush from Sigma! I have been truly relying on Sigma brushes ever since I got to know what they do when it comes to makeup application. The solid polymer-based handles ensure a strong grip as you work with them on your face. Furthermore, the synthetic bristles facilitate a smooth streak-free airbrush-like finish to make you uniquely beautiful.

Number of Brushes Included: Pack of 6

Types of Brushes: Face and eye makeup brush set

Hair Type: Synthetic hair

11

Real Techniques Au Naturale Makeup Brush Kit

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Real Techniques’ Au Naturale kit is one of the top makeup brushes sets that have been raging in the market ever since it's launched and the credit goes to the premium bristles! With a sturdy quality, the brush set offers a flawless airbrush look as you work with it. The dense heads are ideal to apply liquid products, while the soft bristles are made to offer non-cakey finish out of your powder products. The unique part about the makeup brushes is that the body is made of metal instead of plastic and wood which give them a premium look undoubtedly!

Number of Brushes Included: Pack of 9

Types of Brushes: Face and eye makeup brush set

Hair Type: Synthetic hair

12

LORYP Makeup Brushes Set

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Loryp comes with 18 pieces of brush set consisting of contour, blush, concealer, blending, and eyeshadow brushes that are enough to serve the makeup application purpose. What I most like about the brand is that they labelled the name of the brushes on handles for the ease of beginners. With a high-end ferrule and non-slip body, it makes it easier for you to work with the tools. The density, softness, and durability need special mention for providing an effortless HD finish.

Number of Brushes Included: Pack of 18

Types of Brushes: Vegan-friendly face and eye makeup brush set

Hair Type: Synthetic

13

e.l.f. Makeup Brush Set

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I totally rely on e.l.f.’s makeup brush set which I think is the one-stop solution when it comes to makeup application! Made of synthetic hair, the bristles are soft to the touch which will facilitate easier product deposit in the right places. The fim brushes from the kit are excellent options to apply wet products on your face and blend them well! Furthermore, the brushes are cruelty-free which is an excellent point for mindful beauty lovers!

Number of Brushes Included: Pack of 19

Types of Brushes: Vegan-friendly face and eye makeup brush set

Hair Type: Synthetic

After checking out the recommended products, take a look on how an ideal makeup brush set should consist.

a) Foundation Brush: Consisting of a large flat head with synthetic dense bristles, this brush helps you apply a liquid foundation over your face, in the most efficient, mess-free way.

b) Fluffy Powder Brush: These are basic brushes that come with large round heads and fluffy soft bristles that help in depositing the right amount of product on your face, nose, and forehead. It can also be used as a blush brush!

c) Angular Brush: This one is usually used to do contour! Angular tools make the product application a lot easy and precise as you can run it over the jawline and below the apple of the cheeks, without smearing the product elsewhere. 

d) Concealer Brush: A smaller version of the foundation brush, this tool lets you reach the corners of your eyes where your foundation brush cannot reach! Some people manage to use this type of brush to apply a liquid or cream blush as well.

e) Fluffy Eyeshadow Brush: With a round head and soft bristles, this basic brush can be used to apply the transition eyeshadow on the crease.

f) Tapered Brush/Crease Brush: A godsend tool with a soft pointy end, this type of brush can be used to apply crease shade to make a shadow in your eyes.

g) Pencil Brush: This one has dense stiff bristles with a pointy end which is usually used to apply highlighter in your brow bone and the inner corner of your eyes.

h) Lip Brush: A flat brush with dense synthetic bristles, this one allows you to apply your lip products with ease on your pout.

Now that you have checked my favorite products, take a look at how you can pick the best one among them.

Below are the factors to consider:

a) Hair Type: There are brushes that come with synthetic and natural hair! Choose yours accordingly! Traditionally, natural hair brushes have been known to deliver smoother applications while causing lesser micro-cuts or abrasions on the skin. However, these days you’ll find several synthetic and vegan brush sets that provide identical results, without the cruelty aspect of the former. As mindful beauty shoppers, you can make your purchasing decision accordingly.

b) Bristle Type: The bristle quality and type depend on your requirements! If you are applying a liquid makeup product, firm and dense bristles would be your ideal pick. On the other hand, soft to touch and gentle bristles could be your answer if you are going to apply powder-based beauty products.

c) Durability: This feature mostly depends on the built quality! Check if the handles are well-built and sturdy. While some of them are made of plastic, most of them come with wooden handles and aluminum ferrules that pack the hair in such a way to give you a second-skin-like finish!

d) Maintenance: Makeup brushes require frequent cleanup for hygiene purposes. Hence, it is better to opt for quality brushes that are easy to clean, and stay resilient with repeated washes, without compromising the bristle quality or shedding.

e) Storage: While some travel makeup brush sets come with built-in storage, a large number of them come without one. Make sure the brushes you're choosing are easy to store and easy to travel with.

Now that you have checked out how to choose a makeup brush, take a look at how you can clean them.

Let me break it down for you:

Step 1: Use warm water and a gentle shampoo or a makeup brush cleaner, mix them well, and put your brushes with heads down for about 30 minutes!

Step 2: Now take your makeup brush cleaner, and use the textured side to clean the brush heads.

Step 3: Wash them well with cold running water. Make sure the water doesn't get inside the aluminum ferrule to ensure that the binding remains intact.

Step 4: In this step, you can apply some conditioner after squeezing out the excess water from the brush heads. Keep it for about 2-3 minutes, and rinse well again!

Step 5: Take a clean towel and soak the excess water from the brush heads.

Step 6: Take some hair serum, and apply it on the brush head to ensure smooth and fluffy hair!