The Best Makeup Brushes for Your Face: A Breakdown

Everyone’s bought (or been given) a splashy set of tools. Billed as *The Best* makeup brushes for your face, it includes 37 brushes and baubles, they all match, and they come in a super chic (or cute or maybe even just sparkly) container that screams to be bought. And what’s the first thing you do with them?

TBH, the truth is not much. You get home, you use few go-to tools and the rest slowly creep into the back of your vanity, never to be seen or heard from again. Why? Because no one needs 37 brushes! Unless you’re a professional makeup artist or you’re on RuPaul’s Drag Race, you simply do not need to be that beat on a regular basis!

The best makeup brushes for your face are the ones you can use day in and day out. But what exactly are those? Let’s break them down. 

Foundation

Back in the day, foundation was all thick, greasy and created for stage performers. (Can you imagine how bad that must’ve been for your skin? *Shudder*) But it was the only product out there, so we made it werk. Not today, Satan! 

Today you’ve got powder, liquid, cream-to-powder, airbrush, stick — any application you want is out there (and some you don’t). That can make choosing a foundation and the best makeup brush to apply it complicated. Our solution: don’t use a brush at all.

Some people swear by foundation brushes, but that’s not really our thing. There are some great liquid foundations ~ cough ~ BOUNCE Liquid Whip Foundation ~ cough ~ but brushing them on often leads to streaks or trapped liquid (Remember that v. serious chat we had about dirty makeup brushes?).

That’s why our founder, Rea Ann Silva, started airbrushing Hollywood stars on set, and then she simplified that down even further to create a foundation-applying product you may know: Beautyblender.

All that to say: you’ve already got one of the best makeup brushes for your face, and it’s not a brush at all :) If you’ve ever used a kabuki or stippling brush, use this BB in its place. 

Powder

When you’re looking for the best makeup brushes for full-face coverage, target adjectives should include “big”, “soft” and “fluffy”. (They’re the same ones you want in a comfy sweater or a super smooshy dog.) The more diffused you need your coverage to be, the bigger and softer your brush should be. Enter the BIG BOSS Powder Brush. 

The BIG BOSS Powder Brush

The domed brush is super soft, made with cruelty-free synthetic bristles that mimic real hair. Soft bristles are the key to ensuring your product will glide smoothly over the skin, and these are the ideal density to deliver a soft, diffused application that never looks heavy or cakey. Bonus: It’s one of Rea Ann’s faves, so you know it will keep your powder on point. Extra bonus: The flipside of the BIG BOSS is a cooling rollerball tip, which you can use at any time to sculpt, cool and depuff skin. 

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Big Boss Bonus Tip: Pair it with BOUNCE Soft Focus Gemstone Setting Powder! Airy and hydrating, BOUNCE powder blurs and softens skin using an epic blend of rose quartz, hyaluronic acid, ruby, sea minerals, aloe vera and freshwater pearls. Read all about it.

Concealer

When it comes to the best makeup brushes for face concealers, again, it’s not a brush at all. Yes, concealer brushes exist, but a true no-touch look is going to be achieved best by — you guessed it — not touching. 

Here’s how we do it:

— When concealing under your eyes, dab on BOUNCE Airbrush Liquid Whip Concealer using the included Beautyblender-tipped wand.

— Wait a few seconds. Achieving that brighter under eye look takes time, so use it to dab concealer on any other red or blemished spots.

— Then use your Micro Mini BB to blend out your concealer and behold your results. There’s a reason they say good things come to those who wait.

Blush & Bronzer

For blush and bronzer, the best makeup brushes for your face will depend on whether you’re using powder or cream. For powder applications, look for all the good stuff you love about The BIG BOSS — soft, fluffy, cruelty-free bristles — but in a smaller, more compact package. (If you’ve ever accidentally grabbed blush instead of powder, you know why this matters — no clown cheeks here, thx!). If you’re working with cream products, there’s a blender for that: 

Beauty Blusher

Finishing

Once all that’s done, make your finishing touches with our Power Pocket Puff. The teardrop shape helps you precisely chisel cheekbones, bake concealer, set makeup and so much more. Then set it all with Re-Dew Set & Refresh Spray. 

Eyes

Everybody knows eyes are a *whole* ‘nother thing when it comes to the best makeup brushes for faces, but as always, we got you. Here’s our full guide to applying eyeshadow, complete with an eye makeup brush breakdown.