I'm not the only one who religiously reads reviews before making a purchase, right? TBH, reviews often push me to smash the order button, but they can also stop me in my tracks completely if they aren't looking so positive. One type of item I always scroll through the reviews on before buying is a makeup brush. Sure, I get a lot of recs from celebrity makeup artists as well, but to make a thoroughly educated purchase, it's a good idea to get a well-rounded perspective. That's why I've done both this time around.
The arsenals of celebrity makeup artists are always filled with the best foundations, primers, eye shadow palettes, and, of course, brushes. Each artist has their own unique taste and preferences when it comes to brushes, and they know best because, well, they're the ones who use them the most. Not only did I take a peek at what brushes they'd personally give to their friends this holiday season, but I also made sure the brush sets they chose were a hit with shoppers, too.
For their best-rated picks (that are also holiday-gift ready), keep scrolling. The sets below are always a hit—with both makeup artists and buyers.
Best Overall: Sigma Beauty Essential Travel Brush Set
Customer Rating: 5/5 stars, 13 reviews
"This comes with a brush holder that works great to hold brushes for everyday use and travel. Sigma's brushes are long-lasting and affordable. This set is under $100."—Sara Talias, celebrity makeup artist
"For the avid traveler, Sigma’s essential travel brush set comes with a mix of both face and eye brushes along with a protective cup to protect and keep brushes in good condition through any flight. Their bristles are super soft and these brushes last forever."—Judi Gabbay, celebrity makeup artist
Customer Review: "I purchased this set almost 3 years ago, and I still use these brushes daily! This is a PERFECT set, especially for traveling. This set has went with me on 5 different trips now and they work just as well as the day I received them. I highly recommend if you're looking for a well-made travel brush set. The only adjustment I would make personally with this set is, omitting the foundation brush for either a concealer or a detailing brush instead. (But that is just me and the brushes I tend to use way more than the flat foundation brushes)."
Best Affordable: Real Techniques Makeup Brush & Sponge Set
Customer Rating: 4.8/5 stars, 1202 reviews
"This vegan set is a great gift [that's] under $20 and includes four brushes to achieve an everyday look plus a sponge."—Talias
Customer Review: "The two brushes pictured on the right..I use every single day. Concealer and blush. Better than the high end makeup brushes I have used. So happy I tried these, and they have held up well to weekly cleaning."
Sonia G. Pro Eye Set
Customer Rating: 5/5 stars, 106 reviews
"The ultimate luxury brushes, the Sonia G brushes make a beautiful gift for a close friend. The brushes are super soft and the handles are gorgeous. The pro eye set makes for precise application and seamless blending."—Talias
Customer Review: "This was my very first high end brush set and I CANNOT BELIEVE the difference it made when applying eye shadow. It took my game to a whole other level. They are sooooo soft, easy to hold on to, and just so luxurious and stunning. I'm obsessed and now can't wait to buy more brushes from her collection. Worth EVERY PENNY."
My Makeup Brushes Capri Vegan Brush Set
Customer Rating: 4.9/5, 52 reviews
"For a personalized touch, I love My Makeup Brushes. Not only are these super soft brushes great for blending, [but] they can [also] be engraved with your name or the person you’re giving them to as a gift! My favorite is the Capri Vegan Brush Set!"—Gabbay
Morphe x Ariel Signature Face 5-Piece Brush Set
Customer Rating: 4.5/5 stars, 30 reviews
"Morphe's set by Ariel Tejada is one of my favorite collaborations of all time. All of the brushes in the set are mindfully made for use of a full face of glam. The blush brush alone is worth the hype for the entire kit, but trust that you'll use and love all of the brushes in this kit."—Gabbay
As a bonus, celebrity makeup artist Allison Kaye also recommends this 12-piece set ($98) of Ariel Tejada's Morphe brushes. "Ariel is famous for doing makeup for Kylie Jenner, and his looks are always stunning, so you know his design for these brushes is epic. I love how this set has face and eye brushes and would be everything someone needs if they had no brushes!" Kaye says.
Customer Review: "I have been eyeing these brushes for a while and finally decided to make the purchase. I have not 1 regret! These brushes are soft and can be used for multiple things! I only wish I would've ordered the whole set when I did. Overall, I am extremely satisfied."
E.l.f. Cosmetics 19 Piece Brush Collection
Customer Rating: 4.4/5 stars, 98 reviews
"This set has everything you'd need to create a full face look. Great for someone on a budget. E.l.f. is known for great products at a lower cost!"—Kaye
Customer Review: "You can’t go wrong with this brush set. It has everything you need and more! I got these on sale about a year and a half ago and they’re still holding up great."
Colourpop Ultimate Brush Roll
Customer Rating: 4.9/5 stars, 315 reviews
"For a super-fabulous price, you can have every brush you'd ever need. And I love how it comes in a roll! Great for packing up and travel!"—Kaye
Customer Review: "I absolutely love my new brushes. I've bought and tried so many, but this is the best collection I've purchased."
It Cosmetics Your Superheroes Full-Size Travel Makeup Brush Set
Customer Rating: 4.5/5 stars, 206 reviews
"No need to bring every single brush you own when traveling, as it's best to keep packing light, so this set is perfect because it's specifically made for travel. You can do everything you'd need with these particular brushes! Perfect for the girl on the go. I also find that It Cosmetics brushes are very luxurious and still great price!"—Kaye
Customer Review: "These brushes improved the look of my makeup. It looks literally flawless with this kit!"
Sephora Collection Complete Brush Set
Customer Rating: 4.6/5 stars, 156 reviews
With an almost-perfect five-star rating on Sephora, this vegan seven-piece brush set provides every kind of brush you'll need for a fully glamorous look all while not even hitting the $50 mark.
Customer Review: "In love with this brush set! Good quality and has everything I need for my makeup application."
Artis Black Bag Bundle 4
Although this brush set may not have a rating on Revolve just yet, I give it my personal endorsement. Artis brushes are truly unmatched. They're some of my favorite makeup brushes because they have the ability to blend out any kind of makeup so seamlessly that you'll look airbrushed. The brand's oval brushes are designed to work well for foundation, highlight, blush—you name it! Since it is a bit pricey, you'll want to scope this set out of a potential Black Friday or Cyber Monday deal this week.
Zoreya 15-Piece Makeup Brush Set
Customer Rating: 4.6/5 stars, 2777 reviews
If you want your friend to think you spent way more money than you did on their gift, buy them this incredible 15-piece find on Amazon. It even comes with an expensive-looking vegan-leather case to keep them all neatly in.
Customer Review: "These brushes are well made and sturdy. They don't lose their bristles. They have good shapes. The case is nice. I recommend them."
Ducare 27-Piece Professional Makeup Brush Set
Customer Rating: 4.7/5 stars, 5341 reviews
Talk about value for money—this brush set includes a staggering 27 brushes for just $30. No wonder buyers are raving.
Customer Review: "Love Love Love this brush set. This particular set has it all. Very Soft Brushes, Every brush you need as well as a great price. Very Prompt Service. Thank you!"
BS-Mall 14-Piece Makeup Brush Set
Customer Rating: 4.6/5 stars, 125,647 reviews
It's easy to see why this is Amazon's best-selling makeup brush set. It covers all your makeup needs, and the $10 price tag doesn't hurt either.
Customer Review: "Amazing quality and price for full size brushes and love the storage case!! Super impressed and love the variety."
What to Look for in a Makeup Brush Set
Everyone's preferences are different when it comes to makeup brushes. The first thing you'll want to look for is the type of bristles your brush set has. You can opt for natural hair brushes (made from animal hair) or synthetic-bristle brushes. This is something important to pay attention to, especially if you're vegan and prefer not to use real animal hair in your brushes. Natural hair brushes are better for powder- or talc-based products like setting powder or blush, while synthetic brushes are better for cream or liquid products like foundation and concealer. Synthetic brushes are also denser and provide more of an even application because they don't have pores in the strands like natural hair brushes do. Synthetic brushes also tend to be easier to clean product out of for this same reason.
In terms of what type of brushes your makeup brush set should have, we recommend having at least the basics—a foundation brush, concealer brush, two eye shadow brushes (one for blending and one flat brush for lid application), and a blush brush. Of course, your set can include more if you like creating more intricate looks, but these five basics will always get the job done.
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