Best Professional Makeup Brushes For Your Makeup Kit

There’s no use having the best makeup products and tutorials when you don’t have the right tools so I perfectly understand the need to have the best professional makeup brushes in your kit.

Professional Makeup Brushes You Deserve To Have

There are many makeup brush brands out in the market and a good number of them are mediocre, that’s why it’s time to give you some of the best professional makeup brushes in the industry to keep your makeup game strong. These are definitely my go-to brushes as a professional makeup artist, but that doesn’t mean enthusiasts can’t use them. In fact, I strongly recommend any of these brands to everyone.

1. MAC

MAC, as their tagline says, is the makeup of makeup artists, so it’s no surprise that they also come up with some of the best professional makeup brushes from synthetic to natural fibers, the only thing that might hold you back is the price point, although I would say median for a true professional because these brushes perform and will last you a long time.

2. Makeup Forever

Now Makeup Forever is another respected makeup brand in the industry and if you haven’t tried their brushes, you are missing out on some of the softest brushes there is. These brushes barely move the skin because of how soft they are – considering that they are made from synthetic fibers, which is exactly what you need for blending out colors.

3. Zoeva

I’ve heard about Zoeva about 3 years ago and I was curious to see whether this brand would live up to the hype, it did. For the price point, I’d say they are one of the best makeup brushes out there. They are well crafted, very minimal shedding, and the brushes retain their shapes after washing. They also offer a vegan line as well as natural fibers, or even a mix of both!

4. Sigma Brushes

Another mid-range brush that I feel needs to be mentioned among the best makeup brushes is Sigma Brushes. They have created synthetic fibers that can withstand years of abuse, they even have a 5 year warranty, that’s something considering some brushes already fail in the third year. They are also very soft and quite functional.

5. Rae Morris

Rae Morris is one of the most respected makeup artists in the world, and so is her brush line. These brushes have been created to perform for a professional and you really see the thought process that comes with the design, magnets on the bottom of the brush handles so they can stand up when not in use. Pretty awesome.

6. Hakuhodo Brushes

Japanese artistry at its best, Hakuhodo Brushes are on top of everyone’s list when it comes to the best professional makeup brushes, it’s handmade with Japanese craftsmanship using wood and natural animal hair. Because of the quality of these brushes, they also command a pretty steep price point.

7. Real Techniques

Quality doesn’t mean expensive, Real Techniques brushes by makeup artists Sam and Nikki Chapman has proven that their professional makeup brushes have performed well time and again, visibly no shedding, and their synthetic fibers also deliver the right amount of pigment on the skin. They even package travel kit brushes and I highly recommend you get them.

8. Suqqu Brush

Suqqu Brushes are pretty hard to get, probably because they are handcrafted and created in Japan but because they are also almost always sold out in retailers here and in Europe. I really love their aesthetic, very simple and streamlined but the quality of these professional makeup brushes cannot be denied, they are soft and wonderfully engineered to help the makeup artist.

9. Mieoko Brushes

Mieoko is a new name to the game, but I’m a big fan! Their 18 brush kit is recommended by the professionals at American Beauty Association. The soft bristles and large kit make for easy application no matter the occasion. Available here.

BONUS: Beauty Blender

Now, this little baby has proven itself quite enough even with competitors claiming the top spot for the best makeup sponge blender – not a brush, but a sponge performing like a brush, this is in a lot of makeup artists’ kits nowadays because of how flawless it blends out colors on the skin giving it a smooth airbrush finish.

Take a look at the best professional makeup brushes in the drugstore area according to Kathleen Lights:

Tools are there to help you out but it solely depends on how the artist uses his tools. I have quite a lot of brushes in my professional kit that I didn’t mention here, not because they do not perform outstandingly but because some of them don’t have brands, random finds that have truly proven gold. So I say the best makeup brushes are those that serve their purpose and help you elevate your craft to the next level.

Let me know which one is your favorite among professional makeup brushes in your kit in the comments below; and if you find this post helpful, check out how to shop for your makeup brushes, I’m sure you’ll love that as well.

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