Great eye makeup can make or break your look, and the best eye makeup brushes will help you create a beautiful aesthetic. Even if you have stunning eye makeup hues and options, without the right application tools, you won’t be able to showcase them well. These makeup brushes will help you create an eye makeup base. Then, add color and blend your eyeshadow as well as apply eyeliner seamlessly to give your eyes a captivating look. Whether you want to do a smokey eye or pull off a natural, soft look to complement your skin tone, these brushes will help you achieve the best results.
Types of Eye Makeup Brushes
When you’re shopping for makeup brushes, it can be overwhelming to figure out the kind of brushes you really need and what brands are best. This guide will break down the most important types of brushes you’ll need to put your best face forward.
Flat Shader Brush
This is an essential eye makeup brush that you can use to apply color to your eyelids. Flat shader brushes have dense, stiff bristles and are perfect for applying high concentrations of color to your eyelid. They’ll help you maximize rich colors and dramatic eyeshadow hues as well as evenly apply more neutral shades. These eye makeup brushes usually have a squared, domed shape. Flat shading brushes can also be used for smudging and blending color.
Top Picks:
- M·A·C Cosmetics 239S Eye Shader Brush is a bestselling eye shading staple that features soft and dense fibers to evenly apply and blend any form of eye shadow.
- Profusion Cosmetics Flat Shader Eyeshadow Brush. This is one of the most popular budget-friendly options for applying and blending eye shadow.
Stiff Dome Brush
A stiff dome eye makeup brush will help you apply color in your eyelid creases and blend darker shades. These eye makeup brushes are a must for creating a smokey eye look.
Top Pick:
- Hourglass Crease Brush is one of the top dome brushes. It allows you to easily blend eyeshadow in your eyelid creases. This medium-sized brush makes blending easy, creating more depth with your eyeshadow palette.
Tapered Blending Brush
This soft, fluffy eyeshadow brush will help you blend color along your brow bone, eyelid crease, and outer corners of your eye. You can even smudge and blend your eyeliner with this multi-purpose brush. The soft bristles are perfect for blending and softening your look.
Top Picks:
- Beauty Junkies Tapered Blending Eyeshadow Makeup Brush is an excellent budget-friendly tapered brush with soft bristles that make blending a breeze.
- Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Tapered Blending Brush is one of the most popular blending brushes. This brush features fluffy, synthetic bristles to blend your eyelid crease and brow bone areas. The cruelty-free brush has no parabens, sulfates, or phthalates.
Pencil Brush
A pencil brush is an eye makeup tool that you can use for precision lines as it has a defined, small tip. A pencil brush allows you to apply concentrated color along your lash line or eyelid crease to create dimension. You can also smudge eyeliner on your upper or lower lash lines for a smoky look using a pencil brush.
Top Pick:
Sigma Beauty Professional E30 Pencil Synthetic Eye Makeup Brush is a top-rated pencil brush used by beauty influencers and professionals. You can get detailed blending in your eye corners and along the lash line with this versatile, fine-tipped brush.
Angled Eyeliner Brush
If you wear eyeliner, using an angled eyeliner brush is a game-changer. This brush has short, flat bristles at an angle. This will allow you to get a precise application and draw thin or thick lines. Therefore, these brushes are perfect for cat eyes, smoky eyes, and other eyeliner looks and give you more control over your lines than non-angled brushes.
Top Picks:
- Hourglass Angled Liner Brush is the best pro-grade brush with short, angled bristles that deliver precision lines with a cruelty-free product.
- EIGSHOW Eyeliner Brush Fine Angled – PRO Precision is a budget-friendly, popular eyeliner brush that delivers precision lines.
Best Eye Makeup Brush Sets
If you need a variety of eye makeup brushes, you can save time and money by choosing a set of brushes. The top-rated eye makeup brush sets will give you all the tools you need to create flawless eye looks. Here are our top picks:
- Best Budget-Friendly and Vegan Eye Makeup Brush Set: Essential Eye Brush Set by Sephora is one of the top-rated brush sets to get beautiful results. The five-piece brush set includes soft, vegan brushes including a small shadow brush, a shadow brush, a smudge brush, a crease brush, and a brow brush so you have everything you need to create captivating eyes.
- Best Pro Eye Makeup Brush Set: Morphe x Ariel Signature Eyes 8-Piece Eye Brush Set. This 8-piece set designed by pro makeup artist Ariel Tejada has everything you need to create drop-dead gorgeous eyes. Tejada’s clients include Hollywood royalty like Kylie Jenner and you’ll get swoon-worthy eyes with her makeup brushes.
Eye makeup brushes are an essential part of creating different looks. Whether you want to go for dramatic, smoky eyes, or put on soft, neutral hues, the best makeup brushes will help you achieve a three-dimensional, mesmerizing look. With so many brands and types of brushes to choose from, choosing a highly-rated set makes it easier to achieve your desired looks.
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