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Budget Friendly Makeup Brush Staples
24
items Nearly my entire makeup brush collection (I'll boldly say 99.9%) is affordable drugstore makeup brushes. All you need is a stellar brush and good techniques to look like a million bucks. This list is everything that I love from my personal collection...
Sections
3
Foundation & Concealer
Eyes
Face & Cheek
Foundation & Concealer
These are the brushes I reach for to create a smooth, even base. Whether you're blending foundation, buffing out concealer, or adding coverage exactly where you need it, these tools help make application easier and more seamless.
While this brush absolutely does a great job of blending out elf's liquid stain for lips and cheeks, I actually use this as a ONE AND DONE brush! It blends foundation so well, even my concealer, and all of my other cream/liquid products. I'll use thi...
Stain and Tint Liquid Blush Blending Brush | e.l.f. Cosmetics
This is an amazing foundation brush! It's going to get the job done fast due to it's size, and it's dense enough that you won't have steaks. Of course, the size is not good for concealer. I also love how it's chunky so that it can stand up on it's ow...
Bubble Blending Makeup Brush
This was my first ever Real Techniques brush and I bought it for powder foundation. It really works with everything! Powder, liquid, creams. It stands the test of time.
Expert Face Makeup Brush | Real Techniques®
Also known as the kitten paw brush, it can do a lot! It works well with powders and creams. One application is under eye concealer and setting powder. But, it's also a great precision brush for applying contour, blush, bronzer, etc. for controlled pl...
Brightening Concealer Makeup Brush - Real Techniques
If you are looking for a close dupe to the Makeup By Mario F4 this is it! You can do your entire face with it, powders and creams. The larger size is best for foundation and powders, smaller side to blend everything else.
Real Techniques Ultimate Multi Tasker Dual Brush
This is an excellent spot concealer brush! It can also get into the tiny crevaces of the face/under eye. Addtionally, it can be used for eyeshadow - it's similar to a "c" brush.
Real Techniques Expert Concealer Brush | Real Techniques
Eyes
A good eye look starts with the right brushes. From packing on colour to blending edges and adding detail work, these eye brushes help create everything from simple everyday looks to more dramatic makeup styles.
This was my first ever makeup brush that started everything for me! Everyone needs a brush like this in their collection. I use it for applying eyeshadows onto the eyelid and building up the color.
Eyeshadow "C" Brush
Use this with any clear potted eyebrow gel product!
Brow Lift Applicator and Spoolie | e.l.f. Cosmetics
The slanted end will give you hair-like strokes with your favorite brow gels and powders. The spoolie does the job. This tool is dependable.
Precision Dual-Sided Eyebrow Brush | e.l.f. Cosmetics
This is one of my favorite crease brushes. It's the right size and density for control without looking patchy.
wet n wild Crease Brush – Lidschatten Spitze
This will create hair-like strokes for your brows with powders and gels, plus an essential spoolie.
Essential Brow & Liner Brush Duo - Wet n Wild
Face & Cheek
These brushes are perfect for adding the finishing touches to your makeup. Use them to apply blush, bronzer, contour, highlighter, and powder for a polished, balanced look with effortless blending.
My nose is finnicky with makeup. This is the only brush that lays down my cream and liquid contour without looking weird. I do use this brush for precise contour all over the face too, such as to lift the corners of the eye.
Dual-Ended Nose Contour Brush
This brush does work with the elf putty blus line, but it's an amazing go-to for any cream blush and bronzer products. The size is made to fit in those smaller pots and it blends well because it's more like a stipple brush.
Putty Blush Brush - e.l.f. Cosmetics
This is one of my all time favorite blush brushes! It's the perfect size and shape to get your powder blush exactly where you want it. You could bronze with it too. I would not use it for liquids/creams.
Angled Blush Brush
I don't enjoy applying any makeup primer with any brush. I do like the spatula end for picking up the putty primer. This brush is actually great with liquids and creams be it blush, bronzer, or even foundation.
Putty Face Primer Brush and Applicator | e.l.f. Cosmetics
I have trouble with some face powder brushes removing coverage or otherwise causing my makeup to lay funny. This one works! I love it for all over applicaton of pressed setting powder.
Pointed Powder Brush - e.l.f. Cosmetics
While this brush clearly works for foundation and concealer, it's going to do great with all of your liquids and creams! I will contour with the small end, and use the bigger end with blush and bronzer - especially cream pots.
e.l.f. Complexion Duo Makeup Brush
This is a good brush for powders. I recommend it for contour, bronzer, and blush.
Essential Contour Brush
This is the perfect fluffy blush brush to use with powders! Plus it's gorgeous on your vanity.
Cream and Powder Blush Brush - Real Techniques
This brush is the perfect size and shape for both powder and cream blush. However, it would also be great for your entire face including foundation and concealer.
Cat Paw Blush Brush, 1 Count
This is a dupe for Patrick Ta's Dual Ended Sculpting Brush. The slanted edge is for contour (powder or cream) and the large fluffy side is for bronzer (powder).
Angled Fan Finishing Brush - Real Techniques
This is a dupe for the Patrick Ta dual ended highlight brush. The fluffy side is to sweep powder highlight on. The angled side is to pat cream highlighter over the powder.
Cloudtopia Highlight & Detail Brush - Real Techniques
This is the perfect blonzing brush for powder! I pair it with the Physicians Formula Bronze Booster Sol Blush because the product is a blush to bronze gradient. I dip the brush in to get the blush and bronzer where I wan it, then sweep onto the face....
Cloudtopia Blonzing Brush
This is the one-and-done blush brush that you need. The big end is fluffy and has a TON of give but that's great if you want a barely there/natural blush look and/or you want to tone down a super pigmented brush. The other end is more densely packed ...
Real Techniques Cherry on Top Blush Brush