The Best Eyebrow Brushes, According to Editors and Makeup Artists | Marie Claire

Nov 03, 2024

Bold brows coming right up.

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Whether you fill in your eyebrows religiously, tint your eyebrows, or swipe a bit of eyebrow gel across them every morning, you're coming into contact with one of the best eyebrow brushes. These indispensable makeup tools can help craft your ideal brows, whether you opt for a gel, a powder, or a pencil. "An eyebrow brush is used to help you fill and shape your brows," explains celebrity makeup artist Amrita Mehta. "It helps fill gaps within the brows and make them look full and shapely, and it can used with a powder or pomade to help evenly disperse product throughout the brush while filling in."

Still, not every brush is built the same. Which is why I've consulted makeup artists and reached into my own makeup bag to bring you the best eyebrow brushes of all time, along with advice on how to use them.

Best Eyebrow Brush Overall

Latina-owned brand Bésame Cosmetics is inspired by the early- to mid-twentieth century, crafting makeup products and tools that are meant to last a lifetime. Their products are also made to help you feel chic with every use—a goal that's evident in this lightweight gold brush. It's dual-ended, versatile, and users say that the spoolie is incomparably soft.

Pros: Soft; Latina-owned business; Dual-ended; Versatile; Cruelty-free; Vegan; Aesthetically Appealing.

Cons: Not widely available (only available at Bésame).

Best Eyebrow Spoolie Brush

If you love the microbladed look but don't want to actually get your brows microbladed, consider this set from Tweezerman. It comes with a spoolie that can be used with your favorite gel, wax, or pomade. It also features handy pair of scissors for trimming stragglers. The scissors are curved to make trimming brows easy, comfortable, and intuitive, and they come to a sharp point for extra precision.

Pros: Comes with two tools; Great for shaping brows.

Cons: Doesn't come with a flat/angled brush.

Best Angled Eyebrow Brush

Makeup artist and content creator Mirta Miller recommends this small angel brush for extra precision. Its dramatic angle comes to a sharp point that's great for drawing tiny hairs and filling in small gaps. Plus, it's made of non-porous fibers, which leads to easy cleaning.

Pros: Easy to clean; Great for precision.

Cons: Not dual-ended.

Best Dual-Ended Eyebrow Brush

Both Mehta and Miller love this dual-ended brush from Anastasia Beverly Hills. "I love the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brush #12 because it’s double ended and has both an angles tip and spoolie. It’s versatile and gives you everything you need," says Mehta.

Pros: Expert-approved; Dual-ended; Award-winning.

Cons: Some users find the flat side to be too stiff.

Best Eyebrow Brush Set

This affordable brow set includes an angled brush, two spoolies of different sizes, a soft, long-handled brush, and a flat tool to lift and hold your brows in place for easier shaping. It's the ultimate set for those who love a bold brow look, and the price tag can't be beat.

Pros: Vegan; Cruelty free; Affordable; Comes with several tools.

Cons: None found.

Best Affordable Eyebrow Brush

Miller gives her stamp of approval to this affordable option from E.L.F. Cosmetics, citing its versatility and dual-ended nature as the main reasons she reaches for it again and again. According to customers, it's also easy to use and control, and its angled side is thin enough to create thin, precise strokes.

Pros: Expert-approved; Dual-ended; Affordable.

Cons: Some users find that it doesn't apply product evenly.

Best Eyebrow Brush for Pomade

Mehta is a fan of this popular brush for creating realistic filled-in brows. "This brush is excellent to use with any pomade," she explains. "Its angle is super sharp, defined, and dense, allowing you to make sharp, precise, hair-like strokes."

Pros: Expert-approved; Great for precision.

Cons: Not dual-ended.

Best Luxury Eyebrow Brush

"This brush works well with both pomades and powders," says Mehta. "It also has a spoolie on the end for grooming and distributing product. I love this brush for a really soft and diffused brow."

Pros: Expert-approved; Comes in a carrying case; Dual-ended.

Cons: More expensive than most competitors.

Best Thin Eyebrow Brush

Miller highly recommends this brow brush, listing it among her tried-and-true favorites. "It will last you a long time, and, personally, I like how precise it is!" The bristles on the flat/angled side are also firm and thin, making for easy control and precision.

Pros: Appealing packaging; Great for precision.

Cons: Bristles are fragile.

Best All-In-One Eyebrow Brush

"Makeup by Mario is genius for creating this all-in-one brow brush," says associate e-commerce editor Brooke Knappenberger. "On one side, you have an angled liner brush to fill in your brows with powders or cream, and on the other, you have a spoolie to brush and set hairs in place. It's really all I need to fill and shape my brows, plus the angled side works as an eyeliner brush when you're in a pinch."

Pros: Editor-approved; Dual-ended; Versatile; Cruelty-free; Vegan.

Cons: Not widely available (exclusive to Sephora).

Best Flat Eyebrow Brush

Unlike angled brushes, this brush has a flat end, which is perfect for creating a more diffused look. It also doubles as an eyeshadow brush, making it a great option for throwing in your work bag or travel makeup case, when you're in need of a do-it-all tool.

Pros: Great for a diffused look; Versatile.

Cons: Not as suitable for precision.

Best Eyebrow Brush Set for Travel

I'm obsessed with this eyebrow brush set from Plum Beauty. It comes with four different kinds of brushes, including a spoolie, a flat brush, and even brushes for lips and eyeshadow. At under 10 dollars, it comes at a price that can't be beat, and its stackable design makes it perfect for travel.

Pros: Set of brushes; Affordable; Great for travel; Cute design; Easy to clean.

Cons: Doesn't include an angled brush.

Best Brow and Lash Brush

This brush is designed for grooming and taming lashes and brows. It includes a soft brow brush on one side and a lash de-clumper on the other, making it essential for anyone looking to create a showstopping look. Because it doesn't have another brush on the bottom, you can store it upright in a jar.

Pros: Great for brows and lashes; Versatile.

Cons: Doesn't contain an angled brush or a spoolie; can be difficult to store without crushing the bristles

Best Eyebrow Brush with Wax

This brow brush comes with wax at the other end, making it convenient to style your brows for a subdued or no-makeup look. The brush itself is neither flat-angled nor a spoolie, and is instead shaped like a tiny toothbrush. It's an intuitive, easy-to-use tool with soft bristles that is less likely to irritate your skin.

Pros: Easy to use; Comes with a formula; Vegan; Cruelty-free.

Cons: None.

Best Eyebrow Brush with Pencil

Selena Gomez's makeup brand, Rare Beauty, is known for creating premium quality, cruelty-free products with a natural finish. This brow product is no different: Dual-ended, it includes both a soft, vegan spoolie and a pencil that comes in several shades.

Pros: Cruelty-free; Vegan; Available in many shades; Soft brush.

Cons: Doesn't include a flat/angled brush.

Best Basic Eyebrow Brush

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Don't sleep on the Sephora Collection. Basics like this dual-ended brush are affordable and high-quality, holding their own against their glossier competitors. The spoolie is made from vegan bristles that are soft enough to feel comfortable but firm enough to apply pigment effectively, and the angled brush comes to a sharp point to allow for precision.

Pros: Editor-approved; Great for precision; Award-winning; Vegan.

Cons: Only available at Sephora.

Best Retractable Eyebrow Brush

Made for convenience, this dual-ended brush from Tarte has a handy retractable design that makes it perfect for travel. This way, your bristles won't get bent, damaged, or dirty in your makeup bag, and you can stand the brush up by crushing it. It's also perfect for drawing and filling in brows with precision.

Pros: Great for travel; Retractable; Chic design; Vegan

Cons: Some users find that it accidentally retracts if you press too hard during application.

Best No-Nonsense Brush Overall

Fashion Features Editor Emma Childs is a big fan of this no-fuss brush. "It does the job with no unnecessary bells and whistles." She also notes that it's incredibly effective, especially given its affordable price. This option is angled, allowing for more precision, but Tweezerman also sells a flat-ended option for those who prefer a diffused look.

Pros: Editor-approved; Dual-ended; Great for precision.

Cons: None.

Best Eyebrow Brush Set

This brow set from Refy includes everything you need to craft the brows of your dreams. It includes an angled brush, spoolie, pencil, pomade, and brush. These tools allow you to create any look, from fully filled-in brows to natural ones.

Pros: Complete set that includes pigments; Cruelty-free.

Cons: Limited range of pigment colors (only light, medium, and dark).

Best Eyebrow Brush with Brow Gel

Both Fashion Editor Lauren Tappan and I love this brow brush and gel from MIlk Makeup. It's from their popular hemp-based Kush line, which fosters hair and follicular health to make for healthier, more robust brow growth. The brush itself is also soft, and durable, and is small enough to create small, precise, brow-like strokes on even the thinnest brows.

Pros: Editor-approved; Supports brow growth; Clean formula.

Cons: Disposable, so not entirely sustainable.

Whether you like a full, filled-in brow or a natural look, one of the best eyebrow brushes can be of benefit. "You can use eyebrow brushes with a pigmented gel-like product or a transparent one just to make them look brushed and clean," says Miller. She adds that if your brush has a spoolie on the other end, that can help control hairs and evenly distribute the formula.

Once you find a pomade, gel, or powder, that matches your hair color, you're off to the races. In terms of technique, "It’s all about how you hold the brush," says Miller. "You want to place your hand closer to the brush head, but towards the middle of the brush itself. Hold it as gently as possible and don’t press too much." Be sure to create short, hair-like strokes rather than treat your brows like blocks you're coloring in. Remember: A little goes a long way.

"Start with less product on the bristles and dip/add more as you go to avoid overly harsh brows," adds Mehta. "I like to brush through my bare brows and groom them with a spoolie first to pinpoint what needs to be filled in to create a more natural and fluffy brow."

Brush all your brow hairs up before filling them in. This will help identify sparse areas and gaps.

Flat Angle Brushes

"Flat/ angle brushes are mostly used with pomades and pigments to give your brows that chiseled defined look," explains Miller. "You can draw on brow hair by brow hair, or you can just use it to help you get the brow shape that suits your face the best."

Mehta, who has worked on editorial campaigns, music videos, and runway shows, has a tried-and-true system for using these brushes. "I like to dip the angle tip into the product, then work it into the bristles by making a couple of initial strokes on the back of my hand before starting on my brows," she says. "Make short, feathery strokes using the shape of your brow as a guide."

Spoolie Brushes

Once Mehta is done using the angle brushes, she likes to "blend the strokes out with a spoolie to create a soft, diffused look." She explains that a spoolie helps to guide, groom, and shape your eyebrows. "It combs through your brow hairs to disperse product and tame any unruly brow hairs to create a more polished brow," she adds.

Miller adds that spoolies are great for low-maintenance or no-makeup looks. "It’s a great tool to use with some transparent eyebrow gel on no-makeup days to make your eye area look sharper and more put together," she says.

Cleaning your makeup brushes helps them last longer, keeps your formulas from mixing, and keeps acne and irritation at bay. "I love using a brush soap or a fragrance-free bar soap to wash my brushes," says Mehta. "I work the soap through the bristles, then rinse with warm water. I’ll reshape the bristles with my hand, then lay the brush flat to dry to avoid any water getting into the barrel."

Mirta Miller is a makeup artist and content creator who specializes in beauty trends and honest reviews of popular beauty products. She has over 18 million followers on TikTok and over one million on Instagram, and is currently based in Croatia.

Amrita Mehta is a professional makeup artist who has worked with celebrities, on editorial shoots, and backstage at runway shows. Over the course of her career, she has worked with big names like Pat McGrath and Patrick Ta, and has most recently collaborated with Maybelline. Originally from San Francisco, she is currently based in New York City.

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Gabrielle Ulubay is a Beauty Writer at Marie Claire. She has also written about sexual wellness, politics, culture, and fashion at Marie Claire and at publications including The New York Times, HuffPost Personal, Bustle, Alma, Muskrat Magazine, O'Bheal, and elsewhere. Her personal essay in The New York Times' Modern Love column kickstarted her professional writing career in 2018, and that piece has since been printed in the 2019 revised edition of the Modern Love book. Having studied history, international relations, and film, she has made films on politics and gender equity in addition to writing about cinema for Film Ireland, University College Cork, and on her personal blog, gabrielleulubay.medium.com. Before working with Marie Claire, Gabrielle worked in local government, higher education, and sales, and has resided in four countries and counting. She has worked extensively in the e-commerce and sales spaces since 2020, and spent two years at Drizly, where she developed an expertise in finding the best, highest quality goods and experiences money can buy.

Deeply political, she believes that skincare, haircare, and sexual wellness are central tenets to one's overall health and fights for them to be taken seriously, especially for people of color. She also loves studying makeup as a means of artistic expression, drawing on her experience as an artist in her analysis of beauty trends. She's based in New York City, where she can be found watching movies or running her art business when she isn't writing. Find her on Twitter at @GabrielleUlubay or on Instagram at @gabrielle.ulubay, or follow her art at @suburban.graffiti.art

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