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20 of the Best Powder Brushes That Give You a Flawless Finish Every Time

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Photo by Anna Efetova / Getty Images

Finding the best makeup brush is no easy feat—the market is loaded with them. But when it comes down to it, no amount of expensive makeup can give you a glowy, professional makeup artist-level complexion if your brushes aren't up to par. Needless to say, the search is necessary. With a flawless finish on the line, we took it upon ourselves to round up the 20 best powder brushes for quality results in no time.

When scouting the perfect powder brush, it should have enough surface area and density to apply powder foundation and translucent powder without leaving behind a cakey residue and also be flexible enough to dust on some blush and bronzer in a pinch. Whether you're using it as a foundation brush, a blush brush, contouring brush, or highlighter brush, these selects can make even the most novice makeup newbie look like a pro with every swipe.

The Best Powder Brushes At a Glance:

  1. Best Overall: MAKEUP BY MARIO F1 Makeup Brush
  2. Best Diffusing Brush: BAREMINERALS Supreme Finisher Brush
  3. Best Liquid Foundation Brush: MERIT BEAUTY Brush No.1 Blending Brush
  4. Most Innovative Brush: SHISEIDO Daiya Fude Face Duo
  5. Best Budget Brush: REAL TECHNIQUES Ultra Plush Powder Makeup Brush
  6. Best Buffing Brush: TARTE COSMETICS The Buffer Airbrush Finish Bamboo Foundation Brush
  7. Best Setting Powder Brush: JENNY PATINKIN Blend + Set Brush
  8. Best Splurge: ARTIS Fluenta Oval 8 Brush
  9. Best-For-Your-Skin Brush: IT COSMETICS Heavenly Skin™ CC+ Skin-Perfecting Brush #702
  10. Best Fluffy Brush: PAT MCGRATH LABS Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Powder Brush
  11. Best Blush Brush: E.L.F. COSMETICS Blush Brush
  12. Best Eco-Conscious Brush: COMPLEX CULTURE Press & Set • Bronzer Brush
  13. Best-Looking Brush: F.A.R.A.H BRUSHES Powder Brush 50F
  14. Best Shed-Proof Brush: SIGMA BEAUTY F30 Large Powder Brush 
  15. Best Cult-Favorite Brush: M·A·C COSMETICS 150 Synthetic Large Powder Brush
  16. Best Cruelty-Free Brush: LUXIE BEAUTY LUXIE 520 Tapered Face Brush
  17. Best For Sensitive Skin: SERAPHINE BOTANICALS V3 – Domed Powder Brush
  18. Best Contouring Brush: HOURGLASS Ambient™ Powder Brush
  19. Best Precision Brush: ROYAL & LANGNICKEL MŌDA® Prismatic LG Precision Powder Brush
  20. Best Plush Brush: BEAU GÂCHIS Limited-Edition Powder Brush

The 20 Best Powder Brushes for Every Makeup Need:

1. Best Overall:

MAKEUP BY MARIO F1 Makeup Brush

MAKEUP BY MARIO F1 Makeup Brush
Courtesy of MAKEUP BY MARIO

Price: $$
Size: Medium, Small
Material: Synthetic and natural fibers, dual-ended

If two heads are better than one, this dual-ended brush is the best addition you can make to your makeup bag. With tapered heads on both sides, this multiuse brush perfectly applies and blends cream complexion makeup products, including foundation, concealer, blush, bronzer, contour, and highlighter.

2. Best Diffusing Brush:

BAREMINERALS Supreme Finisher Brush

BAREMINERALS Supreme Finisher Brush
Courtesy of BAREMINERALS

Price: $$
Size: Medium
Material: Synthetic

This brush boasts a dome shape and waved fibers that evenly pick up and distribute powders for the sheerest, most natural wash. And because the foolproof brush deposits product so delicately, it makes it impossible to apply too much. Use it with finishing powder to help set makeup without looking too cakey.

3. Best Liquid Foundation Brush:

MERIT BEAUTY Brush No.1 Blending Brush

MERIT BEAUTY Brush No.1 Blending Brush
Courtesy of MERIT BEAUTY

Price: $$
Size: Small
Material: Vegan

This makeup tool has densely-packed, vegan bristles that seamlessly buff liquid complexion products without streaks or cakiness. We especially love the slightly angled dome shape that makes wiggling into the contours of your face, like around your nose, a breeze.

4. Most Innovative Brush:

SHISEIDO Daiya Fude Face Duo

SHISEIDO Daiya Fude Face Duo
Courtesy of SHISEIDO

Price: $$$
Size: Large
Material: Synthetic

This fluffy powder brush may look like your average (albeit gorgeous) vanity staple. While one end boasts a fire-engine-red composition of densely packed bristles to ensure products go on evenly and seamlessly, the other end is a major standout. A bouncy gel blender lends a fingertip-like application effect for tapping on liquid and cushion compact formulas, giving your makeup sponges a run for their money.

5. Best Budget Brush:

REAL TECHNIQUES Ultra Plush Powder Makeup Brush

REAL TECHNIQUES Ultra Plush Powder Makeup Brush
Courtesy of REAL TECHNIQUES

Price: $
Size: Large
Material: Synthetic

REAL TECHNIQUES is beloved amongst beauty junkies on a budget and those who prefer the finer things in life. Because while these brushes often cost less than your morning coffee, they, like the Powder + Bronzer Brush, feel high quality and provide a stunning streak-free finish every time. This fluffy favorite picks up any powder with ease and dusts it evenly over your skin every time.

6. Best Splurge:

ARTIS Fluenta Oval 8 Brush

ARTIS Fluenta Oval 8 Brush
Courtesy of ARTIS

Price: $$$
Size: Large
Material: Synthetic

This oddly, albeit ergonomically, designed brush is a go-to for makeup artists and beauty aficionados alike. From applying liquids and blending powders to blurring and sculpting, there's not much this splurge-worthy brush can't do. It's even known to apply skincare products and self tanner over your face and body like a dream.

7. Best Buffing Brush:

TARTE COSMETICS The Buffer Airbrush Finish Bamboo Foundation Brush

TARTE COSMETICS The Buffer Airbrush Finish Bamboo Foundation Brush
Courtesy of TARTE COSMETICS

Price: $$
Size: Large
Material: Synthetic, cruelty-free, vegan

Who said you couldn't create an instant IRL filtered makeup look? This fluffy foundation brush buffs liquids into skin, giving your face an airbrushed effect. For best results, apply your liquid foundation along the face in soft, circular motions.

8. Best Setting Powder Brush:

JENNY PATINKIN Luxury Vegan Blend/Set Brush

JENNY PATINKIN Luxury Vegan Blend/Set Brush
Courtesy of JENNY PATINKIN

Price: $
Size: Small
Material: Synthetic

Whether you're prepping your makeup bag for summer months or just looking for a solution to combat your oily T-zone, this precision powder brush is the answer to setting those shiny areas. The JENNY PATINKIN Luxury Vegan Blend Set Brush is the perfect size for T-zone setting, not to mention pinpointing your highlighter. It's on the smaller side of powder brushes, so you have plenty of control.

9. Best-For-Your-Skin Brush:

IT COSMETICS Heavenly Skin™ CC+ Skin-Perfecting Brush #702

IT COSMETICS Heavenly Skin™ CC+ Skin-Perfecting Brush #702
Courtesy of IT COSMETICS

Price: $$$
Size: Medium
Material: Natural bristles infused with anti-aging collagen, silk, peptides, niacin, and antioxidants

Featuring IT COSMETICS' patent-pending Heavenly Skin™ hair infused with anti-aging collagen, silk, peptides, niacin, and antioxidants, the innovative brush technology improves the look of your skin instantly and over time. Pair it with your favorite skincare, CC creams, powders, foundations, and complexion products to blur the appearance of lines, pores, and imperfections for an airbrushed, flawless finish. It was developed by plastic surgeons, so you know it's good.

10. Best Fluffy Brush:

PAT MCGRATH LABS Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Powder Brush

PAT MCGRATH LABS Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Powder Brush
Courtesy of PAT MCGRATH LABS

Price: $$$
Size: Large
Material: Synthetic

If you want a brush that's sure to impress, take it from a seasoned (and may we add, legendary) makeup artist like Pat McGrath. Her ultra-soft fluffy synthetic brush with a dome-shaped head makes it easy to diffuse your favorite powders and is sure to be the envy of all your friends.

11. Best Blush Brush:

E.L.F. COSMETICS Blush Brush

E.L.F. COSMETICS Blush Brush
Courtesy of E.L.F. COSMETICS

Price: $
Size: Small
Material: Synthetic

The LBD of brushes, this simple black number from E.L.F. COSMETIC is affordable, versatile, and easy to dress up. The tapered head and soft synthetic fibers work wonders on the apples of your cheeks and provides soft sculpting on your cheekbones.

12. Best Eco-Conscious Brush:

COMPLEX CULTURE Press & Set • Bronzer Brush

COMPLEX CULTURE Press & Set • Bronzer Brush
Courtesy of COMPLEX CULTURE

Price: $$
Size: Medium
Material: Cruelty-free, 100% bioderadable

Aside from the fact that this multi-tasking powder brush is one of the most versatile makeup brushes out there, it's also designed with sustainability and accessibility in mind, two values we can get behind. The whole brush is cruelty-free, and the handle is 100% biodegradable with a velvety, matte, ergonomic texture to fits securely inside hands of all sizes and skill levels. Oh, and the bristles–don't even get us started on the bristles. It's one of our highest-reviewed brushes, with almost 85,000 reviews and a four-and-a-half-star rating.

13. Best-Looking Brush:

F.A.R.A.H BRUSHES Powder Brush 50F

F.A.R.A.H BRUSHES Powder Brush 50F

Price: $$
Size: Medium
Material: 100% vegan bristles, synthetic

Does it get more princess-like than a fluffy, rose-gold powder brush? "Super cute and sassy!" one Ipster wrote, "Feels great on my face! I use it every day!" With luxurious, synthetic bristles and a super comfortable handle, this brush works great as a contour brush, blush brush, and a setting powder brush. A great feel and good looks? Score!

14. Best Shed-Proof Brush:

SIGMA BEAUTY F30 Large Powder Brush

SIGMA BEAUTY F30 Large Powder Brush
Courtesy of SIGMA BEAUTY

Price: $$
Size: Medium
Material: Synthetic, patented shed-proof technology

This simple, large powder brush may look unassuming, but it boasts a rounded, fluffy, all-black brush head, a sleek ferrule (the metal part that connects the brush head to the handle), and a black handle that's sturdy enough to withstand all kinds of makeup application. The handle is made from responsibly-sourced wood covered in eight coats of paint to make it built to last beautifully. And SIGMA BEAUTY is known for its patented interlocking technology and double-threaded engineering that promises the bristles will never shed.

15. Best Cult-Favorite Brush:

M·A·C COSMETICS 150 Synthetic Large Powder Brush

M·A·C COSMETICS 150 Synthetic Large Powder Brush
Courtesy of M·A·C COSMETICS

Price: $$
Size: Medium
Material: Synthetic, rounded shape

We turn to M·A·C COSMETICS for nearly all of our makeup essentials, and powder brushes are no exception. This large, synthetic brush works for all of your powder needs. Need a blending brush? A concealer brush? A highlighter brush? You can't go wrong with this cult-favorite, 100 percent synthetic, and hand-sculpted brush. The full, dense brush head can pick up loose powder and pressed powder alike. Plus, you can apply it anywhere on your body, and the soft bristles will feel light and soft against the skin.

16. Best Cruelty-Free Brush:

LUXIE BEAUTY LUXIE 520 Tapered Face Brush

LUXIE BEAUTY LUXIE 520 Tapered Face Brush
Courtesy of LUXIE BEAUTY

Price: $
Size: Large
Material: Synthetic, cruelty-free, vegan

Applying highlighter, blush, foundation, eyeshadow, and whatever else you do during your makeup routine should feel as luxurious as a solo day at the sap. LUXIE BEAUTY clearly understood that when they made this sleek, rose gold, fluffy brush. Swirl some blush around your cheekbones, gently sweep bronzer along your jawline, and even dust setting powder all over your gorgeous face, and feel fabulous while doing it.

17. Best For Sensitive Skin:

SERAPHINE BOTANICALS V3 - Domed Powder Brush

SERAPHINE BOTANICALS V3 - Domed Powder Brush
Courtesy of SERAPHINE BOTANICALS

Price: $$
Size: Large
Material: Synthetic, 100% PETA-certified cruelty-free, vegan, allergen-free

The great thing about a domed powder brush is it comes in handy for allover dusting (hello, setting powder!) as well as somewhat more precise application (aka bronzer or highlighter). The domed powder brush by SERAPHINE BOTANICALS is crafted with dual-fiber, allergen-free, synthetic bristles that are also 100% vegan and cruelty-free. Blend powders and cover up pores and imperfections while feeling great about it.

18. Best Contouring Brush:

HOURGLASS Ambient™ Powder Brush

HOURGLASS Ambient™ Powder Brush
Courtesy of HOURGLASS

Price: $$$
Size: Large
Material: Synthetic, cruelty-free

Whether you're setting your makeup look in place or adding a touch of bronzer or blush, this flat powder brush has got your back. Some prefer domed brush heads, and others prefer rounded heads, but the flat brush head comes in handy for bronzer touch-ups in the hollow of your cheeks and highlighter application along with the bridge of your nose or around your eye makeup.

19. Best Precision Brush:

ROYAL & LANGNICKEL MŌDA® Prismatic LG Precision Powder Brush

ROYAL & LANGNICKEL MŌDA® Prismatic LG Precision Powder Brush
Courtesy of ROYAL & LANGNICKEL

Price: $
Size: Small
Material: Synthetic, cruelty-free, vegan

Trust us on this; you've never seen any brush quite like this one from ROYAL & LANGNICKEL. Thanks to its slender handle and angled brush, it resembles more of a toothbrush than a traditional makeup brush. The neon exterior and bright blue and purple bristles will truly make it stand out among the other brushes in your bag. Looks aside, it also easily reaches all the nooks and crannies in your face, blends contour and highlight, dusts setting powder, and blurs blemishes like a champ, too.

20. Best Plush Brush:

BEAU GÂCHIS Limited-Edition Powder Brush

BEAU GÂCHIS Limited-Edition Powder Brush

Price: $
Size: Medium
Material: Synthetic, cruelty-free, vegan

Fluffy powder brushes like this are the ultimate tools for creating a matte, velvety-smooth complexion. This BEAU GÂCHIS brush has loosely packed, ultra-soft vegan bristles that feel great on the skin and sweep up powders flawlessly. For all you makeup minimalists, this multitasking tool can also be used to blend powder blush, bronzer, and even finishing powders. It’s one brush you’ll always look forward to using.

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About the author
Stephanie Montes
Stephanie Montes
Stephanie is a freelance contributor covering all things beauty. She writes about her adventures testing the latest trends in skincare, hair, and makeup. Stephanie's bylines have also appeared on Who What Wear, Elle, Byrdie, Bustle, and more.
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Article Last Updated March 8, 2023 12:00 AM