Building Your First Makeup Brush Kit: A Beginner's Guide

Whether you've been using one brush for everything or have been a sponge gal for as long as you can remember, building up your brush makeup kit can be challenging. We'll explain all the basic brushes you need, so you know exactly where to start.

Starter Kit Cheat Sheet: Every Brush a Beginner Needs

Base Brushes: Building a Flawless Foundation (and Finish)

Every drop-dead gorgeous makeup look starts with a beautiful base. You need brushes designed for primers, liquid or cream foundations, skin tints, powder foundations, concealer, and setting powders.

Start building your base kit with:

•       Large, fluffy brush for powder foundation and setting powders

•       Large, dense brush for applying primers, foundations, and skin tints

•       Small, dome-shaped, medium-dense brush for concealer and color corrector

These are the absolute basics for perfecting your skin base. To get you started, you can use our Everyday Essentials Set, which comes with four multi-use brushes that check off all these boxes. Oh, and you also get our best-selling Miracle Complexion Sponge, which can help you create sheer, natural finishes with foundations and skin tints.

Cheek Brushes: The Best Tools for Blush, Bronzer, and Beyond

Once your skin is glowing like the goddess you are, step up your look with blush, bronzer, contour, and highlighter. These take your look further, accentuating your best features and amping up the glam.

You'll need:

•       Medium-large, fluffy, dome-shaped brush for blush or bronzer

•       Fan brush for lighter blush or bronzer

•       Small angled or tapered brush with dense bristles for contouring or highlighter

•       Medium flathead or angled brush for stronger highlighter or contouring

When it comes to skin enhancer products, you may want a little or a lot. Make sure you have brushes that can do it all, especially if you're warming up to these products. The Big Blends Energy kit comes with all the brushes you need, and two of them are double-ended for even more application options.

Eye Brushes: Essentials for Eyeshadow and Liner

Applying eyeshadow and eyeliner can be intimidating, but with the right brushes, it feels effortless. Get as many shapes, sizes, and densities as possible, so there's one for every eye product and application technique.

Essentials for your eye kit:

•       Small-medium, dome-shaped, fluffy brush for applying bases across your lid

•       Tapered, dense brush with medium-short bristles for creasing

•       Thin, angled brushes with short bristles for smudging and lining

•       Soft, fluffy brushes with lower density and medium or long bristles for diffusing and blending

These are the bare minimum for creating envy-worthy eyes. The Eye-Conic Essentials Brush Set has four exceptional brushes to help you practice your eyeshadow skills, including bases, creasing, smudging, tightlining, blending, and diffusing.

The Easiest Way to Start: One Brush Set That Does It All

If you feel overwhelmed by everything you need, that's okay. We created the Au Naturale Set to make it easy to get started. This 9-piece set has all the basics you need for skin bases, skin enhancers, and eye looks. Because with the right tools, you can create makeup magic.

Additional Resources

Trusted, non-commercial reads to go deeper:

•       American Academy of Dermatology — How to Clean Your Makeup Brushes — dermatologist-backed brush hygiene guidance, including how often to wash and how to dry brushes safely.

•       U.S. FDA: Makeup — how makeup products are regulated in the U.S. and how to use them safely.

•       Byrdie — expert-reviewed editorial site covering makeup techniques and tool care.

•       Temptalia — independent beauty blog with in-depth tutorials, swatches, and technique guides.

•       Lab Muffin Beauty Science — a chemistry-PhD-run blog explaining the science behind makeup formulas and application.

About the Author

Veronica Booth

Veronica is a style and beauty writer with over six years of experience specializing in skincare and makeup. She's reviewed and written about a wide range of products, and believes skincare and makeup are for everyone, whether you simply need a face moisturizer or want to contour like a pro. For her, beauty is about self-expression and fun, but she emphasizes the importance of proper technique and high-quality products that are kind to skin and valuable investments.