Best Eyeshadow Brushes: 5 Sets and Singles for Blending, Crease and Lid

The best eyeshadow brushes for most people come as a small set: Sigma Beauty's Basic Eye Brush Set covers lid, crease, liner and brows in seven brushes, and Cosmopolitan says it has "literally everything you need to craft any eye look." If you'd rather start small, the Real Techniques Eye Shade + Blend Trio gives you a lid brush, a crease brush and a brow brush for a drugstore budget.

You don't need a drawer full of eye makeup brushes. Below are five picks, from a full set of eyeshadow brushes to a single blender, plus a plain-English guide to which brush does what and how to use each one.

Quick picks

Which eyeshadow brushes do you need?

Fewer than you think. Celebrity makeup artist Kirin Bhatty told Vogue that "a crease and bullet brush for eyes: these two can create most eye looks, from blending to smoking to smudging." Nars artistry director Uzo, in Glamour, lists just one eyeshadow brush among her five core brushes.

Still, each shape has a job. Makeup artist Mikayla Nogueira told Cosmopolitan, "You have your fluffy blending brushes, your dense blending brushes for detail, your crease brushes, and your detailed liner brushes." Here's the short version:

• Flat shader brush. Dense and flat. It packs color onto the lid. Celebrity makeup artist Amrita Mehta told Vogue that small flat brushes "are great for packing eyeshadow color onto the lid or applying glittery products."
• Fluffy blending brush. Loose, rounded bristles that soften edges so colors melt into each other. This is the one to buy first.
• Tapered crease brush. Narrower, with a pointed tip, so it places a transition shade in the fold of your lid without spreading it everywhere.
• Pencil brush. A small, firm bullet shape for smudging shadow along the lash line or deepening the outer corner.
• Angled brush. A short, slanted edge for brows, tightlining or a sharp wing with dark shadow.

Bristles matter too. Celebrity makeup artist Mylah Morales told Cosmopolitan, "What makes a great eye shadow brush depends on the bristles in the brush." Most eye brushes now use synthetic fibers, which Cosmopolitan says deposit lots of pigment and are easier to clean.

Sigma Beauty Basic Eye Brush Set

Best for: building a whole eye kit in one go, for powder, cream or gel products.

What we love

• Seven full-size brushes, each with one job. Sigma lists the E60 and E55 shaders for the lid, the E40 tapered blender, the E70 angled shader for the crease or brow bone, the E30 pencil, the E65 small angle brush for brows and the E05 eyeliner brush.
• Cosmopolitan named it the best eyeshadow brush set for beginners, saying it "has literally everything you need to craft any eye look."
• Sigma says the synthetic fibers are made "to better hold, apply and blend" powder, cream and gel products.
• The handles are solid polymer, and the brand calls them waterproof, which helps when you wash brushes often.

Keep in mind

• It's the splurge pick here. If you only wear one or two shadows, the trio below covers the basics.
• Seven brushes is more than many people use day to day.

Key features: synthetic SigmaTech fibers, SigmaAlloy ferrules, waterproof polymer handles.

How to use: pack color on the lid with the E55 or E60, blend with the E40, then add a transition shade to the crease with the E70. Line with the E05 and soften it with the E30 (Sigma's own order).

Check price on Amazon

Real Techniques Eye Shade + Blend Trio

Best for: beginners who want a lid brush, a crease brush and a brow brush and nothing more.

What we love

• Cosmopolitan's best budget eyeshadow brush set. The editor wrote, "The synthetic bristles are so ridiculously soft."
• Three working brushes. On its Amazon listing, Real Techniques says the RT301 "applies and layers eyeshadow for multi-color looks," the RT300 blends for an even base, and the RT341 fills brows and has a spoolie on the other end.
• Real Techniques says the set is designed "for easy two-color shadow application" and the brushes are "easy to clean."
• Vegan and cruelty-free, according to the brand.

Keep in mind

• There's no pencil or liner brush, so smudging along the lash line is harder.
• The brow brush is a bonus, not a third shadow brush.

Key features: UltraPlush synthetic bristles, tapered lid and crease shapes, dual-ended brow brush.

How to use: sweep your lid shade on with the flatter brush, then blend a deeper shade into the crease with the fluffier one.

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Sigma Beauty E35 Tapered Blending Brush

Best for: placing and blending a crease color, especially on hooded eyes.

What we love

• Cosmopolitan's best overall eyeshadow brush, and its pick for hooded eyes: "The tapered brush tip creates the ultimate seamless look and is an incredible choice for those with hooded eyes."
• Sigma describes "long, slightly firm bristles" that pick up color and put it straight into the crease for "a blended, but defined, effect."
• Sheer to medium coverage, per Sigma, so it's hard to overdo a dark shade.
• Cosmopolitan says the shape lets shadow "blend effortlessly even in hard-to-reach areas."

Keep in mind

• It's a crease brush. It won't pack color on the lid.
• Slightly firm bristles feel different from very fluffy blenders. If you like a softer diffuse, pair it with a fluffier brush.

Key features: synthetic SigmaTech fibers, lightweight wood handle (Sigma says it's responsibly sourced).

How to use: Sigma says to apply color into your crease and "sweep the brush back and forth in windshield wiper motions" until it's as soft as you like.

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MSQ Eye Makeup Brushes 12-Piece Set

Best for: trying lots of shapes without committing to an expensive kit.

What we love

• Cosmopolitan picked it as its best eyeshadow brush set overall and said it "has everything you could ever need for each step of your eye look."
• Twelve synthetic brushes, according to MSQ's listing: eyeshadow brushes, blenders, an eyeliner brush, a brow brush and concealer brushes.
• Real wood handles with rose gold aluminum ferrules.
• It's on the budget-friendly end, which makes it a low-risk way to learn which shapes you actually reach for.

Keep in mind

• The eyeliner brush is bent on purpose. MSQ's listing says it's "bent, not damaged."
• Twelve is a lot to wash.

Key features: synthetic fibers, wood handles, 12 pieces (pink and black versions are sold too).

How to use: start with the largest fluffy brush for blending and a flat one for the lid, then add the smaller shapes as you learn them.

Check price on Amazon

e.l.f. Eyeshadow "C" Brush

Best for: one inexpensive brush for an easy smoky eye.

What we love

• Cosmopolitan's best drugstore eyeshadow brush, called "the perfect brush to create an epic smokey eye."
• e.l.f. says the synthetic bristles are "soft and absorbent," and the medium size "gives more control for specific blending needs."
• Works with wet or dry shadow, per the brand.
• Vegan, and e.l.f. says it's certified cruelty-free by Leaping Bunny and PETA.

Keep in mind

• It's one brush, so it won't replace a flat shader for packing on shimmer.
• On small lids, a smaller pencil or crease brush gives you more control (our view).

Key features: synthetic bristles, ergonomic handle, curved head.

How to use: dip into shadow, press color onto the outer corner, then blend inward and up in a soft "C" shape.

Check price on Amazon

How to choose eyeshadow brushes

Start with a blender

If you buy only one brush, make it a fluffy or tapered blending brush. It's the shape that fixes harsh lines, and harsh lines are what make eyeshadow look "off." The makeup blending brush that comes up again and again in expert lists is MAC's 217. In Allure, makeup artist Min Min Ma says it "gives a smooth, seamless blending job" and is slim enough to fit hooded creases. We didn't find it sold by MAC on amazon.com, so it isn't one of our linked picks. The Sigma E35 does the same job.

Good eyeshadow brush sets: what to look for

A good eyeshadow brush set has, at minimum, a flat shader, a fluffy blender, a tapered crease brush and a pencil brush. Anything beyond that is a bonus. Check the fiber: synthetic is easier to wash and works with creams and powders. Mehta told Vogue that synthetic bristles suit cream and liquid products, while natural hair is better for powders.

Best affordable eye brushes

The Real Techniques trio, MSQ set and e.l.f. "C" brush are our best affordable eye brushes. Nogueira's point in Cosmopolitan is worth repeating: a good eyeshadow brush doesn't have to be expensive. Quality comes down to the shape you need and how well the bristles are made.

Handle length

Cosmopolitan's advice: a short handle gives you more precision for detailed looks, and a longer one gives a softer, more natural blend.

Pair it with the rest of your kit

If you also need face brushes, our best makeup brush set picks cover foundation, powder and blush. For base makeup, see the best foundation brush roundup. Then finish the eye with a curl: our best eyelash curler guide has picks for straight and hooded lashes.

How to use eyeshadow brushes

1. Pack the lid color with a flat brush. Press, don't swipe, for the most color.
2. Blend the crease with a fluffy or tapered brush. Mehta uses "windshield wiper and circular motions to soften harsh lines" (via Vogue).
3. Deepen the outer corner with a pencil brush. Work in small taps, then blend the edge back out with your clean blender.
4. Smudge along the lower lash line. Use the pencil brush and whatever's left on it.
5. Set it. If your shadow tends to fade by afternoon, finish with a light mist of setting spray; our guide covers how far away to hold it.

Comparison table

FAQs

What is the best eyeshadow brush if you only buy one?

A fluffy or tapered blending brush. It's the one that softens edges, which is the hardest step to do with fingers. The Sigma E35 is our pick for the crease, and the e.l.f. "C" brush is the budget option.

What eyeshadow brush is best for hooded eyes?

A slim, tapered blender. Cosmopolitan names the Sigma E35 for hooded eyes, and Allure's Min Min Ma likes MAC's 217 because it's small enough to sit in the crease.

Are natural or synthetic eyeshadow brushes better?

For most people, synthetic. Synthetic fibers wash easily and work with creams as well as powders. Mehta told Vogue that natural hair works better for powders, so if you only wear powder shadow, it's a matter of preference.

How often should you clean eyeshadow brushes?

Makeup artists told Glamour every one to two weeks; Vogue suggests at least once a week. Wash with warm water and a mild, fragrance-free soap, squeeze out the water, reshape the bristles, and lay them flat to dry so water doesn't run into the handle.

Do you need a whole set of eyeshadow brushes?

No. Bhatty says a crease brush and a bullet brush can create most eye looks. A set makes sense when you want a flat shader, blender, crease and pencil brush in one go, or when you're buying a gift.

Start with one good blender, add a flat brush and a pencil brush, and you can do almost any eye look.