In the quest for Olivia Culpo-level brow perfection, you’ll need a few things. First and foremost, flawless genetics. (We kid, we kid, but that certainly doesn’t hurt.) In all seriousness, for A+ arches, a professional shaping is always a good move. As is having the right products on hand, from pencils and powders to gels and pomades—or some combination of all of the above.
Our best overall pick is the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brush #20, a dual-ended option that touts a straight-cut brush and built-in spoolie that works well for both application and blending of product. For a multi-tasker that works well on both brows and lashes, consider the Japonesque Brow & Lash Shaper.
“A great brow brush can be an essential tool in creating your optimal brow. When going bare, a brow brush can fluff and groom hairs to create a fuller, more lifted brow,” explains celebrity brow expert Dani Kimiko Vincent. Not to mention that when paired with a product, brow brushes are essential for helping to blend in product seamlessly.
Not all brushes are created equal though, and which one you pick largely depends on the product you’re pairing it with, as well as personal preference, obviously. We conducted hours of research on the best eyebrow brushes, evaluating each on type, material, and ease of use.
Ahead, the best eyebrow brushes that will fit every brow want and need.
Best Overall: Anastasia Beverly Hills Brush #20
Courtesy of Anastasia Beverly Hills
Who else recommends it? Cosmopolitan and Women’s Health Mag both picked the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brush #20.12
Choosing a dual-ended tool makes it easy to create any variety of brow looks, and leave it to the eyebrow guru to the stars to come up with one of the best ones out there. Use the straight-cut, flat brush to outline and define a crisp, clean brow shape. (Top tip: it’s also great for applying concealer around your arches to make them pop even further.) And/or use the spoolie end to blend color throughout your brows and groom hairs in place.
Size: 6.5 x 1 x 0.1 in. | Material: Synthetic
Best Budget: e.l.f. Eyelash & Brow Wand
Courtesy of Target
Simple and to the point, this extremely affordable bargain buy gets the brow job done. The spoolie is surprisingly high-quality given its price tag, and it works equally well to brush through brows or comb through lashes post-mascara application.
Size: 6.2 x 0.5 in. | Material: Nylon
Best for Pomades: BBB London Brow Sculpting Brush
Courtesy of Net-A-Porter
With short, dense bristles, this angled tool is choice for applying and keeping in place thicker pomades or wax-based products. It gives you perfect control for creating the short strokes of color that will help define and shape your brows. Worth noting: Wiping off any leftover product after each use helps maintain the integrity of the bristles.
Size: 7.9 x 1.4 x 0.8 in.
Best for Pomades, Runner-Up: Make Up For Ever 250 Extra Fine Eyeliner Brush
Sephora
Even though it’s technically not an eyebrow brush, Vincent says this tool is great at pulling double-duty for your arches if you like to draw them in. “It’s fine enough to create thin strokes to build up brows,” she adds, noting that the synthetic bristles work best with pomades or gels. The precise tip also makes it easy to detail even teeny-tiny baby hairs, as well as a good option for those who have thinner brows in general.
Size: Not listed | Material: Synthetic fibers
Best for Powders: Tweezerman Angled Brow Brush & Spoolie
“Double-sided brow brushes with an angled brush on the other end are excellent for precision application of products such as powders,” says Vincent. This one fits the bill. The angled brush head deposits just the right amount of product, while the tapered spoolie helps to not only blend, but also lift and fluff hairs.
Size: Not listed | Material: Synthetic fibers
Best Spoolie: Benefit Cosmetics Angled Brow Brush & Spoolie
Courtesy of Ulta
Few brands know brows better than Benefit, as seen in both the products and tools they offer, like this one We heart this particular spoolie because it’s made of custom-blended fibers that seamlessly blend in color and tame even the unruliest of brows. It gets the job done on its own, though for the best brow results, use the angled brush on the other end first. With firm bristles, it deposits powders, creams, gels, and waxes equally well.
Size: 6.5 x 0.6 x 0.3 in. | Material: Custom-blended fibers
Best Spoolie, Runner-Up: Sigma Beauty E80 BROW AND LASH BRUSH
For those looking for a simple, straight-up spoolie, this can’t be beat. The size of the bristles is perfect for combing through either brows and/or lashes, the bristles are vegan and cruelty-free, and it even comes with a two year warranty, a quality option that’s a far cry from those dinky, disposable spoolies you may have used in the past. Although this is an ideal blending tool, some users note that it makes application of product a little tricky.
Size: Not listed | Material: Synthetic fibers
Best Multi-Tasker: Japonesque Brow & Lash Shaper
If you like to play around with different brow looks, but are also looking to minimize the amount of stuff in your makeup bag, pick up this multi-tasker. Start with the spoolie end: “I start every brow look by combing up the brows with the spiral to see exactly what I’m working with,” says celebrity makeup artist Brittany Spyksma. Then, use the tight-packed brush on the other end to groom and shape arches, or add color. The fine comb is also great to use to knock out mascara clumps on lashes.
Size: 6.5 x 0.27 x 1.28 in. | Material: Natural fibers
Best Multi-Tasker, Runner-Up: Beautyblender The Player 3-Way Brow Brush
Beautyblender
Vincent likes this do-it all pick, which she says works great for both brows and lashes. Use the angled brush to apply product (the stiffer bristles work equally well with powders, creams, gels, and waxes), then blend with the spoolie. Turn the spoolie and use the comb to brush through lashes.
Size: Not listed | Material: Synthetic
Best Natural Hair: Kimiko Essential Brow and Lash Brush
Kimiko Beauty
Brushes with natural hairs are best for using brow powders (which also tend to be slightly more goof-proof and make for a more natural end-result than cream products). The other nice thing? They don’t have to be washed quite as frequently as their synthetic counterparts. We appreciate that the bristles on this tool are made of both cruelty-free, natural hairs and synthetic fibers. The angled brush is the ideal size, while the spoolie blends color seamlessly. Although this pick is expensive, we think the use of natural (cruelty-free) bristles justifies the spend.
Size: 6.2 inches | Material: Cruelty-free natural and synthetic fibers
Final Verdict
A good brush is a must, both for applying product and blending it in. In our opinion, you can’t go wrong with the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brush #20, a dual-ended option that touts a straight-cut brush and built-in spoolie. The Make Up For Ever 250 Extra Fine Eyeliner Brush pairs perfectly with pomades or gels, while the Japonesque Brow & Lash Shaper is a three-in-one multi-tasker that works for both brows and lashes.
What to Look For in an Eyebrow Brush
Natural Hair Vs. Synthetic
Brow brushes are made with either synthetic hair or natural hair. Natural hair brushes pair better with powder, whereas synthetic brushes pair better with gel or cream products. If you’re going to go the natural route, we recommend opting for cruelty-free natural brushes, because on top of not testing on animals, you’re also staying away from parabens, sulfates, and synthetic dyes.
Spoolie Brush
You’ll need a spoolie to brush through your eyebrows, so it all depends on whether or not you want to purchase more than one brow product. Dual-ended brushes/pencils are often the best bang for your buck, as they come with a built-in spoolie.
Brush Shape
The shape of the brush you purchase depends on the eyebrow look you’re going for. Generally speaking, straight-cut, flat brushes are for outlining, triangle brush heads are for shaping, and angled-shaped brushes are for definition.
