Let's be honest, most of us aren't cleaning our makeup brushes nearly as often as we should. Experts say you should be washing them weekly. But if you're thinking back and realizing that it's been a few weeks — or maybe even months — since you last gave them a scrub, it's probably time to replace them altogether.
Easier said than done, you may say, with so many beauty tools to choose from right now. Luckily for you, we did our homework to find top-rated makeup brushes, sponges and cleaning tools to help you swap out your dirty ones for a fresh set. Or if you're simply stocking up, make sure to check out our editor favorites, too.
Below, 20 picks to add to your beauty cabinet now.
Makeup brushes | Makeup sponges | Makeup brush cleaners | How we chose
Makeup brushesBestope Makeup Brushes, 16 Piece Set
Colors: 11 | Bristle material: Synthetic fibers
Nearly 15,000 shoppers have given this makeup brush set a perfect five-star rating. "I love love love these brushes," one shopper wrote. "I cannot believe [the] price for such good quality brushes."
BS-MALL Makeup Brush Set
Colors: Seven | Bristle material: Nylon
You can score this bestselling makeup brush set for just $10! It comes with 18 brushes designed for foundation, blush, eyeshadow and more.
Real Techniques Everyday Essentials Makeup Brush Set
Bristle Material: Synthetic | Use for: All makeup formulas
“I'm able to do 90% of my makeup with this set alone,” says commerce writer Danielle Murphy of this all-in-one kit. The Shop TODAY Beauty Award winner for best overall makeup brush set comes with four brushes and a beauty sponge, and currently has over 40,000 five-star ratings on Amazon.
Mac Cosmetics 217 Synthetic Blending Brush
Bristle material: Synthetic | Use for: Powders and creams
Associate editor Shannon Garlin admitted to being influenced to buy this brush by a popular YouTuber about 14 years ago, and it still remains one of her go-to makeup tools. "It’s my favorite brush for blending," she says. "The bristles are really soft and made of synthetic fibers, which is probably why it’s lasted so long."
Daubigny KabukiBrush
Colors: 12
One Shop TODAY writer says that this brush makes applying makeup a breeze. "Makeup brushes can take up a lot of space in a makeup bag, but this kabuki brush proves that great things come in small packages," she wrote. "The little flat top tool comes with a plastic carrying case, which only takes up a few inches of my bag and keeps the brush intact."
Morphe M201 Rounded Cream & Liquid Blush Brush
Brush density: Dense | Use with: Creams and liquids
"The brand sent me this brush to try with a few of their new blushes, but I’ve been using it for every blush I own," says Murphy. "It’s very soft and blends product seamlessly onto the cheek. I also like that it doesn’t pick up too much product. It’s flat, which helps to distribute the formula evenly, and rounded at the tip to help smooth out harsh lines."
Koccido Makeup Brushes
Colors: Four | Bristle material: Polyester
Not only does this set come with over 20 different makeup brushes, but it also includes makeup sponges, a brush cleaning egg and a facial cleansing brush. And you can get it all for just $9!
EcoTools Start The Day Beautifully Makeup Brush Set
Colors: One | Bristle material: Taklon
If you only need a few brushes, this kit is the perfect pick. It comes with five essential brushes and also has a carrying tray to keep them organized when you're on the go.
Merit Brush No. 1 Blending Brush
Colors: One | Bristle material: Vegan
"I love a brush that can be a catchall," says editor Vivien Moon. "This has become my foundation/concealer brush and it’s the one I turn to when at home and traveling. I love how lightweight it is and how after months of use, it hasn’t lost [its] softness. I never travel without it."
Kevyn Aucoin The Duet Contour Brush
Brush bristles: Synthetic | Use with: Cream or powder
SEO writer Jannely Espinal says she loves this makeup brush so much, that she's neglected her other tools! "You can use it to contour or add blush, but I’ve used it mainly to blend the concealer under my eyes," she adds. "It’s so sturdy and easy to wash, plus it holds a lot of product in. The bristles are still intact after using it for over six months."
Morphe X Ariel Signature Look 12-Piece Face & Eye Brush Set
Use for: Cream and powder
These are some of the softest brushes I’ve ever felt," raves associate editor Kamari Stewart. "[This set] comes with pretty much everything you need to do a full look. The brushes look really sleek as well. I ended up using a brush for my foundation and it was really smooth. It’s the perfect beginner set." Stewart also adds that the blending sponge is "super soft and squishy" and easily bounces back to its original form post application.
Makeup spongesReal Techniques Miracle 2-In-1 Powder Puff Duo
Use for: Liquids, powders, creams
Now you can blend and set without switching out your beauty tools. The orange side of this tool features a squishy silicone pad for applying creamy complexion products (the brand recommends using it dry), while the pink side has plush fibers to apply and set powders to your base.
Beakey Makeup Sponge Set
Colors: Five
If you prefer using makeup sponges, we suggest grabbing this bestselling set while it's on sale. It has more than 75,000 five-star ratings and each pack comes with five sponges.
AOA Studio Collection Makeup Sponge Set
Colors: One
Perfect for blending BB cream, foundation, concealer, powder and more, these makeup sponges are marked down to just $8 right now. According to the brand, the teardrop shape makes it easy for you to reach tight spaces, like the sides of your nose and around your eyes.
Pimoys Powder Puff Face Makeup Sponge
Colors: 17 | Materials: Plush, satin
"I saw the product on TikTok and decided to buy it," one shopper wrote about these powder puff sponges. "I loved it from the first time I tried it. It’s soft and works nicely with powder, foundation and other facial products."
Makeup brush cleanersCinema Secrets Professional Makeup Brush Cleaner
Size:8 fl oz |Scent:Vanilla |Compatible with:All brush types |Includes:Cleaner and cleaning tin
Murphy has been using this makeup brush cleaner for a couple of years and swears she'll never use anything else. "The makeup practically fell off my brushes," she said after using it for the first time. "I couldn’t believe how quickly the formula broke down all the product buildup. It worked on all makeup types too — from liquid concealers topowder eyeshadows."
BeautyBlender Liquid BlenderCleanser
Form: Liquid | Sizes: 3 fl oz, 5 fl oz | Scent: Lavender
Stewart was given a bottle of this cleaner by a friend who raves about it — and she says she quickly came to love it, too.
"It doesn’t take much of this liquid cleanser to get my brushes super clean. I was surprised at how many of my brushes it was able to bring back to their original colors, especially foundation since my shade has more pigment to it that’s typically harder to get out. I won’t buy or use another makeup brush cleaner until I finish this bottle because it’s the best (and even then, the next one I buy will probably be a restock of this one)."
EcoTools Makeup Brush + Sponge Shampoo
This "brush and sponge shampoo" is designed to remove makeup, dirt, oil and more from your makeup tools, while keeping them in good condition. To use, wet your brush or sponge, rub the shampoo on the tool, rinse and set out to dry.
Sigma Beauty Makeup Brush Cleaner Mat
Colors: Two | Material: Silicone
If you feel like you can't quite give your brushes the deep clean they need with just your fingers, try this mat. It has several textures on the surface to help you get between the bristles of different types of brushes.
Ricris Premium Makeup Brush Cleaner and Dryer
Colors: Four | Power Methods: USB direct power supply and battery power
With this electric brush cleaner, you can clean and dry your makeup brushes in just seconds, the brand says. Simply fill the bowl with water and soap, attach your brush to the spinner, dip it in and spin to clean. Then, lift it out of the water and spin to dry!
How we choseWe selected the most popular tools based on customer ratings and asked our editors for their tried-and-true products. We also scoured through reviews and chose makeup brushes, sponges and cleaners based on product availability and shoppers’ favorites.
