Makeup Artists Swear By These £10-Something Brushes for a Flawless Look

If you have ever found yourself in a situation where you’ve had to apply your base or eye shadow with little more than your fingers and the miniature brushes included in the compact, you’ll understand the importance of a good makeup brush. Without the right tools, your finished makeup look risks looking patchy and unnatural. However, with that being said, really good quality makeup brushes can be eye-wateringly expensive.

And why should our bank accounts have to suffer in the name of a flawless base? A couple of years ago, when I realised that a likely reason that my makeup always looked so unnatural was that my application was all wrong, I did some research into upping my brush game. As I scrolled the internet, I shed a single tear over the prices of some of the brushes that experts were recommending.

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(Image credit: @LISAELDRIDGEMAKEUP)

That was until I stumbled across a video whereby celebrity makeup artist Lisa Eldridge recommended a little known German brand called Zoeva. After a little more digging, I discovered that actually almost every big makeup artist in the business was a fan of Zoeva brushes, from Cate Blanchett’s right-hand makeup woman, Mary Greenwell, to my personal Instagram makeup guru Lisa Potter-Dixon. Naturally, I put in an order.

First of all, I just want to say that Zoeva brushes genuinely are very affordable given their quality. Seriously—most of the brushes come in at under £30. Most impressively, you can actually get a complete brush set—including face, eye and lip brushes—for £115, which is just a fraction of what you might pay for other brands. On top of all of that, Zoeva brushes have totally revolutionised my makeup routine. Since adding them to my collection, my makeup game really has improved tenfold. They’re fluffy but dense, soft and gentle, and generally make applying makeup a total dream.

So if you’re desperately seeking some new brushes to add to your beauty arsenal that won’t cost you an arm and a leg, keep scrolling for the Zoeva brushes that you should have on your radar (plus, they all cost less than £20).

Next up, 13 under-eye concealers that don’t crease or settle into lines.

Freelance Beauty Editor

Shannon Lawlor is a renowned beauty journalist and has contributed to Who What Wear’s beauty content since 2020. As a leading beauty editor, expert and brand consultant, she has over eight years of experience working for some of the industry’s most esteemed titles, including Who What Wear (of course), Glamour UK, Stylist, Refinery29 and Fabulous. Having also worked behind the scenes with some of the industry’s biggest brands and retailers, Shannon has a unique insight into what people really want from their beauty routines. Understanding that beauty lovers seek honest, open and responsible advice, she has it made her mission to demystify the intimidating world of beauty, taking a no-frills approach to the most relatable topics. While Shannon is the first to admit she doesn’t hold the answer to every beauty question out there, she is dedicated to sharing her expert insights in a bid to help. As a self-proclaimed lazy girl, Shannon has an affinity for easy-to-use, foolproof beauty products and has made it her mission to scope out the best of the best. When she’s not working, Shannon is likely soaking in the bath or giving no-holds-barred beauty reviews on Instagram from her bathroom floor.