It used to be a common opinion that synthetic brushes are worse than brushes made out of animal hair. Fortunately, things are very different in 2024.
Vegan makeup brushes are no longer scratchy or bristly. In fact, vegan brushes today are even smoother, softer, and less sticky than animal hair brushes. While animal hair is porous, vegan brushes are naturally antibacterial and suitable for all skin types and sensitivities.
To hook you up with the best makeup tools, here are the best vegan makeup brushes for 2024. Blend, sweep, and buff – these brushes do it all.
Best Vegan Makeup Brushes 2024
We are happy to introduce you to vegan makeup brushes that have nothing to do with animal hair. Cruelty-free, high-quality, and softer than ever, let’s go.
- Best Brush Set: Sigma Beauty Essential Brush Kit
- Best Blending Brush: Merit Brush No. 1 Tapered Blending Brush
- Best Foundation Brush: Hourglass Vanish Foundation Brush
- Best Powder Brush: Wet N Wild Powder Brush
- Best Eyeshadow Brush: Rare Beauty Stay Vulnerable Eyeshadow Brush
- Best Eyeliner Brush: Morphe M443 Pointed Liner Detail Brush
- Best Highlighter Brush: Fenty Beauty Cheek-Hugging Highlight Brush 120
- Best Concealer Brush: Tarte Sea Double-Ended Concealer Brush
- Best Contouring Brush: Patrick Ta Major Sculpt Contour Brush
- Best Blush Brush: Real Techniques Ultra Plush Blush Brush
- Best Bronzer Brush: Saie The Big Buffing Bronzer Brush
- Best Lip Brush: Westman Atelier Lip Brush
- Best Brow Brush: Anastasia Beverly Hills Brush #20
- Best Kabuki Brush: Isle Of Paradise Blending Kabuki Brush
Best Vegan Makeup Brush Set
1. Sigma Beauty Essential Brush Kit
Sigma Essential Brush Kit is the best vegan makeup brush set. The vegan brush kit consists of 12 professional vegan makeup brushes for the face and eyes. The brushes collect, apply, and blend makeup with precision and ease. It’s truly the Rolls Royce of makeup brush sets.
The kit uses high-grade patented SigmaTech fibers that are soft yet dense. The brushes also have a lightweight polymer handle that is comfortable to hold. Like with most vegan makeup brushes, the brushes are antimicrobial and easy to clean.
- What we like: premium-quality vegan brush set
- What we don’t like: it’s expensive
- What other reviewers say: the softest brushes, make a real difference in applying makeup, the set makes for a beautiful gift, very long-lasting and durable
Bristles: synthetic SigmaTech | Handle: plastic | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, waterproof
Best Vegan Blending Brush
2. Merit Brush No. 1 Tapered Blending Brush
Merit Brush No. 1 is the best vegan brush for blending complexion products. It works especially well with cream highlighters, blushes, bronzers, and foundations. It’s tapered just enough for an easy and clean application. The face makeup looks seamless and brush stroke-free.
- What we like: best for blending cheek makeup
- What we don’t like: bristles can clump
- What other reviewers say: very soft and well-shaped bristles, blends everything seamlessly, streak-free
Bristles: synthetic | Handle: aluminum | Features: vegan, cruelty-free
Shop on: Sephora, Official site
Best Vegan Foundation Brush
3. Hourglass Vanish Foundation Brush
Hourglass has the best vegan foundation brush for flawless foundation. This PETA-approved Taklon brush is luxuriously soft. The shape is great for blending and it reaches every curve of the face, even under the eyes and around the nose. The foundation looks smooth and even.
- What we like: soft yet dense bristles
- What we don’t like: some newer ones shed
- What other reviewers say: blends everything well, doesn’t hold onto too much product, best multi-use brush
Bristles: synthetic Taklon | Handle: aluminum | Features: vegan, cruelty-free
Best Vegan Powder Brush
Wet N Wild Powder Brush has been our favorite vegan powder brush for years. It’s super affordable but does the job well. We love the soft and fluffy bristles that pick up powder with ease and distribute it evenly. The angled shape is also great for contouring.
- What we like: fluffy yet sturdy bristles
- What we don’t like: not great for liquid makeup (gets stiff)
- What other reviewers say: easy to clean, surprisingly no shedding, perfect for sheer and light powder coverage
Bristles: synthetic polymax fibers | Handle: plastic | Features: vegan, cruelty-free
Best Vegan Eyeshadow Brush
5. Rare Beauty Stay Vulnerable Eyeshadow Brush
Stay Vulnerable is the best vegan eyeshadow brush. It’s perfect for applying and blending eyeshadow. It works with liquid, cream, and shimmery shadows for a mess-free and precise result. It’s soft and smooth, and the shape mimics fingertips for a natural, blended result.
- What we like: excellent for blending eyeshadow
- What we don’t like: short handle
- What other reviewers say: silky feel, perfect shape, works also for almond and hooded eyes, blends well
Bristles: synthetic | Handle: plastic | Features: vegan, cruelty-free
Best Vegan Eyeliner Brush
6. Morphe M443 Pointed Liner Detail Brush
Morphe offers several great vegan eyeliner brushes but the M443 is our favorite. We love the fine pointed tip, it draws the most beautifully precise thin lines. It’s also great for drawing wings. The synthetic brush works with both cream and gel eyeliners.
- What we like: great for crisp, thin lines
- What we don’t like: the handle is quite thick
- What other reviewers say: great shape, draws the perfect wings and clean lines, stiff enough yet also soft
Bristles: synthetic | Handle: wood | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, FSC-certified wood
Shop on: Ulta, Official site
Best Vegan Highlighter Brush
7. Fenty Beauty Cheek-Hugging Highlight Brush 120
Fenty’s Cheek-Hugging Brush is the best vegan highlighter brush. It has a fantastic shape that truly hugs the cheekbone and applies the highlighter exactly to the right place. It makes the cheeks look beautifully sculpted and glowing. It’s also very easy and quick to use.
- What we like: fantastic shape for highlighting
- What we don’t like: doesn’t pick up enough product
- What other reviewers say: creates the perfect natural highlighted look, beautiful and functional design, soft bristles
Bristles: synthetic | Handle: plastic | Features: vegan, cruelty-free
Best Vegan Concealer Brush
8. Tarte Sea Double-Ended Concealer Brush
Tarte’s Sea Concealer Brush is the perfect vegan concealer brush. The finer tip is great for applying concealer to smaller spots and to the corners under-eyes and the wider tip just blends everything out smoothly. As many fans like to point out, it leaves a beautiful airbrushed finish.
- What we like: accesses all parts of the face
- What we don’t like: can feel too harsh for under-eyes
- What other reviewers say: works with liquid and cream concealers, great coverage, good for spot concealing
Bristles: synthetic | Handle: aluminum| Features: vegan, cruelty-free
Best Vegan Contouring Brush
9. Patrick Ta Major Sculpt Contour Brush
Makeup artist Patrick Ta has designed the best vegan contouring brush. Your cheekbones will thank you for it. The soft synthetic bristles blend cream and powder concealers like a dream. And the sleek shape makes contouring a piece of cake, even for complete beginners.
- What we like: makes contouring easy and quick
- What we don’t like: too big for small faces
- What other reviewers say: best contouring brush, easy to use, doesn’t pick up too much product, blends perfectly
Bristles: synthetic | Handle: plastic | Features: vegan, cruelty-free
Shop on: Sephora, Official site
Best Vegan Blush Brush
10. Real Techniques Ultra Plush Blush Brush
Ultra Plush Blush Brush from Real Techniques is the best vegan blush brush. It’s a bestseller for a reason. Not only is it very affordable but it also achieves the most natural blush result. Best for powder blushes, it picks up just enough pigment and blends it evenly into your skin.
- What we like: blush looks natural and blended
- What we don’t like: it’s very fluffy
- What other reviewers say: makes loose powder look great and non-powdery, soft, well-shaped, inexpensive
Bristles: synthetic UltraPlush | Handle: aluminum | Features: vegan, cruelty-free
Best Vegan Bronzer Brush
11. Saie The Big Buffing Bronzer Brush
Saie’s The Big Brush is our favorite vegan bronzer brush. It’s amazing for blending cream bronzers. Thanks to its larger size, it’s very fast and effortless to work with. What’s best, the brush is so soft and gentle on the skin, it does disrupt the makeup underneath the bronzer.
- What we like: soft, doesn’t disrupt the foundation
- What we don’t like: bulky handle
- What other reviewers say: great for cream bronzers and cream contours, soft and luxurious, blends everything nicely
Bristles: synthetic | Handle: aluminum | Features: vegan, cruelty-free
Shop on: Sephora, Official site
Best Vegan Lip Brush
Luxury brand Westman Atelier has the best vegan lip brush. This vegan lipstick brush is great for filling in lips. Yet it offers enough precision for outlining the lip. The size and density of the bristles are just perfect for a smooth and easy lipstick application.
- What we like: amazing for filling in lips
- What we don’t like: it’s expensive
- What other reviewers say: professional quality, great for applying lipstick with, dense but not too dense, perfect shape
Bristles: synthetic nylon | Handle: wood | Features: vegan, cruelty-free, handmade in Japan, FSC-certified wood
Best Vegan Brow Brush
13. Anastasia Beverly Hills Brush #20
ABH Brush #20 is the best vegan brow brush. Praised by makeup artists, this vegan brush is sharp and dense and excellent for outlining the brow, It’s also amazing at filling the brow with pigment. Spoolie on the other end is great for shaping.
- What we like: best for shaping brows
- What we don’t like: not the best spoolie
- What other reviewers say: amazing for drawing and outlining crisp brows, sharp and dense bristles, works for blending out concealer
Bristles: synthetic | Handle: wood | Features: vegan, cruelty-free
Best Vegan Kabuki Brush
14. Isle Of Paradise Blending Kabuki Brush
Vegan brand Isle Of Paradise has the best vegan kabuki brush for face and body makeup. It’s amazing for applying self-tanners for an even result. It leaves no streaks whatsoever. You can also use it for applying bronzers, highlighters, and other types of complexion makeup.
- What we like: streak-free glowing result
- What we don’t like: too big for face makeup
- What other reviewers say: soft yet sturdy, packed with bristles, perfect for self-tanners, body shimmers, body oils
Bristles: synthetic | Handle: plastic | Features: vegan, cruelty-free
Best Vegan Makeup Brush Cleanser
Shany Detox Professional Brush Cleanser
If you are looking for a vegan makeup brush cleanser, go for Shany Detox Professional Brush Cleanser. This natural paraben-free formula works perfectly with synthetic hairs. It’s effective and dries quickly. The vegan brush cleanser can also be used as a palette disinfector.
Affordable Vegan Makeup Brushes
Looking for a cheap vegan makeup brush? In 2024, there are plenty of good options when looking for an affordable vegan makeup brush. From E.l.f. to ColourPop, these vegan brushes are budget-friendly yet reliable.
Professional Vegan Makeup Brushes
Looking for a vegan makeup brush that will last for years? Invest in a professional vegan makeup brush that is used by makeup artists and industry influencers. You can find the best high-end vegan makeup brushes from these brands.
Plastic-Free Vegan Makeup Brushes
When it comes to vegan makeup brushes, it is difficult to find a 100% plastic-free brush. At the moment, there is just not a good organic or biodegradable vegan alternative to synthetic bristles.
That being said, you can find plenty of eco-friendly vegan makeup brushes with plastic-free handles. These are our top picks for vegan makeup brushes with plastic-free handles made from wood and plant waste.
- Elate Cosmetics: eco-friendly vegan makeup brushes with bamboo handles
- Inika Organic: vegan makeup brushes with corn and cassava PLA handles
- EcoTools: affordable vegan makeup brushes with bamboo handles
- Every Day Minerals: sustainable vegan brushes with bamboo handles
Best Vegan Makeup Brush Brands
Makeup is only as good as the makeup brush you apply it with. Here are the best brands for vegan makeup brushes that help you sculpt your face like a pro.
Hourglass
American company Hourglass is one of the most preferred brands of vegan makeup brushes by professional makeup artists. Launched in 2001, Hourglass has always stood against animal testing. As of December 2020, the company is also fully vegan.
Real Techniques
Real Techniques is another beloved brand for vegan makeup brushes. Their brushes are all PETA-certified vegan and cruelty-free. You can find vegan makeup brushes in beautiful bright shades like rose gold and orange. The price-quality ratio of the brushes is really on-point.
EcoTools
EcoTools is great for eco-friendly vegan makeup brushes. Their brushes use renewable fibers as well as recycled aluminum and recycled plastic. The mission of EcoTools mission is to create vegan makeup brushes and makeup sponges that are planet-friendly yet affordable.
Sigma Beauty
Founded by a scientist and an engineer, Sigma Beauty offers some of the most high-quality vegan makeup brushes and vegan makeup brush sets on the market. They use synthetic fibers that feel similar to animal hair. With polymer handles, the brushes are durable and waterproof.
Morphe
LA-based beauty brand Morphe also has a great collection of vegan makeup brushes. While their makeup is not always vegan-friendly, their brushes are fully synthetic and animal-free. We especially like their smaller precision vegan brushes for lips and eyes.
Shop on: Ulta, Official site
Tarte
Tarte is one of the best cruelty-free makeup brands. The New York-based company offers a good range of vegan makeup brushes and vegan makeup sponges designed to complement their high-quality complexion makeup. Above all, we like their vegan concealer brushes.
Rare Beauty
Founded by singer-songwriter Selena Gomez, Rare Beauty offers beautiful vegan makeup brushes for foundation, concealing, and eyeshadow. The brushes have gotten great reviews for their silky soft bristles. Rare Beauty’s makeup is also fully vegan and cruelty-free.
Luxie Beauty
Luxie Beauty was founded in 2014 in California, USA. They make cruelty-free vegan luxury makeup brushes and other vegan makeup accessories. With their rose gold and blue designs, Luxie’s brush collections look aesthetic and perform well, too.
MOTD Cosmetics
MOTD Cosmetics is a female-owned beauty brand that specializes in high-grade vegan makeup brushes. Made out of high-quality Taklon bristles, MOTD has a selection of vegan brushes for the face, eyes, lips, and brows. They also have a good selection of vegan eyelashes.
What Makes A Makeup Brush Vegan?
A vegan makeup brush is a makeup brush free from animal-derived ingredients. Non-vegan makeup brushes are usually made from animal hair such as squirrel, mink, goat, sable, or pony hair.
Instead, vegan brands use cruelty-free synthetic bristles and fibers like nylon and Taklon. Many vegan fibers today are also made from recycled plastic bottles.
In addition to using animal-free ingredients, vegan makeup brushes cannot be made by brands that still test their products on animals. When looking to buy a vegan makeup brush, prefer brushes from brands that are certified cruelty-free.
What To Look For In A Vegan Makeup Brush?
The most reliable vegan makeup brushes usually use nylon or Taklon bristles. Those soft synthetic bristles perform well, dry quickly, and are easy to clean.
Quality vegan makeup brushes also have a strong metal ferrule. The ferrule secures the bristles to the brush stick and gives longevity to the brush.
If you care about sustainability, go for a vegan makeup brush that uses recycled fibers. Sustainable vegan makeup brushes also have a recycled plastic or wooden handle.
How We Review Vegan Makeup Brushes
We review vegan makeup brushes based on the following criteria:
- Quality: We rate vegan makeup brushes primarily based on their quality.The softer and smoother the bristles, the better. We also see how securely the bristles are attached to the ferrule, the last thing you want is a brush that sheds and falls apart after a few uses.
- Design: The handle of the vegan makeup brushes should be comfortable to hold – not too thin not too bulky. We also rate the shape and angles of the brush for blending and precision.
- Price: We list vegan makeup brushes at every price point from ultra-affordable Wet N Wild brushes to professional-quality Sigma Beauty and Westman Atelier brushes.
Why Trust Us
Vegan Avenue has been testing and reviewing vegan makeup brushes since 2021. None of our reviews have been incentivized by any brush brand or retailer. In listing the best vegan brushes, rely on our own experience with the product as well as on peer reviews.
FAQ About Vegan Makeup Brushes
Yes, vegan makeup brushes are good. Most makeup artists and beauty experts even prefer synthetic brushes to animal-based ones. Synthetic hair is often considered softer and easier to take care of.
Vegan makeup brushes are made with synthetic fibers, most commonly nylon and Taklon. Vegan makeup brushes also use fibers made from recycled plastic bottles.
Clean makeup brushes with warm water and a makeup cleanser. Wet the brush and put the cleaner in the palm of your hand. In a circular motion, clean the wet brush in your hand and rinse under running warm water.
Mostly, yes. Synthetic makeup brushes are considered vegan when there is no usage of animal-derived ingredients or ingredients tested on animals.
Kabuki brushes can be both vegan and non-vegan. Kabuki refers to the design of the brush which usually means dense and fluffy bristles with a short handle.
You can find the largest variety of vegan makeup brushes online. When shopping for a vegan makeup brush in a drugstore, look for a brush with a certified vegan label.
The best vegan makeup brushes are Hourglass, Real Techniques, and EcoTools brushes.
Summary
Vegan makeup brushes are in every way superior to animal hair brushes. That is in terms of quality, ethics, environmental impact, and often also the price.
Preferred by beauty professionals, synthetic brushes today perform better. They are softer, easier to maintain, and naturally hypoallergenic.
We love the bestselling vegan brushes of Hourglass and Real Techniques. And there is much to discover in the collection of newer brands such as MOTD Cosmetics.
In the future, we wish to see more vegan makeup brushes made in the USA. We’d also be happy to find 100% plastic-free vegan makeup brushes.
Hope you found the kind of vegan makeup brush you were after. Or a great vegan brush set. You can never have too many vegan things. Thanks for choosing vegan makeup.
See also: Vegan Makeup Sponges
