Here at CF, we’ve been discussing makeup essentials for college girls, along with our favorite products for each beauty category. This week, we’re going back to basics and discussing our favorite affordable makeup brushes.

To be honest, I’ve never been one for using a bunch of brushes in my daily routine— they’re fussy to clean and store, which can be a hassle. However, brushes are undeniably the best way to get an airbrushed, flawless blend on a variety of makeup techniques, especially for events and special occasions. 

Some of these brushes can get pricey quick, though, and I’m a firm believer that with certain makeup items, drugstore products can be just as good, if not better. I also wouldn’t personally feel comfortable recommending (or buying) $60 brushes – use that money for greater things, girl – so here are my favorite makeup brushes, from affordable to less-than-your-morning-coffee.

Table of Contents

For base products:

For those of you who like traditional flat foundation brushes, this one from Revlon ($8.75) is just as soft and dense as other more expensive brushes and will give you a high-coverage, high-impact look.

And if you like a more diffused finish, the Ultimate Blending Brush from ELF ($6) is a wildly popular, multi-use option. This brush is so soft and cruelty-free! You’ll see a lot of ELF brushes on this list.

My favorite concealer brushes are ones that are small enough to just cover those little spots and points of discoloration for a more natural finish. This concealer brush by ELF ($1) gets the job done and is actually decent quality for the price! It doesn’t get better than this, folks.

Pretty much all of Real Techniques’ brushes are quality, and this setting brush ($3.14) is no exception. It can be used for powder, highlight, gently brushing across your face to soothe yourself during the stressful semester— a multipurpose tool indeed.