Best blush brushes for cream, liquid and powder

This is the one I'd try first for liquid blush. e.l.f. describes dense synthetic bristles and an angled head for liquid and cream formulas, including Camo Liquid Blush. The edge gives you a clear part of the brush to use for placement, with a broader surface for blending.

I'd start with a small amount of blush, tap it into place and work the edge of the color before adding more. A dense brush and a heavily pigmented liquid can carry plenty of product; buying a more expensive brush will not correct an overloaded first application.

The useful comparison is with the $26 Rare Beauty brush. Both have an angled shape and a liquid-and-cream brief, but Rare Beauty specifies flexible fibers of different lengths. I'd spend $5 before deciding I needed that more particular design. This is e.l.f.'s Liquid Blush Brush, SKU 83595, rather than the differently shaped Putty Blush Brush below.

The tapered head and duo-fiber design make this my choice for a cream or putty compact. e.l.f. pairs it with Putty Blush and Putty Bronzer and directs you to swirl the brush in the product, then stipple and blend it onto the cheeks.

I'd pick up a little cream with the tips, press where I wanted the color, then soften the perimeter. There is no need to fill the whole brush head. If you prefer taking product from a compact instead of dotting a liquid onto the face, this is the more relevant of the two e.l.f. shapes.

It also appears in our small makeup-brush kit. You do not need a second one for this guide. Choose the compact-friendly tapered head or the angled Liquid Blush Brush according to the formula you use most; their low prices are not a reason to buy both automatically.

Soft Pinch is the upgrade I'd shortlist when I wanted flexible ends and a lighter touch with a pigmented liquid. Rare Beauty describes synthetic fibers of different lengths, with fluffier tips designed for stippling and swirling. It is intended for liquid and cream formulas, including Soft Pinch Liquid Blush and Stay Vulnerable Melting Blush.

That construction is the reason for its place here. It costs $21 more than e.l.f.'s Liquid Blush Brush, and the product specifications alone cannot tell us that the finish will be $21 better on your cheeks.

I'd consider the extra spend if the angle and flexible head addressed something I disliked about my current brush. If you already blend Soft Pinch happily with an e.l.f. brush or your fingers, the matching handle offers little reason to change. Choose the blush shade separately; a good brush cannot make an unsuitable color the right one.

RT 400 is the powder brush I'd buy for a soft sweep across a larger area of the cheek. Real Techniques specifies a large dome with tapered synthetic bristles and recommends it for powder blush and bronzer.

I would touch the tips to the powder, tap off the excess and build the color in light passes. Its broad head suits that approach better than a tightly confined patch of color. If you want blush kept high in a narrow strip along the cheekbone, compare the angled Sigma below before choosing this shape.

Check the number on the handle. RT 400 is the blush brush; RT 402 is the smaller Setting Brush featured in our general kit. They have different jobs, even though both can sit in the powder section of a makeup bag.

I'd choose F40 when the angle mattered more than the broad dome of RT 400. Sigma describes a fluffy, angled synthetic head for sweeping blush or bronzer across the cheekbones. The sloping edge gives you a different way to position powder before blending it outward.

The word contour in the name does not restrict it to contour powder. Blush is one of Sigma's stated uses. I'd use a clean brush when changing colors, especially after a deeper bronzer, rather than expecting the same head to keep two shades separate.

At $36 it is $25 more than RT 400. I would pay that difference for a preferred shape, not assume a higher price proves better longevity. Someone happy with a broad, rounded powder brush can stop at Real Techniques.