One of the most important factors in a great makeup application is what brushes you are using. Good quality makeup brushes are not only easier to use and apply makeup with, but they also improve the overall makeup look you’re going for!
You’ll hear so many beauty gurus claim that you have to invest a ton of money into good makeup brushes and that just isn’t true. Sure, expensive makeup brushes do have the tendency to be of better quality. But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t excellent budget-friendly options as well!
There are tons of amazing budget-friendly options for makeup brushes out there. We’ve rounded up the best cheap makeup brushes that are of great quality but won’t put a dent in your wallet. Our favorite are Refand Makeup Brushes. But if you’re looking for something even more inexpensive, go for the Beakey Makeup Brush Set.
Now, let’s dive into the best cheap makeup brushes!
Refand Makeup Brushes
Our Favorite
This brush set will make you feel like a thousand dollars when applying makeup and makes for the ideal gift for every makeup enthusiast.
Not many of you have probably heard of the brand Refand before. Their brushes aren’t very well known. In our opinion, these brushes are incredibly underrated!
The Refand Makeup Brushes come in a variety of different sizes and functions. In this set, you can do a full face of makeup. It comes equipped with powder brushes, eye shadow brushes, a spoolie brush, and more! The bristles are super soft and not irritating to the skin at all. It even comes with a case to store all of the brushes in which makes it great for people who are on to go or for people who travel a lot. Reviewers say that they haven’t had any issues with the bristles coming loose or falling out.
One of the only cons of this product is that they do have a plastic-y smell for the first couple of times that you use them. An easy way to get rid of this is to immediately wash all of your brushes before using them.
Pros:
- Comes in a variety of sizes and functions
- Bristles are soft and non-irritating
- Comes with a case to store brushes
- Travel-friendly
- No issues with bristles falling out or becoming loose
- Budget-friendly
Cons:
- Plastic-y smell
Where to buy it: Amazon
Beakey Makeup Brush Set
Budget Pick
This is the perfect makeup brush kit for liquids, powders or creams, creating the seamless natural makeup application.
Beakey is another brand that is super underrated. A lot of people don’t know how amazing these brushes are, but we’re here to tell you all about them!
With this brush set, you truly get it all! And even with the amount and variety of brushes in this set, it still remains the most budget-friendly option. These brushes are made from synthetic hair meaning they are 100% cruelty-free. Along with the brushes, it also comes with a blending sponge. In addition to that, the set comes with a cleaning tool that helps clean the brushes. The bristles of this brush are soft and comfortable on the skin. Also, the bristles don’t come out or become loose easily at all!
One of the main downfalls of this product is that there are not enough bristles actually in the brushes themselves to get a good blend.
Pros:
- Comes with a variety of different sized brushes
- Budget-friendly
- 100% cruelty-free
- Comes with a blending sponge and brush cleaning tool
- Bristles are soft and comfortable on the skin
- Bristles don’t come out or loosen easily
Cons:
- Poor density of bristles
Where to buy it: Amazon
E.L.F. Cosmetics Flawless Face 6 Piece Brush Collection
This brush collection will give you everything you need to achieve all your favorite looks.
If you’ve been in the beauty community for any amount of time, you have likely already heard about E.L.F. Cosmetics. They are one of the most popular brands at the drugstore and are known for providing high-quality, but affordable products!
Their Flawless Face 6 Piece Brush Collection is a great option for people looking for an inexpensive set of brushes. It comes with 6 different pieces of face and eye brushes. It is great for beginners who don’t know where to start when it comes to brushes. These brushes are made from synthetic hair and they are both cruelty-free and vegan. They are soft to the touch and comfortable to apply makeup with on the skin.
One of the downfalls of these brushes is density. Especially in the face brushes, there just aren’t enough bristles to get the best blend possible.
Pros:
- Comes with 6 different sized brushes
- Budget-friendly
- Cruelty-free and vegan
- Soft to the touch
- Great for beginners
Cons:
- Poor density of bristles
Where to buy it: Ulta
EcoTools Start The Day Beautifully Kit
This kit is designed with the makeup tools to simplify your daily beauty routine and organize your beauty space.
EcoTools makes some of the best makeup brushes out there. People not only love them for their budget-friendly options but for the quality of brushes they produce.
The EcoTools Start The Day Beautifully Kit is a 5 piece makeup brush kit. Even though it only comes with 5 brushes, you can still create an amazing makeup look with only these tools. It is great for beginners because there aren’t a bunch of choices to choose from and it makes things more simple. It comes with a storage tray which is great for people who are on the go or for people who travel more frequently. These brushes are completely cruelty-free and vegan. Plus, they are made from recycled materials making them eco-friendly as well.
One of the downfalls of these brushes is that the bristles are not as soft as some other brushes on this list. Therefore, they can be slightly irritating to the skin. Also, they are a little bit stiff, so they can be more difficult to use.
Pros:
- Comes with a variety of brushes
- Great for beginners
- Travel-friendly
- Cruelty-free and vegan
- Made from recycled materials
- Budget-friendly
Cons:
- Bristles are not soft
- Bristles are stiff
Where to buy it: Ulta
Ulta Pro Brush Kit
This makeup brush kit features 6 must-have brushes needed to create a full-face look.
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Something that reviewers complain about this product is that the bristles become loose quickly. So if you’re looking for super high-quality brushes to last you a while, these might not be the ones for you. That is why we said it’s great for beginners to discover what works best for them!
Pros:
- Great for beginners
- Comes with a variety of different sized brushes
- Soft bristles
- Inexpensive
- Cruelty-free
Cons:
- Bristles can loosen easily and fall out
Where to buy it: Ulta
Lamora Eye Makeup Brushes
This essential eye makeup brush set includes an eye blending brush, crease brush, blender brush, and eye shadow brushes.
Last, but certainly not least, we have the Lamora Eye Makeup Brushes. Lamora is not a brand that a lot of people are very familiar with, but they have some of the most amazing budget-friendly makeup brushes!
The Lamora Eye Makeup Brush Set comes with a variety of different eye shadow brushes. The bristles are 100% synthetic, and they are cruelty-free and vegan! They are super soft on the skin, so they are not irritating at all! They come in a travel-friendly package making it perfect for people who are on the go. These brushes are perfect for both beginners and professional makeup artists. Not to mention, they are super affordable!
One of the main and only complaints about these brushes is that the bristles on some of the brushes are quite stiff. This can make it a little more difficult to blend out eye shadow. But the majority of them are super blendable!
Pros:
- Comes with a variety of eye shadow brushes
- Great for beginners and pros
- Cruelty-free and vegan
- Travel-friendly
- Bristles are soft and non-irritating
- Affordable
Cons:
- Some of the bristles are stiff
Where to buy it: Amazon
Final Thoughts
There you have it – our favorite cheap makeup brushes. Our favorite is the Refand Makeup Brushes. But if you are looking for something even more budget-friendly, our more affordable pick is the Beakey Makeup Brush Set! Regardless, any of the brushes on this list are great options!
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best makeup brushes for beginners?
The best makeup brushes for beginners are sets that come with limited options. These sets give all the brushes needed to create a full makeup look. But with fewer choices, the option of what to pick is much more simple and easy. Once users begin to become more familiar with the function of different brushes, then we recommend moving on to larger sets!
Where can you buy inexpensive makeup brushes?
You can purchase inexpensive makeup brushes both online and in stores. When searching in stores, we recommend going to your local store that has a beauty department store. For example, Target and Walmart usually have great selections. We also recommend going to your local
When searching online, we recommend going to
How often should you clean your makeup brushes?
You should clean your makeup brushes anywhere from once a week to once a month. If you are doing it less frequently, we recommend doing a deeper clean. If you are doing it as frequently as once a week, we recommend spot cleaning them weekly and doing a deep clean every 4-6 weeks.