8 Best Highlighter Brushes For The Perfect Makeup
Add glow in the right places with the right tools to go along with your makeup products.

Applying makeup is a skill, and the tools used to apply it are equally important. For instance, brushes meant for highlighters need to be made of a specific kind to avoid blotchy patches. And this is when choosing the best highlighter brush can make all the difference. The type of brush you choose can transform your makeup. A fine brush would seal the deal, whether you are highlighting or trying to contour. Here is a list of the 8 bestselling highlighter brushes that are hot favorites for flawless makeup!
In This Article
8 Best Highlighter Brushes For The Perfect Makeup
1. Best With Soft Bristles:DUcare Highlighter Brush
The DUcare Highlighter Brush is made with high-quality goat hair instead of treated, synthetic bristles. It is super soft and gentle on all skin types. The loose hair picks enough product and uniformly deposits on target spots. You will find it effortless to blend the product in and achieve the right depth. Since it is made with natural goat hair, this brush is easy to clean and maintain. It dries quickly and goes back to its original shape and texture.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Sturdy
- Does not accumulate product
- Ideal for sensitive skin
- Soft bristles
- Travel-friendly
Cons
- May give patchy results.
2. Best Durable:Beauty Junkees Pro Highlighter
The Pro Highlighter by Beauty Junkees is one of the best brushes for highlighting and contouring. It has soft, maintenance-free, synthetic bristles that are fixed precisely with a double-crimped copper ferrule on a weightless solid wood handle. This professional makeup brush is designed to specifically highlight your face and chin. Its tapered shape is perfect for easily accessing the curves and corners on the cheekbones, nose, and cupid’s bow. Just a few quick sweeps are enough to get the highlighting job done.
Pros
- Ergonomic handle
- Does not shed bristles
- Easy to work with
- Lightweight
- Durable
- Suitable for cream and powder highlighting
Cons
None
3. Best Ergonomic Design:Luxspire Professional Highlighting Brush
The Luxspire Professional Highlighting Brush is a fan-shaped multipurpose makeup tool. Its versatile design and ergonomic handle make it suitable for basic makeup, contouring, blending, highlighting, and applying powdered products. This brush is crafted with superior quality, cruelty-free synthetic fiber. The bristles are soft and comfortable on the skin. The highlighter brush holds all types of products without absorbing them, making it easy to clean and durable. It is weightless, compact, travel-friendly, and convenient for everyday use.
Pros
- Lightweight
- Ergonomic design
- Convenient to use
- Cruelty-free
- Easy to clean
- Can be used with cream, powder, or liquid products
- Soft bristles
Cons
- Loose bristles
4. Best Clump-Free:Milani All Over Blending Brush
The Milani highlighter blending brush is a slim, tapered, professionally precise, high-quality makeup tool. You can use this brush to sculpt chiseled cheeks or highlight your brows. This highlighter brush is made of soft, premium quality synthetic fibers that seamlessly blend every product. It delivers clump-free and flawless highlighter applications. Its tapered design and perfectly sized bristles help in depositing just the right amount of product to add that subtle sheen to your face. Check out the detailed review of the product in this video.
Pros
- Cruelty-free
- Travel-friendly
- Soft bristles
- Easy to work with
- Durable
- Perfect for under eye makeup
Cons
None
5. Best Long-Lasting:Sigma F03 High Cheekbone Highlighter Brush
out this item
The Sigma High Cheekbone Highlighter Brush has extra-soft bristles made with antimicrobial fibers. These fibers are double-threaded to the corrosion-resistant SigmaAlloy ferrules on a slim, ergonomic handle. This fluffy brush is perfect for applying and buffing highlighter on the nose, chin, and cheekbones. It does not accumulate product, sweat, or germs and is very easy to clean. No wonder this brush is a go-to tool for professional makeup artists, influencers, and beauty editors for a clean airbrush finish!
Pros
- Corrosion-resistant ferrules
- Waterproof handle
- Antimicrobial fibers
- Ergonomic design
- Includes 2-year warranty
- Cruelty-free
- Long-lasting
Cons
None
6. Best Lightweight:Real Techniques Light Layer Highlight Brush
The Real Techniques Light Layer Highlight Brush comes with custom-cut synthetic bristles that are easy to clean and 100% cruelty-free. These bristles are secured using aluminum ferrules that are lightweight, ergonomic, chunky, and color-coded. This metallic pink brush features the tri-layer bristle technology designed to apply a light layer of highlighter for a soft, radiant glow. The brush blends blurs and builds powder highlighters and bronzers to give the perfect contour.
Pros
- Cruelty-free
- Easy to clean
- Ideal for powder highlighters
- Lightweight
Cons
- The bristles shed easily.
7. Best Cruelty-Free:Aesthetica Deluxe Fan Brush
If you are looking for a fan brush that highlights your face in a single flick, this is it. The Aesthetica Deluxe Fan Brush is perfect for sweeping a light dusting of powder highlighter or bronzer on your face without overdoing it. Its loosely packed synthetic bristles pick up a good amount of product and deposit it evenly and seamlessly across your face. This brush’s design gives you maximum control and helps effectively build, blend, and buff a product while contouring.
Pros
- Uniform application
- Glides smoothly
- Cruelty-free
- Easy to control
- Best for powder-based formulas
Cons
- Difficult to clean.
8. Best Extra-Dense Bristles:Simply Essentials Highlighter Brush
The tapered highlighter makeup brush by Simply Essentials comes densely packed with Taklon synthetic fibers. Its design offers moderate to full coverage of cream, liquid, mineral, and/or powder highlighters or concealers. The tapered end allows for easy application of the product, especially around the angles of the face and eyes. The long and ergonomic wooden handle makes your makeup application easy. This brush gives you even, natural-looking coverage. Watch this video of the product for more information.
Pros
- Long, ergonomic handle
- Cruelty-free
- Sleek design
- Extra-dense bristles
- Suitable for liquid, cream, powder products
Cons
None
Not just the right products, but the right makeup brushes too, play a huge role in achieveing the perfect makeup looks. Similarly, highlighter brushes ensure that you apply different products with finesse. But, there are just too many of them available on the market. To help you choose the best ones, we have discussed a few factors to keep in mind. Read on to find out about each of them.
Things To Consider While Buying The Best Highlighter Brushes
- Quality
The best way to assess the quality of a highlighter brush is to rub it at the back of your hand. Check if the bristles are soft and do not feel scratchy or rough. Also check if the bristles are falling out or scattering out of shape. This gives you an idea of how long the brush will last.
- Bristles
Check for soft bristles which will not be rough on the skin. Natural hair bristles are good for powder makeup. These bristles are designed with cuticles like natural hair and therefore can hold pigments better. Synthetic bristles are better for liquid or cream products as they do not soak in the formula.
- Type
- Flat Brush: For blending purposes, flat top brushes are the best as they provide a smooth finish. Tightly packed bristles give you full coverage with an opaque finish. These brushes are also perfect to reach difficult creases like corners of the nose and under-eyes and to draw flawless outlines. Some flat brushes also have loosely packed bristles which deposit the product uniformly on target spots.
- Round Brush:Round thick brushes pick up the powder products better and lightly deposit them on the skin for an airbrush finish. These powder brushes are a must-have if you have an oily T-zone and shiny forehead.
- Design
Look for brushes with a sturdy design with durable and non-shedding bristles. Wooden handles with double-crimped copper ferrules make a well-constructed synthetic brush. Choose lightweight brushes with an ergonomic, non-slip handle for a firm grip.
- Maintenance
Brushes need to be cleaned regularly as accumulated products can make the brsitles hard and lumpy. Pick bristles that can be washed using baby shampoo or a mild detergent and be air-dried easily without losing shape or form.
You must consider investing in good highlighter brushes to avoid blotchy patches and uneven makeup application. The best options on the market feel gentle and soft on every skin type and tend to distribute your makeup uniformly to make you look effortlessly chic. The sturdy brushes that are easy to use and do not accumulate makeup are some of the top choices. On the other hand, the ones that are difficult to clean and come with loosened bristles need to be avoided at all costs. While choosing a highlighter brush, you should also note whether the bristles are suitable for liquid, cream, or powder products.
Why Trust Stylecraze?
This article talks about the best highlighter brushes to give you perfect strokes and a professional look every time. Baishali Bhattacharya is a certified image consultant, which naturally means she has a passion for helping her readers have a holistic shopping experience that results in them looking and feeling their best. She has performed thorough research into the features and benefits of every product so that her readers can make an informed choice. Users on various e-commerce websites have also endorsed these products.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does the highlighter brush last?
Highlighter brushes have no expiration date. But, when you notice that your brush is shedding a bit and is going flat, consider replacements.
Is a highlighter brush or sponge better?
Fluffy, tapered brushes apply highlighter precisely on the skin. They transfer only the required amount of the product to the face. On the other hand, sponges often transfer more product to the face. Therefore, highlighter brushes are better.
Can I use a highlighter brush for the foundation?
No. A highlighter brush cannot apply foundation seamlessly on the skin. Instead, it leaves patches and gives an uneven finish.
Can I use a highlight brush for blush?
No. The tapered structure of a highlighter brush makes it difficult to blend the blush properly. Instead, use a dome-shaped brush with soft bristles to apply the blush to your cheeks to gain the desired flushed look.
How to use a highlighter brush?
• Swirl the highlighter brush in the highlighter palette.
• Tap off the brush against the palette to remove the excess product.
• Gently move the brush on the high points of your face in sweeping motions.