Must Have Makeup Tools: List Of Essential Brushes & More (2025)

From different brushes to applicators, here are all the pro must have makeup tools every girl should have, that’ll make your beauty routine much easier!

I love doing my makeup from time to time but I also hate how hard it is to do certain things. Like blending that foundation to perfection, making sure the eyeliner on both eyes match or not making a glittery mess while applying glitter eyeshadow! So if there’s anything that can make all of those things even a little easier, I’m all for it! And thankfully, there are plenty of pro must have makeup tools and beauty supply items out there that help with all of that! And I believe every makeup lover needs to have these in her vanity! So let’s find out what the best cosmetic tools and accessories are!

Makeup Brushes

I’m not really a makeup addict per se, but when it comes to makeup brushes, I tend to go a li’l crazy! I love collecting the different kinds and trying which types and techniques work best for me. They just make life easier and look very pretty sitting in a glass jar on your vanity! Now, there’s so many types of makeup brushes in the world, but you don’t need all of them. So here are some basic must have makeup tools & brushes that are useful and practical.

1. Fan Brush

There’s no better way to apply highlighter than using a big fan brush, don’t argue with me on that! Due to it’s shape and fineness of the fibers, it gives a soft and gentle illuminated look to the cheekbones when highlighted. This elegant brush is one of the must have makeup tools, because it can also be used to wipe away any eyeshadow fallout on your cheeks or below the eyes.

2. Mascara Fan Brush

A tinier version of the face fan brush, it is used on the lashes for mascara application. It gives a more natural and less clumpy look that mascara wands usually do. Being really tiny, this pro beauty tool is great for the bottom lashes too. You could also use it to just separate and declump lashes after using a regular mascara wand.

3. Stippling Brush

One of my absolute go-to favorite must have makeup tools would have to be the stippling brush, for so many reasons. Firstly, it can do your whole face – from foundation and concealer to blush and contour! And secondly, because you can easily achieve an airbrushed look with this pro beauty tool by using it in a circular, swirling motion on the face. This flat-top brush with fine, feathery ends is one of the must-have professional makeup tools for every beauty lover.

4. Powder Brush

The best powder brushes have a large, rounded surface area and really dense bristles. So, kabuki brushes or mushroom brushes will do the trick. They buff the powder into the skin and give it a natural finish as well as set the foundation underneath, if there is any.

5. Sculpting Brush

This beauty supply tool is generally used to contour and define the face. It’s wide and angled in a shape that makes it perfect to sculpt and add shadows to your face. It works great for both powders and creams alike!

6. Eyeshadow Brush

There’s not much to say here really, apart from the fact that it’s a small brush for applying eye makeup. You need both flat and fluffy types – flat for application and fluffy for blending. Fluffy ones are better ’cause they help to blend easily and don’t make the shadow look streaky. The eyeshadow brush is one of the must have makeup tools for every fashionista.

7. Smudge Brush

A smudge eyeshadow brush is dense, has a slight curve at the top and is used to create dramatic smokey eyes. It’s the perfect brush to blend and create a seamless smokey eye look without any harsh lines. It can also be used for lining with eyeshadow under the waterline. A sponge tip eyeshadow brush is also a good alternative to this pro beauty tool.

8. Angled Brush

An angled brush is a smaller version of a sculpting brush and can be used for a lot of things. It’s great for lining the eyes, creating a sharp cat-eye, filling in brows and to do your lips!

Read next: Makeup Essentials: 20 Must Have Makeup Items for Every Girl

Applicators

Well-applied and blended makeup can make all the difference, taking makeup from okay-ish to pro-level! Find out the best pro & must have makeup tools to conveniently apply foundation and fake eyelashes below!

1. Beauty Blender and Makeup Sponges

As much as I love doing my foundation with brushes and on some occasions, my fingers, nothing gives results as good as makeup sponges do! They come in all sorts of shapes and forms. But I’ve found the best kind for foundation is the one that’s angled on one side and rounded on the other. The angled side can be used for areas that need more precision like the sides of the nose and under the eyes and the rounded for wider areas like cheeks and forehead. Mini beauty blenders are ideal for concealing and wedged makeup sponges are perfect for baking.

Also check out:Basic Makeup Essentials: Makeup Tips and Tricks Every Girl Should Know

2. Fake Eyelash Applicator

I like having false lashes on but hate the time, patience and effort it takes to get that bold and glam voluminous lash look. Enter eyelash applicators! This beauty supply tool is a convenient and easy way to get those falsies on without messing up your eyeliner and eyeshadow! It’s shaped like a clip, to hold your lashes while you apply glue to it and then place it on your lid.

Eye Makeup Tools

I personally find eye makeup to be the most time-consuming and difficult part of doing makeup. From perfecting a cat-eye to having strong brows, it’s not at all easy! But it’s also the most important and defining parts of makeup and can be made easy with these eye makeup tools!

1. Eyelash Curler

If the volume that a mascara provides is too less for you and the drama that false lashes give is too much, this is what you need! Curling your eyelashes with this pro beauty tool before putting on mascara is the perfect in-between. Or you could even just curl them and leave them on their own or apply some clear mascara if you’re after a natural but voluminous look. It’s one of the must have makeup tools if you love long flirtatious lashes!

2. Eyelash Comb

No one likes thick, clumpy, spidery eyes that just look so wrong! But it always happens when many coats are applied. That’s where eyelash combs come in to save the day! You can use these pro styling tools to gently comb and separate lashes to prevent them from sticking together. They also help remove the excess mascara that, if left, can end up looking so yucky!

3. Cat Eye Liner Guide

Everyone envies cat eyes that are matched to perfection but let’s be honest, it’s nowhere near easy to do so. Which is why every winged-eyeliner lover needs one of these must have makeup tools. It is basically a reusable template that you place above or below your eyes so you know exactly where to start and end the cat eye.

4. Eyebrow Stencils

These makeup tools will help you determine where and how to fill in your brows. They also have many variations like straight, angular, natural and pronounced brow stencils. So depending on your mood or the kind of makeup look you’re going for, you can choose a brow guide!

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5. Eye Pencil Sharpener

Eye pencils tend to break, shatter and there’s also the hassle of sharpening it often but we still love them ’cause you can’t create a smokey eye or choose to go light or dark with any other kind of eyeliner. So invest in a dual eye pencil sharpener that can sharpen both small and big pencils.

6. Eyebrow Brush or Spoolie

A spoolie is a beauty tool that looks like a mascara wand and is used to shape eyebrows. It was always the one brush I didn’t use in makeup brush sets, ’cause I had no idea what it was for. But now, I don’t consider a makeup look complete unless I’ve used a spoolie to style my brows! It’s normally used on already filled-in brows to shape and work the product between the eyebrow hair. You can also get a spoolie-cum-comb that you can use to even out the product on the brow hairs and gently comb them in place.

Lip Makeup Tools

Here are the must have makeup tools you need to take your pout a step further!

1. Lip Plumper

There’s no denying that every girl is after the lush and plump Kylie Jenner lips and lip plumpers are what do the trick. This pro beauty item can be in the form of either a balm or a device. The lip pumping balms are usually made with cinnamon or menthol to swell up the lips. Some even come with added color and some are overnight treatments. But do make sure to check the reviews and safety guides before you get one! If you don’t like to go too heavy, there are also lip plumping balms and glosses, like Shilpa uses.

2. Lipliner Sharpener

Keep your lip liners sharp and pointy at all times with this pro beauty item ’cause who likes to line lips with blunt pencils! No one! It is an essential item – one of the must have makeup tools every girl needs.

Grooming Tools

Being well-groomed will make you look and feel great and put-together. Check out the best grooming products & must have makeup tools below!

1. Tweezer & Magnifying Mirror

Slant-tip tweezers are the best for plucking eyebrows. It’s also the easiest way to do your eyebrows at home. But make sure not to pluck excessively, fuller and natural-looking eyebrows are in now! And a magnifying mirror will allow you to pluck carefully! These mirrors can also be used to do your makeup.

Makeup Brush Cleaning Machine

It’s so important to keep brushes super clean ’cause it’s what we use on our faces. Unclean brushes can be really bad for the skin, which is why every makeup lover needs this beauty supply tool. Sure, cleaning the brushes under running water works too, but you have to wait hours for them to dry! Not anymore! This cleaning tool is a rotatory device to which you can attach your brushes, clean them and dry them, all in a couple of seconds!

Airbrush Makeup Kit

Airbrush kits are pro beauty supply items used to apply makeup with the help of an airbrush gun that sprays the product onto the face to give it a flawless finish. It’s slightly expensive but also uses very little product and is mess-free and long lasting!

So that was our guide on beauty supply and professional makeup tools and items every girl needs to have! Tell us your thoughts and your favorite cosmetic tools and accessories by tweeting @shilpa1ahuja!
Image credits: www.macys.com

Also read:
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– Makeup Essentials: 20 Must Have Makeup Items for Every Girl
–Basic Makeup Essentials: Makeup Tips and Tricks Every Girl Should Know
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–Picture Day Makeup: The Secrets to Look Perfect in Pictures