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You deserve to upgrade, bb.

Whether you’re looking for a new kabuki brush, new eyeshadow brushes, or just want to trade up from the same ol’ makeup brushes that have been swimming around in your makeup bag for years (PSA: please just clean your brushes already), there is absolutely no shortage of makeup brushes on Amazon. The hardest part? Weeding through the not-so-great ones—which involves a combo of parsing through endless reviews and crossing your fingers—to get to the brushes that will give you a streak-free finish on even the fullest-coverage foundation, or diffuse your blush into a lit-from-within glow, or blend your eyeshadow into the most perfect smokey eye.

And even since makeup brushes aren’t cheap when you’re buying a bunch of them, they also better last longer than just a year without falling apart or losing bristles. I mean, not too much to ask, right? Lucky for you, I went ahead and dug through the vast jungle that is the internet to find the best 26 makeup brushes on Amazon—all for under $20. But first, a preview of what’s ahead:

Now keep scrolling to find your new lineup of makeup brushes that are about to replace the crusty old relics from your high school years. Your skin will very much thank you.

If you’ve had the same makeup brushes since, uh, the first time The Jonas Brothers were cool, it's time to overhaul your collection with a new makeup brush set. This one has every brush you could possibly need, from a precision brush that's perfect for packing on pigment in small areas, to fluffy brushes for your setting powders and bronzers, to an angled brush for sculpting your cheekbones with contour. "The brush hairs are dense, very soft, and seem high end," writes one reviewer. "I’ve been using these for a month now and they apply my make up smoothly and beautifully."

Looking to completely overhaul your brush set without cutting into your snack budget this month? This makeup brush set on Amazon is by far the best value, with 24 brushes for under $10. According to one reviewer, "I was honestly shocked at how good these brushes are. They blend like an absolute dream, are super easy to use, pick up a good amount of product, are very soft on the face, and feel great in my hand."

Since there’s no one contour brush for every makeup look, I’d def suggest picking up this set of five to go with your contour palette. Not only are they "so affordable and do the work of the high end brushes," according to one review, but they're also super versatile. While the short-bristled angle brush (see: first brush on the left) will give you a sharper sculpt, the longer bristled brush (see: second brush from the left) will give you a softer shadow under your cheekbones to help you avoid any harsh lines. 

Eyeshadow has always been one of the makeup ~skills~ that I’m good at—partly due to my insatiable need for eyeshadow palettes, but mostly due to using a full eyeshadow brush kit like this one. "The bristles of each brush are soft, yet sturdy," writes one reviewer, "They pick up and hold the pigment of the makeup you are applying very well and glides on smoothly." With a flat brush for smoothing pigment over your eyelids to an angled precision brush for getting that smudged eyeliner look, this 12-brush kit has everything you need for an expertly blended eye. 

I have my face cleanser, my powder foundation, and this powder brush to thank for years of keeping my shiny lil forehead matte (it truly takes a village). IMO, the right powder brush can't be too big, or you lose control of the product, but it can't be too small, or you'll end up with a patchy finish. Basically, this is the Goldilocks of powder brushes, and I'm not alone in my love: "The brush is super soft and gives easy and smooth powder application," one reviewer writes. 

The best thing about this concealer brush is that the bristles are short and dense, which means you'll have total control over where you tap on your concealer, whether it's on top of a zit, across hyperpigmentation, or along your dark circles (all of which, BTW, are fully normal and fine to leave untouched if you want). Take it from one reviewer, who writes, "I fell in love and returned my $50 brush and ordered another one of these!"

Yes, this bb is big, but that's the point: A really fluffy and rounded brush like this one helps blend and diffuse your blush without picking up or depositing too much pigment. Lightly swirl the brush across your powder blush, then blend it over the apples of your cheeks and up along your temples to subtly brighten your face.

Ah, E.l.f., aka my first makeup-brush love. This budget-friendly blending brush will last you a surprisingly long time (with regular cleansing), and the soft fluffy bristles will evenly blend your blush, contour, or highlighter down to an airbrushed-looking finish. "This brush is the perfect brush for my foundation," writes one reviewer. "This brush does NOT shed, and it is very comfortable to use."

If you use highlighter or a shimmery bronzer, you need a good fan brush. Really. Fan brushes are specifically designed to pick up just a hint of highlighter (see: the fanned-out bristles) so it never leaves your skin looking obvious or heavy. Plus, it'll save your regular brushes from being pinched and destroyed from your makeshift fan-brush attempts.

K, if that fanned brush looked just a little too intimidating, I get it. The much more low-key alternate is this Sigma Beauty highlighter brush, with shorter, dome-shaped bristles for a more controlled application. The size also means you can highlight smaller spots like your Cupid's bow or brow bone, too. One reviewer writes: "I was pretty new to applying highlighter when I initially purchased it, but this brush has made it so easy to achieve highlighter that looks like the pros!"

If you’ve been wondering exactly what takes an ombré lip from amateur to pro, the answer is a lip brush. It’s hands down the best and easiest way to seamlessly diffuse the harsh lines between your lip liner and lipstick. And if you like the overdrawn lip look, the flat edge on this brush will give you the precision needed to subtly take your lipstick outside the lines. 

This fluffy brush can really be used for any powder makeup, but I especially love it for dusting bronzer along your cheekbones, forehead, and nose to add a little warmth and shimmer. Its bristles are round and fluffy, which helps it blend powder bronzer into your skin, without any streaks or patches. According to one review, "you don't have to use a lot of product for results, and it blends well."

If you haven’t tried an oval brush yet, let me give you the rundown: They’re designed to mimic the motions and the control of applying makeup with your fingers, without absorbing (and wasting) as much product as you would with a typical blending sponge or foundation brush. "I so love these set of brushes," writes one reviewer. "It puts your foundation on so smooth and flawless and in a quarter of the time."

Since travel is hopefully back, having a makeup brush set that's vacation-friendly is necessary. Not just for your mental state (just thinking about my makeup brushes rolling around in my suitcase makes me sweat), but also for avoiding a total travel skin crisis. Enter: this brush set with a cute little case that will keep them all firmly together. 

If you're working with body makeup, your average foundation brush just won't get the job done (unless you're cool with spending 15 minutes buffing out your chest). This body makeup brush is flat like a kabuki brush so you can blend liquid makeup evenly and opaquely, and is wide enough to cover a larger surface area. According to one reviewer, "It smoothly and evenly applies my makeup SO QUICKLY. The angle helps to get into those spots and it's comfortable to use."

Similar to the oval brush, this foundation brush has short, dense bristles which make it ideal for getting a fuller-coverage finish without losing too much product in the brush. "Super soft on my skin yet very efficient at blending foundation," writes one reviewer. "I used a third of the amount of product as opposed to a traditional foundation brush or even a beauty blender." Squeeze or dab your foundation directly onto the brush, then gently glide it over your skin in circular motions.

These dual ended brushes will work for painting on a bold lip, lining your eyelids, or blending in a dark shade for a smokey eye. "When I use these brushes to apply the matte lip colors," writes one reviewer, "the color goes on thinly with perfect and long lasting coverage and no drying or color pilling on the lips." Even better? They're retractable, so you can just toss 'em in your bag and not worry about it getting dirty, because ~hygiene~. 

Out of the 11,000 five-star reviews for these bamboo makeup brushes, the major positive points are that they’re super soft, small (think: good for travel), and last way longer than other brushes. And included in the 12-piece set is not one, but two kabuki brushes, plus an eyebrow brush and comb duo.

This angled, flat brush will do two things for your brows: fill in any sparse patches (of which I have many) and create that sharp, crisp brow edge. This one also has a spoolie on the other end for combing your brow hairs upwards (perfect for the soap brows trend, BTW) or dispersing any heavy product. "I love this brush for my eyebrows—the size of the brush is perfect," writes one reviewer. "The spoolie is not too stiff and not too soft."

As someone who has lived in teeny tiny apartments for, um, my entire adult life, I appreciate anything that does its job and takes up half the space, like these mini makeup brushes. And if you're not tight on space (jealous), these would also make great travel brushes. 

If you wear a lot of winged eyeliner or want to achieve a perfectly drawn and filled-in lip, this super-narrow brush is going to give you that precise detailing you’re after. According to one reviewer, "The tip is so thin and it's great for making small lines with your favorite gel liner."

Hi, this is your reminder that you need to clean your makeup brushes. Yes, you. And not only that, but you should clean them every seven to 10 days. This makeup brush kit comes with a cleaning pad that will help you scrub all the makeup, skin oils, and dead skin cells (gross, but true) out of your brushes easily. And if you haven't already, now would be the time to read up on the different types of makeup brushes and how to use them. 

Instead of having just one layer of bristles that are more or less the same length, a stippling brush, like this one, has two: one layer of long, soft bristles and one layer of short, dense bristles to help give your liquid foundation or concealer an airbrushed finish. And if that's not enough, take it from one reviewer: "It allows for very even, smooth coverage without making [your makeup] look heavy on your face."

Some people are brush people, and some people are sponge people. There’s no right or wrong here, ‘cause both have pros and cons. But one very large pro of makeup sponges like this? Versatility. Blend out your foundation by dabbing them up and down repeatedly all over your face, or try out the makeup hack, where you saturate the sponge in a setting spray and cover your whole face with it for a cake-free, slide-free makeup finish.

Looking for some eco-conscious makeup brushes? I got you. This full-face set includes eyeshadow brushes, a fluffy domed blending brush, and an angled foundation brush, all of which are made from recycled materials and are cruelty-free. "Love how soft these are," one reviewer writes. "They are great for applying my bronzer, eyeshadow, and powder concealer. I haven't had any issues with bristle loss."

This makeup brush gives you the control of applying makeup with your fingers without the mess of actually using your fingers. Just squeeze or dab your foundation, liquid highlighter, or skincare directly onto the brush, then insert your fingers into the handle and gently buff it over your skin. The best part? The brush is detachable from the handle so you can easily swap it out for their makeup sponge, too.