If there’s one name synonymous with makeup, it’s without a doubt Sephora. The Mecca of the beauty world, Sephora is known for its extensive selection of high end and cutting edge beauty brands.
So it’s interesting that with all its popularity, Sephora’s in house brand Sephora Collection doesn’t seem to get much love. Maybe it’s because their price point is in a lower bracket than most of the brands available, maybe it’s because of the generic packaging, but one thing’s for sure. You hardly ever hear anyone raving about products from Sephora Collection.
There’s one exception and that’s Sephora Collection’s line of makeup brushes. Perhaps because most major makeup brands tend to release very few brushes, (aside from Mac, whose brushes are a makeup artist staple) Sephora’s line stands out for their extensive range and quality construction.
- Best Sephora Pro Brushes
- Sephora Pro Brush Line Re-Release
- Cruelty Free and Vegan Status
- Final Thoughts
Best Sephora Pro Brushes
Priced significantly higher than most of the brand’s other products, they’ve got dozens of brushes to choose from with the largest and most expensive selection coming from their Sephora Pro line. Here I’ve broken down the top Sephora Pro brushes and as you’ll see, I think the strength of this line is in their face brushes more than the eye brushes.
Sephora Pro Foundation Brush #56 ($30)
(formerly the Pro Flawless Airbrush)
This might be the first Sephora Pro brush I ever purchased. Its a relatively small, densely packed duo fiber brush that’s tapered around the edges. Its best used for applying foundation that you really want to buff into the skin. Its smaller size makes it easy to blend around the eye and nose and it does a great job of giving the skin an even, flawless coverage. It won’t give the fastest application, because its a more precise brush, so I like using it when I’m trying to get maximum coverage out of my foundation or BB cream.
Sephora Pro Airbrush Concealer Brush #57 ($22)
This is almost like a downsized version of the #56 brush but where that one is pinched at the ferrule, resulting in a flatter brush shape, the #57 is completely round which leaves the bristles less densely packed. Because of it’s fluffier head it’s great for buffing out concealer without sheering out the coverage. I like using this when I’m working with a higher coverage concealer and going for a completely flawless look.
Sephora Pro Foundation Brush #47 ($30)
This is like the updated version of the classic flat foundation brush. It’s duo fiber bristles are tapered all the way down, but only on one side. The unique shape is easy to maneuver around smaller areas of the face and it’s also good for stippling on under-eye concealer. Like the #56 this brush is smaller than an average buffing brush would be so it takes a little longer to blend, but works well for a targeted application of foundation. I also like using it to apply my initial layer of foundation, and then continuing to blend with a beauty blender.
Sephora Pro Blush Blush #99 ($30)
This is one of the newest brushes to my collection and I’ve been reaching for it every single day since it arrived. It’s a small fluffy, duo fiber brush, that’s pinched at the ferrule and tapered all the way down. While it’s labeled as a blush brush I actually love using it for contour and bronzer. It fits really well under the cheekbones and jawline but still manages to diffuse the color really easily. While it’s a tad small for going around the hairline it can do the job albeit not as fast a large blending brush.
Sephora Pro Contour Brush #79 ($30)
This has been my go to countor brush for years, it’s narrow, round shape, with bristles tapering all the down makes it ideal for a targeted application of contour but it would also work great for under eye setting powder or highlighter. It’s one of my absolute favorite brushes because it seems to have gotten all the factors right- it’s the perfect size, density and shape to be versatile enough to use for multiple purposes. This is the brush I’m most concerned about in terms of the re release because mine feels like a natural bristle brush and it seems this original version was a blend of both natural and synthetic fibers. With the entire line being converted to all synthetic bristles I wonder if the quality of this brush remained the same.
Sephora Pro Powder Brush #50 ($34)
This is basically a jumbo version of the #99 brush. It’s got the same rounded shape, pinched in ferull, and tapered duo fiber bristles. The loosely packed bristles result in a fluffy shape that’s great for a sheer application of powder. I like using this one to apply both pressed and loose setting powder and its large shape is also great for applying bronzer down the neck.
Sephora Pro Brush Line Re Release
While I can attest that the quality of my brushes is definitely top notch, from the super soft bristles, to the precise cuts and the weighted handles, it is important to note that as of March 2020 Sephora seems to have fazed out the entire original collection of Pro Brushes and replaced them with an updated line.
From what I can determine the move is in the interest of converting all their brushes to vegan bristles and sustainable packaging. It’s confusing because a few brushes have been renamed and a lot of brushes seem to be discontinued, at least for now, whether we’ll see them reappear on the Sephora website as part of their new line remains to be seen.
For my part I think the original line was fantastic and I’m glad I managed to purchase so many before they disappeared. I’m disappointed that there were so many brushes that I wanted to list here but couldn’t as they appear to no longer be available. I’m hoping that the move to sustainable sources doesn’t impact the quality of the line as we’ve seen happen in the past with other brands (ahem Sigma, thanks for ruining the best blending brush ever created, R.I.P. original e25).
Cruelty-Free and Vegan Status
While Sephora Collection itself is not certified cruelty free and the brand does sell in China where animal testing is required by law, the Pro brush line is made using vegan materials.
Where to Buy Sephora Pro Brushes
Sephora brushes are available exclusively through the Sephora website. View the entire line of Pro Brushes here.
Regardless of where you purchase, make sure to check if Rakuten (ebates) is offering cash back. Sephora offers cash back for anywhere from 2% to 8% so its definitely worth looking into. If you haven’t signed up for Rakuten yet, you can do so here, it only takes a minute and then you’ll earn cash back every time you shop through their link. They also have an extension which I recommend installing, that activates cash back on all eligible websites with one click and it also scans for coupons.
Final Thoughts
Pros of Sephora Pro Brushes
- Unique, precise cuts that are well suited for makeup application
- Incredibly soft bristles mimic the effects of natural bristles when applying powder
- Nicely weighted handles
- Quality construction
Cons of Sephora Pro Brushes
- On the pricier side
- The re-release of the line may result in changes to the quality
The Sephora Pro Brush line has some great brushes that stand out to me for their great quality and unique cuts that I haven’t found from other brands. I’m just really disappointed that so many favorites from the line are no longer available and wish they could have done a better job of updating the collection.
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Bye now,
