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Published August 14, 2026. Updated October 10, 2026. By the PicksWeTrust Editorial Team.
All three of these mainstream makeup brush sets — Real Techniques, EcoTools, and Morphe — use synthetic bristles. Bristle material isn’t actually what separates them. The real difference is cost per brush, handle material, and whether a case or storage tray is included. EcoTools’ Start the Day Beautifully kit costs about $2.60 per brush and comes with a bamboo travel tray. Morphe’s Best of Blends set costs roughly $5.25 per brush but brings eight tools to EcoTools’ five, including dedicated eye and brow brushes.
Buying a brush set instead of single brushes usually saves money over piecing together the same tools individually. It also guarantees the handles, ferrules, and bristle finish match across the whole kit. The trade-off is that you’re locked into whatever mix of face and eye tools the brand chose to bundle. That’s exactly why brush count and task coverage matter more here than a marketing claim about bristle type. Below, we break down what’s actually in each of these three kits and what each brush is built to do. We also cover what it costs per tool.
Humidity changes what a beauty routine actually needs. I’ve spent enough time in hot, sticky climates to care more about tools that rinse clean and dry fast than what a label calls premium. A synthetic brush that doesn’t hold odor or shed in the heat matters more day to day than a natural-hair claim. Cost per brush adds up fast too, especially when a compact kit gets tossed in a bag for a trip.
At a Glance: Which Makeup Brush Set Should You Buy?
The Morphe Best of Blends set is the best overall pick, EcoTools’ Start the Day Beautifully kit is the best value, and the Real Techniques Everyday Essentials kit is the best for travel.
| Pick | Best For | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Morphe Best of Blends 8-Piece Face & Eye Brush Set | Best Overall | $42.00 |
| EcoTools Start the Day Beautifully 6-Piece Kit | Best Value | $12.99 |
| Real Techniques Everyday Essentials 5-Piece Kit | Best for Travel | $18.79 |
Real Techniques Everyday Essentials 5-Piece Kit
Real Techniques’ Everyday Essentials kit is the brand’s entry-level bundle, and it’s built around covering the basics rather than specializing. For about $18.79 at Target, you get four brushes: the 400 Blush Brush, 300 Deluxe Crease Brush, 402 Setting Brush, and 200 Expert Face Brush. It also includes a Miracle Complexion Sponge. Real Techniques describes the bristles as “UltraPlush, custom-cut, synthetic bristles” set in extended aluminum ferrules. The whole kit is certified cruelty-free and vegan.
What you don’t get is a dedicated eyeshadow blender beyond the crease brush, an eyeliner brush, or any kind of case. Real Techniques’ own page lists no case or bag. It’s a set built for someone who wants one brush per major step: foundation, blush, powder, and a crease brush that doubles for concealer. It’s not built for someone building out a full eye routine.
In practice, this kit tends to suit two kinds of shoppers well: people who are new to brushes and just want one obvious tool for each basic step. It also suits people who already own eye brushes elsewhere and only need to refresh their face-makeup lineup. The 200 Expert Face Brush is the workhorse of the set — it’s dense enough to buff liquid or cream foundation without streaking. The 402 Setting Brush is also fluffy enough that it won’t disturb powder once it’s pressed on.
Buy it if: you want a simple, inexpensive starter set that covers face makeup basics and travels light. Skip it if: you do detailed eye makeup or want a case to keep brushes protected in a bag.
EcoTools Start the Day Beautifully 6-Piece Kit
EcoTools’ Start the Day Beautifully kit lists for $12.99 at Walmart, though it’s frequently discounted below $10. It includes five brushes — an Angled Liner Eye Brush, Defined Crease Eye Brush, Full Blush Face Brush, Blurring Concealer Brush, and Angled Foundation Face Brush — plus a reusable bamboo-topped storage tray. EcoTools describes the bristles as “sustainable, soft, synthetic hair” set on “100% renewable bamboo handles and aluminum ferrules.” The whole line is certified vegan and cruelty-free.
It’s one of two sets here with eye-specific brushes (liner and crease) alongside face brushes. It’s also the only one that ships with somewhere to put them. At roughly $2.60 per brush, it’s also the cheapest tool-for-tool of the three sets we’re comparing.
The bamboo tray isn’t padded or hardshell, so it’s better thought of as a countertop organizer than protection for checked luggage. For a bathroom drawer or a carry-on toiletry bag, though, it does the job the other two kits leave you to solve on your own.
Buy it if: you want the lowest cost per brush, bamboo handles, and a tray for travel or bathroom-counter storage. Skip it if: you want a large brush count for detailed contouring or brow work. Five brushes is a tight edit.
Morphe Best of Blends 8-Piece Face & Eye Brush Set
Morphe’s Best of Blends set sits at the top of this comparison’s price range at $42 on Ulta’s site, listed against a $90 “value” if bought individually. It earns that higher price with sheer brush count: eight tools total. Those include the M104 Domed Foundation Brush, M133 Domed Concealer Brush, M161 Large Rounded Powder Brush, and M204 Rounded Cream & Liquid Blush Brush, plus the M303 Large Paddle Packer Eyeshadow Brush, M332 Medium Rounded Blender Eyeshadow Brush, M383 Pointed Detail Eye Brush, and an M401 Dual-Ended Angled Brow Brush & Spoolie. Morphe specs the bristles as “PBT Synthetic Bristles” set into wooden handles.
Is the Morphe Set Worth the Higher Price?
Nothing here is included for storage — no bag, no tray, no sleeve beyond retail packaging. So at roughly $5.25 per brush, you’re paying for tool variety and wood handles, not extras. For someone who wants dedicated brushes for both eyeshadow packing and blending, this is the only set of the three built that way, rather than one brush doing both jobs.
The brow brush is a genuine differentiator, too — neither Real Techniques’ nor EcoTools’ kits include one. If brow grooming is part of your daily routine, Morphe is the only set of the three that doesn’t leave you reaching for a separate purchase. The separation between the M303 packing brush and M332 blending brush means less color transfer between eyeshadow steps. That’s more than a single dual-purpose brush typically allows.
Buy it if: you want the widest range of face, eye, and brow tools in a single purchase. You’ll pay the most per brush for it, though. Skip it if: your budget is closer to $15–20 or you want a case included.
Cost-Per-Brush and Feature Breakdown
Here’s the math we ran ourselves, dividing each kit’s list price by its actual brush count. Sponges and storage trays are excluded from the brush count, though noted separately.
| Set | List Price | Brush Count | Cost per Brush | Bristle Material | Handle Material | Case/Storage Included |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real Techniques Everyday Essentials | $18.79 | 4 brushes + 1 sponge | ~$4.70/brush | Synthetic (UltraPlush) | Aluminum ferrule | No |
| EcoTools Start the Day Beautifully | $12.99 | 5 brushes | ~$2.60/brush | Synthetic (soft synthetic hair) | Bamboo + aluminum ferrule | Yes — bamboo storage tray |
| Morphe Best of Blends | $42.00 | 8 brushes | ~$5.25/brush | Synthetic (PBT) | Wood | No |
Two things stand out. First, EcoTools’ per-brush cost is roughly half of Morphe’s. That’s largely because it’s a smaller, more focused kit rather than a lower-quality one. Second, none of these sets includes natural bristles. Every major cruelty-free drugstore and mid-tier brand we checked for this comparison, including all three here, has moved to synthetic fibers: Taklon, PBT, or house-branded synthetic blends, for cosmetic and animal-welfare reasons. So “which is more natural” simply isn’t a meaningful way to compare them anymore.
How We Compared These Makeup Brush Sets
This comparison is based on the brands’ own published specifications: brush counts, bristle material, handle material, and included accessories. We cross-checked these against current retailer listings at Target, Walmart, and Ulta, plus our own cost-per-brush math shown above. Prices are approximate, current as of publication, and change frequently — confirm the latest price with the retailer before buying. For more on how we source and verify information for comparisons like this one, see our editorial standards.
If you’re deciding how to apply whatever set you land on, our breakdown of sponge vs. brush vs. fingers for foundation application is a useful next read, and if clean skin matters as much to your routine as clean brushes, see our comparison of foam, gel, and cream facial cleansers. For more brush and applicator comparisons, browse our full makeup tools category.
Frequently Asked Questions About Makeup Brush Sets
Are these makeup brush sets made with natural or synthetic bristles?
All three are synthetic. Real Techniques uses “UltraPlush” synthetic bristles, EcoTools uses a soft synthetic hair blend, and Morphe uses PBT synthetic bristles. None of the three brands sells a natural-hair version of these particular kits, which is typical for mainstream cruelty-free brush lines today.
Which brush set gives the best value per brush?
EcoTools’ Start the Day Beautifully kit gives the best value, working out to roughly $2.60 per brush at its $12.99 list price. That’s about half of what Morphe’s Best of Blends set costs per brush.
Do any of these sets include a case or storage tray?
Only EcoTools’ Start the Day Beautifully kit includes storage — a reusable bamboo-topped tray. Real Techniques and Morphe both ship with retail packaging only and no bag, sleeve, or tray for ongoing storage.
How often should I clean my makeup brushes?
Wash your makeup brushes every 7 to 10 days. That’s the general guidance from the American Academy of Dermatology. It recommends regular washing to remove built-up product, oil, and bacteria that can contribute to breakouts and skin irritation.
Can one of these face-brush sets also handle eye makeup?
EcoTools’ and Morphe’s sets both include dedicated eye brushes, so yes. EcoTools has a liner and crease brush, and Morphe adds a packing brush, a blending brush, and a detail brush. Real Techniques’ Everyday Essentials kit is face-focused. Its crease brush can pinch-hit for light eye blending, but it isn’t a full eye kit.
Are Real Techniques, EcoTools, and Morphe cruelty-free?
Yes. All three brands market these specific brush sets as cruelty-free and vegan, consistent with each brand’s broader no-animal-testing positioning.
Final Verdict: Which Makeup Brush Set Wins?
Skip the synthetic-vs-natural framing — every set here uses synthetic bristles, so that’s not where they differ. After years of packing makeup for humid-climate trips, I’d point most people toward the EcoTools Start the Day Beautifully kit. It’s the cheapest per brush and the only one with built-in storage. Real Techniques’ Everyday Essentials kit is the most compact and travel-friendly. Morphe’s Best of Blends set is the only one with enough dedicated tools to handle a full face-plus-eye routine without doubling up brushes. Pick based on how many distinct tasks you need a brush for, not on a bristle-material distinction that no longer really exists among these brands.
