Over the years, I’ve unintentionally accumulated a robust makeup brush collection. It’s a haphazard mix of different brands, colors, fibres and handles—some untouched, still in their original packaging; others are so old they’d make a makeup artist cringe. The aesthetic of my collection (or lack there of) never really fazed me, until I happened upon Artis Elite—a new line of 10 makeup brushes that don’t look much like makeup brushes at all. A former MAC cosmetics executive launched the brand in May with the intent of creating a product that was more efficient and easier to use than the alternatives on the market. The result is Artis’s debut Elite Collection—ranging from large powder brushes for $64, to small shadow brushes for $24—each shaped to mimic the structure of a human face. 

An Artis Elite Makeup Brush

With a sleek mirrored body and angled handle, the brushes obviously look different, but I wasn’t entirely convinced they’d feel or even work differently… and then I took one out of the box and swept it across my face. The fibres were the softest my skin had ever come in contact with, thanks to a high-tech synthetic material they’re made of. The brand says each brush contains three to 10 times as many individual fibers as animal hair brushes, and for me, feeling was believing.

Most importantly, the brushes seamlessly blend creams, powders and liquids—and they’ve inspired me to ditch my random collection of brushes for good.