If I asked you to pass me a 217 or a 224 and you not only knew that I meant a MAC makeup brush, but you also knew the exact two eye brushes I was referring to, we would become best friends immediately ...

While researching ideas for a new beauty line, Matthew Waitesmith, a former senior vice president at MAC Cosmetics, realized that there was one category that had been ignored for centuries: the brush.

Why We Love It: The Merit Brush No. 1 is a do-it-all, ultrasoft blending brush that has rightfully earned a spot in the makeup bags of editors and beauty lovers alike. Its bristles are dense yet ...