The Brushes I’ll Never Replace Are All Brushes I Never Bought.

Four brushes, two verdicts, and the $43 comb I stole from my husband.

Some links below are affiliate links; I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. I link to things I've bought, things I've rejected, and things I'm still deciding on. I'll always say which.

The four hair tools I own are also the four I never bought. Each entered my life by chance and none were the result of weeks of obsessive research (which is incredibly off-brand for me).

I should flag up front that these brushes were either stolen or gifted. This is important context because it’s often easy to love something you didn’t pay for. Spending someone else’s money might remove an entire layer of scrutiny, but it doesn’t remove the test of time.

Some of the brushes are newer than others so I’ve split them into two categories. Two are settled after years of use while the others are still under review.

Settled

Mason Pearson Dressing Comb (C1)

Let’s start with my most prized possession of the bunch: the comb.

I don't know how the tooth broke. Maybe in a moving box somewhere between Brooklyn and Miami.

I’m not sure if I stole it from my now husband that way or if it broke in my custody. I usually notice everything, but this comb has simply existed in my drawer, reliably doing its job over the course of seven years, through a move, a wedding and a baby.

I’ve never considered replacing it.

I have long, thick, wavy hair. Every inexpensive comb I owned before that flexed the moment I tried to part my hair. I’d start a center part, hit resistance and watch the teeth bend sideways instead of continuing through. I could never get a clean line.

I wasn’t looking for anything fancy, I just needed a comb that didn’t lose every single argument with my hair.

The Mason Pearson Dressing Comb is double-sided, with fine teeth on one half and wider teeth on the other. The fine side gives me the cleanest center part I’ve ever had. It doesn’t flex or catch. It goes exactly where I want it to, missing tooth and all.

Once my part is done, I flip it over and use the wider teeth to gently comb through the rest of my hair without unnecessary pulling, especially around my crown, where I’d prefer to keep every strand I have.

One small detail that makes me appreciate it even more is that Mason Pearson brushes are made in England, but the combs are manufactured in Switzerland by a company that specializes exclusively in combs. That’s the level of attention that could really get me to justify a purchase.

Would I replace it with my own money?

Immediately. It’s the only thing on this list I’d order again the same day if it disappeared, but I’d have my husband buy it so I could steal it again.

This comb has definitely earned its keep.

Mason Pearson Pocket Bristle & Nylon Hairbrush BN4

I’ve had this one for five or six years. It was a gift from a friend who somehow found it at Costco, which feels like either the least or most aspirational way to acquire a cult British hairbrush.

Mine is the bristle-and-nylon version, and I think that’s the one most people with thick hair actually want.

Pure boar bristle is better suited for finer hair. Pure nylon is primarily for detangling. The combination gives me both. If you have thick hair and buy the all-boar version because it’s the one everyone photographs, I suspect you may be disappointed without immediately knowing why.

This brush lives in my toiletry bag. It’s traveled everywhere with me, and as you can see it’s incredibly well-loved.

Would I replace it with my own money?

Yes. Every time I’m at Costco, I roam the aisles hoping it has returned. I don’t need a replacement, but there’s something absurdly satisfying about making a luxury beauty purchase at the same place you can buy a rotisserie chicken and a 48-pack of paper towels.

This too has earned its keep.

Still Under Review

La Bonne Brosse No. 02

I’ve been using this since it was gifted to me on my birthday in October 2025.

It’s French, made with boar and nylon bristles, and its twisted handle is beautiful to look at and feels great in the palm of your hand. Seeing it on my vanity brings me joy and it makes brushing my hair feel like a special ritual. IDK what magic they’re cooking up in France, but my hair feels soft and shiny after every pass.

And yet the strongest endorsement I can give isn’t actually about mine.

I bought one as a gift for my husband’s stepmom who is almost impossible to shop for. She loved it. Gifting is the higher bar. After all, you’re putting your money and your taste on the line.

Would I replace it with my own money?

Yes (and ahem, technically I did), but ask me again in another three years.

Oribe Teasing Brush

I’ve owned this for two months after it came in a care package in the mail (I have great friends). I don’t believe that’s enough time to tell you it’s forever, but we’re getting along great so far.

Its job is simple: smoothing baby hairs and flyaways when I wear my hair slicked back.

Compared to the inexpensive Amazon version I already owned, the biggest difference is the bristle density. The bristles are packed more tightly together, giving you noticeably better grip and control around your hairline.

That’s a real, albeit small improvement.

For some people, that extra control will absolutely justify the price. For others, the Amazon version will do just fine. Slightly better isn’t automatically worth paying more for, but I will say the Oribe one is beautiful to look at.

Would I replace it with my own money?

I honestly don’t know yet.

Of the four, the one I’d grab in a fire is the one I stole from my husband at the beginning of our relationship, and it’s missing a tooth.

It wasn’t a carefully researched purchase. It wasn’t even my purchase. It just quietly kept doing its job, year after year, until I forgot there had ever been a problem to solve in the first place.

This was yet another reminder that research doesn’t buy attachment. The products I love the most are usually the ones that have kept their promises for years until I stopped noticing them altogether.

Buy the comb. Sit with the rest.

Receipts

Verdict: Proven: the Mason Pearson comb and pocket brush. Still Under Review: La Bonne Brosse No. 02 and Oribe Teasing Brush

What they replaced: A drugstore comb, a Tangle Teezer and an Amazon Bristle Brush

What would change my mind: Honestly, nothing.

Revisit: June 2027