HairTok Can’t Stop Talking About This Cult British Hairbrush

If you have a penchant for the celebrity interview à la Vogue’s “In the Bag” format, it’s highly likely you’ve seen the subject—from Phoebe Dynevor to Jenna Ortega—whip out a hairbrush with a signature orange cushion. That, my friends, is a legendary Mason Pearson hairbrush. At $375 for the classic large BN1W model, the brand has earned the nickname “The Rolls Royce of Hairbrushes” on TikTok. I did a little digging to find out what makes these brushes so special, tapping two celebrity hairstylists to weigh in.

The company is named after founder Mason Pearson, who began his practice in 1850. In 1885, he won a silver medal at London’s International Inventions Exhibition for his signature technology—an automatic brush-boring machine.

Hairbrushes come in a variety of acetate finishes stamped with the brand’s sleek logo. Then there’s the eye-catching orange cushion with boar bristle tufts. Some models have a boar bristle/nylon mix. Per PureWow Beauty and Cultures Editor Chelsea Candelario, “A brush with mixed bristles—aka boar and nylon—can be a great option for thick hair. The nylon bristles help detangle locks while the boar bristles work to distribute your natural oils evenly and improve shine.”

The company continues to manufacture its hairbrushes near London, with artisans hand-sorting the boar bristles sourced from the same suppliers they’ve partnered with since 1941. Each brush requires 18 steps to produce, including six finishing stages and gold foil embossing. While most hairbrushes have a plastic handle that was designed in 1946, hand-crafted light wood brushes are made to order.

While the company dates back to the 1880s, its most ardent fans are presently Gen Zers raving on TikTok.

“Unfortunately, it ended up being worth the hype,” laments TikToker Dominique (@miniipuff). “The silkiness of my hair when I use this brush [is insane].”

When it comes to Mason Pearson’s viral fame, I’d attribute it more to the design than the actual claimed superiority. As TikToker Tessa Norton concluded in her review, it’s TBD on whether it would outperform her cheap, drugstore brush. But as she and fellow creator Marina Gudov—in addition to niche Instagram account Girls Who Cluster—highlight, this handmade British brush is an *aesthetic.* It looks like it could have come straight from your Victorian grandmother’s vanity and into your hands. Compared to, say, a run-of-the-mill hairbrush, Mason Pearson is a pleasure to behold. While the jury is out on the price, that’s not stopping people—even skeptics like Norton—from buying into a romanticized version of life.

FWIW, I’m a fan of boar-bristle brushes, and while I don’t use Mason Pearson, I can attest to the fact that my hair is fluffier and less frizzy since I’ve been using it. (It’s also essential if you want a slick-backed look.) Do you need to pay $100+ for it? Maybe not. But if design is an important quality for you, then the answer could be…perhaps.

I wanted some firsthand intel about the lore of Mason Pearson and Hollywood, so I tapped celebrity groomers Kristen Shaw and Aika Flores for their thoughts. They’ve worked with some of the industry’s biggest names, including Jonathan Bailey, Ralph Fiennes, Josh O’Connor, the Jonas Brothers and Steven Yeun. Both tell me that they were introduced to Mason Pearson as soon as they got into the industry—Shaw in 2006 while assisting Yannick D’Is and Flores a decade ago at her first salon job in LA.

Both cite the quality and craftsmanship of the brush as making it “unmatched,” as Shaw says.

“Although quite pricey, I have friends who have had the same brush for ten to 20+ years and the function stays the same if not better with a little love,” Flores adds. PureWow’s own Senior Director of SEO and Product, Sally Herrod, attests that she kept her Mason Pearson for over 25 years.

Shaw keeps a Pocket brush in her kit, telling me, “I love the Pocket and have been a big fan of that size for years. I can take it anywhere with me—it’s perfect for touch ups and does the same job as the larger brushes. I’ve had the medium and large sizes over the years and I also love those—they’re perfect for brushing out longer, thicker hair.”

Flores prefers the Handy Bristle & Nylon brush (BN3). “I love how small it is, especially with having to fit so many things in my kit for celebrity work,” she notes.

There’s no denying that $375 is steep, and the jury’s out on whether it will revolutionize your haircare. But the one thing everyone agrees on? The hairbrushes sure are beautiful. (And fit right into the Rococo Revival aesthetic.) As a member of the generation who prizes aesthetic above all else, well, in this department, I say, Mason Pearson does no wrong.