I prefer using fingertips for applying liquid/cream cheek products, like highlighters and brushes, as I find the warmth of my fingertips to aid in the application!
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I agree! And I also use my fingers for inbetween textures – things like Colourpop’s super shock products.
I like to use my fingertips for applying shimmers/metallics to my eyes. That’s really the only way I’ve found that gets the effect I want for those types of eyeshadows. I also use my fingers for concealer and liquid/gel blushes and highlights. And skincare of course.
For liquid concealers, I like to dot on, but use finger to diffuse.
For lipliner. As a woman with mature skin, I love a liner for defining and preserving the lipstick boundary, but I do not like the look of obvious liner. I find applying liner, then lipstick and finally running a fingertip over the results helps blend,
I also use a fingertip versus tissue for blotting lipstick if I want to soften a heavier matte lipstick
Colourpop Super Shock Eyeshadows and pressed glitters. Your fingers allow for more control and you get greater pigmentation
I only use my fingers for lid shades and spot concealer, or blending out cream highlight. Everything else I use has to be applied with a brush.
Idk how people apply their foundation with their fingers. When I forget my brush while traveling, it looks so thick yet so low coverage.
I also like using my hands for cream products because I don’t like wet things gumming up my brushes… I also use my hands for BB creams/tinted moisturizer.
I almost always apply shimmer eyeshadows using my fingers. They tend to work best that way regardless, but I find that using a brush to do so it especially difficult with my hooded eyes. There’s too many creasing on my mobile lid to get an even application. When I use my finger, shimmers apply perfectly.
I use my fingers for two things:
1) Tarte Shape Tape Concealer — I use the warmth of my finger to gently tap it in until it’s blended.
2) Laura Mercier Caviar Stick (specifically, Amethyst) — I use the stick to draw a thick line across my crease, then blend it out with my finger until it becomes a transparent wash of color. This is one of my most common everyday eye looks for work. It only takes a minute or two and it lasts all day.
Oops, I forgot one. I also use my fingers to apply lid shades.
I like to use my fingers for satin and shimmer eyeshadows. I find it the easiest way to apply them. When I used to use the Nars All Day Luminous Weighless foundation I would use my fingers because that was the recommended method of application. I don’t use that foundation anymore though.
yes! concealer, shimmery/glittery eyeshadow, liquid/cream blush, sometimes even foundation! love that you have 10 of them to switch between 🙂
While I don’t particularly “like” it, I do sometimes find it necessary. Whether it’s because it helps in application, or out of convenience/necessity, I will do it, but I definitely prefer a brush/tool, as it’s more sanitary, and less messy.
I don’t understand why people hands are not sanitary, I always wash my hands before I touch my face.
It’s not so much about touching my face, but I don’t like sticking my fingers directly into a product. Even after washing my hands, there’s a chance I may touch something, even the outside packaging, that may have been touched by unclean hands at some point. I also don’t “double-dip” eye brushes… Also, our skin has natural oils, regardless of how clean our hands are, so I don’t want that to get in my products, either.
Thank you for explaining, that never made sense to me.
for stuff like jelly highlighters…how do you even use a brush with that? (lol)
Sometimes foundation. Cream and liquid eyeshadow. Most types of eyeshadow also do well when I sheer out the edge with my finger (helps when I’ve been a bit overzealous too).
I love to apply most complexion products (concealers, foundations) with my fingers. I like thicker liquid concealer consistencies and I feel they warm-up and apply better with fingers; also, concealers crease less on me this way.
Otherwise, I don’t use cream / liquid formulas; it’s only powder for me when it comes to blush / contour / eyeshadow / highlighter.
It would be easier to say which things I (almost always) only use a brush for – facial powder, eyebrows, and crease eyeshadow blending. I almost always use my fingers for everything else, including shadow that goes across my main lid. I just prefer the warmth and feeling when using fingers. I prefer soft, “lived-in” makeup and using fingers really helps achieve that.
I use my fingers mostly for liquid foundation, as these days I’m getting by with a very sheer application and cannot seem to get a brush to give me the light effect I’m after. Also, on the rare occasions I’ll use a cream or liquid blush (I usually use powder).
I do this all the time with applying of liquidy products or even cream ones! As you said, there is actually something to be said in favor of the warmth from one’s fingers making these types of products apply more evenly and melding nicer. Other instances where I feel that using my fingertips to get better application results is when using a glittery powder eyeshadow. This greatly reduces fallout, plus it gives me better control over placement, too. Oh, and I don’t mind tapping concealer into place using my fingers, either.
I always apply my liquid foundations with my fingers. I’ve tried sponges and brushes and just never get a good result with them! With my fingers I can really smooth the product onto my skin, then use a tapping/patting motion to get it worked in and even. Same thing with concealers, I use my fingers to pat it in. Cream blushes apply best with fingers, a pop of shimmer in the center of the eyelid is most effective with a fingertip application, and softening liner or lipstick with a finger works well for me.
Related to this- has anyone watched Zabrena’s video where she used only fingers to apply her makeup?
A lot of things, actually. I prefer fingers for applying eye primer, cream shadow, concealer, and cream highlight.
For some of my concealers – most notably IT BBU, but also a few others – warming the concealer between my fingers and then pressing onto my dark circles before blending with a brush is my preferred method. Same with Tata Harper’s cheek and lip cream – using it as a blush, I find tapping onto my cheeks with my fingers and then buffing with a MAC 131 works better than using a brush or beauty blender on their own.
Ooops – meant hit the “replies” notification and forgot!
I always apply my moisturizers and primers using my fingers. I apply my lid primer and a colored eyeshadow base that way as well. I find that shimmer shadows also go on better with my finger. I’ve tried applying cream blush with my fingers and I can never get it to look right. That’s why I stick with powder blush 🙂
I’m with you on the cheek products. I also use fingertips for shimmery eyeshadows, Becca highlighters (don’t ask me why, but the one I use doesn’t like brushes) and lip toppers.
No. I bought all those brushes for a reason!!!
I don’t mind using fingertips to blend or diffuse product but I really don’t like sticking my fingers in things (even if I know where they’ve been) 😉
I apply everything with a brush or sponge except for cream blushes (including ColorPop SS blushes) but then I blend and press with my fingers.
I am not averse to applying almost anything to my face with my fingers. They were after all, our first implements. I don’t worry too much about contamination of products by my skin simply because it is impossible to avoid bacteria anywhere. Our skin is never without bacteria and no matter how hard we scrub, there is still going to be some contamination there. I personally subscribe to the theory that a certain amount of bacteria is healthy and necessary to keep our own personal bio-system healthy. The specific things I always apply with my fingers are ColourPop SSS, any cream product and then some specific foundations. If a foundation is particularly heavy, I find it applies better with my fingers. My fingers warm the foundation and I can get a really good blend by really massaging it into my skin. Concealer generally works better if I tap it out with my finger and I will sometimes set my under eye concealer by finger tip patting my powder under my eyes. That seems to work fairly well for my older, more wrinkled under eye skin. I don’t really take any product directly from the container to my face so almost always will use a brush, sponge or pour it out before using my fingers.
I use my fingers for most applications; basically I use brushes for powder products only. Creams and liquids are applied using my hands.
The only time I prefer to use my fingertips is when I am applying foundation. Other than that, I prefer to use brushes. If I had to apply eyeshadow with my fingertips, it would be a mess (without my glasses on).
I like using my fingers for applying primers, concealer, and cream blushes/highlighters (except ColourPop Super Shocks, for which I prefer a duo-fiber brush). I also prefer them for applying some shimmery eyeshadows to my lids.
No, not at all. If that’s the recommended method to apply a product, I’ll forego buying the product.
Primer, cream highlighter, powder highlighter too (I find it looks more metallic/intense that way), metallic powder shadows if I’m too lazy to use them wet. 😛
Almost all cream/liquid products. I just find I get a much more seamless and natural looking result on myself and others when applying products with fingers/hands. I know people have concerns about keeping things sanitary but even if you are using a brush you are repeatedly introducing bacteria into powder products, it’s unavoidable. I also think if sanitation is a concern you need to stop using a beauty blender or comparable sponge, there’s a reason working makeup artists can’t use those on clients unless they’re brand new, you cannot sanitize them 100%. I would rather take the extra care to sanitize before/after and achieve the effect I’m looking for(I have to sanitize products I use on other people anyway).
I don’t like to, necessarily, but sometimes they’re the best tool, mostly when melting the edge of concealer for a smooth transition — blending jobs in general, actually.
I used to use them to apply color-shifting and metallic eyeshadows, but I found that the cheap sponge applicators work even better since they’re smaller than my fingers and pat on powders amazingly well.
It usually depends on the product itself (as in it’s texture). If I have a better result putting on any type of product with my fingers than I use them (eg. so I have some foundations that apply better with a sponge or certain brushes and a few that work better with fingers). And this usually goes for concealers, eyeshadows, etc.