Archived Post

What tools do you use to apply your foundation?


What tools do you use to apply your foundation? Share!
Since I wear liquid foundation most of the time, I use a brush, like Tom Ford’s Cream Foundation or Real Techniques Expert Face!

Do you have a question idea? Submit yours here.

81 Comments

Comments that do not adhere to our comment policy may be removed. Discussion and debate are highly encouraged but we expect community members to participate respectfully. Please keep discussion on-topic, and if you have general feedback, a product review request, an off-topic question, or need technical support, please contact us!

Please help us streamline the comments' section and be more efficient: double-check the post above for more basic information like pricing, availability, and so on to make sure your question wasn't answered already. Comments alerting us to typos or small errors in the post are appreciated (!) but will typically be removed after errors are fixed (unless a response is needed).

We appreciate enthusiasm for new releases but ask readers to please hold questions regarding if/when a review will be posted as we can't commit to or guarantee product reviews. We don't want to set expectations and then disappoint readers as even products that are swatched don't always end up being reviewed due to time constraints and changes in priorities! Thank you for understanding!

Comments on this post are closed.
Ryou Avatar

I use tinted moisturizer most of the time, which I prefer to apply with my fingers. On the rare occasion that I wear foundation, I like to use a somewhat dense round brush with synthetic bristles to apply it. I’m interested in trying a stippling brush, though, since I don’t like a lot of coverage on me most of the time.

rebecca Avatar

Lately I’ve been using my fingers! Other than that I use ant of the Sigma Sigmax Kabuki brushes or the Real Techniques buffing, stippling, or expert face. I just use whatever brush is nearest. I wish I could use a beautyblender but with oily skin I find it always makes me look oily in 2-3 hours.

Julie Avatar

Ecotools big fluffy brush, so my foundation doesn’t look mask like when I am wearing long wearing foundation. I don’t like the painter type brushes for foundation. I like to use my fingers when I have a foundation that is dewy. To blend it all together, I like using a sponge to finish up blending when/where needed!

loverenny Avatar

I use a ecotools flat foundation brush to apply liquid foundation onto face, then use real techniques expert/buffing brush to blend. If somehow the foundation turn out looking too made up, I use damp beautyblender to pad it down a bit.

CatherineM Avatar

Depending on what foundation i use i mostly reach for my Chanel Foundation brush, my Shiseido Perfect Foundation brush or my Real Techniques Expert Face Brush. Sometimes I just use my fingers to blend, if I want a very natural look.

Astrild Avatar

I apply liquid or powder foundation with my sigma F80 most of the time. If it’s dirty I use Real Techniques buffing brush or sigma F84. Bb Creams only with my fingers.

Esmeralda L Avatar

I mostly use the Real Techniques expert face brush or the RT buffing brush.
These brushes are just awesome!

And for mineral foundation just a random Kabuki that I have had for ages.

Tori Avatar

Fingers. 🙂 I only wear liquid/cream foundation so I’ll apply a thin layer of foundation to the areas that I need coverage in using fingers then blend everything out using a dense, fluffy brush like the Real Techniques buffing brush or the Tom Ford cheek brush.

Mariella Avatar

For me, it’s a toss up between the Shiseido foundation brush or the RT Expert Face Brush for liquid foundations and either the RT buffing brush or IT Cosmetics Flat Topped Foundation Brush for mineral/powder foundations, unless I’m using my new Tarte powder foundation and then I use the brush that was designed for use with that specific powder. I’ve got a Beauty Blender and an Avon imitation (which is just as good and costs 1/3 the price) but lately I haven’t used either one at all. I do sometimes use my fingers too.

Abbey W. Avatar

In the winter I usually use cream foundations, so I use a Beauty Blender. In the spring and summer I use liquids and I usually use one of the Real Techniques brushes.

Cassy Avatar

It’s more of a question of what -don’t- I use, lol. I mostly use liquid foundation, but even from brand to brand find that some apply better with a flat foundation brush, some with a duo-fiber brush, some with a sponge (like Beauty Blender) and some with my trusty hands. If I am using a powder foundation, though, I tend to stick with the duo-fiber and BB Creams are always with my hands.

Nicole Avatar

I use the Real Techniques buffing brush to apply my Kett fixx creme foundation. I also love this brush for liquid foundations. If you use wax-based foundation, I’d love to know if you have better suggestions for application tools or brushes.

Em Avatar

For daily use, I use powder foundation and use Sephora’s Classic Mineral Powder brush.

On the rare occasions that I wear liquid foundation, I use some Sonia Kashuk brush, and buff with Tarte’s Airbrush Finish Bamboo Foundation brush. For BB cream, fingers and then the Tarte finishing brush.

TrippyPixie Avatar

I like the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush also, but I’m not a fan of how it’s applying my current tinted moisturizer. Instead, I’ve been using the Essence of Beauty Precision Blender Sponge, which is basically CVS’ version of the Beauty Blender.

Alicja Avatar

For powder/mineral foundation I use RT expert face brush (used Sigma F80 earlier, but it started to stink awfully, and it landed in trash bin), and for liquid foundation or BB cream which is what I prefer, I use RT stippling brush, and Sigma F50 🙂

Tiffanie Avatar

I just purchased the Real Techniques Expert Face brush and I’m loving it! My HG has to be the Sigma flathead kabuki brush. I use it to apply mineral, liquid and cream foundation. It’s so versitile and gives full coverage!

Laura P Avatar

It depends on my mood. Sometimes I use my fingers to apply it and the Real Techniques Expert Face brush to buff it in, or I’ll just put it on with the Real Techniques stippling brush, or I’ll use Japonesque’s HD dual foundation brush.

Emy Avatar

I alternate between my fingers and a stippling brush. However, recently, I have been loving the beauty blender for my liquid foundation. The only problem is that it absorbs so much product.

Zia Avatar

Liquid foundation – Prescriptives foundation brush or the Estee Lauder Foundation Brush 1. And the Beauty Blender / my fingers.
Powder foundation – Bare Minerals Flawless Face Brush or Eco Tools Large Powder brush (I asked for the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush for Christmas too). There’s also a smaller brush that I use, but don’t know what brand it’s from (I got it in some mineral makeup kit a long time ago).

LMM Avatar

The Urban Decay Good Karma optical blending brush. I’ve also used the ELF Studio flat-top brush (I think they call it a powder brush) and that works well too. The UD one is a little more rounded and I find the coverage is a little heavier with it. I’ve also used a beauty blender in the past, but not with my current foundation (also UD) – would like to give it another shot for a lighter look.

Sarah Avatar

Usually very clean fingers, although a foundation brush does seem to do a more even, smoother job. I have Ecotools and Sonia Kashuk flat foundation brushes. I have a Beauty Blender too, but I haven’t quite figured out how to use it.

aykhan Avatar

Usually my fingers and the Shiseido Perfect Foundation brush for liquid foundation, and the brush alone for powder foundation. Sometimes I’ll use a stippling brush, (Sonia Kashuk Duo Fibre Multipurpose Brush) for the powder if I want less coverage.

Samira Avatar

I buy brushes all the time and wind up using my fingers more often than not. I just seem to get the best finish that way. I have just started (as in tried once) using the RT buffing brush and I liked that, but I need to get my skin in better shape before I try it again – going through a dry spell.

Tam Avatar

Depending on the finish I want, I use the Sonia Kashuk multipurpose brush for fuller coverage, Coastal Scents synthetic buffer brush for medium coverage, and Beautyblender for light coverage and if I have time to clean it right afterwards.

wakinroundtown Avatar

I normally use a pretty thin foundation or tinted moisture so for me, I apply with my fingers but will buff / blend with a brush like the Real Technique’s Expert Face Brush. If I use a thicker foundation, definitely some kind of dense flat-top kabuki.

Alia Avatar

Love the black (not pink) Beauty Blender sponge dampened to apply foundation. My 2nd choice would be Tarte’s Airbrush Foundation Brush of which I own several!

Mimielle Avatar

MAC 190 or the No7 foundation brush and the concealer brush for smaller areas. Buff if needed with Real Techniques buffing brush
Sometimes the MAC 187 duo fiber stippling brush if using a sheerer liquid. I think properly stippled foundation is really pretty.
I don’t like makeup sponges at all and use a brush for even cream-to-powder products.
I don’t like to touch makeup with my fingers.
Odd and picky, I know…but there it is! 😉

Veronica Avatar

Liquid foundations – I use the Real Techniques Expert Face brush or my fingers. Very occasionally, I’ll use a paddle brush and then buff over it, but lately I’ve been preferring the finish my own hands give me best.

Powder foundations – e.l.f. face powder brush or my Sonia Kashuk kabuki brush.

Cream foundations – damp sponge all the way. I quite like Sonia Kashuk’s version, though I’d like to try the Beauty Blender at some point.

Meiya Avatar

It totally depends on the foundation. For Revlon Whipped Creme, I’ll use my hands. For Estee Lauder Double Wear, I’ll use a dampened flat foundation brush. For your standard liquid foundation, I’ll either use a Real Techniques Expert Face Brush or a dampened flat foundation brush. For MAC Face & Body, I’ll either use a kabuki/flat powder brush or my hands. For gel foundations like MAC Studio Sculpt, I’ll use a dampened sponge.

Wwendalynne Avatar

Armani foundation brush, or MAC stippling brush, or beauty blender.. depends on the foundation formula. Sometimes I use my fingers, but typically just for tinted moisturizer. I’m lemming a couple of other foundation brushes right now, but I can’t seem to choose between Hakuhodo or Wayne Goss.

Nikki Avatar

I recently rediscovered my love of powder foundation, and I use two brushes for different looks. When I want a natural, light dusting of coverage, I use the EcoTools Bronzer Brush. When I want fuller coverage, I use the Sonia Kashuk Synthetic Buffing Brush. I would love to buy the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush to try out with my liquid foundation, but my Ulta is ALWAYS sold out so it must be as great as the reviews I’ve read.

Meghan Avatar

I mostly use my fingers, I find I get the most natural finish. I hate when it looks like I’m wearing a layer of foundation.

But I’m curious to check out the Real Techniques brushes and I noticed that they are super cheap. Does anyone know where they are available in Canada?

Kat Avatar

Walmart carris he sets. Also london drugs on the west coast. But if you want to find the expert face brush and other popular singles I recommend ftbbeauty.com it’s a Canadian site!

PianoGirl1985 Avatar

Well, for the longest time I’ve preferred to use flat foundation brushes and then going over the face with a damp sponge afterward to even everything out. Then I cashed out on a beautyblender. That darn thing makes the application so effortless and smooth. I buy it discounted through Amazon.

Dua Avatar

But I must admit that the finish of the beauty blender is way better than the Sigma F80 brush .. If I had to choose between the two, I’d grab the beauty blender.

doroffee Avatar

I think every person have different preferences when it comes to foundation tools. For me, a flat top, denser kabuki brush works the best, and I have literally tried everything except for the beauty blender (like different types of sponges, a flat long brush, duo fibre brushes, big fluffy powder brushes), but I’m so content with my flat top kabuki that I don’t wanna change it.

patsyann Avatar

i use a non latex little sponge to apply my Ben Nye cake foundation and then blend it out with a damp Beauty Blender. For liquid foundation, I usually just use clean fingers. For mineral foundation, I like the EcoTools big rounded top Kabuki. My skin is too fragile and sensitive to use a brush to buff out the foundation. It is a pretty look but too ouchie on my skin.

Jan Avatar

Usually the Shisheido Foundation brush, MAC duo fiber foundation brush or my fingers. Depends on how my skin at the time AA well as the foundation being used (I usually stick to tinted moisturizers).

We try to approve comments within 24 hours (and reply to them within 72 hours) but can sometimes get behind and appreciate your patience! 🙂 If you have general feedback, product review requests, off-topic questions, or need technical support, please contact us directly. Thank you for your patience!