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What's your favorite tool to apply foundation with?


What’s your favorite tool to apply foundation with? Brush, sponge, fingers, what?

For anything like tinted moisturizer, I prefer fingers. For most liquid foundations, I prefer a brush (I usually use MAC’s 109).

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Kaitlin Avatar

Absolutely! I used to use basic paddle brushes, but the MAC 130 has totally changed my application. Less product, less time, airbrushed finish… what is there not to love?!

Julez Avatar

My favorites depend on the day or whatever I’m using. For a tinted moisturizer I reach for my 188. For face and body I use my fingers. For foundation I will usually use the 187 or my beauty blender. It all depends on the look I am going for.

heidi Avatar

Either my fingers or a stippling brush depending on the product. More full coverage ones revlon colorstay or mac studio fix I use the brush. For sheerer ones like loreal truematch I prefer my fingers. I really don’t like regular foudation brushes at all! They make even the best foundation look streaky at least in my experience.

Sara Avatar

For liquid foundation I love using Sonia Kashuk’s “Synthetic Flat Top Multipurpose Brush” or Sigma’s “F84” for my NARS Sheer Glow Foundation 🙂

Sara Avatar

Even though the F84 is for ‘cheek products’ I feel like it works with foundation too. I just start from my forehead and then go down from there. I feel like the F84 works better around the nose than the F80.

Alycia Avatar

Right now, I am obsessing over the look of my Nars Sheer Glow foundation when I put it on with my Sephora Brand “Beauty Blender!” I barely need concealer when I use that sponge!!

Michelle Brown Avatar

My favorite tool with which to apply foundation is the Ecotools Foundation Brush. It keeps my fingers clean and it applies the foundation smoothly! However, my fingers are much quicker than my brush, so I may use my fingers sometime soon.

clebirun Avatar

Fingers almost always due to fast blending, I’m less likely to glob into pores and easy light layer. Otherwise, duo fiber stippling brush for a bit more coverage and “airbrushed” finish.

Carolina Avatar

I have all brushes mac sigma and nars! But I was not liking how the mac body and face foundation was applying with any I went to target and saw the elf powder brush I was like ah $3 bucks I have nothing to lose and omg it’s AMAZING better than my high end brushes! It works so good with that foundation i still love my high end brushes my second best is 109 and the 187! But I do wish I would not have been such a snob and checked out this amazing brush out!!!

amanda Avatar

fingers are only for tinted moisturizer for me, or if im using a foundation as a concealer, just where needed. for a flawless finish, i use either a brush, usually angled foundation such as the Sephora platinum slanted foundation brush [relatively pricey but worth it!], or a stippling brush such as the 187 or another Sephora platinum brush, their stippling, which i actually find to be the best stippling brush ive ever used because of its stiffness and the number of bristles [i feel like the mac ones have too few of the white synthetic fibres, causing me to waste product]. other days, however, i prefer a damp sponge for a very quick yet pretty layer. i hate fingers-never blends well, bacteria, etc. i also like the small duo fibre one that mac has for swirling it onto the face, both for myself and clients. its like a great mix between a stippling brush and a regular foundation brush, with the airbrush finish of the stippling and the coverage of the regular brush.

whoa. that was long. i need to sleep!

Rada Avatar

I love using the Louise Young LY34 and LY02, the Sigma F80 or the Beauty Blender – it all depends of my mood, of the result I’m looking for and how quick I want to apply my foundation! lol

Mariella Avatar

It depends on the foundation – some work better with a sponge, some with fingers and others with a brush. My favourite brushes are MAC’s 130 or Sephora’s #55 Platinum Professional.

lacey Avatar

depends on the look im going for… most days I wear a BB cream, origins vitazing, or caudalie dayperfecting fluid (my easy face!) so I just use my fingers. If its for a special occasion and I want to look nice, I go through the whole gamut of using a brush (just a plain old ELF foundation brush) and then go over it with my ulta beauty blender.

Natalie Avatar

I prefer my MAC 190 or the larger of the Real Techniques foundation brushes. For MAC Mineralize foundation, which is a cream compact, I use a MAC 130.

Dana Avatar

I have a few in regular rotation but Sonia Kashuk Flat top synthetic brush is my favorite for applying foundation. I prefer my fingers though if I am using a heavier foundation, like EL Double Wear

Tiffany H. Avatar

For my Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer and NARS Sheer Matte, I like to use my fingers to apply it. For my MAC Mineralize Satin Finish liquid foundation, I like the Sonia Kashuk flat top blusher brush.

Adrianna Mendez Avatar

M.A.C 187 brush is the best! I can use it with any foundation and it applies on evenly!! Also good to apply blush highlighter, and all over powder.

Veronica Avatar

Depends on the foundation. For mousse and more viscous liquid foundations, fingers! For most liquid foundations when I want a really clean and polished look I like a good stippling brush, and sometimes in addition something like a kabuki is nice for buffing.

slick Avatar

Well it depends on the foundation formula 🙂 For liquids I like to use a smaller stippling brush (MAC 188 or 131) as it applies foundation in light, sheer layers. This way you can really control your coverage and you end up using less foundation overall. I used to like to use powder/flat top brushes for liquids but I think they absorb and waste too much product :/ They are great for powder foundation however!

Atanza Avatar

I use my MAC 190 brush, but you have to keep it very clean otherwise it’s streaky. After I have applied my foundation, I buff it in using an Ecotools stippling brush. I find that this definitely gives it the most natural look. With tinted moisturizer, I use my fingers.

Adelita Avatar

• Tinted moisturizer » Fingers
• Sheer or medium coverage liquid foundation » Sigma F80
• High coverage liquid foundation » BeautyBlender
• Cream foundation » M·A·C 190
• Powder foundation » Sigma F82

Lumi Avatar

I use a tinted moisturizer and I used to apply with my fingers or sponge.
But then I finally got a foundation brush (Ecotools) which helped me apply less on my face. I’m happy about that. ^^

steffanie Avatar

liquid foundation – my beauty blender! i hated it at first, but now it just makes makeup melt into my skin 🙂

powder/mineral – i use bareMinerals FULL flawless face brush (not just ‘flawless face’ (apparently there was a difference ha)

Dormouse Avatar

Back in the day, I used a natural sponge, but I can’t seem to find them anymore. It used to be, Max Factor and other big drugstore brands sold them. If anyone can tell me where to purchase one, I’d be thrilled.

AussieAngelcakes Avatar

I generally use my fingers for my BB creams.

For very fluid/liquid foundations I prefer a stippling brush (MAC 188 or Sigma duo fibre)

For slightly thicker foundations I use my Beauty Blender sponge.

Marianthi Avatar

Depends on the foundation. For EL DoubleWear I use the MAC 187, but for my second, the Dior Forever which dries super-quick, I usually go with my fingers. It requires another pump of product if I go with the stippling brush.

raeda Avatar

Definitely the MAC 130. I hated the MAC 187 too flimsy. I used to use the Estee Lauder paddle brush. The MAC 130 changed my life forever. If I am in a hurry I use the Sigma F80. To set my foundation, I use the Estee Lauder Foundation Powder Brush by pressing, not sweeping, the powder on.

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