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There's an art to makeup application the best foundation brushes can seriously amp up your skills. A high-quality makeup brush draws the line between a streaky or airbrushed finish — and with proper maintenance and cleaning, it'll last a long time. After (finally!) finding a foundation that matches your skin tone perfectly, the last thing you want is your pricey formula to get soaked up in a makeup sponge or applied streakily to your face.
So, what makes for a good foundation brush? According to Donni Davy, the head makeup artist on Euphoria and co-founder of Half Magic, "It totally depends on your method, but if you want to stamp-buff like I do, the buffing brush has to be super soft, dense, and preferably have a rounded or semi-round shape." To help you better understand your options and equip you on your journey toward makeup perfection, we've rounded up the best foundation brushes below.
Our Favorite Foundation Brushes:
- Best Overall: Laura Mercier Real Flawless Foundation Brush, $46
- Most Innovative: Glossier Stretch Foundation Brush, $28
- Best Makeup Sponge Replacement: Hourglass Ambient Soft Glow Foundation Brush, $47
- Best Flat-Top Brush: Charlotte Tilbury Magic Complexion Brush, $55
- Best Dual-Ended Brush: IT Cosmetics Heavenly Luxe Perfection Brush, $50
- Best Rounded Brush: Chanel Touch Up Face Brush N°104, $50
- Most Versatile: Dior Backstage Face Brush No. 18, $50
Best Overall: Laura Mercier Real Flawless Foundation Brush
Why It's Worth It: Laura Mercier's Real Flawless Foundation Brush has a teardrop shape we consider pretty genius, so we awarded it a 2023 Best of Beauty Award. The bristles buff away streaks around smaller bits of the face that tend to get forgotten, like the nose, jaw, and hairline.
Editor Tip: Use the domed surface to buff your favorite foundation into the skin, then use the tapered tip to reach the contours of the face, and finish with a stippling technique to get your desired coverage.
Product Specs: Round brush, synthetic bristles, suitable for liquid and cream formulas
Most Innovative: Glossier Stretch Foundation Brush
Why It's Worth It: Glossier's futuristic-looking brush won a Best of Beauty Breakthrough Award in 2023 for its innovative design and ergonomic grip. Beyond its obvious aesthetic value, the Stretch Foundation Brush ensures you can tote a makeup brush without unsanitary germs getting in the way — the swivel design has a lock to keep the brush from popping out in transit. It's designed for cream and liquid formulas and glides over your cheekbones and brow bones.
Editor Tip: The sloped shape of the densely packed, short bristles was inspired by the way gua sha massage tools hug the contours of the face, and the ergonomic shape makes it easy to have total control over the brush and coverage. Allure's associate manager of special projects Talia Gutierrez said she found the shape especially useful when applying blush along her cheekbones.
Product Specs: Flat foundation brush, synthetic bristles, suitable for cream and liquid formulas
Best Makeup Sponge Replacement: Hourglass Ambient Soft Glow Foundation Brush
Why It's Worth It: In 2022, Allure awarded the Hourglass Ambient Soft Glow Foundation Brush the ultimate crown: the best foundation brush. Its vegan fiber bristles mimic fingertips, so whether you're working with liquid or cream foundation, you're guaranteed a natural-looking finish every time. Commerce editor Sarah Han was a makeup sponge devotee before she stumbled upon this dense yet soft brush, and she was pleasantly surprised to find that it lends itself well to hydrating foundations and concealers. "It doesn't soak up the product and spreads everything across wide areas without looking cakey," she says.
Editor Tip: For best results, apply liquid foundation in dots and use this brush for a natural, soft-focus finish via stippling, so you get the brush surface covered in foundation and then tap the brush onto your skin.
Product Specs: Round brush, synthetic bristles, suitable for liquid or cream foundation
Best Flat-Top Brush: Charlotte Tilbury Magic Complexion Brush
Why It's Worth It: Charlotte Tilbury's Magic Complexion Brush glides over your pores without forcing foundation in, making it an excellent choice for anyone with acne-prone skin or sensitive skin. This flat brush is more suited for buffing so if you're after a filtered, blurred look, this is it.
Editor Tip: This paintbrush-like makeup brush is excellent for watery or creamy foundations —maybe even better than using your fingers, thanks to the ultra-dense bristles that cover all the nooks and crannies.
Product Specs: Flat brush, synthetic bristles, suitable for liquid and cream formulas
Best Dual-Ended Brush: IT Cosmetics Heavenly Luxe Perfection Brush
Why It's Worth It: IT Cosmetics' dual-ended Heavenly Luxe Perfection Brush plays nice with all your skin-loving foundation formulas, ensuring you don't leave the house looking blotchy or cakey. We especially love that this one is retractable, so you can drop it in your bag without worrying about getting foundation everywhere.
Editor Tip: We appreciate all dual-ended brushes but this one is special because one side is small enough for smoothing streaks in the folds of your nose and eyes, but also for on-the-go eyeshadow touch-ups and highlighter application.
Product Specs: Dual-ended round brush, synthetic bristles, suitable for all formulas
Best on Amazon: Bdellium Tools Large Rounded Double Dome Blender 972
Why It's Worth It: When applying foundation, Davy prefers using a flat paddle-type brush on the main parts of the face. She considers this Bdellium Tools Large Rounded Double Dome Blender 972 a staple in her makeup bag because it's durable, well-made, and available in many cute colors.
Editor Tip: Davy uses a technique from the kitchen as her hack for streak-free application. "I'll use big strokes and treat this brush like a serving utensil to swipe the product on the face," she says.
Product Specs: Flat brush, synthetic bristles, suitable for liquid products
Most Versatile: Dior Backstage Face Brush No. 18
Why It's Worth It: Pick your poison, err, type of foundation: loose powders, fluid, compact foundations, or spray foundation — Dior's Backstage Face Brush No. 18 can handle it all. The soft, dense, short bristles ensure you won't leave the house looking cakey or unnatural.
Editor Tip: Tobi Henney, a bi-coastal makeup artist, loves this uniquely shaped brush because the shorter handle allows circular motions to blend foundation in easily.
Product Specs: Round brush, synthetic bristles, suitable for all foundation formulas
Best Buffing Foundation Brush: MAC 130S Short Duo Fibre Brush
Why It's Worth It: Henney's brush collection wouldn't be complete without the MAC 130 Short Duo Fibre Brush, which she relies on for expertly buffing in liquid foundation. Its stubby, flat-topped shape makes it excellent for blending around the nose and mouth.
Editor Tip: We think this brush is a great creamy highlighter or blush applicator, too.
Product Specs: Round brush, synthetic bristles, suitable for liquid and cream formulas
Best Value: EcoTools Wonder Cover Complexion Brush
Why It's Worth It: If you desire something you can easily pick up at the drugstore, consider this Wonder Cover Complexion Brush from EcoTools. Priced at less than $10, this brush is designed for full-coverage foundation, meaning rosacea, hyperpigmentation, and blemishes will never get their time in the spotlight.
Editor Tip: The short, dense bristles (we're talking 100,000 of them, according to the brand) sweep your favorite makeup formula onto your face evenly with no streaks. For an even better finish, dampen the brush before you apply foundation.
Product Specs: Oval brush, synthetic bristles, suitable for liquid and cream foundations
Best Rounded Brush: Chanel Touch Up Face Brush N°104
Why It's Worth It: Also known as Les Pinceaux De Chanel (what would your French nickname be?), Chanel’s Touch Up Face Brush N°104 is ideal for everyday makeup application. It's a luxurious, no-frills brush that's practically foolproof, even if you're new to the whole makeup thing.
Editor Tip: According to Henney, this brush "pairs beautifully with both cream and powder foundations" — a multifaceted queen.
Product Specs: Round brush, synthetic bristles, suitable for all formulas
Best Brush for Liquid Foundations: Saie The Base Foundation Brush
Why It's Worth It: Saie it ain't so! The Base Foundation Brush gives you the flexibility and precision to blend in liquid or cream formulas, even in hard-to-reach areas like around the nose and under the eyes.
Editor Tip: The dome-shaped brush is made up of cruelty-free, ultra-soft bristles that'll disperse foundation evenly without soaking it all up. The unique shape is also great for mature skin, ensuring the formula glides over fine lines.
Product Specs: Round brush, synthetic bristles, suitable for liquid and cream formulas
Best for Special Occasions: Half Magic Baby Paw Brush
Why It's Worth It: What's special about Half Magic's Baby Paw Brush is that Davy designed it to have a one-of-a-kind round brush head, different from the traditional buffing brush shape. Though it's designed for cream and liquid blush, the bristles are ultra-soft but dense enough to diffuse foundation and bronzer.
Editor Tip: It's great for stamp-buffing, a term she coined for the technique of stamping and buffing foundation in order to get a nice, even coat and smooth finish.
Product Specs: Round brush, synthetic bristles, suitable for cream and liquid products
Best Makeup Sponge: Beautyblender Original
Why It's Worth It: Although not technically a face makeup brush (but a Best of Beauty Award winner and crowd favorite), the original Beautyblender is what Davy always finishes her foundation application with. When used clean and damp, it ensures a smooth and seamless finish.
Editor Tip: These ingenious products are great, but there's a bit of a learning curve if you're just starting out. "I love that the Beautyblender, when used as a final step, can pick up excess foundation and help create a more natural finish," she says. "If I need to add more product to certain areas, I dip the sponge directly into the foundation on a palette and press and stamp it onto the face," she adds.
Product Specs: Beauty sponge, suitable for liquid formulas
Best Kabuki Brush: Real Techniques Foundation Blender
Why It's Worth It: The beauty of this Real Techniques Kabuki Foundation Blender is the handle-less design, which gives you more control and precision. The bristles are densely packed yet nonporous, so they won't pick up excess product, making them easier to clean.
Editor Tip: Use this to blend and buff liquid, cream, or powder foundations, whatever you prefer on any given day.
Product Specs: Kabuki brush, synthetic bristles, suitable for all formulas
More on makeup tools:
- The Best Makeup Brushes for Every Part of Your Routine
- The Best Makeup Sponges for Blending Foundation and Contouring
- The Best Makeup Brushes on Amazon for Flawless Application Every Step of the Way
Now watch Sasha Colby's 10-minute out-of-drag makeup routine:
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