Our Favourite Foundation & Concealer Brushes
Buffing Foundation Brush, £9.99 | Spectrum Collections MB01
Best For: Full Coverage
This well-rounded foundation brush is designed to apply creams, liquids or powder foundations. Though the brushes are tightly packed, it also has slightly lighter, feathered bristles at the very top to make sure everything blends as seamlessly as possible. Don't worry too much about a perfect application technique, either – it blends foundation perfectly, whether you choose to pat, buff or swipe the formula on. That said, we recommend buffing your foundation on in soft, circular motions, then following up with a gentle patting motion to create a velvety finish.
Available at CultBeauty.co.uk
Pro Dual Fibre Foundation Brush, £16 | NYX Professional Makeup
Best For: Affordability
NYX makes some of the best affordable brushes around and this is one of its bestsellers. Incredibly flexible, it’s ideal for beginners trying to achieve an even, well-blended finish. The soft, full bristles pick up the perfect amount of product and never deposit too much in one place. It also works well with liquids and creams, should you want to apply slightly thicker textures.
Available at Boots.com
Tapered Oval Foundation Brush 06, £13 | EDY London
Best For: Controlled Results
There are so many buffing brushes out there, but a flat top still reigns supreme. Offering high coverage with controlled results, this one from EDY also has a tapered edge so you can really push the formula into the skin. Try applying it in downward strokes to blend out liquid formulas best, going over areas that need further buffing afterwards. This one is great for adding extra layers and building up the coverage, if necessary. Use it to apply face masks, primers or even contouring products, too.
Available at CultBeauty.co.uk
Glossing Brush, £25 | Iconic London
Best For: Hard-To-Reach Areas
This angled, vegan brush is a great choice for those wanting to up the coverage in hard-to-reach areas – think under the eyes, around the nose and areas close to the mouth. The shaped, curved brush head hugs your complexion’s natural contours, while the stiff bristles blend out every texture imaginable – from liquids, to creams and gels – for a smooth, even finish. Though it’s designed to be used with foundation, you’ll find it buffs out bronzer, blusher and highlighter as well. A great all-rounder.
Available at CultBeauty.co.uk
Vanish Seamless Finish Concealer Brush, £35 | Hourglass
Best For: Concealer Application
Thanks to ultra-soft bristles and small-shaped brush head, this is great for precision blending. Ideal for under the eye, or more targeted coverage over breakouts and areas of redness, it quickly helps you disguise uneven skin tone, while the vegan bristles really push the formula down into the skin, so you never get any caking or flaking. It’s soft, too, so you can glide it across your skin with zero risk of irritation or tugging.
Available at SpaceNK.com
Original Powder Foundation Brush, £26 | BareMinerals
Best For: Powder Foundation
Without fail, this is the best brush for applying powder foundation. The clever concave-centre allows for the product to be held in at the centre before you blend it onto your skin. As you brush it onto your complexion, the bristles gently skim your skin to deposit the right amount of product for a natural, smooth finish. Swirl it over your face, then tap and buff your powder in for best results. Thanks to its large brush head, you’ll find it covers a wider surface area at speed.
Available at CultBeauty.co.uk
Foundation Cream Brush BB102, £2.75 | Beauty Bay
Best For: A Natural Finish
Use this stippling brush with lighter coverage foundations for best results. A brush from Beauty Bay’s own range, we love the super-soft synthetic bristles which latch onto liquids and creams for even application that never streaks. It works well with loose powder and bronzers too – and if you find you have too much product on your brush, simply tap the excess off on the back of your hand first.
Available at BeautyBay.com
Duo Brush, £16 | Refy
Best For: Use With Creams & Liquids
Dual-headed, this brush has flexible bristles and saves space in your make-up bag. Designed to work with creams and liquids, it has a stippling brush on one end and a smaller, tightly packed brush on the other. The latter is best for applying base make-up, like foundation and primers, while the former is better for highlighter and blusher. We like the stippling end for a natural, glow-y look, while the other side is ideal for creating a more airbrushed finish.
Available at Selfridges.com
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