Years ago, before I really understood much about make-up or how to apply it, I used my hands to apply my foundation. Much like many other women before they discover the absolute wonder that is a foundation brush. To me, it makes a huge difference to the appearance of whatever I put on top of my foundation and it just proves that a good base can just transform your entire look. Depending on what kind of foundation I’m working with, I like to switch up the type of brush I use. Some may think this is excessive but I would never have found my favourite brushes, had it not been for trying plenty over a good few years. I decided to share my favourite foundation brushes and explain what I use each one for

I apologise for the not so great camera quality but when you leave for work before it gets light and get home when it’s already dark, I don’t have much natural light to take advantage of!

 

 

Shown left to right are the Sigma F80, Sigma F60, MAC 187 and the Real Techniques Buffing Brush.

Sigma F80

 

The Sigma F80 is a synthetic haired, flat top kabuki brush with a thick handle allowing you plenty of grip and control. Out of the 4, this is the brush I use the most as I feel I get the best results from it. It gives me a flawless finish every time and distributes the product evenly, which I love. The only thing I don’t like about it is that it does soak up quite a bit of product but the pro’s far outweigh the cons for this brush as it’s pretty incredible. This brush has been a total sensation throughout the beauty blogging community and for good reason. If you’re from the UK, you can buy this brush here as it’s so much cheaper than having it shipped from Sigma themselves.

Sigma F60

 

This type of brush was the first make-up brush I ever used. Flat, dense, synthetic hair providing plenty of control. This is the brush I gravitate towards when I’m doing other people’s make-up as I feel like I can trust what will happen when the product is transferred from the brush to a face. Plus it’s really easy to go back with to clean up any mistakes or sharpen the lines of your eyeshadow when you’re done with your eye make-up. The Sigma F60 doesn’t soak up any product and you can see how much you’ve picked up as it lies flat on the brush, in comparison to the rounder brushes. You can buy this brush here.

MAC 187

 

The MAC 187 is a duo-fiber brush meaning the product sits on the white bristles and as you begin to work your foundation into your skin, the black bristles blend the product, essentially doing all the work for you. I have had this brush for absolutely ages and it’s still one of my favourites. This is a brush I like to use with lighter coverage foundations as I feel thicker foundations don’t move across my skin as easy with this. For thicker foundations, I prefer to use brushes such as the Sigma F80 or RT Buffing Brush as they hold more product and it takes a lot less work to buff it in. That’s not to say you can’t use this for thicker face products as you can use this to stipple your foundation, resulting in a really flawless look. If you’re willing to put the work in that is. This brush is on the expensive side at £33 but if you have the money and fancy a splurge, then who am I to stop you! The only thing I don’t like about this brush is that it sheds quite a bit. You can buy the MAC 187 here.

Real Techniques Buffing Brush

 

I took this picture from Lily Melrose’s blog, purely because the one I took just did this brush no justice. This brush is so lovely and soft that I literally hate to put it down once my foundation is blended in. You can be 100% sure that your foundation will look as blended as can be once you have finished using this with not a blotch in sight. I like to use this brush with cream blushes and highlighters as well as foundation as I feel like it picks up just the right amount of product and looks so natural once everything is applied. This brush is available to buy from here in a set of 4 face brushes for £16.99 which is half of what you’d pay for the single MAC brush above which was enough to convince me to go get it! A high price doesn’t always mean you can expect a high quality and with this brush you’re getting real value and not coming away feeling as though you’ve broke the bank.

 

Feel free to comment with your favourite foundation brushes, I’d love to try more!

Thanks for reading

Bea x