Finding the perfect liquid foundation is hard enough, let alone having to worry about the tools that you apply it with. But once you have, it's crucial to invest in one of the best liquid foundation brushes. I mean, if you're going to spend all that money on makeup anyway, you might as well invest in the right accessories to ensure it lives up to its full potential.
If you're currently using a sponge or your hands to apply your foundation, you might want to rethink it. Sponges are less versatile than brushes, and many reviewers of the products you'll find below are all ex-Beauty Blender-devotees who realized brushes work way better. As for your hands? Not only do they apply product less smoothly and evenly (hello, streaks), but you're also at risk of spreading germs all over your face, which increases your chances of breaking out.
There are a ton of great makeup brushes to choose from, but once you determine what type of coverage you're looking to achieve — light, medium, or full — you'll be one step closer to narrowing it down.
Ahead, you'll find five of the best brushes for liquid foundation for all types of coverage. They're all highly-rated, affordable, and made of cruelty-free materials — so what are you waiting for?
This flat, sustainably-crafted brush is ideal for creating buildable, lightweight coverage and getting into the tightest areas of your face, like beneath your eyebrows or nasolabial folds. Staying true to the EcoTools ethos, it's made entirely of recycled materials and packaged in tree-free bamboo paper. Besides the environmentally-friendly packaging, the brush goes above and beyond at creating a smooth, even canvas. Since it won't cake on foundation, you can start with a light layer before going in to apply precise coverage to any areas that need a little extra attention. Just be sure to always pat — never rub — to avoid disturbing the base layer.
If you're looking for light to medium coverage that's so flawless, it looks airbrushed, you'll love this stippling foundation brush by Keshima. Where the synthetic bristles are dense at the base, they feather out at the ends, which helps to create a nice, buildable base. That's because the dense bristles hold foundation much like a kabuki brush does, whereas the light feathered ends work more like a sponge to create lightweight, streak-free coverage. Beyond using it for foundation, it can also be used for contouring and highlighting.
Thousands of Amazon users agree: This flat-topped kabuki brush is the optimal application tool for liquid foundation. The combination of the flat top and densely-packed bristles make achieving quick, all-over, full coverage looks easy. It can be used for contouring or with cream products, too, and the bristles — which reviewers say don't shed — are synthetic and incredibly soft.
Other reviewers have compared this brush to a more affordable alternative to Morphe's Y6 Pr-Flat Buffer. "This buffed out my foundation (liquid) better than my BH cosmetics brush and beauty blender," said one happy customer. Another said, "This brush is perfect for applying foundation. I typically use a sponge until I read a review left by someone that uses this brush. Most likely will never go back to the sponge application technique."
If you find you're not getting the results you want from your flat-topped makeup brushes, it might be worth trying out a concave brush, like this one. The unique design is so that it holds on to more product; reviewers find that one dip retains all the liquid foundation you need to fully cover your face. It has synthetic, super soft bristles that don't fall out, according to countless reviewers, and its slightly angled shape makes it perfect for applying makeup in the hard-to-reach areas of your face.
These rounded, toothbrush-like brushes are all the rage right now — just take one look at your favorite makeup artists' Instagrams, and you'll probably see them using similar-looking tools. Crafted with dense, synthetic bristles, this extra-large brush is ideal for anyone hoping to achieve full coverage in a flash. Just keep in mind that, while the large head is great for the wider areas of your face (like your cheeks and forehead), you might need to purchase an additional thinner brush to reach across your nose ridge and around your eye contour area.
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