You Need This: The Foundation Brush

When it comes to doing beautiful makeup, the artist and the cosmetics always get their due credit…but there is a constant, more silent partner who deserves as much (if not more) appreciation: The brushes.

You need to trust me when I tell you that if you want professional results from your makeup, you NEED professional tools.

Since flawless skin is the first building block to a stunning makeup, I am going to begin with the brush every woman must have:

The Foundation Brush
Use this brush to apply foundation (liquid or cream), tinted moisturizer, primers, cream blushes, facial creams and masks.


Why it works: The brush is composed of high quality synthetic bristles that won’t absorb the product. The flat rounded tip glides easily across the skin, evenly depositing product on the entire face (even the contoured areas). And, it is far more hygienic than multiple use sponges or fingers.

What to do: Starting at the mask of your face (the center area), blend the product outward. (Be sure to sweep the brush downward). Skin is a beautiful thing, so be sure to only use the coverage you need to give the illusion of a flawless complexion. Using the brush for a light application will allow you better control then you could achieve from fingers or a sponge.

Tips and tricks:
* When applying foundation, blend the makeup into your skin at the jaw line so there can be no trace of where makeup begins or ends.

* Use this brush for end-of-the-day foundation touch-ups, too. A light touch of foundation in a few key spots will revive and pull together your whole look - and it will keep you from having to start your whole face all over again.

* Even the weakest fingers generate a lot of pressure on the skin. The handle of a foundation brush alleviates force so you can apply product with no stress, strain or stretching to the delicate facial skin.

*With a light hand, tap or brush cream blushes onto the apples of the cheeks and up toward the cheekbone. The light application will let it melt into the foundation so the color appears to be rolling up through your skin.

*Tap whatever foundation remains on the brush over freshly applied powder blush. This will instantly give any powder blush the radiant appearance of a dewy cream blush.

My favorites: I love the Cover FX #130 foundation brush ($34) and the Sephora Brand Platinum Foundation Brush #47 is a great buy at $30.

-Nathan Johnson