Best Overall

BK Beauty 101 Contoured Foundation Brush

$34 at AmazonView on Bkbeauty.com

Bristle Type: Synthetic| Cruelty-Free: Yes

If you frequent BeautyTok, chances are you’re familiar with this beloved foundation brush. Not only is it a fan favorite and an editor favorite, but it also received extremely high praise during our test. The ergonomic design features a rounded and slightly angled brush head that works to buff and blend foundation across the skin quickly, whether it’s liquid, cream, or powder. It’s relatively large compared to others we tested, so while it’s not ideal for targeting small crevices on the face, it does a fantastic job of creating a smooth veil of coverage in just a minute or two. 

The synthetic bristles are incredibly soft to the touch and packed with the perfect density. They’re not so loosely packed that they create streaks on the skin, but they’re also not so dense that the brush feels hard. Lastly, we were impressed that no brush hairs frayed or shed during application or while washing it.

Nikki, tester with dry skin: “The brush gave even, streak-free coverage that blended into my skin beautifully. It was very easy to blend the foundation, and it did a good job at buffing and creating a perfect finish.”

Best Overall, Runner-Up

Saie The Base Brush

$30

$23 at Amazon$30 at SephoraView on Saiehello.com

Bristle Type: Synthetic| Cruelty-Free: Yes

Another slightly more affordable brush option that we were impressed by is this Saie Base Brush. With a fairly short and chubby design, it’s compact, easy to control, and can even stand upright on your vanity. The bristles are soft and delicate on the skin, and the minimally rounded top makes for smooth buffing and blending. 

We noticed that it created minor streakiness when swiping it across the skin or not blending foundation thoroughly, but this is easily avoidable by using circular motions to blend. Aside from the nice design and super soft bristles, we love that it isn’t just great for applying foundation, it’s also excellent for subtly sculpting your cheekbones with cream bronzer or contour thanks to the medium size.

Stacey, tester with dry skin: “The bristles are soft to the touch and feel pillowy. I would use this brush not only for foundation, but also for other products like cream blush or bronzer.”

Best Budget-Friendly

Real Techniques Expert Face Makeup Brush

$8

$7 at Amazon$10 at Ulta$9 at Target

Bristle Type: Synthetic| Cruelty-Free: Yes

Real Techniques has been making affordable and high-quality brushes we love for many years, and this one is among the best in their line. The handle is sturdy and easy to grip, and the bristles are soft and gentle on the skin. Because the bristles are tightly (but not too tightly) packed, they’re able to effectively buff in the foundation, creating a smooth, even finish. We also appreciated that the brush didn’t soak up a ton of foundation and the hairs didn’t fray or shed one bit. The brush head is relatively small, meaning that it takes a bit of time to blend across your entire face, but this also means that it’s excellent for applying liquid highlighter or contour in more targeted areas. 

Michelle, tester with combination skin: “The brush gave great coverage and blended the foundation beautifully and evenly. The shape of the brush head seemed to allow for the perfect application of foundation and gave a smooth finish. It held onto a very small amount of the foundation and transferred the rest nicely onto the skin.”

Best for Powder Foundation

It Cosmetics Heavenly Luxe Buffing Foundation Brush #6

$50

$39 at Amazon$50 at Nordstrom$50 at Macy’s

Bristle Type: Synthetic| Cruelty-Free: Yes

A lot of brushes are designed to be best for applying liquids, others are best for applying powders, but some, like this one from IT Cosmetics, are great for both. With a large, dense, flat-top design, it works to pick up and buff powder formulas into the skin beautifully. We also loved how nicely it blended out liquids—just a few swipes allowed us to blend liquid foundation across the face with a smooth and streak-free finish. And because the brush head is pretty large, it gets the job done quickly. Although it’s pricey compared to other options on our list, the nice quality (think no shedding or fraying), and how well it works for multiple formulas make it a worthwhile investment—especially if you wear powder foundation consistently. Do note the white hairs can be difficult to keep clean.

Stacey, tester with dry skin: “I was very impressed with the coverage this provided. It glided on seamlessly and evenly and blended easily without streaking. It only required a few swipes for the product to be fully blended.”

Best for Precise Application

Hourglass Ambient Soft Glow Foundation Brush

$49 at Amazon$49 at Sephora$49 at Ulta

Bristle Type: Synthetic| Cruelty-Free: Yes

Hourglass makes some incredibly luxe makeup, and their brushes are equally as high-quality. This one is fantastic for foundation application and is effective for blending liquid formulas across the skin and in hard-to-reach areas, thanks to a compact brush head. The shape of the brush is an oval with pretty densely packed bristles—it was designed to mimic fingertip application which allows for precision and control. 

We absolutely adored how well it worked to create a seamless blend, and the bristles are arguably the softest of the brushes we tested, making it nice for those with sensitive skin. While the small design does mean that it takes a bit more time to blend foundation across the entire face compared to others on this list, it’s certainly large enough to get the job done with a bit of patience.

Amy, tester with combination skin: “The small size and the oval shape of the brush allowed for an even application and distribution of foundation. The bristles are so soft to the touch that they remind me of animal fur, and I was able to fully blend the foundation all over my face.”

Best Flat Brush

Sephora Collection PRO Foundation Brush #47

$34 at Sephora

Bristle Type: Synthetic| Cruelty-Free: No

“Flat foundation brushes are used like a classic paintbrush to get a good amount of product applied directly to the face, but really aren’t designed to work the product into the skin,” says makeup artist Kasey Spickards. Because of this, flat foundation brushes have been used by makeup artists on models for television, photoshoots, and runways since they often yield sufficient coverage. 

Interestingly, we did find that this particular option soaked up quite a bit of the product, which isn’t typical for flat brushes. While this did make the brush a bit harder to clean, we still found that it delivered great coverage with a smooth and even finish. The bristles are very soft and a bit fluffier than a lot of flat foundation brushes, which helped to create a lighter, more airbrushed finish. Though it’s not ideal for buffing product into the skin, the slightly fluffy bristles make it easier to blend than others with a similar design. We also appreciated that the shape of the brush allowed us to apply foundation in hard-to-reach areas, like the crease of the nose and around the eyes. 

Stephanie, tester with acne-prone skin: “The round but fan-like shape makes the application process seamless, and I only needed a few strokes and one to two layers of the product for full coverage. The bristles are also quite soft to the touch, and the feeling is like a plush velvet on my face.”

Best Design

Laura Mercier Real Flawless Foundation Brush

$46

$40 at Amazon$46 at Ulta$46 at Nordstrom

Bristle Type: Synthetic| Cruelty-Free: No

This brush thoroughly impressed us during our test for various reasons, the main one being how great the design is. The handle is extremely sturdy and comfortable to hold, but it’s the teardrop-shaped head that sets it apart. The top is pointed, which makes it easy to blend foundation into crevices on the face, and the bottom portion is larger and rounded, allowing you to blend larger areas of the face efficiently. And because the entire brush head has a rounded, dome-like shape, it helps you achieve a smooth, streak-free finish.

The bristles feel super soft and gentle on the skin, and we didn’t experience any fraying or shedding during the test. While this brush did soak up quite a bit of the foundation, which made cleaning it a bit of a pain, this also means that it prevents you from overapplying and ending up with a cakey finish.

Mandy, tester with combination skin: “I like that the brush head is slanted and shaped like a triangle/teardrop to effectively cover the curves of my face. The bristles are soft to the touch and smoothly spread the foundation, and I was able to fully blend the foundation all over my face easily.”