I bought the Real Techniques mini expert face brush for £6 from boots.com. I planned to use it to apply makeup on the go and expected a compact travel-friendly tool.
I thought the handle would be smaller than a normal brush, but I was surprised to see that the head was also about half the size of what I was used to, which made it feel like a miniature precision brush.
This means it takes a little longer to buff out my base, but because it is smaller, I can really focus the product where I need the most coverage possible.
I mostly use it to put on liquid or cream products, but the fluffy bristles mean it would work well with powders as well.
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In the middle
A makeup brush with a flat tip, light-colored bristles, and a cream-coloured handle design.
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This tiny metal spatula is an unusual way to apply foundation, but it works really well. Credit: Supplied Morphe M109 Spatula Foundation Brush, £14, uk.morphe.com: I love full coverage foundation, so when the trend of using a tiny metal spatula to apply base products came around, I wasn’t even tempted to try it. It gave barely-there coverage that was never going to work for me.
This brush works on the same idea, but because the bristles are there instead of a flat metal surface, you can get a little more coverage by making sure the product is evenly worked into the bristles before gliding it over your face.
This is a completely different way to put on foundation, but you should try it if you like a sheer finish or if your skin is dry and flakes when you buff too much.
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High-end
A Clarins makeup brush with a heart-shaped head and a gold handle finish.
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This £39 foundation brush cut my application time in half. Credit: Supplied Clarins Gua Sha-Inspired Foundation Brush, £39, clarins.co.uk: This brush is shaped like gua-sha stones, which are used to help lymphatic drainage and shape the face. To be honest, I didn’t see why I needed it in my collection.
I took back what I said the first time I used it. The almost heart-shaped shape fits your face perfectly, and the densely packed bristles blend the product out in one swipe, giving you medium coverage and cutting my application time in half.
Instead of putting foundation directly on your brush, I’ve found that it works best to put it on the back of your hand and dip the brush into that.
The end result is perfect either way, though the second option may take more work.
