Best for: an HD finish

A stalwart in the beauty world, Bobbi Brown has built a reputation focused on fresh-looking makeup to enhance natural beauty since its inception. One of the ways it helps customers achieve this is with great tools - case in point, the full coverage face brush.

Ideal for liquid foundations, in particular, it helps glide the formula over the face quickly and evenly for an ‘HD’ finish. It can be used wet or dry, so will work if you favour a mineral powder foundation too.

Best for: dual use

If you want to achieve a finessed beauty look, nail the foundation and contour section with a little help from Huda. The brand has this double-ended brush ready to make light work of contour and foundation application.

The Build pyramid-shaped brush targets awkward and delicate areas, while the Buff brush is for blending and ‘baking’ - a technique that sees loose powder packed onto high-crease or oil-prone areas to help the foundation set and create a seamless finish.

Best for: travel

The short handle and domed bristle formation make this the perfect tool to use on the go. Use the soft brush to blend and buff foundation, bronzer and blush over your face and even your decolletage and other limbs if you’re going for an uber-glamorous look.

Best for: vegans

Crafted with vegan fibres and with a longer handle, Hourglass’ brush is shaped to mimic fingertip application, essentially making it an extension of your hand. It’s been designed to use with the brand’s Ambient Soft Glow Foundation, but will serve to buff and blend any foundation in your makeup kit to perfection.

Best for: foundation and concealer application

Offering two brushes for the price of one, It Cosmetics has designed its Heavenly 

 Perfection Brush to help you apply foundation as well as concealer with precision. The bristles are made from synthetic fibres which feel lovely and soft on the skin. A handbag hero, this brush makes it easy to reach tricky areas like around the nose and under-eyes while the larger end ensures you can buff the formulas in place without any streaky bits.

 

For light even coverage, a brush wins hands down over using your hands or fingertips. There’s just more control over the formula and where it’s going. Boots No7 Foundation Brush comes with a long stem to make it easier to hold and achieve a universally coveted seamless base. You can purchase it separately or in the No7 Essential Brush Collection bundle (£44.95) which comes with a bottle of brush cleanser too.

Best for: seamless coverage

Transform your beauty look with ease thanks to a little Charlotte Tilbury wizardry. The brand’s foundation brush has been hand-pulled by a master brush maker in Europe with the head the perfect shape and size for easy application. Dapple the formula over problematic areas first before buffing everything in for full and seamless coverage.

Also available at Charlotte Tilbury.

Best for: easy cleaning

Buff your skin to perfection with a helping hand from Ilia. This highly versatile tool helps to set complexion products faster and blends both cream and liquid products seamlessly into the skin.

Not only does it produce the cleanest finish, but it’s super easy to clean. Simply use mild soap and warm water to wash used formula off and revamp your brush arsenal.

Best for: building, blending and buffing

A cruelty-free foundation brush with butter-soft bristles, Rare Beauty’s take on the beauty bag essential is realised in a unique marquis shape to mimic the feeling of fingertips. The Selena Gomez-founded label suggests using a sweeping motion for sheer coverage, a circular motion for medium coverage and a stifling motion for maximum coverage.