The best foundation brushes for liquids, creams and powders

When it comes to a flawless make-up application, the tools you use are key – especially with foundation.

There's no shortage of make-up brushes to shop either, with high-street and luxury brands alike offering a plethora of designs to help you blend your base products seamlessly.

However, rather than trawling through the hundreds of make-up brush brands, we've carefully selected our favourite 12, spanning a range of budgets and abilities.

Whether you prefer a liquid, cream or powder foundation, our round-up has got you covered, featuring big-name brands such as Bobbi Brown, MAC, Real Techniques, E.L.F and more.

If you're looking to blend full-coverage formulas, we'd recommend opting for densely packed bristles for an even distribution of product, whereas powders work best with fluffy brushes, and duo-fibre stippling brushes can deliver a natural finish with cream products. Read on to shop our favourites.

The best foundation brushes for your make-up bag

The Foundation Brush 002 - Hey Guys | £20 from By Joy Adenuga

Joy Adenuga is a professional make-up artist who is well-known for her bridal and red-carpet looks. Her range of make-up tools is some of the best money can buy and this one, in particular, is a worthy investment. The densely-packed bristles and flat-top design make it the perfect pairing with cream and liquid products. The fibres are vegan and evenly apply product across your skin for a flawless finish every time.

Kabuki Super Blender Brush 52 | £17 from Edy London

We love using this compact kabuki brush for full-coverage foundations. The bristles are super soft and clean well with losing fibers, and it glides across the skin with liquid products. It's versatile too, and the perfect design for blending cream bronzers in one speedy swipe.

Real Techniques Expert Face Brush | £9 from Boots

Real Techniques are our go-to affordable brush brand and offer a range of tools to compliment your entire make-up routine. This expert face brush is less than a tenner and is ideal if you're a novice when it comes to blending. The bristles are plush but dense and are perfect for smoothing on foundation.

bareMinerals Performance Foundation Brush | was £24 now £20.40 from Boots

This uniquely shaped brush has dense, tapered fibers designed to mimic the shape of your fingertips and the curved shape allows it to blend product into smaller areas, such as around the nose and eyes. It's a fantastic option for use with stick foundations, which often have a waxier consistency.

IT Cosmetics Heavenly Luxe Complexion Perfection Dual Foundation and Concealer Brush #7 | £36 from John Lewis

This It Cosmetics brush is the perfect all-in-one tool for blending large and small surface areas. The bigger side makes light work of liquid formulas and the smaller, denser brush works best to buff in targeted concealer under the eyes and to hide spots.

Space NK Brush 201 | £24 from Space NK

Space NK's own range of brushes are well worth a spot in your makeup bag. This flat paddle brush is perfect for painting on full-coverage cream and liquid products with not a streak in sight. It also has a rounded tip to comfortably blend your foundation into your facial contours.

Spectrum Collections B01 - Buffing Foundation Brush | £10 from Beauty Bay

This colourful domed brush is well-loved by Beauty Bay shoppers. One wrote: "I love this brush, it gives a really natural flawless application." It's vegan, cruelty-free and a fun budget buy.

Bobbi Brown Full Coverage Face Brush | £36 from John Lewis

This is Bobbi Brown's bestselling make-up brush and for good reason. Perfect for packing on an even application of powder and liquids, its bristles are super soft and ensure a smooth, airbrushed finish.

MAC 130S Short Duo Fibre Brush | £28 from John Lewis

MAC's brush range is a cult favourite among beauty lovers, and this is one of our favourites. It has a short, round, flat-topped design with synthetic fibres to buff in foundations, creams, emulsions and powder products with ease.

Foundation Kabuki Complexion Brush | £34 from Delilah Cosmetics

This ultra-compact, densely packed brush will deliver an instant airbrush finish on your skin and blends liquid products in mere seconds. For an added touch of luxury, it comes packaged in a velvet pouch, too.

Seamless Foundation Buffing Brush | £10 for members, £40 for non-members from Beauty Pie

The angled design of this brush allows you to blend foundation into nose contours and under the eye with ease. For £10, it's an absolute steal with a Beauty Pie membership and there are more than 450 five-star reviews singing its praises.

e.l.f. Ultimate Blending Brush | £6.50 from ASOS

This e.l.f. brush is one of our top-rated budget beauty buys and is designed for use with powder, mousse and liquid-based products. One happy ASOS shopper wrote in their review: "I absolutely LOVE this brush. It helps blend everything out perfectly and gives a natural finish. My favourite brush of all time!!"