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Best Drugstore Foundation Brush: Affordable Makeup Brushes for Flawless Foundation Application

Published By Categorized as Makeup Tips

The beauty world is peppered with whole collections of brushes — some for powder, some for cream, some for liquid makeup foundation. But not everyone is a makeup artist and knows which one to use and when. So if you’re here, be ready to learn what you need to know about the best drugstore foundation brushes and what they are used for. Check out our recommendations as well for quality and affordable drugstore makeup brushes for foundation!

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Table of Contents

Best Drugstore Foundation Brushes: What is the best drugstore foundation brush?

BS-MALL Face Foundation Powder Liquid Cream Oval Makeup Brushes Set Synthetic Makeup brushes(Pack of 6)

Here are our picks for best drugstore makeup brushes for foundation, as well as makeup brushes that can be found at various drugstores. Choose the best affordable foundation brush option for you and your budget!

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Best Drugstore Foundation Brush for Liquid Foundation

e.l.f Stippling Brush

Elf Cosmetics Beautifully Bare 96003 Stipple Brush
  • Ergonomically shaped handle provides expert control
  • Two layers of hair apply soft layers of color for an airbrushed result
  • Stipple hair dots on the product for a smooth and diffused finish
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Best Drugstore Foundation Brush for Powder Foundation

bareMinerals Beautiful Finish Face Brush

bareMinerals Beautiful Finish Brush, 0.3 Ounce

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Although the bareMinerals face brush was designed to be matched with their own mineral powder foundation, it works just as well with any other brand.

This drugstore foundation brush has a convex center and perfectly finished synthetic bristles. The brush can fully cover your skin in a few loose movements, without your foundation looking cakey or achieving a flaky look.

If you are all about a quick foundation application in the morning, the bareMinerals face brush is all you need to complete your brush collection.

Makeup Brush Pros and Cons

  • Full-coverage
  • Smooth, easy and quick application
  • Extra-large brush
  • Velvety feel
  • Excellent densely packed bristles
  • No cons

Best Drugstore Foundation Brush for Cream Foundation

EcoTools Travel Kabuki Brush

EcoTools Travel Kabuki Makeup Brush for Foundation, Blush, Bronzer, and Powder, Retractable
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Ecotools is a reliable brand for sturdy yet affordable makeup brushes. This Ecotools travel brush comes at a bargain price, and it is ideal for applying cream foundation

RELATED: How to Apply Cream Foundations

It blends in the product quickly, effortlessly, and it is incredibly versatile. This kabuki brush can apply right amount foundation, blush, and bronzer.

As with most kabuki brushes, you can also use it with any other liquid or cream products (or even cream to powder foundation). The bristles are very dense, which ensures an even application.

In addition, this member of our best drugstore makeup brushes picks has a luscious feel. You can pack it in your suitcase to go with you where you need!

Makeup Brush Pros and Cons

  • Flat top ensures full-coverage
  • Dense bristles for even application
  • Luscious feel
  • Versatile
  • Not suitable for achieving a natural or light finish
  • May be too small to cover whole face right away

Best Drugstore Foundation Brush for Makeup

Revlon Foundation Brush

Revlon Foundation Brush
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From well-loved drugstore brand Revlon comes our next pick. If you want a more complex, all-in-one product, we recommend the soft Revlon Foundation Brush.

It is a flat brush ideal for all-around application, with luxurious, velvety-smooth bristles that help the foundation get into the skin without effort. If you’re looking for the best foundation brush that’s soft and easy to maneuver, this one’s it!

It has a unique handle that offers the ultimate and comfortable grip.

Drugstore Makeup Brush Pros and Cons

  • Flat brush for all-around application
  • Ultimate comfort
  • Unique handle shape for a better grip
  • Soft feel
  • Requires a buffing/blending brush at the end to achieve a streak-free finish

Best Foundation Brush: Vegan and Cruelty-Free Drugstore Brush

Real Techniques Retractable Kabuki Brush

real Techniques Retractable Kabuki Brush
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Our top vegan and cruelty-free certified brush is a kabuki. It comes from one of the most well-known affordable brush brands, Real Techniques, and it is definitely worth every cent.

Apart from its certification, this Real Techniques kabuki brush is a professional-quality accessory, from the build of the handle to the tips of the bristles.

RELATED: Best Drugstore Kabuki Brush

This pick for best foundation brush blends the foundation well, creating a flawless look. What is more, it is a retractable brush, so you can keep it safe and away from dust and debris.

Drugstore Makeup Brush Pros and Cons

  • Professional quality synthetic bristles
  • Flawless finish
  • Vegan, cruelty-free
  • Easy to store and bring in your makeup kit
  • Brushes may not be as soft as higher-end kabuki brushes

Best Synthetic Drugstore Foundation Brush

Sisley Powder Brush

Sisley Sisley Blush Brush

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The Sisley Powder Brush comes with a rounded head, facilitating application and blending the foundation smoothly.

The synthetic fibers are wavy, incredibly soft, and ideal for creating a flawless natural finish with full coverage, even to the hard-to-reach areas.

Drugstore Makeup Brush Pros and Cons

  • Large brush for quick coverage
  • Extremely soft bristles made of synthetic fibers
  • Rounded head and wavy fibers
  • Not suitable for liquid foundation

Our Top Pick: Best Drugstore Makeup Brushes

Our favorite is the Real Techniques Makeup Blender Brush as the best ratio between value for money and quality, and also for its vegan, cruelty-free certification.

Real Techniques Makeup Blender Brush for Liquid Foundation, Versatile for Cream and Powder Foundations
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This dome shaped foundation brush is definitely affordable and of high quality. Its professional grade ensures long performance and a very long time among your other brushes.

Its synthetic bristles also make it very versatile. You can use it to pick up the right amount of liquid or cream or powder makeup. Its versatility and price tag make it a great all-rounder!

Dior Light Coverage Foundation Brush

Christian Dior Dior Backstage Full Coverage Fluid Foundation Brush N°12
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While not exactly drugstore-priced, this brush is available in some drugstores and is worth mentioning in our list of best drugstore makeup brushes!

What is best to apply liquid foundation? Our top recommendation for a liquid foundation is an extremely dense, thick brush, ideal for full coverage makeup. The bristles are positioned at an angle, so the foundation gets into all the hard-to-reach areas.

This pick on our list of best drugstore makeup brushes has a velvety, smooth feel to the touch, can be applied with ease, and provide full coverage. On the other hand, one common caveat to densely packed bristles in brushes is that you will have difficulties keeping it clean.

Makeup Brush Pros and Cons

  • Densely packed brush provides full-coverage
  • Soft and velvety
  • Easy application
  • Bristles positioned at an angle for hard-to-reach areas
  • Because it is very dense, absorbs product easily
  • Can be difficult to clean

 

What Brushes to Use for Foundation

Here’s a quick, general guide regarding what brushes to use, depending on the type of foundation you are using.

If you use powder foundation, you can choose a dense, bristled brush for full coverage, or a fluffy one to create a natural, “no-makeup” look. In terms of size, it is best to go for a bigger brush for powder foundation, so you can easily cover your face in only a few movements.

RELATED: Kabuki Brush vs. Powder Brush

If between powder or liquid foundationyou prefer liquid, you will find all the information you need in our post for which brushes are best for liquid foundation.

But long story short, you are looking for a densely packed brush, which is ideal for liquid type of foundations.

Oval, thick makeup brushes are what professionals use to create the perfect look. On a similar note, the cream foundation is thicker, so a flat, paint-like brush is what will achieve perfection. You can use it with ease to cover hard-to-reach areas under your eyes, using outward strokes.

 

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Best Drugstore Foundation Brush: Your pick of the best drugstore makeup brushes

And there you have it! Our 8 best picks for the best drugstore foundation brush.

There is no need to spend a fortune on a brush. Guaranteed, high priced ones often have perfect coverage and quality, but there are usually many cheaper options that help you achieve the same result. Hopefully you found a few you’d consider to be your best drugstore makeup brushes!

A clogged, dirty makeup brush will definitely cake up your skin and might even cause breakouts. Thus, keep your makeup accessories safe and clean, use the best products for your makeup, and you will be surprised how easy it is to achieve a flawless look. Make sure you take care of all your makeup brushes by cleaning them regularly and storing them appropriately. Don’t forget to give your brushes some TLC by storing them in a cosmetic brush bag!

Lastly, a high-quality foundation is just as important as a high-quality brush to match it. Fortunately, you now have more information you need to find the perfect combination for your foundation and makeup needs.

Check out more posts on our blog:

What are some of your picks for best drugstore foundation brush? We’d love to know!

By Ellis James

We design luxuriously glamorous bags, organizers and life essentials for you. At Ellis James Designs, it’s all about YOU. Your bag, Your way. Our exclusive designs are timeless, indulgent and most importantly inspired by you. What will be your first Ellis James Design?

4 comments

  4. I agree with you that dense/flat brushes work so well for liquid foundations, but that Revlon brush looks so cool too!!

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