What is the best drugstore foundation brush?
The beauty world is peppered with whole collections of brushes — some for powder, some for cream, some for liquid 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.
Best Drugstore Foundation Brushes: The Best Affordable Foundation Brush Options
- Dior Light Coverage Foundation Brush
- bareMinerals Beautiful Finish Face Brush
- Lamora Kabuki Flat Top
- Revlon Foundation Brush
- INIKA Vegan Pro Kabuki Brush
- Sisley Powder Brush
| BEST PICKS | PRODUCT | NAME | PRICE | PRIME | SHOP | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BEST FOR LIQUID | Christian Dior Backstage Brushes Professional Finish Fluid Foundation Brush | Prime | Buy on Amazon | Buy Dior Professional Brush on Amazon | ||
| BEST FOR POWDER | bareMinerals Beautiful Finish Brush | Prime | Buy on Amazon | Buy bareMinerals Brush on Amazon | ||
| BEST FOR CREAM | Lamora Flat Top Kabuki Brush | PrimeEligible | Buy on Amazon | Buy Lamora Kabuki Brush on Amazon | ||
| BEST FOR GENERAL APPLICATION | Revlon Foundation Brush | Prime | Buy on Amazon | Buy Revlon Foundation Brush on Amazon | ||
| BEST VEGAN/CRUELTY-FREE | INIKA Pro Vegan Kabuki Brush | PrimeEligible | Buy on Amazon | Buy INIKA Vegan Kabuki Brush on Amazon | ||
| BEST SYNTHETIC | Sisley Powder Brush | Prime | Buy on Amazon | Buy Sisley Powder Brush on Amazon |
Prices and images pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Best Drugstore Brush for Liquid Foundation
Dior Light Coverage Foundation Brush
While not exactly drugstore-priced, this brush is available in some drugstores and is worth mentioning!
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.
The brush 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 dense brushes is that you will have difficulties keeping it clean.
CHECK LATEST PRICE ON AMAZONPros
- Dense brush provides full-coverage
- Soft and velvety
- Easy application
- Bristles positioned at an angle for hard-to-reach areas
Cons
- Because it is very dense, absorbs product easily
- Can be difficult to clean
Best Drugstore Brush for Powder Foundation
bareMinerals Beautiful Finish Face Brush
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.
It has a convex center and perfectly finished synthetic bristles.
The brush can fully cover your skin in a few loose movements, without caking your face 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.
CHECK LATEST PRICE ON AMAZONPros
- Full-coverage
- Smooth, easy and quick application
- Extra-large brush
- Velvety feel
Cons
- None
Best Drugstore Brush for Cream Foundation
Lamora Kabuki Flat Top
This brush comes at a bargain price, and it is ideal for applying cream foundation. It blends in the product quickly, effortlessly, and it is incredibly versatile.
>You can also use it with any other creams or liquid products. The bristles are very dense, which ensures an even application.
In addition, itt has a luscious feel.
CHECK LATEST PRICE ON AMAZONPros
- Flat top ensures full-coverage
- Dense bristles for even application
- Luscious feel
- Versatile
Cons
- Not suitable for achieving a natural or light finish
Best Drugstore Brush for All-Around Makeup Application
Revlon Foundation Brush
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.
It has a unique handle that offers the ultimate and comfortable grip.
CHECK LATEST PRICE ON AMAZONPros
- Flat brush for all-around application
- Ultimate comfort
- Unique handle shape for a better grip
- Soft feel
Cons
- Requires a buffing/blending brush at the end to achieve a streak-free finish
Best Vegan and Cruelty-Free Option Drugstore Foundation Brush
INIKA Vegan Pro Kabuki Brush
Our top vegan and cruelty-free certified brush is a kabuki. It comes with a higher price tag, but it is definitely worth every cent.
Apart from its certification, the brush is a professional-quality accessory, from the build of the handle to the tips of the bristles.
It blends the foundation well, creating a flawless look. What is more, it includes a case, so you can keep it safe and away from dust and debris.
CHECK LATEST PRICE ON AMAZONPros
- Professional quality
- Flawless finish
- Vegan, cruelty-free
- Includes protective case
Cons
- A bit more expensive
Best Synthetic Drugstore Foundation Brush
Sisley Powder Brush
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.
CHECK LATEST PRICE ON AMAZONPros
- Large brush for quick coverage
- Extremely soft bristles
- Rounded head and wavy fibers
Cons
- Not suitable for liquid foundation
Our Top Pick
Our favorite is INIKA Vegan Pro Kabuki Brush as the best ratio between value for money and quality, and also for its vegan, cruelty-free certification.
It is a bit on the expensive side, but the protective case and its professional quality ensure long performance and a very long time among your other brushes.
What’s more, if you consider it comes with a protective case, it starts to make sense why it is a little extra compared to other products.
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.
If you are a fan of liquid foundation, 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 dense brush, which is ideal for liquid type of foundations.
Oval, thick 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.
Best Drugstore Foundation Brush: Final Thoughts
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. Make sure you take care of all your makeup brushes by cleaning them regularly and storing them appropriately.
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.
Lastly, a high-quality foundation is just as important as a high-quality brush to match it. Fortunately, you now have all the information you need to find the perfect combination for your needs.
Don’t forget to take care of your brushes by storing them in a cosmetic brush bag!
Check out more posts on our blog:
- Buffing Brush vs Stippling Brush
- What Makeup Brushes are Used for What
- Do You Clean Your Makeup Brush Case
- Beauty Concepts Brushes Review
What are some of your picks for best drugstore foundation brush? We’d love to know!
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Comments (4)
I agree with you that dense/flat brushes work so well for liquid foundations, but that Revlon brush looks so cool too!!
Love denser and flat brushes for spreading all that liquid evenly!
This is so helpful! Thanks for sharing!
You’re very welcome, thanks for stopping by, Rach!
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