So, once the warmer weather rolls around, you’ll want a versatile tool that will enhance and not mask your sun-kissed skin. Novices and beauty buffs alike swear by the Silk Finish Brush for blending their base, and it’s easy to see why. This super-soft but densely bristled brush from Lady Gaga’s HAUS LABS range has a softly angled shape that mimics your finger, so it’s easy to sweep foundation into tricky corners around the nose or under the eyes.

As well as assessing how the bristles feel on the skin and any issues with shedding, we consider how balanced and comfortable the brush handle feels in the hand, and how easy it is to achieve precise coverage around tricky areas such as the nose. Not only will it rid your tools of the nasties that cause acne, blackheads and skin irritations to appear, but it’ll help keep your foundation brush in tip-top condition, too. While we love Zoeva’s Rose Golden collection, the Silk Finish Brush is also available in classic Black.The crimped bristles pick up just the right amount of powder for custom coverage and it’s easy to keep a firm grip when blending thanks to the tool’s chunky handle. The M439 can be used with liquid, cream or cream-to-powder foundations, and will leave your skin looking like you, but better. The handle is thick and easy to grip, but light enough to be manoeuvred easily around the face, allowing you to blend and buff your light-to-medium coverage foundation into the skin for a soft finish. We then observe how that foundation wears over a typical day, noting how well each application lasts. From buffing brushes to flat and angled tools, our pick of the best foundation brushes is guaranteed to get your makeup looking pixel perfect.

Using a mix of synthetic and natural bristles of varying length, the duo-fibre foundation brush evenly picks up, deposits and diffuses the product across the skin. The Real Techniques High Shine Mini Brush Set brings you the gift of maximum glow with 4 mini-sized makeup brushes that are perfect for taking on the go. Our favourite is the bareMinerals Original Powder Foundation Brush because its unique convex centre and silky soft brush head both help to provide an even and smooth finish.As the makers of the iconic orange make up sponge, the Miracle Complexion Sponge ®, we bring you the perfect sponges to help you: build coverage with liquid foundation, smooth on seamless powder, blend body make-up, and much more! With a beauty community of over five million, Real Techniques ® strives to inspire, educate, and empower our fans to make the most of their favourite products. A word of advice: we like to pay close attention to the jawline because no one wants a horrid tidemark.