Foundation seems simple enough. It’s the first product that goes on and then one can move on to the more exciting stuff. Albeit, there’s a reason it’s called foundation - it forms basis for all that comes after and a strong base holds the power to bring your entire makeup look together. It may not be the most fascinating part, but it deserves your attention nonetheless.

We understand your confusion though – each beauty blogger swears by a different technique to achieve that flawless skin and trust us; we’ve tried it all. Here’s our pick of the top tools from brushes, beauty bullets, airbrushing and even those peculiar silisponges  – our search for foundation finish perfection has been all-encompassing.

Airbrush foundation

Airbrush machines are usually found in the beauty arsenal of professional makeup artists but are an investment worth trying. The deal is that they offer a lightweight, even coverage and the product is used sparingly so even though it’s initially expensive it pays off in the future. For the germophobes out there, the other added bonus is near-perfect sanitary conditions when compared to some other products. Less physical product getting on your equipment means less chance to slap bacteria all over your face. Our favourite is the Dior Diorskin Airflash Spray foundation - if you’d like to try it before making the big purchase then here’s a little tip: Lahore’s renowed makeup artists Maram Aabroo use this technique for their makeup.

Silicon pads

When we first saw this on Instagram we thought it could easily win the award for being the weirdest way to apply foundation, by a landslide. Immediately dismissing it as a passing fad, we didn’t really think much about it. Since then however, this transparent blob resembling a bra insert has stuck.  The non-porous and transparent surface has benefits that are twofold. It is meant to help you cut back on product waste because the foundation stays on your face rather than on the sponge. Besides that, you can see what you’re doing through the sponge. Problems faced with other techniques i.e. the soaking up all of your liquid makeup, being difficult to clean and creating an uneven finish were meant to be solved by this. It’s definitely worth a try! Magicometix stocks the economical Sili Magic Blender at PKR 1342.

Brushes

Brushes are a classic way to apply your foundation. There are so many different kinds that have been created to give precise coverage to specific areas of the face. The stippling brush, the buffing brush and the kabuki brush, to name a few. These tend to be flat with a tapered head and they’ll generally definitely give you an even finish. Investment in brushes of different sizes is a good idea - they also make for a wonderful tool for buffing loose powders and are also useful in blending out any contour lines ala Kim Kardashian.

Fingers

The ol’ fingers to the face blending technique is the best when applying light tinted moisturizers or BB creams. Since their texture is almost like a moisturizer, build up is not required, making it easy to achieve an even skin tone by hand. With liquid and cream foundations, your fingers actually warm up the product and help melt it into your skin seamlessly. Just remember to keep the fingers clean!

Beauty Blender

We remember the furor around this product when it first launched in the market. A couple of years later, it’s still around and there’s good reason for that. The Beautyblender sponge is a highly unique makeup sponge that, when wet, expands to nearly double its size and its egg shape allows it to be maneuvered in many different ways.  It also comes in different sizes and the latest adaptation is a ‘beauty bullet’ that goes on your finger. Magicosmetix stocks these ‘magic tips’ at PKR 1342. The only drawback for the lazy ones out there is that it is necessary to wash after each use and dry in open air.

Sonic Pulse applicator

The sonic pulse technology that these machines operate on mimic the tapping technique of applying foundation. They come with universal sponges so you don’t have to switch between liquid and powder applicators. Colour Me’s Automatic Applicator Pro Edition at $68 or PKR 7200 does the job well!