How to Apply Every Type of Foundation for the Smoothest Finish

How to Prep for Foundation

Moisturize Your Skin

The key to a flawless base is well-prepped skin, so make sure your face is clean and prepped with your favorite moisturizer. We like a lightweight yet hydrating formula, like the Youth to the People Superfood Air-Whip Moisture Cream, which sinks in quickly and layers well under makeup. To help de-puff and cool down your under-eyes before makeup application, we love the NYX Professional Makeup Face Freezie Reusable Cooling Undereye Patches.

Apply a Primer

Makeup primers help extend the wear of your makeup and can make your skin look glowy, matte or blurred, depending on the formula you choose. For a glowy look, go for the Urban Decay All Nighter Ultra Glow Primer, but if you prefer a matte finish, try the L'Oréal Paris Prime Lab Up to 24H Matte Setter. 

Liquid Foundation

Coverage Level: Varies

Recommended Skin Type: All Skin Types

Best Application Method: Varies

How to Apply Liquid Foundation

Applying Liquid Foundation With a Foundation Brush

Using a tapered foundation brush, paint the liquid onto your face using short, downward strokes. Move the product from the center of the face outwards. Make sure you blend down to the top of the neck to avoid a line of demarcation along your jaw. Pat and blend to erase any telltale lines or creases. For an even more seamless finish, pat on top of the foundation with a damp sponge.

Applying Liquid Foundation With a Stippling Brush

A stippling brush will give you more full coverage than other kinds of foundation brushes. Use a stippling motion (or, gently pressing the brush all over your face rather than sweeping it across your skin) for a full-coverage, camera-ready finish. 

Applying Liquid Foundation With a Sponge

Pour a small amount of foundation onto the back of your hand, then dot the product onto your face, starting where you want the most coverage (typically at the center). Then, take a damp makeup sponge and bounce it against your skin to evenly distribute and blend in the foundation. Use patting motions instead of dragging the sponge across the face — the latter will remove product and make the final results appear streaky. 

Applying Liquid Foundation With Your Fingers

Some makeup artists swear that no method gives quite the same flawless finish as using your fingers. Squeeze the foundation onto the back of your hand and use your fingers to warm it up. Apply to your face using circular motions, taking care to blend and distribute evenly.

Our Favorite Liquid Foundations

Maybelline New York Fit Me Matte + Poreless Liquid Foundation

If you want a matte, medium-to-full-coverage foundation, look no further than the Maybelline New York Fit Me Matte + Poreless Liquid Foundation, an oil-free, affordable formula that lasts all day. It comes in 40 shades and contains oil-absorbing clay to keep your skin matte and smooth all day. 

Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra Wear Care & Glow Foundation

With SPF 27 and a host of skincare benefits, this serum-infused foundation will be a welcome inclusion to your glowy makeup routine. It imparts a subtle glow that lasts all day and hydrates your skin with hyaluronic acid. 

Giorgio Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Foundation

This liquid foundation is a makeup artist staple. With a glowy, radiant formula and medium coverage, it evens out skin while layering on seamlessly, like a second skin. The oil-free formula leaves all skin types looking radiant and softly blurred, like your skin is under candlelight.

L'Oréal Paris True Match Super-Blendable Foundation

This drugstore foundation is formulated with six pigments and available in nearly 50 shades to perfectly match every skin tone and undertone, from fair to olive to deep. It’s easy to blend and feels lightweight, with buildable coverage and a natural-looking finish that strikes the perfect balance between matte and glowy.

Mineral or Loose Powder Foundation

Coverage: Light to Medium

Recommended Skin Type: Oily or Combination Skin

Best Application Method: Brushes

How to Apply Mineral or Loose Powder Foundation

Applying Loose Powder Foundation With a Rounded Kabuki Brush

The easiest way to apply loose mineral foundation is with a rounded kabuki brush. Use the brush and swirl around to pick up the powder. Then, tap off the excess product into the product’s lid and apply it all over your face using a buffing, swirling motion. Pay special attention to the nose, forehead and other areas where you may need extra coverage and shine prevention.

Applying Loose Powder Foundation With a Rounded Foundation Brush

As an alternative to a kabuki brush, some people prefer using a rounded foundation brush to apply loose powder foundation. The coverage will be more sheer and is often used when setting a liquid or cream foundation. Follow the same steps as the kabuki brush for application.

Applying Loose Powder Foundation With a Fluffy Powder Brush

If you want light coverage and a more natural look, use a fluffy powder brush. Tap the brush lightly into the loose powder and sweep the brush across the face, focusing on the T-zone and then moving outwards. Be sure to tap off any excess powder into the product’s lid before dusting it onto your face. 

Our Favorite Mineral and Loose Powder Foundation

NYX Professional Makeup Mineral Finishing Powder

This loose mineral powder is one of our favorites because it leaves behind a flawless finish and is perfect by itself or layered on top of other complexion products. Because the coverage leaves behind just a veil of color, many skin tones can use the same shade.

L’Oréal Paris True Match Mineral Loose Powder Foundation

This loose foundation comes with a built-in brush that makes it perfect for adding coverage and soaking up shine while you’re on the go. It contains SPF 19 and has a soft matte, pore-blurring finish that makes your base routine look smoother and more flawless. 

The Good Mineral Loves You Back 3-in-1 Powder Foundation

Designed specifically with sensitive and acne-prone skin types in mind, this multitasking product is a lightweight foundation, concealer and powder in one. Available in 12 light-coverage shades, the formula is non-comedogenic, non-drying and gentle enough for all skin types.

PÜR 4-in-1 Pressed Mineral Powder Foundation SPF 15

With SPF, encapsulated retinol, shea butter and vitamin E, this mineral powder’s ingredient list reads more like a beloved serum than a foundation. But the multitasking product provides weightless, buildable coverage that looks natural and will leave skin smooth and plumped over time.

Pressed Powder Foundation

Coverage: Medium to Full

Recommended Skin Type: Oily or Combination Skin

Best Application Method: Varies

How to Apply Pressed Powder Foundation

Applying Pressed Powder Foundation With a Rounded Kabuki Brush

If you are using a pressed powder as your only form of foundation, use a rounded kabuki brush to achieve the same finish as if you were using a loose powder.

Applying Pressed Powder Foundation With a Beauty Sponge

For a more opaque finish, wet a beauty sponge and use it to apply the pressed powder to your face in dabbing motion.

Applying Pressed Powder Foundation With a Rounded Foundation Brush

The round, dome shape of this brush allows you to distribute powder foundation evenly. Swish the brush back and forth over the powder foundation using short, back-and-forth strokes, then press the powder in a slight rolling motion all over your skin for a smooth finish that doesn’t look cakey.

Applying Pressed Powder Foundation With a Puff

Many pressed powders come with their own puff. Use this for on-the-go touch-ups by patting the powder over any oil-prone section like your nose or forehead.

Our Favorite Pressed Powder Foundations

L’Oréal Paris Infallible Fresh Wear Foundation in a Powder

We are head over heels for the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Fresh Wear Foundation in a Powder. This mattifying foundation powder provides a matte finish and full coverage that feels surprisingly lightweight on the skin. Plus, it provides a blurring effect that lasts up to 24 hours. 

Maybelline New York SuperStay Up to 24HR Hybrid-Powder Foundation

Lancôme Dual Finish Powder Foundation

This long-lasting powder foundation fills many different roles — it can be applied wet or dry, on its own, on top of concealer or over a liquid foundation for added coverage. It can be used to mattify all skin types, from dry to oily, and leaves skin shine-free and soft. 

ONE/SIZE Turn Up the Base Versatile Powder Foundation

If minimizing skin texture is one of your main beauty goals, this powder foundation might become your new holy grail product. Formulated with rice silk powder and blurring microspheres, it leaves skin looking even, smoothed out and blurred, with medium to full coverage. Plus, it keeps your complexion matte for up to 12 hours. 

Cream Foundation

Coverage: Full

Recommended Skin Type: Dry and Mature Skin

Best Application Method: Varies

How to Apply Cream Foundation

Applying Cream Foundation With a Tapered Foundation Brush

Use a tapered foundation brush to paint the foundation onto your skin, starting from the center of your face and working outwards. Stipple and pat in the foundation afterwards to blend in any streaks.

Applying Cream Foundation With a Makeup Sponge

For a more sheer finish, use a damp makeup sponge with your cream foundation. Apply as you would a liquid foundation, paying extra care to blend and roll the product into your skin for even coverage.

Applying Cream Foundation With Your Fingers

Warm up the cream foundation with your hands and apply it directly from your hands to your face, as you would with a liquid foundation. 

Our Favorite Cream Foundations

IT Cosmetics CC+ Cream Oil-Free Matte Full-Coverage Foundation with SPF 40

Don’t be fooled by the words “CC cream” in this foundation’s name — unlike a BB cream, this product is seriously full-coverage. In addition to its camera-ready coverage level, it shields skins from UV rays and is infused with an anti-aging serum. Formulated with charcoal, colloidal clay and tea tree extract, it minimizes shine and gives skin a long-lasting matte finish.

Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra Wear Foundation Stick

This is a full-coverage, cream-to-powder foundation stick that helps minimize shine and stays put for up to 24 hours. With a built-in kabuki brush, you can glide this stick all over as your foundation, swipe it on select areas to spot-conceal or pick up multiple shades to highlight and contour. 

IT Cosmetics CC+ Nude Glow Lightweight Foundation + Glow Serum with SPF 40

For buildable, natural-looking coverage and a believable glow, we recommend this option from IT Cosmetics. It offers skin SPF and a boost of 24-hour hydration, courtesy of skincare ingredients like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and green tea extract. Over time, it even makes your natural skin appear more glowy and radiant, too. 

PATRICK TA Major Skin Créme Foundation and Finishing Powder Duo

This dual compact features a lightweight, medium-coverage cream foundation nestled alongside an air-spun setting powder that makes pores look practically invisible. We love this pick for travel and for a minimalist makeup routine. 

Balm Foundation

Coverage: Light to Medium

Recommended Skin Type: Dry and Mature Skin

Best Application Method: Varies

How to Apply Balm Foundation

Applying Balm Foundation With a Flat Foundation Brush

A flat-top foundation brush allows you to quickly press the product into your skin for slightly fuller coverage and a subtle blurring effect.

Applying Balm Foundation With a Makeup Sponge

To sheer out the formula, use a damp makeup sponge to press the balm into your skin.

Applying Balm Foundation With Your Fingers

Because most foundation balms are on the sheer side, they’re the easiest out of the bunch to apply with your fingers. Simply warm the product up between clean fingers, then dab and press where you want coverage

Our Favorite Balm Foundations

L'Oréal Paris Age Perfect Makeup 4-in-1 Tinted Face Balm Foundation

Balm foundations are great because they often have skin-loving benefits as well as light to medium coverage. We recommend this pick from L'Oréal Paris, which packs four benefits in one balmy formula. Overtime, it helps to firm skin, smooth the look of lines, conceal imperfections and even skin’s tone. 

Jones Road What the Foundation

This tinted balm glides on for a lightweight, your-skin-but-better effect. It blends in seamlessly with light to medium coverage and has your skincare needs covered with a cocktail of moisturizing ingredients like jojoba oil and sodium hyaluronate. 

Danessa Myricks Beauty Yummy Skin Blurring Balm Powder 

This innovative formula reduces the look of pores, blurs texture and adds light coverage. It’s a silky, balm-like product that comes with a built-in spatula for good hygienic practice. You can apply this on its own for light coverage, or layer it under your favorite foundation to smooth texture. 

Iris & Romeo Best Skin Days SPF 30

Get dewy, hydrated skin and the benefit of SPF 30 with this lightweight pick. It offers light to medium coverage and a buttery feel that helps restore skin’s natural radiance overtime. Makeup artist Katie Mellinger told Makeup.com that this foundation gives her “just enough coverage,” even when she applies it with her fingers.