Gone are the days of stripey skin and that un-buffed finish. Thanks to what seemed to be the start of a new revolution in flawless faces assisted by the launch of the Real Techniques multi-purpose Expert face brush followed by Sigma's Sigmax precision brushes promising perfectly dewy, second skin airbrushed beauty, we left our flat fellas in the dark, collecting dust while they neighbour our newly beloved faves.

The flat foundation brush was the first real makeup brush I had ever purchased. I bought it along with Rimmel's matte finish liquid foundation at the tender and inexperienced age of 15. It was a remarkable and poignant time in my life, not only because it guaranteed more coverage then my nubby little fingers could muster, but because I had properly garnered the clean professional disposition of "wannabe makeup artist".

After a few more years of literally NO complaints, YouTube had taken off like never before and 'Pixiwoo' lit a flame from within. Two extremely talented English roses melting what looked like a dream into their creamy white faces, leaving not a trace of imperfection. No strange brush marks below the eyes, no paint like residue around the neck, just perfect clean covered skin. So there I was like the rest of us, ditching the flat brush for a more soft luxuriously buffed finish. It felt like magic. However as time passed, and the novelty wore off, I found myself longing for my old flat mate. and it was then where I rediscovered the lost beauty of the flat foundation brush and the multiple things it can do for me.

1. Laying foundation (no fuzzy faces or concentrated neck lines)

The buffing technique is awesome, however I notice particularly if your cheeks have that soft peach fuzz, the "buffing motion" can in fact lift the hairs on your face while placing foundation right underneath, making your face appear more fuzzy then it actually is. Flat foundation brushes are great at laying down your foundation in one uniform grain. What this can also achieve is less concentrated areas where foundation tends to stick to one specific spot, most commonly found in dry or combination skin types especially around the jaw line and cheeks.

2. Primers

I've always believed primers work best when they are applied ON TOP of the skin as opposed to massaged in. Not everybody agrees, but I feel like it increases the longevity of my coverage as it isn't too deeply absorbed, and therefore is able to perform as a stronger base. Flat foundation brushes don't work to rub product in, but rather to cover the skin, which is very effective when applying primers or makeup bases.

2. Face Masks

If your a regular masker like myself the flat brush is a wonderful tool to apply masks of all kinds evenly around the face. I often apply masks with my fingers and I notice I put more product in certain areas than others, which can lead to drier or more oilier areas on my face depending on what mask I've chosen. Keep it clean and "spa-like" and use this baby as your masking mate.

3. Contouring and Highlighting

Have we forgotten how awesomely edged the top of this brush is!? It's fantastic to create sharp or blurred lines of contour, in particular down the nose and beneath the cheek bones. It also performs to conceal around a bold lip without it looking too harsh, as a small flat concealer brush might do.

4. Less Product Waste, Easy Washing

Another fab feature the flat foundation brush has to offer is the ease of cleaning and minimal product build up. Unlike the buffing brushes which have densely packed bristles and have a larger surface area where product can climb down the stems and get trapped at the root, the flat brush holds less product and is much easier to spread, meaning less product is used and therefore wasted. Plus it's a breeze to clean and sanitize thoroughly.


A nifty little reminder to cherish an old and valued favourite. Don't forget where you started ladies, it all began with the flat foundation brush. So tell me, what do you use yours for?

Jaz X