In my quest for dewy, flawless skin, I've tried about every foundation application technique there is. Fingertips, odd-shaped sponges and, of course, brushes, were all in the mix. That is, until the Beauty Counterretractable complexion coverage brush ($32; beautycounter.com) hit my desk, and all the others became second best. At first glance it looked like a loose powder brush, but Christy Coleman, the head of creative design at Beauty Counter, assured me it was for liquid foundation.
The next morning, as instructed, I put a dab of my usual Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer in the palm of my hand and began dipping and swirling the brush in it. I used a similar swirling motion and whisked it around my face. The finish was radiant, not cakey, or as I like to say, lit from within. My skin also had a bare-faced feeling.
I tested the brush over the next two days with Chanel Vita Lumiere Aqua and Beauty Counter Tint Skin Complexion Coverage and the results were the same. Plus, the brush is made from soft, animal hair-free talon bristles, the allergy-free, cruelty-free alternative to animal hair. That's reason enough to give it a whirl.