You can spend a small fortune on the right foundation and rack up quite the palette collection (ehem, guilty) but it's no good if you're not using the right tools. There are endless brushes out there that all claim to make you look flawless so it can be difficult to know which ones to fall for.
Here are my current favourites that I wouldn't be without:

Foundation

Real Techniques Expert Face
For years I would apply foundation with my fingers because any brush I tried seemed to just look streaky and uneven. I began using foundation brushes only a few years ago but was never totally impressed until I started using the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush. It applies foundation easily and evenly and has medium density so you are able to apply medium coverage but also build your base up to full coverage. It's great for all liquid foundations and is an absolute staple in my brush collection.


Bare Escentuals Full Flawless Face
For powder foundations I've only ever used the Full Flawless Face brush by Bare Escentuals. I'll be honest, I usually stick with my liquids or BBs, but on the add occasion I do go for powder or mineral, this is the one. I wouldn't describe it as soft, but it's not as scratchy as other natural fibre bristles and get's the job done well because of the density and length. I will be trying out the Bare Minerals Original Foundation with this brush this week so stay tuned for both an immediate and full review coming soon.

Powder

Real Techniques Blush Brush
The Blush Brush has extremely soft bristles (you can barely even feel them on the skin) and feels like pure luxury. Although it was designed for applying blush, as with most of my brushes I tend to have other uses for it. I like to lightly powder (because I'm ever afraid of the cakey-face syndrome) so the tapered tip helped me apply it just where I need (forehead, t-zone... you know the drill).

Bronze


The Body Shop Kabuki

I also use the Real Techniques Blush Brush for bronzing most of the time, but if I'm wanting a heavier dose, I'll whip out my The Body Shop Kabuki. It has by far the softest bristles I've ever felt. They're tightly packed so the density helps give a heavier coverage and apply more product to the face. I like to squeeze the bristles between my thumb and centre of my middle finger to make more of an oval shape, that way it fits perfectly into my cheek bone for a contour. I can't find it online anymore, but they've got a similar but slanted version  here.

Blush

Shadow



Bare Escentuals Eye Defining and  Bare Escentuals Tapered Eyeshadow
I've been using these brushes for eyeshadow for as long as I can remember. I've dabbled with others but nothing comes close to being as quick and easy to use as these lovelies. They're soft, malleable, and keep their shape and even though I've had them for many, many moons they haven't shed a single bristle. I like to sweep on a neutral-toned shadow with the eye defining brush, go in with a more intense colour with the tapered eyeshadow brush, and blend away with a mid-toned colour again with the eye defining brush. Perfect for an easy, everyday face.

Brows

What are your staple brushes that you just cannot go a makeup-day without?