Swap Makeup Sponges For Foundation Brushes This Summer - Here's Why

From shifts in climate to seasonal lifestyle habits, your makeup needs can vary greatly from month to month, which is why the start of a new season is the perfect moment to reevaluate your routine. As we enter summer, most beauty lovers are already stocking up on lightweight products and gathering their favorite sunscreens. However, you may not be aware that your tools, in addition to your products, need to change with the seasons.

If you're sorting through your makeup collection for the summer, there's one tool you should be extremely discerning about: the blending sponge. We all love the benefits of a makeup sponge, from its ability to soften and blur out our foundation to the perks of creative mini makeup sponge eyeshadow hacks. Sadly, while your beauty sponge is a handy tool to have around, it's far too dense and absorbent to be effective during those hot, humid months. Instead, all your summer beauty routine needs are the gentle touches of a soft foundation brush.

The soft texture of makeup sponges might make them feel like the right tool to use on a hot summer day, but it's actually counterproductive for your summer beauty needs. Every time you pick up your foundation with the sponge, some of the product sinks into the spongy material. As makeup artist and Saie educator Stevie Rose Adams tells Refinery29, many brands are moving away from silicone-based products, and "if your makeup is free of silicones, a sponge is going to soak up the product." 

Since lightweight silicone-free products are so popular, especially for skincare-focused summer makeup, sponges can pose a big problem. To apply the amount of foundation you want, you'll have to use more product than you need and repeatedly press the sponge into your skin to get it to transfer. While this can give you an attractive, blended-out result, it will also result in a thick layer of makeup, which is the opposite of what you want in the summer.

To avoid heavy makeup and irritated skin, opt for a foundation brush instead. A brush with fine, dense bristles will give you more control over product application and allow you to lightly graze your skin with a minimal amount of makeup, allowing it to breathe and avoid any pilling from your sunscreen. Plus, wearing makeup in thin layers will give you a gorgeously glowy, airy look that's ideal for the summer.

Using the right tools to apply your makeup in light layers is the key to having healthy, attractive skin during the warm months. Swapping out your sponges for brushes is a great start for setting yourself up for summer beauty success. After prepping your skin with moisturizer and SPF, pick up a small amount of liquid foundation with your foundation brush and lightly sweep it across your skin. Alternatively, you can apply the foundation directly to your face in small dots, using clean fingertips, and then softly blend it out with your makeup brush. While either method works, what's important is to use as little product as possible and brush it out into a thin sheen of color.

In terms of which makeup brushes to use, any medium or large foundation brush can get the job done. Be sure to choose a brush that's big enough to buff out makeup products with quick sweeping motions — a small brush will leave too much product concentrated in one area. If you aren't certain of what to use, look for a multi-purpose face brush, which should have sturdiness and bristle density to handle any of the makeup you might want to use in the summer.

Doing your makeup in hot weather doesn't have to be complicated — with simple habits like replacing your sponges with brushes, your skin can stay clean and glowing all summer long.