There are few things more annoying, in terms of makeup application, than overdoing your bronzer. Correcting it can lead to a whole world of other frustrations, mainly because bronzer tends to be one of the very last things you apply and so taking it off means disrupting the foundation beneath it.

I quite often have bronzer mishaps, because I’m always trying new products and I tend to proceed without any caution whatsoever – open the lid and plunge right in! I’ve lost count of the number of times that I’ve looked in the mirror, hours after bronzer-experimentation, to find that I have two very dark brown pools of colour on my cheeks or commando-style stripes of contour that I’ve drawn on but forgotten to blend in. It’s a good job I don’t get out much.

Anyway, a good brush to add to your brush collection, should you have such a thing: the Soft Complexion Brush* from the new Real Techniques PowderBleu collection. I have nicknamed it the “mistake eraser” because it is so good at buffing away harsh lines and taking down excess colour. Whether you’ve overdone it with your highlighter (snail trails on your cheekbones anyone?) or been too enthusiastic with the blusher, a quick buff with this soft, gentle face brush seems to seamlessly blend everything away.

Even if no real makeup sins have been committed, it’s quite handy do a final once-over with the “B03” (that’s its code name, if you’re searching online) to give your makeup a flawless finish. The Soft Complexion Brush has been primarily designed for applying and blending powder foundation, so I suppose it follows that it would be nifty at perfecting blusher and bronzer, softening edges and making sure that all of the elements look natural and fresh.

In the case of over-application, I find that the brush seems to lift excess colour without disturbing the foundation beneath it. Worth its weight in gold, if you tend to be heavy-handed or frequently apply your makeup in the dark! It has very soft bristles, meant to mimic real animal hair, but they are in fact synthetic. So a beautiful, silky-soft and non-scratchy feel, but completely cruelty-free.

You can find the Real Techniques PowderBleu range at Boots here* – the Soft Complexion Brush is £22.