It's so easy to apply by simply tapping the top of the cushion with the enclosed super soft, non-absorbent, anti-microbial puff. I tried other ways to apply, and honestly, the sponges (or specially designed puffs as they call it) that come with these cushion foundations, really are the best way to apply. After you get just a bit of the foundation onto the puff, blend it out over your skin until you have your desired coverage. If you need more coverage, tap and blend on more. Right out of the compact, the coverage is sheer — like your skin just better — but I use a bit more to hide some redness that I have. It does blur away imperfections and make skin look pretty flawless even without a ton of coverage. The end result is a slight glow or the look of luminescence; a real fresh look to the skin.