For Awards Season 2015 VIOLET GREY is documenting Hollywood’s red-carpet necessities. The industry’s leading stars and artists will be nominating who they deem the best in various categories, from dinner clutch touch-up essentials to the most coveted facialists in town, for the #VIOLETawards series.

In cinema and television, as in beauty, every star needs a trusty sidekick. Lucy had Ethel, Maverick had Goose, and Gem had her Holograms. The same goes for makeup – foundation in particular. Rare is a moment when red carpet makeup artists apply face makeup without a product or tool to aid in a flawless finish. So much so that they’re often considered just as important as the actual foundation in the game of complexion perfection. So without further ado, may VIOLET GREY present the nominees for the best foundation sidekicks, selected by the artists who perfect the complexions of stars like Felicity Jones, Reese Witherspoon, and Dakota Johnson, below.