I have been really working very hard to get my buttercream really smooth like several other decorators but i just can't seem to get right. There are alot of decorators in my area that they say they do a faux fondant look with buttercream how in the world is this done?? thanks

I always use Viva paper towels to smooth my BC. That is the only way that I can get my BC smooth, I don't have any luck at all with parchment paper or by using the method of dipping your spatula in hot water and smoothing. The Viva works really well because there is no design on the towels that transfers onto the cake.

What if you're using a buttercream that doesn't really crust? One of the buttercream recipes I like to use stays soft so if I were to try and use a paper towel to smooth it, it would just stick. The spatula dipped in hot water method works to some extent but is there another way to get soft buttercream as smooth as the buttercream that crusts???