“The Real Mom Review is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com."
A real mom of 4 reviewing various products & services with honesty & integrity. From natural beauty products to household items to groceries - the truth - so you can save dollars, time & sanity. No flames, no games, just a real mom reviewing.

Monday, April 28, 2014

Beauty Blender, Foundation Brush & Stippling Brush Comparison

Ever wonder which applicator you should use when applying your foundation?
Or if the Beauty Blender ($19.95) lives up to all the hype?
Yeah, me too.
which foundation applicator works best
 
So I did a comparison with 3 different applicators to see what, if any, difference there was.

I used my It Cosmetics CC Cream, which has been my go-to foundation for the last few months.
I did all 3 on the same day so you could see the results without any changes to my skin.
see coverage results for It Cosmetics CC Cream
I simply applied ONE pump of the CC Cream to my hand each time, and then used each applicator to put the foundation on (no primer or anything). I gently washed each application off after taking a snapshot, then moved on to the next.
The difference in results was subtle. There were no dramatic differences; though, in my opinion, the foundation brush provided the LEAST coverage, while the stippling brush seemed to provide slightly more coverage than the others (as the picture below shows).
 
Best way to put on foundation

So which one is best?
Well, it depends on you and what you want.
Some people want more coverage, while some don't like heavy coverage. For me, it depends on the state of my skin. I was having a breakout at the time I did the comparison, so I wanted MORE coverage.
(BTW, I chose the breakout spot specifically to test, so you could see the coverage difference easier...it wasn't to gross you out, I promise.)
 
Also, you may get different results depending on the type of foundation you use. For example, cream vs. mousse, or stick vs. liquid. Unfortunately, I can't afford to buy all the different foundations and all the different applicators and check them all.
I DO think it's worth getting at least a knock-off of the BB to try out and see what you think. Also, it supposedly is great for applying or blending in cream blushes, and also to help blend in concealer and such.

Worth mentioning:
I do NOT like having to wet the beauty blender each day before using. It's not a deal-breaker, just an annoyance. Also, no matter what, I can't get the BB all the way clean, even using BB's own cleanser. So it always looks dirty. That said, I've been using it for a couple of months now each time I apply foundation, and have grown fonder of it. I may not buy one when this one gives out. I may just stick with a stippling brush.
Or, who knows? Maybe there will be some new, next-best-thing by then!
(I'm really excited to see the new Bare Minerals liquid mineral foundation with special applicator brush that is due on May 1st.)
http://www.newsforshoppers.com/bare-minerals-releases-new-liquid-foundation/36717830/
 
What do you use to apply foundation, and are you happy with it?