Why I swapped foundation brushes for a beauty blender (and you should, too!)
Lets just start off by saying that I used to hate beauty blenders. I found them awkward, smudging my makeup off completely rather than letting it sink in nicely. After giving it a couple of go's, I ended up chucking it to the back of my drawer, and it wasn't until these last few weeks that I've picked it back up, just to absolutely fall in love with it.
I've relied on my handy Expert Face Brush by Real Techniques for years, buying new ones when needed rather than trying anything new. It really is a great brush for beginners, but I've noticed it's left my skin looking a bit dull. Like I said, it's only been recently that I picked up a beauty blender - well, a cheaper dupe of the official brand. I started using it for my under-eye concealer, realising that the swiping motions I had been using before were just all wrong - instead, a bouncing, pressing motion when a damp blender is best. That's when I decided to give it a try for my foundation, and found that the coverage was so much more natural, pressing it into the skin rather than sitting on top noticeably.
As well as a natural, glowing finish, I realised that my brush was actually soaking up a lot of product. Although I clean my brushes regularly, it was starting to become stiff with product that should have been on my face and therefore leaving streaks that were far from natural. It became time consuming to buff out these lines, and it just didn't last as long because the product was sitting on the face, giving it the potential to be easily wiped away.
Yes, I will admit that the blender does soak up some product, but I just found it cleaner and more hygienic as you soak it in water before using it, despite staining occurring. The brush took a lot longer to clean due to the thick, stiff hair so I didn't have time to clean it nearly as often. It felt like germs were constantly being spread around my face from where I'd left the brush in a makeup bag or drawer, whereas the blender just sits in some water for a few seconds before being squeezed out until damp - it's such a quick process, and seeing the access dirt and product drain into the water makes me feel so much better about what I'm putting on my face.
The beauty blender is a lot easier to use than you'd think - I only had trouble because I was using it completely wrong. Don't swipe or rub as you would with a brush, but instead softly bounce it as you press down into the skin. The blender should also be damp, feeling fluffy rather than dense and expanding to double it's size.
So girls, do you love the beauty blender or do you stick to the traditional foundation brush?