The Clarisonic Foundation Brush Head applies your makeup at a rate of 18,000 “microblends” per minute. If speed is of the essence when you’re doing your morning face, read on…
Facial cleansing brushes such as the Clarisonic have a bit of a Marmite rep in the beauty industry: some swear by their polishing powers, others deem them too aggressive and appropriate for body and feet over face. Whichever camp you’re in, we’re taking a departure from the cleansing issue to move onto makeup- specifically a foundation blending brush head that claims to evenly apply makeup in 60 seconds or less. In our time-squeezed schedules, doing your makeup in a literal minute has got to be a modern marvel, but is it really any better than good old fashioned hand blending?
How it works
You’ll need a Clarisonic device to start with- the Foundation Blending Brush Head snaps onto any model and comes in at £32. The fluffy synthetic bristles claim to pick up liquid, powder and cream products effectively, but I can only vouch for liquid. I dipped the brush head into my usual foundation, turned on my Clarisonic and got down to business sharpish- if you hang around you could end up Jackson Pollack-ing your bathroom, and FYI, set it at the lowest speed. You definitely need to get into the swing of things with a few practice runs- I felt like I wasn’t fully in control at first, as if my foundation brush had turned into a runaway train across my forehead.
Once settled, application is super quick and satisfying, although product comes out fairly sheer, which is ideal if you don’t want too much coverage or hate heavy base, but you’ll need a few gos and some handiwork if you’re aiming to even out redness, acne or scars- I had to pat a little extra foundation onto my rosacea prone nose and chin with my fingers afterwards. Otherwise, there were no telltale lines or tidemarks in my foundation, and I really can believe the sub 60 seconds claim- it’s essentially the powertool of applicators.
Should you make the switch from a regular brush?
This is highly dependant on whether you already have a Clarisonic- personally I wouldn’t buy one purely to put on my makeup. The sonic brush is in another league compared to meticulously applying foundation with a standard brush, and it doesn’t soak up precious product as some sponges do, but then again you don’t quite get the control that handheld brushes allow. The buffing element is seamless, but even though the brush head is very soft, I can imagine it posing a risk of further irritation if you have reactive skin or active acne and go a bit too gung ho. Despite that, it is both anti-microbial and extremely easy to clean, which is positive from a skin health point of view, and as long as you don’t apply too much pressure, it makes literal and metaphorical light work of applying liquid base, but it’s nothing you couldn’t achieve will a regular foundation buffing brush and a little more time. If you’re already a Clarisonic fan, definitely go forth, but while it blends well and subtracts valuable minutes from your makeup regime, I’m not sure it moves makeup mountains for me otherwise.
Clarisonic Foundation Blending Brush Head, £32, buy online