Beauty Product Reviews | Page 8

Best Foundation Brush I’ve Ever Tried

I am not exaggerating when I say that the search for the perfect foundation brush is over! I have tried quite a few foundation brushes only to go back to the beautyblender. Before trying out the FU-PA 03, I have found that most foundation brushes require more effort to work the product into the skin than the beautyblender. In certain instances, I would actually have to follow up with a beautyblender after using a brush to apply foundation due to the streaking.

When I first tried the FU-PA 03, I was blown away by how effortlessly the brush glided the foundation onto my skin with absolutely no streaking. I only needed to work the foundation into the skin minimally before achieving a result I have never seen with any foundation brush. My foundation looked so smooth with my Jouer Essential High Coverage Creme Foundation. I was just shocked by how plastic perfect my skin looked! Of course, this has to do with the foundation also as the Jouer is very high coverage. However, this is the most amount of coverage I have gotten from the already high coverage foundation. It is also the best result I have gotten with this foundation both application wise and with the finished result.

The brush is the perfect density to move the product around and spread it out seamlessly. The bristles are ultra soft on the skin and product washes out easily as well. I have recommended this to a client and I was happy to hear that she loves this brush too. I can’t wait to try this brush with different liquid and powder foundations and I’ll be sure to report back with the results!

Skin Like Texture

I used the shade Luminous Bronze Light from the shade range and find that it gives a very natural bronzed look on my NC 20/25 skin tone. The finish has a subtle radiance to it and a very skin-like texture. While some bronzers can turn out patchy on me even with lots of blending, this one just blends out effortlessly with my Wayne Goss 00 brush. While this shade gives me a very natural look, I would be interested in trying Radiant Bronze Light as it is just one shade deeper than this one. I’m so impressed by how seamless this bronzer is since I will sometimes experience a harsh line under my cheek bones with other bronzers. With this one, the border between the bronzer and the skin is completely undetectable.While the shade is suggested to be luminous, I certainly do not find it overly so as the effects with these powders are just so subtle and natural. I will be sure to try more Hourglass powder products after seeing how this bronzer does not cling on to any dryness on the skin whatsoever!

Gentle Yet Effective Brightener

Beta arbutin is the active ingredient in this serum that provides an overall brightening effect to the skin. This ingredient is derived from bearberry plants and has the effect of blocking the melanin development in the skin. I enjoy using beta arbutin along with other skin brighteners such as the niacinamide found in the Discoloration Correcting Serum and the Vitamin C Booster Powder. The reason why this serum works well with other skin brighteners is due to beta arbutin being released at a slow rate, making it less irritating to the skin. Beta arbutin is very gentle and does not generally having any sensitizing effects on the skin. If you happen to have very sensitive skin, a patch test is always recommended but this ingredient is overall very well tolerated.

There is a good amount of the active ingredient in this formulation to make it effective but like I mentioned, the mechanism in which beta arbutin works still makes it gentle. I have seen that this product works to bolster the brightening effects of the other actives I also use. I appreciate that there are three types of hyaluronic acid in the base of this product in order to give a plumping effect to the skin. I like to mix the Vitamin C Booster Powder into this serum as the first step of my morning routine and follow up with the Discoloration Correcting Serum. I cannot wait to see the results with continued use as there have been vast improvements with hyper-pigmentation in my skin.

Great Lightener for Sunspots and Acne Scarring

I find this to be a gentle yet effective product to target discoloration in the skin. Tranexamic acid has been shown in studies to help with signs of photoaging as well as hyper-pigmentation, which includes sun damage, age spots, and acne scarring. For me personally, this has helped fade sunspots I have acquired during the early 2000’s when having a tan was all the rage. I have also seen an improvement with my acne scarring, or more specifically, the red spots left over when the break out is gone. I have to admit that it has taken a month to see results but even hydroquinone will take that long for results to be visible. The same study I mentioned earlier has shown that tranexamic acid is as effective as hydroquinone in a 3% concentration against clinical signs of photoaging in a 12-week period. At that concentration, hydroquinone is a prescription ingredient that targets skin discoloration. I much prefer using the tranexamic acid since there is debate over the safety of using hydroquinone over time. It will take longer for the Discoloration Correcting Serum to show results since it is not a prescription product but I feel that a gentle approach is better in the sense that I can potentially layer other actives with this product to bolster the skin brightening effects.

I almost forgot to mention that there is also niacinamide in this formulation, which will work to improve the overall tone of the skin since it has a brightening effect. Niacinamide will also improve the texture of the skin over time by reducing pore size. This product, along with the Daily Brightening Serum and the Vitamin C Booster Powder are the trifecta for overall brightening and fading discoloration in the skin. I will be looking forward to the effects from this product along with the other two products with continued use since the initial results are very promising!

Great Acid Product Even for Seasoned Users

I have been using a glycolic acid product of at least 10% concentration day and night over the course of many years. I will make sure to use sunscreen if I do use acids during the day. I honestly didn’t think this was going to be as effective as there is only 8% concentration of glycolic acid, less than 2% lactic acid and .1% salicylic acid. I was pleased to discover that this formulation still gives me a bit of a tingle upon application and is just as effective as a 10% glycolic acid lotion I had been using! Alpha hydroxy acids work to chemically exfoliate the dead skin cells on the epidermis, revealing soft and radiant skin upon each use. They even have an effect on surface hyper-pigmentation over time due to the exfoliation process. This also eliminates the need for manual exfoliation, which may damage the skin if the granules in the formulation are not perfectly round. The effectiveness of this product I have experienced for my skin just goes to show that the percentage of ingredients is not always the best indicator of efficacy but rather the way the product is formulated in order to ensure the best absorption of the active ingredient.

I also appreciate the salicylic acid, or BHA within the formulation as it is oil soluble and will help clear pore congestion. Although the concentration of this ingredient is small, BHA is still more effective than the natural alternative, willow bark extract found in many natural skincare products. The citrus essential oils in the formulation is much lower than the threshold that would cause photosensitivity and it should not have any sensitizing effects on the skin. If you’re just starting out with acids, I would recommend slowly incorporating this into your routine by following the recommended usage of once a week. I strongly believe that acids can benefit many skin types by improving the texture and tone of the skin. For sensitive skin types, a patch test is recommended. This a great acid product for both beginners and even seasoned acid users such as myself as long as it is used appropriately!

Blends Effortlessly

As someone who has a lot of space between my eyelid and my brow, the Detail Pro is the eye brush of my dreams! I use this brush exclusively to apply the transition shade above my crease and it does the job beautifully. The brush picks up the perfect amount of color each time and diffuses it effortlessly. The way this brush works is not unlike someone so talented that what they do is just as effortless as breathing. This brush will blend out the color so well that I don’t even need to go in with a second brush to blend out the edges! If you hear me talk about this brush in person, I’m sure you would be overwhelmed by how excited I get.

My love for this brush really started with the Mac 224, which is similar in shape but slightly smaller and not even close in softness. Then came the Smith 232, which is also similar in shape to the Detail Pro but again, it is smaller. I still use my Smith 232 in the crease due to the slightly smaller size but if you have lots of lid space and likes to lay down the transition in a wider area, this is the ideal brush! This is basically a jumbo sized crease brush but you can also use it to set powder under the eyes while buffing out any creases or contour your nose. It becomes a very useful face brush if you do a lot of detailed work.

Beyond the beautiful aesthetic of the mix of dyed and undyed Saikoho goat bristles, I see that this was done so in a functional way as well. If you look closely, the undyed goat bristles are set into the brush at a shorter length than the dyed bristles. While the longer dyed bristles will pick up and deposit the product, the shorted undyed bristles will help to blend when the brush is pressed lightly onto the skin during application. The attention to detail is simply unmatched!

Best Packing Brush

I was more than excited when Sonia G first came out with this brush due to the shape being almost the same as that of the Mac 239. I started collecting Mac brushes in college and amassed a full set that I had been working on replacing with artisan made Japanese brushes. The Mac 239 was the last hold out that I could not find a better alternative or replacement for until the arrival of the Builder Three! While this brush is similar shape wise, the quality of the bristles is night and day when compared with the Mac brush. These dyed Saikoho goat bristles are ultra soft, never tug on the lid or feel scratchy in any way. While I did adore the Mac 239, the experience I get while applying my shadow with the Builder Three is luxurious by comparison. I never understood when my professor told me that while both a BMW and Honda will get you from point A to point B, the driving experience is quite different. I now see what he means but with brushes and not a car.

In comparison with the Builder Pro, the bristles are shorter on the Builder Three. The shape of the brush is also squared off instead of the Builder Pro, which is tapered. I do believe the shorter bristle length contributes to a firmer brush that packs on the lid shade like nobody’s business! The brush also works with smudging out shadow on the lower lash line. This really is an essential brush in my collection that if you asked me to keep only 5 for the rest of my life, this would be one of them!

Versatile Shader Brush

The slightly tapered shape of the Builder Pro makes it super easy to pack the shadow to the inner portion of the lid. It also applies shadow beautifully all over the lid as well, but I prefer the slightly firmer Builder Three for that purpose. I know it sounds a bit extra to use two different brushes just to apply your lid shade but as brush fanatic, I’m okay with that! Shape wise, this brush is actually more versatile than the Builder Three, which is more squared off. The tapered shape allows you to use it to pack on and deepen the outer corners as well. I see that the bristles are slightly graduated in length along the taper and that is to allow you to pick up more product with the ends of the bristles.

As you can see in the photos, the width of the brush is similar to that of the Builder Pro but the bristles are slightly longer. The dyed Saikoho goat hairs are ultra soft on the lid and will never tug or feel scratchy. The flat shape of the brush allows you to use one side to pack on one shade and the other side for another. It is a really useful brush and especially so if you prefer a slightly tapered shader brush. Since I’m comparing this to the Builder Three, it is worth noting that there will be a difference in the shape of the handle. The Builder Pro has the tapered handles like all the other pro brushes while the Builder Three has the traditional thicker handle that does taper a bit towards the end of the ferrule but goes straight down after that.

Perfect for Smudging Liner

This brush is the same shape as the original Smudger One made of squirrel bristles. The reason why I chose the Smudger Two when I had the opportunity to purchase the original Smudger One is due to the fact that the Smudger Two is made of goat bristles. While I am a fan of squirrel hair also, goat bristles just pick up more color in general and moves product around better. My main usage for this brush is for smudging out pencil liner and it really does a perfect job with that. I like to smoke out my lower lash liner with something thicker like the Pencil Two and then apply pencil liner close to the lash line. With this brush, I can get super close to the edge of the pencil liner and smudge it out effortlessly! The brush is the perfect density and has this super thin edge that allow for a lot of precision. I have also used this brush to apply powder as liner close to the lash line and smudge it out with the same brush. This has become an essential brush in my collection as I hardly ever go without lining my eyes when I wear makeup.

Works Perfectly for both Creams and Powders

Not only is this brush great with powder products, it applies creams beautifully as well! The brush is made with undyed goat bristles, making it perfectly safe to use with cream products. I do appreciate the light and diffused application I get from using this brush with powder blush and highlight. My favorite thing to use this product for is softer cream products like those in the Natasha Denona Bloom Palette. The ultra-soft bristles are dense but firm enough to pick up a small amount of the cream blush shade, which is very pigmented. Somehow the brush picks up the perfect amount and diffuses the product seamlessly without having to go in with a second blending brush! I will be sure to purchase a second brush just so I can have one for cream and one for powders.