XO Beauty Brushes Review

Hey Beauty Babblers,

This is to follow on from my first impressions post about XO Beauty brushes (http://annalisebeauty.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/xo-beauty-brush-first-impressions.html)! Here we go :)

So first of all there was no shedding of the brush. There wasn’t any during the pre wash and they was none when I used this brush. Brush shedding can be a nuisance especially if you are using a liquid or cream product. This is because the hair will get stuck on your face and when you remove it will ruin the finish of your makeup. 

The bristles also didn’t disappoint. As you may have read the bristles feel soft when I initially felt them and remained this way when I used the brush. The soft yet firm bristles allowed me to use the brush in different ways to apply different foundations. I could stipple the foundation on or gently buff it into the skin. This is handy for me because I like to use different foundations almost every day.

This brings me on to the reason when I love this brush the most! I have tried four different foundations with this brush. It produced the best finish I have ever gotten with three of the four foundations. 

I applied the Rimmel Match Perfection foundation with the brush in small soft circular motions to buff it into the skin. It allowed the foundation go on sheer and I built up the coverage where it was needed. I absolutely loved the finish, it is the best this product has looked on my skin! 

I applied the Bobbi Brown Moisture Rich Foundation in the same way and again the result was better than ever before. These two foundations are of a similar consistency (quite thin but creamy)so that’s why they are applied in the same way!

The Revlon Colorstay is quite a thick foundation that needs to be applied sparingly otherwise when powder your face it will look cakey. A borrowed a tip from Shannon (the creator of the brushes!) herself. First I stippled on the foundation and used very soft buffing motions where needed to give the skin an airbrushed look. (This is a video that shows you Shannon’s tip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRki76NctIs )

The only foundation that didn’t work with this brush was the Maybelline Fit Me foundation. This product’s consistency is quite runny. When is was buffed into the skin the bristles were too strong and the product was just moved around my face. If you have a foundation that is quite thin I would suggest applying it with a beauty blender of even your hands! 

So it works well with a range of foundations which makes it a versatile brush. 

I also found that the foundation was evenly distributed which is great because it allows you to achieve a natural, airbrushed affect because the skin will have the same appearance, free of blotches.

The product also doesn’t retain colour in the bristles, which isn’t a huge deciding factor when buying a brush, but at least your brushes look kinda clean even after you use them! (Bonus!) Above is the brush before use and then after about 5 uses.

Lastly, and yes I am going to mention it again, it is so affordable! If you are in Australia, New Zealand or anywhere in the Southern hemisphere you should buy these brushes now! They may be more expensive than Sigma but you will save on shipping...and don’t forget that there is free worldwide shipping until the 1^st April 2013.    

Also I have seen a couple of people asking what you can use this brush for so I thought I would quickly cover it off. I have used it for applying foundation and concealer and it works really well! Some people have also been asking whether you can use it to apply powder. I love it use brushes for random things (like a pencil brush for filling in eyebrows or a small blending brush to contour) so go for it! There are no rules in makeup so go for your life. Personally though I think that this brush is to dense to apply powder but have a go and tell me if it works!  

In conclusion (finally I hear you say!) I love this brush, it’s my new favourite. It is so versatile and is of amazing quality. 

Here is the website: http://www.xobeautyshop.com/

Stay Beautiful,

Annie xxx 

P.S. Follow me on twitter for updates about new blog posts @annief123