Does the BlendSmart makeup brush work better than the pros?

HOUSTON – From primer, foundation, powder, and blush to bronzer, establishing a makeup regiment for women can be an extensive process, and and it's difficult to get all those products blended on your face. Consumer expert Amy Davis is testing an electric makeup brush that company spokespeople claim can do the work for you and make your makeup look like it was applied by a professional.

BlendSMART is sold in department stores, Sephora, Costco and online, but at $66, you might want to know if it works before you shell out that cash. 

College senior and Channel 2 intern Melanie Yost is like the rest of us when it comes to makeup.

"I think I'm decent," she admitted. "I don't think I'm the best, by any means."

We showed her the blendSMART brush designed and created by Steve Machiorlette. 

He didn't know a thing about makeup, but he does know mechanics. Machiorlette worked with a makeup artist to create the electric makeup brush. It simulates the pressure and motions a professional uses to apply your foundation, powder and blush.

"So this brush eliminates all the guesswork and all the techniques and skill needed to make your makeup look good," Machiorlette said.  

On the left side of her face, Yost used the blendSMART brush to apply her foundation.

"The directions said to go back and forth and up and down instead of making circles," she told Davis as she used the electric brush. 

On the right side of her face, Yost used a sponge. Then, she compared each side.

"This kind of looks airbrushed to me," Yost said, pointing to the blendSMART side. "And this just looks like, I don't know, it just looks like I'm wearing foundation, but it's not as high quality, I don't think." 

Yost thought she used less foundation with blendSMART and that the brush spread it out more evenly.

She did say blendSMART took a little longer to apply her foundation, but she liked the way it looked in the end, so she thought the extra time was worth it. 

She tried the same test to apply blush. BlendSMART sells different brush heads that snap in and out with a magnetic lock. 
  
"The blush looks a little bit splotchy to me," said Yost, referring to the side of her face where she used a manual blush brush. "But this just looks really, really even," she said about the blendSMART side.  
 
Who hasn't been a little heavy handed applying blush or bronzer. 

"If you put too much on, you just buff it right out," Machiorlette said.  

The blendSMART starter set with one foundation brush is $66. Blush, powder and contouring brush heads are sold separately for $26 each.
 


About the Author:

Passionate consumer advocate, mom of 3, addicted to coffee, hairspray and pastries.