Conair True Glow Glam Vibrating Makeup Brush Set and Blender

Have you ever been too tired to do your makeup in the morning? On average it takes me an hour to get ready (If I know what look I’m going for and have my clothes picked out) plus an extra 20-30 minutes if my hair is curly. I love testing new products and experimenting with color but sometimes I wish I could snap my fingers and look runway ready without all the effort.

I am always on the lookout for beauty tools to improve application and save time, so when I heard about Conair’s True Glam Glow Collection I just had to test it.

The Vibrating Makeup Brush Set ($18.99) comes with two interchangeable makeup applicators designed to give you a flawless finish. It runs on one AA battery (not included) and has one speed setting for liquids, creams and powders.

To use: Dampen the sponge, apply your foundation, press the power button and blend. The vibrations are supposed to smooth and perfect for a 3D airbrush finish with seamless layers.

Most of the pulsations are generated in the handle rather than sponge itself so all I really felt was light buzzing that did not seem to improve or affect application. Despite this, my foundation still looked pretty awesome and the oval shape is useful for manoeuvring around the nose, jaw line and under eye area. The sponge delivers a sheer finish so I prefer to use it for tinted moisturizer, primer or CC creams that can be layered thinly. It is also useful for buffing out harsh contour lines.

The texture reminds me of those old-school wedged sponges from the drugstore. It isn’t particularly plush or porous but it gets the job done relatively well if you are patient.

The blush brush is great for sweeping on powdery pigment because the synthetic fibers are soft and flexible. The vibrations don’t quite make it to the end of the bristles but I love the natural finish it provides.

Most days I use the original Beauty Blender to apply foundation so I was more comfortable with Conair’s egg shaped Makeup Blender ($14.99). This sponge takes 1 AAA battery (not included) and has its own stand for storage and drying.

For best results, dampen the sponge and pat your foundation on in stippling motions. The material is a bit dense but the coverage is smooth and even.

Application took a bit longer because the sponge is bulky and expands even more when wet but I do like the vibrations that resonate from the blender’s core. It doesn’t seem to have a dramatic effect on the end result but after a couple layers of foundation (a bit more than I normally use) I was able to achieve a beautiful finish that was almost flawless. If you have fine lines, wrinkles or uneven skin texture, the gentle vibration might help fill in gaps and spaces to blur imperfections. Overall I think this is an innovative concept that will inspire the next generation of makeup applicators.

Conair is available at Walmart, amazon.ca, Shoppers Drug Mart, Canadian Tire and conair.ca