Foundation brush challenge: day 4: Shiseido Perfect Foundation Brush review

As I mentioned earlier in the week, I like the compact design of this brush and was eager to try something so cutting edge.  But what it really is is a stippling brush.  The application is thus full-coverage, fully built, and while it does require less product than a sponge, it gives you a fully made up look.  It's hard to tell from the pictures online, including the one above, but if you're looking down at this brush from a bird's eye view the bristles are in a perfectly round formation, that is, it's a thick round collection of bristles razed off at a slight angle, like someone cut off a ponytail (I swear I will start posting videos soon, I'm realizing as I go that product reviews require either a lot more pictures or a video).  There are techniques for making the look a little more sheer that can be found on YouTube but I found these a little arduous and not very effective.  The technique requires you to move your wrist in a rotating motion as you glide the brush around.  The stroke is still pretty short and I can imagine getting carpal tunnel by the time I'm done with half my face.  The problem with this brush is not with the short strokes, it does a great job at that kind of stippling application, the problem is that you don't really have the option of doing longer strokes when you're working with the tips of the bristles rather than having some control over the angle you work at as you do with the typical flat and tapered foundation brushes.  The mandatory short strokes means not only a heavier look without the option of going more sheer but also that the whole process takes longer.  Even if I had been looking for a full-coverage look, I didn't like the lack of control.  The brush drags if you try to force the strokes and you feel a little trapped into short quick movements which, if you're covering your whole face, is tedious and time consuming. 

Pros:

• Soft, quality bristles, great resistance and concentration of bristles for stippling.
• Compact eye-catching design
• Doesn't absorb tons of product into the bristles so you don't waste product and it's easy to get the product out when you're cleaning.

Cons:

• Short stippling strokes are pretty much all you have the option of, even the rotating sheerer stroke technique doesn't give you the control you probably want for an every day foundation brush.
• Takes FOREVER to dry so if you're using liquid foundation and washing the brush every day this might not work for you.

Bottomline: Quality brush for what it does but not the every-day, all-over foundation brush I am looking for.