Red blotchy face after applying Bare Minerals, used to be fine?

[UnbridledPositivity]

Hi all,

I wonder if anyone can explain this: I have been using BareMinerals Matte foundation for a couple of years, and it's been great!

But now for the past few months all of a sudden my face gets warm, red and blotchy straight away when I apply it with the Kabuki brush, mostly around my lips and jaw line. I wash the brush regularly and thoroughly, and it even happens on the first use after washing it. I thought it was the heat, so I tried it in front of the open window, same result. Then I thought perhaps it's caused by my hair brushing against my jaw line and some sort of reaction with my hair product, so only did it with my hair up, same thing.

I know that the bismuth can sometimes cause this, but I thought the matte version did not contain this. Also, and this is really strange, it can't be the foundation itself as my face is totally fine when I apply the foundation with the concealer brush.

Is it possible that the kabuki brush is making my face blotchy? Or something else? It all started right after I had an allergic reaction to antibiotics, could this have sensitised me to something?

Hmm. I bought mine in Debenhams, so assume it was a 'proper' one.

The minerals contain minerals, some if which are well-known allergens, bismuth and cobalt for example. Over a period of exposure you have become senzitized to one or more components of your makeup. Quite common unfortunately.

I understand that, but why only with one brush and not the other?

If you read reviews of Bare Minerals, so many users hate their kabuki brushes, I use this one and it's lovely.

That one looks great. I use the big Bodyshop kabuki, it's nice and soft.

Yes, it sounds like you've developed an allergy to the make up. Stop using it and try some different ones. This can happen - I've sometimes used stuff for a long time then suddenly developed an allergy.

oh just seen you don't have the same reaction with a different brush - how odd.

In that case definitely change to a different brush.

i've used bare minerals for years, after a while the brushes started to irritate me, they were never that soft to start with and ended up shedding too much. Get yourself some new brushes, i have used the body shop ones before lovely and soft and have just bought myself the real techniques brushes from boots they were designed by samantha chapman from youtube, they are very soft, have only had the a few weeks so cant comment on how they last or if they shed, but they are very popular, i read some where that they are synthetic hair so don't grab and waste the powders like natural hair brushes do.

Sounds like you have developed an allergy to Bismuth OR the brushes as they are animal hair.

Try a synthetic brush or swapping to Lily Lilo as it doesn't contain bismuth.

Argh, brushes are so expensive, and I really liked the Bodyshop one that I have. Just checked, and it's made of synthetic hair actually. (Would have been very surprised if Bodyshop used animal hair ).

Might be time to find a new foundation then. Lily Lolo was very powdery on my skin and I really couldn't blend it in as easily as BareMinerals.

Anymore ideas as to why my face is reacting like this to only one brush but not another?

Body shop ones are synthetic afaik.