From the loins of We Tried It comes He Tried It, a new column where the women of YouBeauty give a male friend/coworker one of our beauty products and make him report back after using it for a week. (ICYMI, here’s our first installment where Nic tried volumizing mascara!)
Name/Age/Profession: Kale, age 30, writer and husband of our executive editor Jessica
Product: Instrumental Beauty’s Sonic Facial Brush, $80
What are your expectations for using a facial brush?
I’m excited about this, because I think men who don’t shave tend to neglect their faces. Sometimes the exposed parts of my cheeks get a little scraggly and dry if I look close. This brush thing looks more precise than just flailing at my face with a washcloth and hoping for the best. Basically, my expectation and hope is that the power of sonic vibration technology is going to make me beautiful again.
How do you normally take care of your face?
A quick scrub in the shower, maybe with a washcloth, maybe just my hands and whatever soap I’m using for any other purpose.
Day One: General impressions: how is the usability? Were you able to use it yourself or did you need help from a friend/Google? Do you notice any results in the product?
Okay, so my wife just told me I used it wrong. I should have read the directions. There was a thing in the box but the writing was small and I was excited for the power of sound. I just used it straight on my dry face, which apparently you shouldn’t do. Mostly it felt weird. The sonic vibrations may or may not have revitalized my pores, but it definitely tickled. When I put the brush near my nose it made me sneeze.
Day Three: Notice any results? Is it any easier to use? Overall thoughts?
This was much better. [Because you used it properly this time. — Editor] I’m supposed to use it with water and my favorite foaming cleanser. I don’t like to play favorites with my foaming cleansers, but I borrowed one from Jess that is endorsed by Salma Hayek, which I’m excited about, as Salma and I already have much in common.I wet my face, applied the cleanser and set to with the brush. After rinsing, I feel smooth and soft. Not sure how much credit goes to sound science and how much to Salma, but it’s a nice feeling. A couple places on my face feel a little tender where I guess I either left the brush too long or pressed too hard. Clearly, there’s a lot of power here and I need to respect it.
Day Seven: Pros and cons of washing your face with a sonic facial brush? Will you continue to use this? Would you buy it?
I’m in the swing of this now. I got the hang of applying the brush to my face with the right amount of pressure so I feel clean but not sand-blasted. I like the way I can still get a really good scrub on the hairy parts. No one likes beard-dandruff. A quick nuzzle test with the wife confirmed that yes, my cheeks feel extra soft and, also, that she’s actually kind of busy right now. I honestly don’t know if this is superior to just scrubbing with a cloth, but I like it. Still makes me sneeze, though.
Did this product make you feel sexier? Did people notice changes in your skin? Did it feel ‘feminine’ to use it? Was it difficult to apply or wear?
A soft, smooth face is a sexy face. I’ll leave the rugged masculinity to other body parts. This would have been easy to use from the start if I had read the directions. You should always read the directions.
Tell us something else about your week with this product.Spending an extra five minutes in the morning on sonic face vibration definitely makes me appreciate the additional time investment women are expected to make on their appearance. I like having a soft, smooth face, but I think what I really like is sleeping as late as possible and then leaving for work 10 minutes after I get out of bed.
READ MORE: He Tried It: Nic Wears Volumizing Mascara For a Week
