HUGELY upgraded! the bristle base is slightly more narrow at the base, but tapers at the top, and is denser but still very soft. the dense bristles give you a lot of pick-up control of the product, without any streaking as you apply. also, the pro airbrush collection is made to give you the look, regardless of what type of foundation product you use, of having been 'airbrushed' since it distributes very evenly and finely over the skin. it buffs product on, instead of being noticeable coverage. i also enjoy the longer tapered handle, which gives you more control. i could go on and on regarding this brush! i own two of the PRO airbrush #56 and the PRO angled blush.. and i'm a MUA with at least 200 brushes. these are really great.. i plan to add quite a few of the Sephora PRO collection to my kit!

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Honestly i don't think there is any. I bought the new new one a while back and just recently got this one as a backup incase something happens to my other one. They are basically just the same but this one has a slightly longer handle.

Theres really not much difference except color of handle. My sister has the old one and I just purchased the new one and there the same! They provide the same coverage.

the bristles are shorter and it makes it easier to apply :)

great for ALL foundations- you will want to build your coverage in light layers until your desired effect is reached. use a small amount at a time to avoid streaking and heavy-looking application, have a make-up removing cloth or some cleansing spray and a paper towel handy ready to remove excess in between the applications which you should allow to dry if you are going for a full-coverage look, and repeat as necessary :)

yes but you will need to clean more regularly

I have #56 and it is great for all over application of foundation

Yes it is. I use the NARS foundation, that itself is quite thick. It's all about the blending, try circular motions through your face.

The 56 brush is for your foundation - smaller and denser ...The 55 brush is more for a setting powder - it has longer bristles and way to long to apply foundation.

#55 has a larger brush head, longer, more compact bristles where the #56 has shorter bristles and not as compact.

I use the sephora daily brush cleaner and it works great

I am a bit lazy and wash my brush about every 5-7 days. I have been using straight Dawn dish detergent, brushing it into the bristles with a gentle paintbrush-like back and forth motion, and then rinsing thoroughly. Hang it upside-down to dry using an elastic band and any knob or hook, and it is dry within 24 hours.

#55 is larger (longer bristles and more dense)

I use #56 to apply my BB cream, which is a tinted moisturizer/SPF, and I think that it works perfectly!

I haven't used the #55 for any application but I can comment on the description. It has longer bristles and a larger head than the #56 and the bristles are more slightly more densely packed. Hope this helps.