Of Toys and Co: Makeup Brushes Part IV (Picture Heavy!)

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Makeup Brushes Part IV (Picture Heavy!)

I admit, this Sephora Double-Ended Brush Set was an impulse buy during the 2011 holiday shopping madness. The brushes are okay, but I don't really need them, especially since they come in such a bulky faux leather roll that I can't exactly carry around. I ended up leaving them all behind at home, taking only 1 with me back to Japan. I probably won't buy another Sephora brush set, because they all seem to be dupes of the same brushes over and over.

Sephora Double-Ended Brush Set

The set contains a Powder Brush, a Foundation Brush, and 3 double-ended brushes, the Shadow-Smudge Brushes, the Brow-Flat Liner Brushes, and the Lip Brushes. And while the roll case looks nice, it's actually bulky and a tad heavy even. Even if I'm not in space-tight Japan, I still wouldn't carry this thing around.

Of course I've a big brush roll, but then we're talking about a collection of brushes versus the 5 in this set. This may sound harsh, but for merely 5 brushes, I think this roll is a complete waste of space! Nice idea, but very poor execution, in my humble opinion, which is why it was an impulse buy on my part and I really shouldn't have bought it.

From left to right: Powder Brush, Foundation Brush, double-ended Shadow-Smudge Brushes, Brow-Flat Liner Brushes, and Lip Brushes.

- Double-Ended Lip Brush: a lip brush combo with point and flat tip ends to line and then fill out the lips. The problem is that I've never needed a lip brush before and I think I won't ever need one. I don't like the precision lips look, not even with red lipstick, because just makes the lips look way too harsh. I much prefer the smudgier edges and softer finish I get when a lipstick is applied directly from the tube with just a couple of layers. I left this brush at home, but either way I would probably use them for my eyes instead of lips anyway ^.^

Lip Brush, flat tip end front and side.

Lip Brush, point tip end front and side.

- Double-Ended Brow and Flat Liner Brush: I also left this at home. Both the brow and flat liner brushes were firm, but again I don't like harsh lines.

Brow brush end front and side.

Flat liner end front and side.

- Double-Ended Shadow and Smudge Brush: this is a dupe of the Sephora Face & Eye Travel Tool Kit I already owned, so I left it at home too.

Shadow brush end front and side.

Smudge brush end front and side.

- Foundation Brush: I admit I haven't figured out how to correctly use a foundation brush yet, because every attempt I made had left my foundation looking super thick and streaky. Even then, this particular foundation brush didn't feel as densely packed or as firm as the Aura Science Foundation Brush I've own for a long time (it's at home too...). Lastly, I rarely rarely wear foundation to begin with! So yeah, this one didn't make it on the trip with me either.

Foundation brush side and top views.

- Powder Brush: now this one I took with me ^.^ It's decently soft in addition to being thicker, more dense, and poofier than both the Stila #24 Powder Brush and #24A Blush Brush, making it a nice multi-purpose brush that I can use for powder, blush, and highlighter. The only down side is that it sheds a little during use, and not whole hairs but little bits, making me think its hair is prone to breakage.

Powder brush side and top view. See how poofy it is? ^.^

Below are comparison pictures of my eye shadow brushes. Although I'm sticking with the ones from the Sephora Face & Eye Travel Tool Kit, they're far from being "the ones" and I'm still on the look out for the perfect shadow brush that fits the contours of my eyes as most of them are too big for me.

Stila #5 All Over Shadow Brush versus Sephora Shadow Brush from the Double-Ended Set. Stila is too fanned out both on the front as well as on the side.

Side and top views.

Sephora Shadow Brush from this Double-Ended Set versus Face & Eye Tool Kit. They're supposed to be the same brush, but one is flatter at top and the other more tapered.

Side and top view.

Stila #5 versus Sephora Shadow Brushes from this Double-Ended Set and Face & Eye Tool Kit.

Side and top views.

The Sephora Smudge brush from this Double-Ended Set versus the Face & Eye Tool Kit. Again they are supposed to be the same brush, but of course there are variations as well.