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Friday, May 7, 2010

Brushes Part Deux

I posted about my eye brushes the other day. I'm going to do this one a bit differently and organize it by function (ie. foundation, powder, concealer, etc).

FOUNDATION
(Top: Spa Resource, $3.50; Bottom: Elf Studio, $3)

I use these two brushes interchangeably and don't really have a preference between the two. Basically, if one is dirty, or still wet from washing, I'll use the other. Elf is taklon; Spa Resource is (non-specific) synthetic fibres. Both are very soft and I haven't had a problem with shedding with either.
The angle on the Elf brush does help with getting into smaller areas. The Spa Resource brush is a bit smaller and I like that for precision but I also find that makes it a bit harder to blend out the foundation on larger areas (cheeks, forehead).
Overall, I'd buy either one again. It would probably just come down to whether I was making an elf order at the time, or just running to WalMart.

CONCEALER


(Top: EcoTools; Bottom: Spa Resource, $2)

The EcoTools brush is made from taklon and the bristles are tapered to apply concealer to smalls spots. It's not bad for concealer but more often than not, I find myself using this brush to apply eyeshadow as a hightlight since it's so soft. I bought this in a set ($20 for 5-piece at Zellers); otherwise, I'd skip it as a concealer brush.
The Spa resource brush is synthetic, not quite as soft but firmer. I like this brush if I have to do larger strokes of concealer, but the hairs aren't very tapered so it's tough to use for smaller blemishes. Overall, it's worth the couple bucks I paid, but I'm not really a fan of this brush.
I guess I'm still looking for a good concealer brush. If anyone has any (affordable, synthetic) suggestions, leave a comment. Maybe I'll try the Elf Studio brush with my next order. Has anyone tried this? Opinions?

POWDER/BLUSH/BRONZER
(Top: EcoTools; Bottom: Elf Studio Complexion Brush, $3)

Both these brushes are taklon, super soft, don't shed. The Elf brush is a bit bigger and the bristles a little more spread out. I use this brush mostly for powder (especially Elf Complexion Perfection-review coming up) but also for a very light dusting of blush or bronzer.
The EcoTools blush brush is a bit more versatile. I use it for everything from powder to blush and bronzer to contouring. It's smaller and the hairs are somewhat tapered, allowing for more precise placement of colour.
My last face brush is the Elf Studio blush brush. It's quite a bit smaller than these two and somewhat denser, so I only use it for blush. And it is easy to overdo it with more pigmented blushes, but the smaller size and relative density of the bristles are perfect for a sheer wash over colour just on the apples of the cheeks.
If you were only going to buy one, I would go for the EcoTools, just because it does more. But the three together are so inexpensive, I'd buy them all again.

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