New brushes? Yes please!!!
L to R: Urban Decay Good Karma Optical Blurring Brush, bdellium Travel Brow and Liner Brush #760, Bhcosmetics Long Tapered Blending Brush, and Bhcosmetics Pop Art Brush Set
Cute right??
The Bhcosmetics Pop Art Brush Set comes in its own travel case, which is great, because when you unsnap it, it turns into a cup to hold your brushes, so you can display them as you please. I love this idea because I dont like my brushes to get smashed, so having them in the cups helps keep the shape of the bristles.
Ill admit that I am a bit of a brush snob. Ive been using Sonia Kashuk brushes for almost 15 years now. The SAME original set of brushes I should add, because the quality is to die for. I mean really, really, fantastic. They have outlasted any M.A.C. brush that I ever bought, and I literally bought the set for $20 at Target. (Thats pretty much the price for 1 M.A.C. brush.) I take good care of my brushes and they have been wonderful. But ive been wanting something new, and as much as I love M.A.C., no offense to them, a lot of thier brushes are overrated. And im not particularly fond of the new batch of Kashuk brushes at Target, mainly because I hate the cheap plastic handle (mine are wooden), that they now have. I have scoured the internet on various makeup review sites and beauty blogs, and I noticed that many of them had the same thing in common. Bhcosmetics brush sets, random bdellium brushes, and the Urban Decay optical blurring brush. I read a lot of positive reviews for these brushes, and I mean A LOT. I feel that if I am going to invest in something that ill be using on my face, almost daily, I want to make sure its worth it. Now, I have many other brushes that ive added over the years, like the lovely Kat Von D brushes, and the beautiful pink and black travel brush set from Bare Essentials, but I needed something MORE. And I got it.
I didnt know what id been missing when it came to foundation brushes, until I got the UD optical blurring brush. My foundation never applied so evenly and smoothly, and not an unblended line in sight. See, most people use the flat brushes, (see: #3 & #5 above), and I too was one of those people, but never again. The bristles are packed tight, and they are so dense, and so soft, that it gives off an airbrushed finish, and who doesnt want that look? Right?
Its no secret that I have thin brows. That said, I use a combo of pencil, and Make Up For Ever Aqua Brow. Sounds intimidating, but its far from it. Yes, Aqua brow is a liquid that you apply to fill in your brows, but once you do, it stays all day. Im talking sweatproof, waterproof, ALL DAY. Most brow brushes are about the size of #8 above. And if you look in the second picture, you can see the size difference between the two brushes. I needed a smaller, stiffer brush. I came across the bdellium 760 brush. This brush is perfect for those of us thin browed ladies. It helps create perfect lines to line out the brow, and the bristles are stiff enough to blend the product in naturally without overdoing it and leaving too much product behind. Its just right.
Now, the Bhcosmetics brushes. The long tapered brush is perfect for smoothing out any unblended line, weither it be foundation, blush, bronzer, etc. Its a dual fiber, so it has both the density and the softness that one would want in a blending brush. Its a very nice addition to any brush collection. Now...... the Pop Art brushes... Ayyydios mio! They are soooo soft! They are made of a synthetic fiber, packed tight and set in a sturdy handle. The powder brush and the angled brush (#'s 1&2), are gods gift to blush blending. The angled one is perfect for contouring the face with bronzer, and the powder brush is perfect for applying blush. Now, you can use it for face powder and use the angled one for blush, but for me, I LOVE big fat fluffy blush brushes, and this one applies the product so evenly, that I wouldnt dare use it for anything else. 3 & 5 are usually used for foundation and concealer. I use the big one for moisturiser, and I use the smaller one to apply and blend out my concealer, and sometimes, my pore minimising primer. 4 is an interesting sized brush, I use it for blending out the contour on the sides of my nose, but sometimes to sweep away the excess powder fall out from eyeshadow. 6, 7, 8, & 9 are your standard eyeshadow, liner and lip brushes, all very nice, and 10 is a spool brush best used for combing out unruly brows.
The common thing between all of these brushes, is that they dispense the product evenly, and there is little to none of the product left on the bristles. I love that, because youre not wasting product! These brushes are a great investment for me, because I know they will last a long time. If you want to splurge on a good foundation brush, id go with Urban Decay. If youre looking for a brush set to start out with, go with Bhcosmetics. The quality is fantastic and guess that, the price, is only $24!!! And more often than not, theyre on sale! Thats ten studio quality brushes, plus a sturdy travel container, all for the price of the Urban Decay brush. Insane right? I almost couldnt believe how great these brushes are. I love them. It was a very pleasent find for me. What do you think? Will you try them? If you have any questions, feel free to ask. You can find the Urban Decay brush @ UrbanDecay.com, Ulta & Ulta.com, Sephora & Sephora.com. You can find the bdellium brush @ bdelliumtools.com, and the Bhcosmetics brushes @ bhcosmetics.com.
