While I have a pretty stupidly huge brush collection these days, I don't actually have many e.l.f. brushes. Once upon a time I had a handful of the $1 brushes after a weekend shopping trip south of the border, but the only ones I really liked were the small eyeshadow brushes for really packing on colour. I had a couple of face brushes and I absolutely hated them. They scratched against my skin and felt cheap in my hands.
Enter the internet and now I own 2 e.l.f. brushes that I absolutely love, and this is one of them. (The other is the small stipple brush, which could get a review later if I think of it. This blog is very whimsical.)
Keep reading for my full review.
From the e.l.f. website:
This new anti bacterial, synthetic haired Taklon brush is softer and more absorbent and can be used with wet or dry products. Be a professional makeup artist and create a flawless look with this e.l.f. studio brush! Creates an even and natural finish
Before I picked this brush up (after a glowing Youtube recommendation from EmilyNoel83) I hadn't used this type of brush in quite some time. I had a couple in my collection, from Too Faced and Ecotools respectively, but they tended to just stay in my brush holder while I went for a fluffier brush or a more kabuki style brush.
First, I wanna talk about the price point. Now that Target in Canada is selling a very limited selection of e.l.f. products, I was able to pick this up there for $4. Obviously the biggest draw (and for some the biggest repellent) of e.l.f. products is the price point, but that doesn't always imply value for your money. This brush, however, is definitely a steal at $4 and I find it quite on par quality wise with brushes that are 2 or 3 times the cost.
Next, the brush itself...
Right off, I'll say that I don't like brushes with black bristles. They always scream cheap to me. I prefer a brush with bristles that look a little more natural, even if they're synthetic, because I've had bad luck with black synthetic bristles. To me, they've always felt and looked cheap and gotten coarse after a couple of washings. This brush, however, has proven me wrong. The bristles are incredibly soft against my skin, much softer than they look (oddly enough).
This brush has a matte black wooden handle with a glossy black ferrule. The design is very sleek and simple, like the rest of the e.l.f. Studio line. There's nothing particularly special about the design, but I do think that it's a nice looking brush and it has a good feel in your hand.
The thing that I really like about this brush is the configuration of the bristles. This is a nice, fluffy brush but is firmly pinched flat at the ferrule, which allows for quite a lot of versatility in the way that you're able to use it. There are three distinct angles that you're able to achieve by turning the brush in your hand depending on the area that you want to cover and the precision with which you want to apply the products. I think this explains why this is called a Complexion Brush rather than a blush brush, bronzer brush, or powder brush. This brush is actually really good for applying all three of those products really effectively and beautifully.
All in all, I think that this is a very good brush. Now, don't get me wrong, it does not look or feel like a high end or luxury brush, but I don't think that it needs to. This brush does a very good job of what it's intended to do, without any bells and whistles, and an extremely affordable price. I really don't think I could ask for more, particularly for under $5.
XO.
0 comments