Friday, July 29, 2011

Review: E.L.F. Mineral Brushes!

While E.L.F. had their 60% off sale, I decided to try a few of their mineral brushes. I've always been curious about the mineral brushes because they are a few more dollars than the Studio Brushes. Naturally, I figured they are better quality.

So, I went ahead and ordered the 4 Piece Bamboo Brush Set, Angled Blush Brush and Flat Eyeliner Brush.


PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: These antibacterial Taklon bristled brushes are 100% cruelty free, luxuriously soft and can be used with wet or dry products. The natural and sustainable bamboo handle fits ergonomically in your hand for comfort and precise application. The recycled Ferrule is eco-friendly for guilt free beauty.

READ MORE FOR ADDITIONAL PHOTOS & MY REVIEW!


The 4 Piece Bamboo Brush Set includes a complexion/powder brush, concealer brush, blending eye brush, mini kabuki and brush bag. 
 My first thoughts when I opened up the brush set was WOW, these brushes are soft. Even softer than the Studio Brushes. Also, they feel extremely sturdy. I've ordered Studio Brushes in the past that felt loose or became loose with time, but I don't see that happening with these brushes anytime soon. My favorite brush of the four, has to be the Blending Eye Brush. It's a tapered blending brush, reminiscent of the MAC 224/Sigma E40. I love tapered blending brushes for multi-purposes, the main one being to blend my concealer. It's pretty annoying (especially with the MAC 224) that it sheds like MAD. This E.L.F. one is synthetic, so it won't be shedding - totally awesome. The concealer brush is also very nice, I actually prefer using a standard foundation brush for concealer, but this brush is perfect for touch ups.. especially around my eyebrows. The power and kabuki brushes are very nice and I'll probably get some use out of them for bronzer or setting powder. All of the brushes, with the exception of the tiny kabuki are around 4 to 4.5 inches long. Perfect for travel or carrying in your bag.

I almost kind of feel like these brushes are too soft. Does that sound crazy? I don't necessarily think the softer the better. For cream products, yes. For powder products.. not always. Have you ever seen or purchased brushes from Forever21? These are very reminiscent of those. The bristles are synthetic as well, shiny and soft. And actually, they are cheaper at Forever 21. (View Forever 21 brushes HERE)

The Angled Blush Brush and Flat Eyeliner Brush
I chose these brushes because I really love angled contour brushes. A couple of my favorite brushes are the MAC 168 and Sigma F40. The E.L.F. Angled Brush is great. Again, very sturdy like the 4 Piece Set and the bristles are just as soft. I think this would be a fantastic brush to use with cream blushes and bronzers. I'll probably use it with my Chanel Bronze Universel.
The Flat Eyeliner Brush is another very good brush. It's a little more narrow than what's pictured on the E.L.F. website, and a little smaller than I thought, but it's no big deal. The bristles come to a complete straight edge, so it's perfect for applying eyeliner, and I'll probably even use it for my brows. I kind of wish I purchased two of them as I think I'll get a lot of use of out this brush.


Overall, I am happy with the brushes but I wouldn't pay full price for them. The individual brushes are $5 and the 4 Piece Set is $10. Like I said, I got them for 60% off, so it was a pretty good deal - but there are so many options out there that are just as good for the price. The main thing that stands out to me about the brushes are that they feel very sturdy and well made and I feel like they won't be breaking anytime soon. I'm really not crazy about the 4 Piece Set, except the Tapered Blending Brush. If you're looking for very soft, synthetic brushes, these are an option for you. I personally wasn't wow'ed and most likely won't be purchasing any others from the Mineral Collection.

To view all of E.L.F's Mineral Brushes, click HERE.

Have you tried any of these brushes? What do you think about them?

9 comments:

  1. I own a couple of ELF Mineral brushes and I enjoy them a lot and the handles are still in great condition. I wouldn't pay full price for these too. I always wait for a big discount lol.

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  2. Ugh. I hate really soft brushes. My makeup never goes on as well.

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  3. EveryDay Makeup blog - Yay! Awesome. LOL I know right? ELF has discounts all of the time so it's not worth paying full price.

    Lerina - I know right? Yuck.

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  4. i can't wait to try these out next time they have a sale. i love finding affordable brushes :)

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  5. I have tried elf brushes from time to time and i am not satisfied with them at all

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  6. i do also like tapered blending brushes for multi-purposes

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  7. I just bought these brushes for a gift bag for my sisters. I regret that I didn't buy one for myself. But there are always sales on E.L.F. so I'll get one next time!

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