There are two types of beauty products I rarely buy without trying in person first: foundation and makeup brushes. I’ve read rave reviews on the Luxury Eye Brush ($40) and Face Brush ($56) on The Non-Blonde, Visionary Beauty, Blogdorf Goodman and Makeupalley, but still had to feel and test these in person before buying (even though everything else I have from EB has been purchased sight unseen). When I met Edward last month, I went to the Beverly Hills Neimans with a mental note to try three things: the eye brush, face brush and foundation. Here are my thoughts on his brushes.
Both are beautifully packaged in black boxes. The handles are both metal and the perfect size around to fit easily in the hand for convenient application. The designs are sleek and functional. The brush heads are dense but flexible. According to product info on the web, both are made of natural hairs. I’ve read reviews on other blogs that the brushes they have were made in France. Both of mine indicate that they are handcrafted in China – I know this might be a concern to many of you. I have not tested or seen the France-made brushes so I cannot compare mine. However, the ones I have are of excellent quality (ie, no shedding or color bleeding when I washed them like some brushes do, also the shape is even and well crafted).
The Luxury Eye Brush is something I think is best suited for an all over wash. Many of you probably use brushes this shape for your crease area. I have no crease so I tend to use these as a blender brush or for an all over wash of color. If you’re new to brushes and looking for something in this category, I highly recommend you get the EB over any other brush this shape. The brush is dense enough so it allows control. Some loose brushes simply don’t have enough density (enough hairs) resulting in a loose floppy type of brush that provides no control. Others are either too stiff or too soft preventing you from picking up enough product to get a decent application which may require multiple dips into your shadows and swipes on the lids to get enough to show up. I find Edward Bess’s Luxury Eye Brush to be the perfect density and texture (not too soft but not pokey) to get a good even application. Since my eye lids are smaller and do not have creases, this takes up a big chunk of my eye. It is a versatile brush though. When EB did my makeup, he used 1 brush to apply 2 colors (Mirage all over and Storm just 1/2 way up the lid). For my own personal application, I prefer to use more than 1 brush so I don’t mix colors and get them muddy, but EB’s makeup skills are far superior to mine. I look forward to more brushes from his line!
Shown next to his Dusk and Storm Eyeshadow so you can gauge the size of the head:
Compared next to other eye makeup brushes with similar shapes: L to R Edward Bess, Stila, MAC, Trish McEvoy, Stila (double ended), Laura Mercier (this is the one LM brush I actually don’t love), MAC and Chanel
The Luxury Face Brush by Edward Bess is another winner. I’ve had a number of kabuki brushes from other lines such as Bobbi Brown, Laura Mercier and MAC – all of which I liked but are at opposite extremes in texture. The Bobbi Brown is by far the softest and I love to use this for powder application. The Laura Mercier Face brush was too harsh of a texture for my face, it had good application for bronzer, but wasn’t my favorite.
Edward Bess’s falls right in between for softness. The best part is the handle is slightly longer which makes it easier to hold. I have super small fingers to begin with, but find the BB sometimes difficult to grasp easily. I imagine those with normal sized fingers might find it difficult to hold something that short as well. So far, I’ve only used the Luxury Face Brush with bronzer. It picks up just the right amount of product so you don’t need to tap off any excess before applying to the face.
Next to Edward Bess’s Daydream Bronzer:
Next to Bobbi Brown’s Face Brush (yes, it’s not fully cleaned, the lightness is due to powder residue):
Overall love. Spending about $100 on 2 brushes is definitely an ouch to the wallet upfront, but these two brushes are purchases I highly recommend. These are what I would call “no regrets” products.
Finding the right tools is important because good tools make all the difference for application. I have some brushes that are over 10 years old from MAC and Trish McEvoy – all of which I love. For the eye brush, I believe the EB is the best in its category for shape/size. The face brush is great as well – I have not tried kabuki brushes extensively so I can’t compare it to other brands, but I think it’s a great quality brush.
Tools for the face – Foundation, Powder & Cleansing/Touch Up:
* Sponges – My fool-proof technique for applying foundation is to use an egg-shaped sponge, which allows for even application and control of the amount of coverage. The edges also allow for clean-up of smudges or fall out of powder eyeshadows. Sponges are also great for applying powder foundations, but most compacts come with their own. Refills are available from a number of lines.
* Puffs – Larger puffs are nice for applying translucent powders to set foundation. (I clean mine in the washing machine.) Sometimes you can find the smaller versions in gift-with-purchase deals.
* Facial Cotton/Q-tips – Shiseido Facial Cotton (found at Macys, Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, Sephora and other Shiseido counters) is a standby for me for removing makeup or fixing mistakes. Q-tips are also essential for removing smudges and getting those fine detail areas.
* Eyelash Curlers – There are many different curlers out there, the type that will work for you will depend on your eye shape. I find that Shu Uemura and Trish McEvoy work the best for me.
* Tweezers – My favorites are Anastasia & Shu Uemura. Tweezerman is good too, but I find it dulls after a while. The mini purple tweezers are from Nordstrom for their Anniversary Sale Beauty Exclusives.
Trish McEvoy Lash Curler from the Trish McEvoy website, but also found at select Nordstroms, Saks, Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus, Henri Bendel locations.
Powder Brushes: I tend to splurge heavily on powder brushes. The most luxurious powder brush I’ve tried is the Trish McEvoy #5, but I find myself using my MAC powder brushes more often. The Laura Mercier Blending Brush is a more coarse brush meant to apply mineral foundation to the face in a circular motion. The MAC #150 and #134 are similar in size, but the #150 is fluffier giving a sheerer application while the #134 is denser and fuller. I also like to use this for highlighting powders.
1. MAC Large Powder Brush #150 2. MAC Large Powder Brush #134 3. Stila Large Powder Brush #8 4. Trish McEvoy Powder Brush #5 5. Trish McEvoy Bronzer Brush #37 6. Laura Mercier Blending Brush
Blush Brushes: Being obsessed with blush, I probably have the most blush brushes out of all the types of tools I own. Most of these I own duplicates of so I don’t have to wash them as often. Some like the MAC #129 are meant for both powder and blush.
1. MAC Powder/Blush Brush #129 2. MAC Blush Brush #116 3. Stila Blush Brush #1 4. Laura Mercier Cheek Colour Brush 5. Shu Uemura Natural Brush #20 6. Trish McEvoy Sheer Blush Brush 2B (revamped version) 7. Trish McEvoy Sheer Blush Brush 2B (older version)
Angled Face Brushes: These are meant to help contour the face. I have yet to master the art of contouring, so I use these for blush and highlighters.
1. MAC #174 (pro, discontinued) 2. MAC Large Angled Contour #168 3. MAC Angled Contour #169 4. Shu Uemura Natural Brush #2oH 5. Trish McEvoy #27A
Foundation or Cream Product Brushes: The oldest brush is the Prescriptives foundation brush which I believe was the first mid-highend/department store line to come out with one. Other companies like Bobbi Brown and MAC followed soon after with their own versions. I have to say that out of all the ones I’ve tried, the Prescriptives foundation brush is still my favorite (has lasted since 1998 when I purchased it). There are several cheek cream blush brushes out there, all of which are too small for me to find functional, so I often use these foundation brushes for cream blush as well.
1. MAC Face Brush #189 2. MAC Foundation Brush #190 3. Chanel Foundation Brush #16 4. Prescriptives Foundation Brush 5. Giorgio Armani Blender Brush 6. Stila Concealer Brush #11 7. MAC Concealer Brush #195
Bronzer, Contour & Highlighting Brushes: In addition to blush, I’m also into bronzer. I have to admit, I don’t love all of these. Whenever I get my makeup done at events, I often get sucked into buying the tools they use and push. My recommendation – definitely go to events, they are a great way to learn new techniques and color combinations. Do some of your own research first about the line by looking at each company website and browse through the products in advance so get an idea of what they have to offer. That way you’ll have a better idea of what to look for, ask to try out, and start a shopping list.
1. Bobbi Brown Bronzer Brush (new version) 2. Laura Mercier Bronzer Brush 3. NARS Bronzing Powder Brush 4. Bobbi Brown Bronzer Brush (old version) 5. Stila Double Duty Cheek Contour & Blush brush#21
Highlighting Brushes: I cannot live without the MAC Duo Fibre Brush #187 and absolutely love the new Duo Fibre Powder/Blush #131 (released with Color Craft). If you could only have 2 highlighter brushes, these would definitely be the ones I’d pick. Like the concept but not the price? I’ve seen similar brushes at Target for less.
1. MAC Duo Fibre Brush #187 2. MAC Small Duo Fibre Face Brush #188 3. MAC Duo Fibre Powder/Blush #131 4. MAC Tapered Face Brush #138 5. MAC Tapered Cheek & Highlighter Brush #165 6. Trish McEvoy Blending Brush #48 7. Bobbi Brown Face Blender Brush
Short & Kabuki Brushes: I find myself drawn to short brushes because I find them cute and often they are made with super soft materials. The Laura Mercier Face Brush is intended to be used with the Mineral Finishing Powder as well as other powder formulations. I find the handle too short for the size of the bristles making it difficult to hold. The Laura Mercier Mineral Primer Brush has a half moon-shaped head and small handle I find difficult to hold, so I find that I rarely use this one as well.
1. Bobbi Brown Face Brush 2. MAC Small Buffer Brush #183 3. MAC Small Buffer Brush #181 4. Laura Mercier Face Brush 5. Laura Mercier Mineral Primer Brush
Again, if you have any brushes for the face that you love, please share!!!
This is part one of a week-long series featuring my favorite beauty basics for makeup application and grooming. This week you’ll see the tools I use and skincare items that work for me. The lists are by no means comprehensive and some might not work for you. I’d like to get your input on what you’ve tried and what does or doesn’t work for you.
In this feature – eye brushes! I’ve separated the eye brushes I have into different categories by shape and style. Most of these are the full sized versions within each brand (several lines carry both short handled and long handled versions of the same brush). I will admit that my brush collection is quite massive, you might ask how many brushes does a girl need? Definitely not all of these. Infact there are several brushes that seem almost identical in shape, size, and material between various different brands. At the end of this post, I will let you know what my top essential eye brushes are.
All Over Lid & Eyeshadow Brushes: I like larger or fluffy brushes for applying an all-over wash to the lid, or for applying a matte base color. The brushes that are more tightly packed (more dense) allow for a heavier application which include Stila’s #5, Trish McEvoy’s Laydown Brushes and Laura Mercier’s All Over Eye Color Brush. Fluffy lighter brushes like the white bristled MAC #217 & #239 are nice because they make blending colors easy.
1. Trish McEvoy Eyeshadow Brush #10 2. MAC Square Shader Brush #259 (pro) 3. MAC Large Fluff Brush #227 4. Stila All Over Shadow Brush #5 5. Laura Mercier All Over Eye Colour Brush 6. Trish McEvoy Sheer Application Brush #45 7. Trish McEvoy Large Laydown Brush #21 8. Trish McEvoy Medium Laydown Brush #40 9. MAC Blending Brush #217 10. MAC Eye Shading Brush #239 11. MAC Fluff Brush #213 12. Bobbi Brown Eye Shadow Brush 13. Chanel Eyeshadow Brush #2
Crease & Contour Brushes: The brushes here are intended for the crease area. For those who do not have a crease, some of these tools are still handy for creating a soft gradation of color from darker near the lash line to the brow bone or blending shades together. I found out about the Studio Tools Brush (labeled #6) thanks to Karlasugar! The brushes with a smaller tip are great for creating a smokey eye, or even just smoking out/blending eyeliner for a softer but still defined look.
1. Stila All Over Blend #9 2. MAC Tapered Blending Brush #224 3. Laura Mercier Pony Tail Brush 4. Stila Double-Ended Shadow #30 5. MAC Small Tapered Blending Brush #226 6. Studio Tools Crease Brush (from Target) 7. Trish McEvoy Tapered Blending Brush #29 8. Chanel Eyeshadow Crease Brush #3 9. MAC Pencil Brush #219 10. Stila Double-Sided Crease & Liner Brush #15 11. Trish McEvoy Round Eye Contour #6 12. Trish McEvoy Smudge Brush #9
Odd Shaped & Cream Eyeshadow Brushes: One of the very first brushes I bought was the Trish McEvoy #23 hoof shaped brush which I like to use for an easy simple one-step eyeshadow application (use in a windshield wiper motion). (Note that the Trish brushes with golden handles are her original version, she has since revamped her brushes with clear lucite handles.) Unfortunately, I think she has discontinued this brush, so the next best closest tool is one from Laura Mercier. I believe Nars also carries a hoof-shaped brush as well, but I have not checked it out. For cream eyeshadows, I also like to use concealer brushes!
1. Laura Mercier Angled Eye Colour 2. Trish McEvoy Angled Contour Brush #23 3. Stila Eye Enhancer Brush #20 4. Bobbi Brown Eye Contour Brush 5. MAC Large Shader Brush #252 6. MAC Shader Brush #242 7. MAC Concealer Brush #195 8. Becca Eye Color Brush #11 9. Becca Eye Creme #31 10. Shu Uemura Synthetic Brush #10 11. Bobbi Brown Cream Shadow Brush
Detail Eyeliner & Smudge Brushes: These smaller stiffer brushes are nice for getting those corners, for the waterline, or for simple eyelining. The angled brushes to be the most precise and they can also work well for brows. I find that I use smudge brushes for eyelining more frequently than I use the eyeliner brushes when lining with powder eyeshadows. For gel liners, Stila #4 and Bobbi Brown’s Ultra Fine Eyeliner Brush are my absolute favorites.
1. Stila Dual Sided Brush #23 (from 6 pan palette) 2. MAC Flat Definer #212 3. MAC Small Angle Brush #266 4. Trish McEvoy Angled Eyeling Brush #50 5. Laura Mercier Corner Eye Colour Brush 6. Bobbi Brown Eye Liner Brush 7. Stila Precision Eyeliner Brush #4 8. Bobbi Brown Ultra Fine Eyeliner Brush 9. Shu Uemura 2R 10. MAC Short Shader Brush #214 11. NARS Smudge Brush 12. Trish McEvoy Va Va Voom Smudge Brush #54 13. Studio Tools Smudge Brush (from Target) 14. Laura Mercier Smudge Brush 15. Trish McEvoy Precision Smudge Brush #41
If you’re just beginning your brush collection, I’ll narrow down the selection from over 40 different eye brushes down to what I think are the essentials:
* All over eye brush – MAC Large Fluff Brush #227 * Best all purpose basic eyeshadow brush – MAC Blending Brush #217 * Smudge or detail brush – Laura Mercier Smudge Brush * Eyeliner brush – Bobbi Brown Eye Liner Brush * Cream eyeshadow brush – anything from Shu Uemura or Becca * Crease brush – Stila Double-Ended Shadow #30
You might ask – are these brushes really worth the price tag? It really depends on your personal preference & budget. Yes, there are duplicates of the more expensive ones for less $$$ in other brands. I don’t think you need to spend a lot for basics, however, that being said, many times “you get what you pay for.” At least 1/3 of the brushes that I’ve own were purchased some 10 years ago. I’ve found the quality of many to be excellent, so I believe that sometimes higher prices = higher quality, which translates into longer lasting tools, which means a better deal for your $$$.
Looking for other alternatives? Look for brush sets! You can often find better deals by buying brushes that come in a multi-product set. There are some great sets from all different price ranges at Target (Sonia Kashuk or Studio Tools), Sephora, and higher end sets like MAC, Laura Mercier, Trish McEvoy, Bobbi Brown and Chanel. Do be warned that brushes that come in sets aren’t always the same quality or size as the full sized individual versions. Some brands use different production methods (machine made versus hand made) for their sets. One brand I believe you can never go wrong with is Laura Mercier – her short handled brushes are just as good as the full size! The sizes might be different for her travel collections, but still work as well as the bigger ones.
Also note that brush sets are sometimes seasonal with holidays, or annual event sales, or with certain color collections. If you want to find a great brush set, wait a couple months – I’m sure there will be a few nice holiday sets coming out from MAC, Shu Uemura, Bobbi Brown and more.
Are there any eye brushes that you absolutely love? Please share!!!
