Beautyholics Anonymous » Makeup Brushes

Louise Young Super Blush Brush – The Most Luxurious Makeup Brush I Own

Tine — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

A while ago, Emily tweeted about getting Louise Young makeup brushes, and asked if anyone wanted to jump in onto the shopping spree with her. I have to admit that till that day, I’ve never heard of Louise Young nor her cosmetics line. Oh yeah. Facepalm moment right there.

I had a browse on her website, and immediately liked what I saw. It was a risk for me to splurge on something I’ve never even tried, much less heard of, so I decided to just get one item, which is the blush brush. Even so, the brush was expensive. Was I nuts? Oh definitely. Did I regret the purchase? Well, read on

Louise Young has been a highly successful make-up artist for over 20 years working in film, fashion, television and theatre. She regularly makes up some of the most famous faces in the world and also lectures in media make-up throughout the UK.

She has written HND and Btec National Diploma Courses in Media Make-up and currently contributes to various TV and radio programmes as well as working on some of the most popular films and TV series in the country.

When I finally caught up with Emily, she handed me the brush and I was stunned. It was a beautiful makeup brush, with the softest hair I’ve ever felt. None of my makeup brushes even came close to how soft this baby is.

I gave it a good wash before use. A tip: always wash your new makeup brushes prior to use. You don’t know what they went through from manufacturing to packaging, so it’s a good practice to wash and sanitise them first before it touches your skin (more importantly, your eyes and lips). Anyway, there was no bleeding of the brush. In fact, I’ve been washing it, along with my other brushes, on a weekly basis and never once did it bleed.

It feels like kittens on the skin. Okay, not that I’ve actually held a kitten to my face, but you get the gist It’s incredibly soft, none of that scratchy bits on the skin (which I get from the only MAC brush I have, which is the 150). It doesn’t pick up a whole lot of powder when you tap it on your blush. This is something I really like about the brush, especially with highly pigmented blushes from NARS. It picks up a tiny amount of powder with a single tap, which allows me to control the amount of colour I want on my cheeks.

Using NARS Exhibit A

The brush has only shed 1 hair ever since I started using it, and that was during a random blush application. It did not shed during washing. The website does not state what sort of hair it is for the brush, only that it’s natural hair. The handle is made from Forest Stewardship Commission protected kiln dried birch or beech (there was no specification of which for this brush).

Size comparison with several makeup brushes. I don’t have a MAC blush brush to compare with, so I used the #150 instead

Here comes the kicker. For something I’ve never heard or tried before till a few months ago, I splashed £26 on the blush brush. Say whatttt? That’s about AU$38 for ONE brush. I was so glad I took the risk because this has turned out to be the best, most luxurious makeup brush I’ve used to date. I’ve got my eye on the large powder brush, and a few eye makeup brushes now. That, or I could just get the brush set instead, which is £67.

Would I recommend this to you? If you want a high-quality blush brush with uber-soft hair, oh most definitely. It is expensive, but I’ve always maintained that good quality makeup brushes will last you for years. I have some which are almost 10 years old now, and they’re still going strong and working fine.

Louise Young makeup brushes and range of cosmetics are available on her website. International shipping is available at £6.99 for postage and packaging. Not bad if you ask me.

Do check it out. You might be inclined to leave with something. You have been warned.

Ecotools Bamboo Bronzer Brush

Tine — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 22:44:11 +0000

A number of readers requested that I do a review on the Ecotools Bamboo bronzer brush I received last month. Here you go

I don’t use bronzers, so I used this as a face brush. And I have to say, it’s one of the best face brushes I’ve used. I use this on my MAC Studio Fix compact powder. Even though the compact comes with a sponge, I prefer to use a face brush to give my skin a more naturally-finished look, rather than a cakey layer achieved with the sponge.

The bristles of the brush are firmly packed at the bottom, and is quite compact. Powder picked and applied can be quite a lot so one has to be light with the hand when dipping the brush into the powder.

The hairs are incredibly soft, which is a huge plus point for me. It does not bleed when washed (although it does take a long time to dry), and it’s a good size to still be able to hold the brush right in front of the mirror and not knock the brush against it when applying.

Makeup Masala is selling it at US$10 a piece, which even with shipping fees, is quite a steal. Wouldn’t bother getting it from Priceline in Australia as it’s going to be almost triple the US price.

Even though I received this brush for free, I would definitely buy one, and would recommend y’all getting one too

An Ecotools Surprise

Tine — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 23:21:07 +0000

Remember when I wrote about the anatomy of a retractable kabuki brush, and that my brush fell apart after a short while of use? Just a few days after I wrote that article, an Ecotools PR representative contacted me regarding the brush, and lo and behold, this came in the mail today.

It certainly was unexpected, and a very kind gesture on Ecotools’ part. They also included a bronzer brush in the box, which I’ve been wanting to try.

Thanks Ecotools!

Anatomy of a Retractable Brush

Tine — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 04:55:53 +0000

Bugger. My Ecotools retractable kabuki brush, fell apart after just a few months’ use. Expected it to last at least half a year though. How disappointing

Original Form

Oh well, just in case you want to see a breakdown of the retractable brush (or any sort of retractable brushes for that matter), here you go.

And it fell apart

In hindsight, the brush was more compact when it was in its original retractable state. When the casing fell apart, I found out that 5mm of the brush from the ferrule was covered by the metal bits, hence tightening its shape. After I threw the useless bits away, the brush actually felt fluffier and nicer to use.

Here’s something I want to show you, and it is how the brush hairs are glued together.

There is a reason makeup experts tell you that you should, as much as possible, keep water away from the ferrule when you’re cleaning your makeup brushes. This is to prevent the water from causing the glue to dislodge from the bristles. When I washed the brush with shampoo, I noticed that everytime I squeezed water out of the bristles, the lather seeps through the back. I could see tiny soapy bubbles forming around the glue.

So the next time you clean your makeup brushes, do keep water as far away from the ferrule as possible to ensure your brushes last as long as possible.

Manicare Artiste Makeup Brush Roll

Tine — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 23:46:25 +0000

From my previous post, I had a few comments from readers asking me where I bought the makeup brush roll from.

It’s a Manicare Artiste makeup brush roll which I purchased from Priceline. ~~I’m afraid I can’t recall how much it cost, but I reckon it’s somewhere between AU$15-AU$25. I’ll update when I can confirm the price~~. It costs AU$14.95.

The brush roll is a makeup brush case which I use for traveling (it does not come with brushes). It has a leatherette cover with an elastic band to hook onto a metal button. Most of the brushes below are from the Manicare Artiste range, and are the ones I’ll be bringing with me on my trip.

Manicare Artiste concealer brush #1
Manicare Artiste small shadow brush #30
NYX eyeshadow brush
Manicare Artiste sponge tip shadow #37 (great for using a dark shadow as an eyeliner)
Manicare Artiste stippling brush #17
The Face Shop lip brush
Bloom eyeliner brush
MAC blending brush #217

I did not have high expectations for their makeup brushes when I purchased them, but so far, I’ve been quite impressed with the ones I have. The brushes are affordable; most of them are less than AU$20.

My Very Own Sephora-Inspired Makeup Brush Holder

Tine — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 21:00:47 +0000

Took me long enough to do this!

I’m really excited about this, because finally, after almost a year of searching, I managed to get the right tools for my Sephora-inspired makeup brush holder. I’ve been wanting something like this for ages, but believe it or not, tiny vase fillers aren’t all that easy to find.

I’ve been scouring thrift stores, $2 stores, florists, etc to find the exact type of vase fillers I wanted for my holder, but all of them were either too big (like marbles), or too fine and scratchy (almost like sand). I needed something smooth which would not scratch the handles of my brushes. Lo and behold, when I was at Chadstone a few days ago, I found this at Wheel & Barrow.

The textured highball glass was even on sale, so I was quick to snap it up as well. The drops weren’t cheap though; they were double the price of the glass!

Still, I’m very happy with my brush holder, and can finally display it proudly, along with my regularly-used brushes, on my dresser. I almost don’t even care about having to wipe dust off the brushes every now and then

Q&A: Types of Makeup Brush Bristles

Tine — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 04:21:03 +0000

Ollie wanted to know what the differences between natural-haired and synthetic-haired makeup brushes are, and also the use of a kabuki brush.

As you know, makeup brushes come in many different types, shapes and sizes. The main difference between the brushes is the type of bristles used (for different purposes). They are either synthetic- or natural-haired.

Physical Difference between Naturals and Synthetics

Synthetic brush bristles are softer and smoother upon touch. Now I know that natural hair bristles can also be very soft, but at first touch, synthetic brushes are softer and appear more shiny. Natural-haired brushes feel just a tad rougher compared to synthetic-haired brushes. That does not mean they are better; just that they are meant for different uses.

Synthetic-Haired Makeup Brushes

Man-made, using either nylon or polyester filaments.
Common types are taklon and nylon. These are very similar to the taklon or nylon paintbrushes you see at art stores.
Less prone to damage from makeup and solvents
Easier to keep clean compared to natural-haired brushes as the filaments do not trap or absorb pigment.
As the bristles are very smooth, they don’t hold powders very well. Thus, they are better suited for soft layering of powder, or best for application of creams (liquid/cream foundation, cream blushes, cream eyeshadows, etc).

Natural-Haired Makeup Brushes

Natural-haired brushes are made from natural hair like squirrel( very soft) , badger (firm), pony and kolinsky.
Slightly more difficult to care for compared to synthetic-hair brushes.
Used for powder makeup applications – face powder, powder eyeshadow, powder blush.
You can learn more about the different types of natural-haired brushes from Urban Apothecary.

The brushes can come in a variety of colours; it’s just a matter of dyeing the hairs. In general, synthetic-haired brushes can come in a slightly more colourful variety (I’ve seen them in brown, pink, blue, white, etc) compared to natural-haired ones (mostly black, brown or white).

I learned the difference between the brushes the hard way when I used synthetic-haired eyeshadow brushes to apply powder shadows. I experience a lot of powder fall-out upon application. Also, using a synthetic-hair brush on powder (loose or compact) gives me a sheerer cover, whereas the natural-haired one packs more punch per application. I like using a natural-haired blush brush when I use blush which are less pigmented on me, e.g. Benefit Dandelion. When it comes to NARS blushes (except for the Orgasm and Deep Throat, they are extremely pigmented), I use my synthetic-haired blush brush (from Eco Tools) instead so that I have more control over the amount of flush I want.

What is a Kabuki Brush?

A kabuki brush comes in a very short handle, with a lot of bristles firmly packed at its circular base. It’s used for application of mineral foundation, or face powder. The very short handle makes it very easy to buff the powder onto the skin, and the firmly packed bristles in a circle give it more coverage. Its principal purpose is to create an even and thorough coverage of the powder on the face.

This is not to say you cannot use a kabuki brush as a blush brush. But in general, it’s not used for that purpose because you don’t want to accidentally puff too much colour onto your cheeks, making you look like a clown. A proper blush brush is better used for even distribution of colour and natural looking definition on the cheeks, because of its tapered, flat head.

The difference between a face brush and a kabuki brush is that the kabuki brush packs more coverage onto the skin, whereas with a face brush, you’d just want to sweep some powder onto your face to set your liquid foundation. A light sweep of powder will do to avoid the cakey look, and a face brush does just the job.

I hope this has answered your question, Ollie

Keep the questions coming!

My Collection of Makeup Brushes

Tine — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 21:52:43 +0000

Reading Plue‘s posts on the good and bad of her makeup brushes, I had a thought to do a post on my makeup brushes as well. Not so much as a review of each brush per se, but just to do an inventory of my babies

Now as you read on, you’ll notice that I don’t have expensive makeup brushes. In fact, mine are so cheap, you’d be surprised that they even work (well, most of them anyway). The only expensive makeup brush I have is the MAC #150 (paid a liver for that one too). Still, I’m happy with what I’ve got. I’m still on the hunt for cheap and good makeup brushes; I’ll let you know when I discover more.

Click on each photo to enlarge.

Face and Cheek Brushes

Left to right:

Silk Naturals fiber optic blush brush – I’ve not used this one yet though. It sheds whenever I run my fingers through the bristles.
Everyday Minerals angled blush brush – great blush for applying blush and contouring the cheeks.
Everyday Minerals long-handled kabuki brush – since I no longer use mineral makeup, I use this as a blush brush at times.
Everyday Minerals Flat-Top Brush – ditto
Everyday Minerals Mini Kabuki – too small to be used as a face brush. I just find it cute :p
Revlon Vital Radiance Foundation Brush
Sephora Bronzer Brush #48
Elianto Face Brush – very soft synthetic bristles. Love it!
MAC #150
Lumiere Face Brush
Lumiere Blush Brush – I find this too small to be used as a blush brush

Eye Makeup Brushes

Left to right:

Coastal Scents tapered crease eye brush
Coastal Scents synthetic fine liner brush
Elianto eyeshadow brush (natural hair)
Elianto eyeshadow brush (synthetic hair)
Eco Tools eyeshadow brush – a cheap and great find
Everyday Minerals concealer brush – the bristles are too limp for my liking
Everyday Minerals eyeshadow brush (2 pieces)
Everyday Minerals Eye kabuki brush – I don’t know why I got this, since I don’t even have deep-set eyes to begin using this with. I guess I just wanted to complete my collection of Everyday Minerals makeup brushes. This brush is too big for my eyelids.
The Body Shop Colourings eyeshadow brush – The Colourings makeup brushes have been discontinued for a long time now. I’m so glad I got these before they did. Guess what? They’re 1 pound each (from the 1-pound sales) :p
The Body Shop Colourings eyeshadow brush (small)
Manicare Artiste Professional small shadow brush #30 – Manicare came up with this great range of makeup brushes at Priceline and Myer. There are a lot of different types of makeup brushes, and the display reminded me of how they display makeup brushes at Sephora. There are a lot of dupes too, like the MAC #187. I’ll sneak a picture at Priceline and show you.
Manicare Artist Professional sponge tip shadow brush #37 – the hard tip makes it very easy to apply dark shadow as eyeliner on the upper and lower lids.
Bloom slanted eyeliner brush
Silk Naturals double ended synthetic eye brush – pretty convenient for traveling when you have two brushes in one.
MUJI eyebrow brush

I forgot to add these brushes in with the picture above.

These are travel-sized brushes from Lumiere Cosmetics. These are excellent for traveling.

Lip Brushes

The black one is from Manicare Artiste Professional, and the silver from The Face Shop. The Manicare one comes with a retractable brush, whereas the one from The Face Shop comes with a cap which elongates the brush.

That’s it! I don’t use all of them at once, of course, but I like it that I have the option to. Tee hee hee.

What’s your makeup brush collection like? Go ahead and do a post about it. I’d love me some makeup brush p0rn :p

Beauty Tip of the Day: Choosing Good Makeup Brushes

Tine — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 06:07:33 +0000

I saw this tip when I was checking out the book Rae Morris: Makeup – The Ultimate Guide at Borders last Friday, and I thought I had to share it with you. Rae Morris is a top makeup artist in Australia, who has won the prestigious Australian Makeup Artist of the Year award four times over. She’s also the Makeup Director at Australian Fashion Week.

In other words, the real shizz.

How to choose the good quality – not necessarily expensive – makeup brushes. I’m going to let you in on one of the best kept secrets in buying making brushes, and it’s so simple.

Whenever you want to buy a makeup brush, balance it on its very tip. Hold the brush vertically on the back of your hand, bristles down, and lightly bounce the brush to test the strength of the bristles. The bristles should only have a slight bend; if they splay, or flatten completely, then the brush will be too difficult to use, and the makeup will go everywhere except where you want to put it.

When you are doing detailed work such as applying eyeliner or defining a brow, you need to add a little pressure with your brush as you apply it. If you have a bad brush, the slightest pressure will move the bristles from 1mm to (if it’s really nasty) 5mm. That is a huge distance when you are talking about an eyeliner.

- Rae Morris: Makeup – The Ultimate Guide

The Brush Guard

Tine — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 21:04:22 +0000

When I first read the review of The Brush Guard on My Makeup Reviews, and then on Viva Woman, I knew I had to get it. I treat my makeup brushes, regardless of whether they’re cheap or expensive, like gold. This would be great for my storage and maintenance of some of my regularly-used brushes.

Just to try it out, I ordered the Variety Pack, which comprises one shadow/liner brush tube (extra small), two blush brush tubes (small), two foundation brush tubes (medium), and one powder/kabuki brush tube (large).

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the Brush Guard, well, they are stretchable, breathable tubes which slide over the brush handle onto the bristles. It’s a great way to keep the brushes separate from each other, and you can chuck the brushes into your makeup kit without worrying that the bristles would be crushed out of shape. The tube protects the bristles from getting squashed.

Pretty cool, huh?

You can also dry your brushes after wash with the Brush Guard on. Contrary to the rave reviews on using it to dry the brushes upside down, I’m not too sure if I like this idea though. Drying the brushes with the Brush Guard on, I mean.

Drying my brushes in a takeaway carton

I washed my brushes and then slid the tubes over them. However, the brushes took a longer time to dry with the Brush Guard on, especially my Everyday Minerals flat-top brush. It’s because the tube keeps the hairs tightly together to maintain the shape, but in the end, it does not let enough air in. Hmm. That’s what I think anyway.

Having said that, the tubes are really sturdy and I really like how it keeps the shape and, more importantly, separate from other brushes and won’t get squished in my makeup bag. These tubes are also pretty elastic, and can stretch up to 1/4 inches beyond the bristles. It is recommended that you select a size with a snug fit over your bristles so that it does not slip.

I used the large tube on my MAC #150, the medium tubes on my Everyday Minerals angled blush brush and flat-top brush, the small tubes on my Everyday Minerals eyeshadow brushes, and the extra small tube on my Bloom angled brush. These fit perfectly.

I’m thinking of purchasing another set for the rest of my brushes. Might as well keep them well since I spent so much money on ‘em, right?

A side note – Two weeks into ordering the Brush Guard, they never arrived. I was rather concerned about the it, and emailed the owner, Diane, if she’s indeed already sent the item. Apparently there’s been some discrepancies at the post office (we still had no idea which post office mucked the delivery up), and a few deliveries never arrived. Diane was most apologetic about it, and immediately sent out a replacement package. This was very nice of her, because I have encountered nasty sellers on eBay who would not give me a replacement on a lost item stating that it wasn’t their fault if the post office screwed up. So, thanks Diane

Do check out Vivawoman and My Makeup Review’s sites for more comprehensive reviews on the Brush Guard. These ladies did such a great job with their photos in explaining how it works, I’ll leave it to them to give you much better reviews. But I do highly recommend these if you’re one who treasures her makeup brushes. These would do a great job.