Review: Foundation Brushes

     For the past few weeks I have been using different cream foundations and 6 different brushes for each one. All the brushes I used were synthetic. I am partial to synthetic brushes because, they are easy to sanitize and cruelty free. I saw a lot of similarities between the brushes. They all have their purpose and it may not necessarily be for foundation.

 LOOKNY $20 (duane reade drugstores)- I did not know Duane Reade had it's own line of professional brushes. I paid 99 cents for this brush!!! BUT it was a fluke. They cashier only gave it to me for that price, because it's didn't show up in the system and I found it in the clearance section, so I got a SERIOUS break! Later, I went to a different location and saw the brush for the whopping $20!! I WOULD NEVER pay that much for a drug store brush. Okay, enough back story! When I first used this brush I thought it was HUGE for a foundation brush. You only need a little bit of product to do your entire face, so having this big of a brush seemed excessive...until I tried a small brush. I found out I liked the fact that this brush was big. It blends foundation quickly and seamlessly, because you're able to get big strokes and cover large areas in no time. It's difficult to get under the eyes and by the corners of the nose, but you can always use a concealer brush for that. This brush doesn't create streaks. It's a heavy duty brush, with soft bristles, that are easy to clean. The brush head is about as wide as a quarter.

 

Real Techniques $8 (ulta.com)- I bought this brush in a set of 4 for $17. Of course there was a BOGO 50% sale so it was way cheaper than that! Because of the way the tip of the brush looks it's hard to believe it's synthetic. It's thin, soft and the head is about 1/2 the width of a quarter. I like this brush but, only for small spaces. it's hard to blend seamlessly with this size of a brush. Luckily I used the buffer brush in the kit to help blend my foundation together. Used with the buffer brush, this brush is great! Alone? not so much. Would make a great concealer brush though.

 

ELF Professional Foundation Brush $1 (eyeslipsface.com)- For this incredible LOW price. This brush is AWESOME! I like the weight of the bristles and it cleans VERY easily. The bristles are full but, the brush bristles are flexible and easy to maneuver. It's about 3/4 the size of a quarter. It applies the foundation well and blends easily, but I noticed streaks in my t-zone. I could not blend the streaks away with the brush, I had to use a sponge. This brush seems to be of better quality than it's counterpart that is 3 times the price.

 ELF Angled Foundation Brush $3 (eyeslipsface.com)- I never like this brush for foundation just by looking at it. The head is about as wide as a quarter. The bristles are stiff, soft but way to artificial. I think this brush is just too thick to apply foundation. I use it to apply my weekly mask.

 

Real Techniques Foundation Brush $8 (ulta.com)- This brush IMMEDIATELY reminded me of the elf brush so I was afraid. It's a dual fiber brush so while the bristles at one point look hard and artificial the ends are soft. Essentially, this brush acts as the other Real Techniques foundation brush mentioned above AND it's partner the buffer brush. You can apply the foundation using strokes and blend using the ends, which are fluffier. This brush can also be used for contouring.

 

 

 

      Alright this brush has NO NAME! All I can say is I got it at Walgreens. You know me. I rifle through the clearance section searching for items to try on the cheap. The day I got this brush was no exception. It was $2.69 and as you see, you get 2 brushes, a concealer brush and a foundation brush. I wasn't a fan of dual ended brushes, until I tried this one. The foundation part is about the size of a quarter. I believe the brush is synthetic, but it could easily be a natural hair brush (maybe boar because of the thickness and texture of the bristles) This brush is similar to the LOOKNY brush, except that is has a more rough texture. The size is about the same, but the brush is a round shape instead of tear drop. I didn't think I would switch between the 2 sides of the brush so easily. Since the bigger end doesn't do will around the eye and noes areas the smaller side is needed.  I already see wear at the smaller end of the brush...which worries me.



 

     Overall 2 of these are my "go to" brushes. I packed the LOOKNY brush in my kit and I keep the ELF ($1) brush around for my personal use. I like the LOOKNY brush for the quick, flawless finish.    

     The Real Techniques brushes would be great for someone who needs a lot of blending. For example if you need to mix 2 colors on your face or you're blending in a natural highlight. The angled foundation brush can also be used to buff out mistakes.