Sunday, April 13, 2014

A Brush with e.l.f.

With Kmart beginning to stock e.l.f., the affordable US cosmetics brand recently became widely available in Australia. While everything was predictably more expensive than in the States, the sad reality is the price point for the range remains inexpensive by local standards. I wasn't interested in any of the makeup (trying to honour my New Year's beauty resolution of buying less, despite early slip ups), but I wanted to give their brushes a go. I've always heard good feedback about their brush line, especially being so budget-friendly. The Essential line of brushes are $3 a piece here (compared with $1 in the States), while the brushes in the Studio line are $8 (compared with $3 in the States). Despite the triple markup, I purchased the Essential Eyeshadow Brush, Essential Blending Eye Brush and Studio Blush Brush to try.


l-r: e.l.f. Essential Eyeshadow Brush, e.l.f. Essential Blending Eye Brush, e.l.f. Studio Blush Brush


l-r: Sportsgirl dual-ended brush, Real Techniques Domed Shadow Brush, e.l.f. Eyeshadow Brush

l-r: Ecotools Smudge Brush, e.l.f. Blending Eye Brush, Ecotools Blending Brush

The two eyeshadow brushes I picked out seem to be the most popular and well-received of e.l.f.'s Essential range, so my expectations were fairly high despite how affordable they were. Before anything, I gave them a good wash with Daiso Detergent for Puff and Sponge and not a single hair shed which was a positive start. After they'd dried and I'd used them for the first time, I was pleased at how soft the bristles were without being floppy and hard to control.

The Essential Eyeshadow Brush seems designed for the basic job of packing on a single colour all over the eyelid. It picked up a good amount of shadow, especially with the lighter shade I used, without resulting in too much fallout. The only issue I had was the length of the bristles which I found a bit too short. Occasionally I'd feel the cold, hard ferrule on my lid rather than the actual brush hair.

The Essential Blending Eye Brush was excellent at concentrating a deeper colour on the outer-V of the eye and blending into the crease. It fits really snugly into the crease (or disappears into the skin fold, if you have monolids) and deposits colour accurately. The smaller, rounded shape allows for better control and placement compared with something much larger and fluffier, like the Ecotools Blending Brush from the Bamboo 5 Piece Brush Set. Together, the Eyeshadow Brush and the Blending Eye Brush make eyeshadow application a simple, approachable 2-step process that even eyeshadow novices can master.

l-r: Real Techniques Setting Brush, Real Techniques Contour Brush, e.l.f. Blush Brush, Ecotools Blush Brush

Out of the Studio line, I was tempted by the gigantic Kabuki Face Brush but in the end, I had to go with the Blush Brush. Mainly, I was intrigued by the shape of it, which is significantly smaller than what I'm accustomed to in a blush brush. It actually reminded me of the SUQQU "Kitten Paw" Cheek Brush beloved by Lisa Eldridge, though that could be more because both are all black than anything else. Notwithstanding other major quality/materials/craftsmanship/price differences, the SUQQU appears more fluffy and rounded, whereas this e.l.f. one is mainly flat.

Of course, I had to try the brush with e.l.f.'s own Studio Blushes. I whipped out my oft-neglected Pink Passion, a colour I've struggled with and been frequently intimidated by as it's so bright and pigmented. Using the Studio Blush Brush, with its flat edge and smaller shape, gave me far greater control as to placement and opacity. I could concentrate the colour exactly where I wanted it on the cheek and build up the pigmentation slowly with each layer. I think the Studio Blush Brush has the potential to make more accessible any strongly pigmented blush that more traditional blush brushes would overdo. I don't have anything similar in shape, so it's a welcome addition to my brush collection.

25 comments:

  1. I have all 3 brushes too and really enjoy them! :)

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  2. they are quite reasonable in price too

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  3. ELF brushes are good for its price!
    I had the essential eyeshadow and blending brush few years ago and they did their job very well,in fact, the blending brush was one of my favorite before it started to loose the glue and the bristles fell off the handle..
    ELF's prices are also marked up here. I remember paying €3 for each essential brushes.. Oh how I wish I lived in the US just for the make up... lol

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  4. I have the eyeshadow brush and I agree that it's too short. I wish it were a bit longer so that it was a bit more flexible for sweeping colour!

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  5. i have never tried any of the elf brushes, the price seems pretty good though! xx
    mollyox.blogspot.co.uk

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  6. I didn't even know Kmart was starting to stock ELF, will have to check it out!
    I've heard a mix of good and bad about ELF brushes, though for how much they cost they sound pretty decent!

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  7. I've heard a great deal about these brushes and think that I might go for the blush brush as I still can't justify that Suqqu blush loved by Lisa Eldridge yet....x

    Daphne | subgenre of a dream | bloglovin

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  8. I love RT brushes but many of them are wrong size for my face. I also have and love the brushes you picked from e.l.f. I was proselytizing to my friends with the eyeshadow brushes at some point. LOL
    I also like the blending brush from the studio line. It is much smaller and denser, and it works a whole lot different from the one from the essential line. Love both. :)

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  9. I love elf brushes! Some are better than others, but at least they're cheap! I love the 3 brushes you've mention here as well as the flat powder brush! It is so dense and perfect for buffing in liquid or powder foundation

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  10. I love that blush brush, however I don't actually use it for blush! I like it to powder under my eyes or for contouring. My two other ELF brushes that I use a lot are the small stippling brush for cream blush and bronzer (I actually have 2!) and the essential line smudge brush for under my eyes. Also love their makeup remover pen. I've been underwhelmed by most of their makeup though.

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    Replies
    1. The small stippling brush definitely looked promising! I would use it for cream blush as well :) But I guess I have my Real Techniques Expert Face Brush (or just plain fingers) for that :)

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  11. I have only the eyeshadow brush but I love it, it's so easy to use!

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  12. Hi, I also have that blush brush and I really like it. It works so great for highlighter, powder, and blush. Such a good multi-tasking brush. I also share the same 'problem' with ELF price being more expensive here than in the US. I paid €4 for the studio brush i believe. Try iHerb if you feel like purchasing more. They have ELF products for the 'real' price :D

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  13. I absolutely swear by the e.l.f. studio range of brushes… they last for years, never shed, and stay ultra soft through tons of washings. Honestly, spending money on more expensive brands/brushes seems silly to me. Glad you were finally able to try these out! :)

    ♥Cassie
    thriftthick.blogspot.com

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  14. I have the eyeshadow brushes and for the price, they are pretty awesome. I also have the studio line powder brush which is a flat-top brush. It is one of my favorite brushes.

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  15. They look really nice!
    Specially the blush brush!
    Here brushes are usually a bit pricey...my collection is either Real Techniques or Argent Makeup (a local brand). I've been thinking about getting one or two MAC brushes (their blending and pencil brush) and more real techniques. Oh and Crown brushes! Their eye brushes look really really nice and 4 euros a piece, aren't that bad (with exception of paying shipping and everything...)

    Take care, have a nice day!*

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  16. Yes! I thought the Studio Blush Brush bore some resemblance to Lisa Eldridge's beloved Suqqu Cheek Brush! Glad to hear that they're decent quality- I was contemplating buying the Complexion or Blush brush but I don't need any more. Oh, the self-restraint!

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  17. I don't have their blush brush but I have the blending and eyeshadow brush and really like them. I have small eyes so I find the eyeshadow brush works well :)

    Sheri
    Behind The Frames

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  18. Ooh I really wanna try some Elf goodies, and am really interested in the blush brush now as I struggle with pigmented blushes ..might give it a go .

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  19. I've always heard about how good Elf products were, especially considering their price! I actually purchased an angled brush (for liner or brows) and I found it very disappointing. As a liner it didn't do a good job, didn't pick up my gel liner well and scratched my eyelid :( As a brow angled brush it was too thick, and didn't have a good precision at all. I have to say because of this I am turned off by any more Elf brushes... but I might give the blending eye brush a try :)

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  20. When I saw your first photo, the first thing that came to mind was that I thought the ELF Blush Brush looked similar to the SUQQU one! Shame it's flatter though as I've ben trying to find a more affordable dupe for it. Does sound like a good brush in general though! x

    Evelyn @ We Were Raised By Wolves

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  21. Gosh I really need to get some new brushes, I mostly use Real Techniques, I love Ecotools too! I've never tried anything from elf, but I've read a lot of good things!

    Emma x

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  22. The mark-up for ELF brushes or ELF products in general is almost the same here. Well, ours is a little bit more expensive. Hahaha

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  23. I have been on the verge of purchasing e.l.f. brushes many times, but I'm just scared they'll be scratchy. I mean, it's only a couple of dollars "wasted" if I don't like them but still. A lot of people like them though. I'm most interested in the blush brush you got actually!

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