E.L.F Brush Collection and Reviews

Since I discovered the company, I've had a love-hate relationship with E.L.F cosmetics. Even though a few of the products can be a bit hit-or-miss, I think their range of brushes is pretty damn decent. I have 12 E.L.F. brushes- 6 from the regular line at £1.50 each, and 6 studio line at £3.50 each (although they now retail at £3.75). To satisfy the teenage stereotype, I'm too lazy to wash all my brushes and photograph them for this post, but I will put links to the E.L.F website.

NORMAL "PROFESSIONAL" LINE:

Total Face Brush http://www.eyeslipsface.co.uk/product~prodID~39.htm
This brush is a little bit bigger than the website would have you believe, and it's had split reviews. Although there have been complaints in the beauty world that it's prickly and uncomfortable to use, I haven't noticed any problems. It's not the softest brush in the world, but it's nice and dense with little shedding- even after over a year of use and regular washing. I normally use it with loose powder, but I guess it would work for all over bronzing if you're that way inclined.

A solid 7/10!

Bronzing Brush http://www.eyeslipsface.co.uk/product~prodID~43.htm
Screw Mac, screw Sigma- I'd be LOST without this brush. For even the clumsiest among us, it makes contouring incredibly easy; and creating ultra-defined cheekbones no problem at all. Watch out, Benedict Cumberbatch... You've got competition! ;) I use this brush daily for bronzer and blush and I absolutely love it. For me it's the perfect size to get in the hollow of my cheek, but a few people have complained that it's a little scratchy like the total face brush. Can't go wrong for £1.50- give it a go!

Has to be a 9/10.

Defining Eye Brush http://www.eyeslipsface.co.uk/product~prodID~44.htm
This has to be my least favourite of all E.L.F brushes. When it arrived, it seemed to have glue in the fibers, making it all clumped up and spiky. Not good. After a few washes it was okay, but the brush head isn't very dense so it's difficult to apply strong colour. Sometimes I reach for it when applying subtle colour to the outer part of my eye, but that's about it I guess. The angle is pretty nice, just a shame it's not better quality.

3/10

Smudge Brush http://www.eyeslipsface.co.uk/product~prodID~262.htm
This little guy is fairly new to my collection, and made an appearance in last week's post. I haven't used it as much as I though I would, but it's nice and dense and great for creating smokey looks. If you're a make up beginner, I'd recommended this tool for smudging out eyeliner or shadow around the last line. Easy Peasy!

I like this brush and I should use it more- 7/10

Eye Crease Brush http://www.eyeslipsface.co.uk/product~prodID~223.htm
Also a new one, and I absolutely love it! This brush does what it says on the tin, and is great for sticking a bit of colour in your crease. I like using this to apply a concentrated amount of shadow for a really dramatic look. It's nice and small and dense, so it's almost like a pencil brush.

9/10

Eye Shadow Brush http://www.eyeslipsface.co.uk/product~prodID~41.htm
This is my everyday eyeshadow brush and it's perfect. Does exactly what you want it to do, and it's ideal for packing colour onto the lid. It's soft, dense and great value for money. What more could you want?

Can't fault it- 10/10.

STUDIO LINE:

Angled Foundation Brush http://www.eyeslipsface.co.uk/product~prodID~138.htm
One word (not really a word) to sum up this brush: "meh". Yeah. it's okay I guess. Good quality- soft and dense. I don't really use it for liquid foundation though- I think it's a bit streaky. However, I will say that the angled edge makes it perfect for getting into tricky places such as the side of the nose.

5/10

Powder Brush http://www.eyeslipsface.co.uk/product~prodID~136.htm
Oh God. Where do I begin?! Well, I rarely use this for powder (maybe to pack on a bit of Mac MSFN if I'm having a bad skin day) but it's an everyday staple for liquid foundation. I love this with Mac Face and Body, but it also works with a heavier foundation, and could even be used to apply a tinted moisturizer or BB cream. It's the softest brush I own, and it's incredibly dense and this is what makes the finish so flawless.

10/10

Fan Brush http://www.eyeslipsface.co.uk/product~prodID~137.htm
I don't use this THAT much, but it's just as soft as the other brushes and good for applying setting powder or dusting away fallout on the cheeks from eyeshadow.

7/10

Stipple Brush http://www.eyeslipsface.co.uk/product~prodID~227.htm
I have such a love-hate relationship with this brush. It's soft, but just so damn flimsy. I can't really use it for foundation. but it works well for blush as it fits perfectly over the apples of the cheeks. Don't bother- get the powder brush.

5/5

Concealer Brush http://www.eyeslipsface.co.uk/product~prodID~140.htm
Don't bother. Seriously. It's small and scratchy so I can't use it to conceal under my eyes. I do sometimes use this to pack concealer onto blemishes and spots; and I've even used it once or twice for cream shadow. Really not worth the price tag- however small it might be.

BLEHH.

3/10

Eyeshadow "C" Brush http://www.eyeslipsface.co.uk/product~prodID~141.htm
This little gem is good for absolutely everything and it's almost like the big daddy of the smudge brush. If I'm in a hurry I use it for packing on a lid colour, or to smoke-out the crease. It's a bit clumsy for precise application but it's good value and multi-purpose. Rachel likes!

ALL DONE. Sorry. That was unnecessarily long and rambling. I hope this gave you a good idea of what's hot and what's not (god, I hate that phrase). I should probably mention I used to have a couple more E.L.F. brushes, but they've gone walk-abouts. I haven't got any of the bamboo brushes either, which are more expensive, but I hear they're comparable to Ecotools. If you stuck with me to the end you deserve a medal!

Until next time,

Rach x