Monday, April 11, 2011

ELF brushes I would re-purchase!

Have you tried ELF's make-up brushes?  I was using one of my ELF brushes the other day and I realized that I have a few ELF favourites that I seem to always grab for, some I use every day.  I have both drugstore and high end brushes, and a little bit of everything in between.  I don't expect as much from a $3 brush as I do from a $30 one, so it's a bit of a bonus when you find a good one.  


I thought I'd highlight what I think are some of the best brushes from ELF and ones that I would definitely recommend.  This is going to be a little picture heavy (blogger term, I never use that phrase in real life).  I have no idea why people warn you about something being picture heavy, but I've seen it so on other blogs and it seems like something I should do.  So now you've been given fair warning. 


I have brushes from the ELF essentials, which is the $1 line with the pearl coloured handles and ELF studio, which are typically $3 and are the black brushes.  I don't own any of the ELF mineral brushes, the newest ones with the wooden coloured handles,...yet.  


Here is my ELF brush collection to date; 
The $1 Essential brushes were bought in the complete set of 12 kit, which is $12 and often sold out on their site.  I also bought the 11 piece studio line brush collection which costs $30 and came with the case below.  When I bought this they were 50% off..hard to beat that price!  


This is just a basic nylon type cosmetic case, nothing fancy but I love it.  The reason?  It can hold a ton of brushes because the elastic compartments are all generous in size.  You can fit a few brushes in each compartment easily, without mangling them together.  And if it gets dirty it's easy to wipe off.  Here are all of my ELF brushes in this case; 
See how much room there is?  You close this up and it's no larger than a book, making it
so easy for travel.  Love it!  Don't mind the kabuki there, I have a separate little case for that brush.  


So which brushes would I buy again & recommend you buy?  
If I had to pick my all stars and the ones that I would say are MUST haves, these are the brushes.  These 6 brushes would set you back a whopping $16. Often there is a sale where you can get them at even more of a discount.  


Essentials Eye Shadow brush $1
Great for packing on shadow.  There is a $3 studio line version of this brush that is a bit fatter & thicker than this one, that is also popular.  But I prefer the thinner one because I can get the shadow closer to my lash line, this great little brush is one I use
 absolutely every day! 


Essentials Blending Eye brush $1 
The brush is a little looser than the ELF Studio line blending eye brush, which makes it more useable for me & easier to blend shadows, great for outer v or placing 
colour in your crease


Studio Line Complexion brush $3 
Use this every day to apply bronzer, it's fluffy and soft but not so fluffy that it's hard to work with, you can direct how you want to apply the product easily, also works 
great to dust on finishing powder


Studio Line Kabuki Face brush $5 
Use this to apply mineral foundation, very soft but still sturdy.  I could not live without this brush - my absolute favourite, this is such a great little kabuki for such a good price


Studio Line Powder brush $3 
This is the flat top brush that is much raved about for applying liquid foundation or blending out powders, etc., I do love it but now my Sigma F80 is #1 
and this would be #2


Studio Line Blush brush $3 
So far this is my favourite blush brush of all the ones I own and the one I use everyday. It's not too big and has a bit of a point, which I love and find useful in placing the product


Those would definitely be my favourites, but
if I got to choose some runners up, these would be it: 


Top to bottom: Studio Fan brush; Studio Small Smudge brush; Essentials Eyelash & Brow wand; Studio Small Precision brush; Studio Small Angled brush, Defining Eye Brush

Fan Brush: Great for brushing away any fallout or applying highlighter to tops of cheeks

Small Smudge brush: Perfect for smudging out eyeliner

Eyelash & Brow wand: Love a spoolie, I know you get one anywhere but not for $1, I use this daily to do my brows

Small Precision Brush: Really good for applying shadows under bottom lash line, or applying shadow over a cream liner

Small Angled Brush: Great for liner, either cream or powder, I've also used it with my
eyebrow powder


Defining Eye Brush: This is the perfect brush to apply shadow to your inner eye because the brush is fairly compact & petite, yet still angled for easy application

These would total another $14.  For $30 you could have all of my picks, or you could wait for a brush sale and get them all!  

So those are my picks, maybe it would have been easier to do the brushes I don't like!  The thing to bear in mind is that these won't necessarily be your forever brushes but if you take care of them you should be able to get your money's worth.  I've had mine for about 9 months and they have held up really well, even after daily cleaning and numerous deep washing.  I've had minimal shedding and no issues with any colours bleeding or brushes coming apart. For the price it's pretty hard to beat!  You can get ELF brushes at some Targets and Dollar Stores, or online at eyeslipsface.com.

How about you, what are your favourite ELF brushes? 
Tracy

20 comments:

  1. The little flat-topped powder brush, of course... and one I would recommend to anyone and everyone is the eyeshadow 'c' brush. i use it for almost everything on my eyes. I need to get a handful more of those.

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  2. I could just hug you for this post!!!

    LOVE my e.l.f. brushes and love love love your picks!!!

    What method do you use to clean your brushes?

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  3. Miss Bekka - Good picks, hard to go wrong with either of those!

    Charlotte - Aw so sweet :) I try & clean my brushes after every use, for daily cleaning I have a spray brush cleaner (mine's from Lise Watier) that I spray on a folded paper towel, then wipe my brush thru it a few times. For deeper cleaning, which I do probably every few weeks, I use baby shampoo. Pool a bit in my palm with some water, wet the brush & then swirl it thru. Rinse & repeat if needed or until water runs clear. Then lay them flat on a towel to dry, I try to hang the end of the brush off the edge of the counter.

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  4. I really want to get the Studio Line set!

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  5. Great post!!! At the moment I am looking for ELF brushes, this post is very helpful for me - thanks!
    xo xo

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  6. I like seeing your reviews on all these brushes! It's nice to see what they do :p Like the fan brush. I had no idea what it was for but it now makes sense :) I love your picks! I'm going to check out the blush brush, because i am in dire need of getting a new one! :)

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  7. I really really want the studio line powder brush!!Everyone raves on this one!Thanks for the post hun!!

    xxx

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  8. I don't have any e.l.f. brushes but I'm going to pick some up when I go to the states next month!

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  9. 888 - I'd highly recommend it, ELF usually does a 50% off brushes sale at least once a year if you wanted to wait for that!

    Supergirl- So glad, thanks!!

    Rainy Days - I think you'll really like the blush brush :)

    Blushingloves - It is a great brush, especially for the price..it does amazing work of blending & buffing!

    Marie - Target apparently carries a good selection, in Canada I've seen some of their brushes at Winners & Dollarama (if you can believe) !

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  10. Great post, I SO identify with this!!
    I have the 11pc studio brush set and store ALL my brushes that I don't use on a daily basis inside the case (it's perfect like you say!) I got it at winners for $15.00 last year.
    I really like the elf face kabuki brush (probably my fave brush of all time!), the studio blush brush (great for bronzer) and the small angled brush for filling in brows, lining my eyes. I picked up a few of their mineral brushes (with the bamboo handle, and I like them! They remind of the EcoTools brush line but at a slightly better price.
    I don't think I'll ever buy another MAC brush again because elf, Sigma, Sephora and Ecotools have such great brushes (and at much better prices too!)

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  11. Oh no....I use about 4-5 MAC brushes and fear I don't have enough good-quality brushes for all my needs. This post has made me re-think what I'm doing with my make-up applications!

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  12. Hey Tracy! I've seen an eyeshadow brush from ELF recently in my local dollar store but I didn't buy it as when I touched it, it was all powdery, like as if it has already been used! And they were all like that, yuck!

    Feel free to do a picture post on your blog if you want, I'd love to see it! And who doesn't like to see posts with beautiful pictures? =D As for the pillowcase, I want to wait a little longer before writing a review, but I'm loving it so far! My skin feels smoother and have far less eczema breakouts, and my hair is also in a better condition.

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  13. Definitely agree with your picks except for the powder brush , I really prefer my sigmax F80 . Love elf in general though been using them for a year!
    Cheers, Deborah.

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  14. Nikosmommy - I'm excited to hear your thoughts on the new bamboo handled ELF brushes, I'm adding some of those to my shopping cart for the order I place, thanks!

    Ryan - Well I know many who love their MAC brushes & wouldn't trade them for the world, this is just an inexpensive option yet still great brushes for those that can't afford or don't want to pay MAC prices. Or people with new houses who don't have the same budget for brushes like they used to ;)

    Gaby - Thanks, I'll await your pillowcase review..sounds great :) Oh and the dollarama had them in the exact packaging that they arrive in when you order, all hung neatly & un-touched. I hate when things are ripped open & just scattered about!

    Deborah - Thanks for stopping by, yes I agree..like I said my Sigma F80 is #1 & the powder brush is #2 :)

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  15. I envy your ELF brush collection.
    I do love ELF products especially their brushes and their lip products! Great Post! :)

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  16. What a great post! I have the studio powder brush and it is AMAZING, I love it for blush! I am so keen to try your recommendations, such a justifiable price :)

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  17. I really like the Essentials eye shadow brush :)
    I also want to try the Studio line blush brush!
    Thanks for this review babe :)

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  18. Katrina - Thanks so much & I love their lip products too!

    Honestly Bec - Studio powder brush is a MUST have I think!

    PopBlush - I hope you like the blush brush if you try it..if not, at least it's only $3 :)

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  19. I have three elf brushes and all three are featured on your favorite brush list. I could not agree more they are afffordable and works well! Great review I'll have to try the other brushes too.

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