Professional Makeup Artist | Organic Chemist | Educator

Showing posts with label Brushes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brushes. Show all posts

Saturday, 12 September 2015

BH Sculpt & Blend 10 Piece Brush Set – Review


When I started practicing makeup a few years back I realised how important it is to use good tools. I would go to the market with my mother and search every shop for the makeup brushes similar to the ones I had seen Youtube Gurus use in their tutorials. As a result of my search, I ended up advising shopkeepers to bring better stuff instead of purchasing anything from them. I spotted BH cosmetics Wild Purple Brush Set on Just4girls one day and since it was on sale I decided to give it a shot. They looked pretty good and similar to what I have been looking for. That was the first ever brush set I owned and had a love-hate relationship with it. Although the bigger face brushes were quite good, the rest of them left me frustrated partly because I was still bad at makeup application and partly because the brushes were not behaving like I had expected.

I lacked good brushes for quite some time especially for cream products. BH Sculpt & Blend Set was purchased after a lot of research because I was not sure if I should take a second chance with BH brushes (I had already tried Sigma brushes by then and had decided to purchase their face brushes as well). The set came on sale and I gave it a go.

Product Description

BH Cosmetics 10-piece Sculpt and Blend Brush Set is the ultimate toolkit for foolproof contouring, shading and illuminating your features. The elegant black and gold, dual-fiber collection — specially crafted for applying liquids, creams and powders — includes five face brushes and five  detailing brushes, making it easy to define your jawline, slim your nose, and create killer cheekbones, as well as highlight around eyes, fake fuller lips, and blend for a soft, seamless look.
  • Cruelty Free Synthetic Brushes
  • High-quality
  • Easy to Clean
  • High Functionality



What Do I Think?

The brushes set came in a clear plastic zipper bag. Comparing with the previous BH set I owned, I was pleasantly surprised with the quality. They feature matte black handles with gold ferrules which look chic and the dual-fibre heads are thicker than I had anticipated. I have a very sensitive skin which tickles even at the touch of my own hair! Considering that and my experience with some of the brushes from the previous BH Brush Set (I only use the bigger brushes from that set now), this one was a pleasant surprise! The brushes felt amazingly soft against my skin. I own a Sigma F8- Flat Kabuki which is similar in shape to the Flat Kabuki brush from BH Sculpt and Blend Set, I swirled both the brushes on my cheeks with my eyes closed and tried spotting a difference. None. They felt exactly the same!

I have washed these quite a few times now and except for a few splay hair in flat and angled kabuki brushes, I did not observe any shedding or change of shape. The thicker brushes needed two-three washes to get rid of any traces of product that would have gathered and dried inside. I did not face difficulty in application and blending of cream as well as powder products with these brushes except for one thing, the smaller brushes are too small for my liking to blend concealer in the under eye area. Instead, I use those to stipple product, conceal imperfections on the rest of my face; and also for nose and cheek bone contouring and highlighting. If you wish to place powder products on specific areas of your face with the bigger brushes of this set (such as blush application), considering they are compact and thick, I’d suggest you begin with very little product as these tend to pick up more powder product than necessary. This does not happen with cream products though.

I didn’t know it when I purchased this set but all the brushes in BH Sculpt and Blend Set are similar to Sigma Essential Kit 10 Brushes!

(Similar to Sigma F80 - Flat Kabuki)

(Similar to Sigma F82 - Round Kabuki)

(Similar to Sigma F84 - Angled Kabuki)

(Similar to Sigma F88 - Flat Angled Kabuki)

(Similar to Sigma F86 - Tapered Kabuki)

(Similar to Sigma P80 - Precision Flat)

(Similar to Sigma P82 - Precision Round)

(Similar to Sigma P84 - Precision Angled)

(Similar to Sigma P88 - Precision Flat Angled)

(Similar to Sigma P86 - Precision Tapered)

Here, I have compared only Sigma F80 and BH Flat Kabuki since that is only what I had.



Points of difference: Sigma F80 is heavier than BH Flat Kabuki and thicker as well. F80 washes much more easily compared to BH one and has not stained once.

Points of similarity: They feel EXACTLY the same against my skin. I judged both of these critically and wished I may find something to put F80 above BH Flat Kabuki in terms of performance but good news is I couldn’t, both functioned exactly the same.

I cannot say if the rest of BH Sculpt and Blend brushes are dupes for Sigma ones but I can say that they must be very close in performance to Sigma ones. If you are on a budget and cannot afford Sigma, get this set. It's a great steal!

Price

Original Price: $30.00
Sale Price: $20.00

Availability

Online at BH Cosmetics

Pros

No shedding
Easy to wash
Soft bristles
Travel-friendly packaging

Cons

Splaying of hair in smaller brushes after first wash
Few of them got stained

My Rating

3.7/5

Have you tried any brushes from BH Cosmetics? How was your experience?

Love,
Fizzah

Disclaimer: This is a personal blog edited by its owners and the opinions expressed here belong solely to its owner's. For questions and queries please email at thepoutpainter@gmail.com
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Saturday, 14 March 2015

Sigma Beauty Eye Brushes – Review


I am all about perfection when it comes to makeup especially eye makeup. I did not get those “photogenic” or even close-to-awesome results with the makeup brushes I previously used for my makeup looks and then came a time when I strongly longed for ideal makeup tools especially for eye makeup. One fine day I finally got a chance to shop from Sigma through some friend living in US (yes that was one long procedure) and I decided to splurge on their eye brushes.



I ordered their 6 eye brushes E21, E30S, E44, E45, E46 and E57 with ferrules in chrome finish. Since my order exceeded $30 amount they were kind enough to send a free mini E56 brush as a complimentary gift. You can very well imagine the level of happiness when I had discovered that in the box. :D

So were those worth my money? Let’s find out.

Note: I have put up pictures of the brushes in before and after washing condition for you guys to have a better idea.

What Do I Think?

The first thing I noticed about these brushes was that they have amazingly thick and extremely soft bristles and this goes for all the brushes I got. We all know that for a makeup brush “the thicker the better” unless of course it does not shed any hair. The handles on all the brushes go thicker as the brush size gets bigger and they look as well as feel high-end. I have used them many times now and I did not notice any staining or shedding of the bristles or the handles going loose or faulty. The chrome finish on the ferrules gives the brushes a chic look; I love how they shine under light Haha! I have washed them too and did not observe any shedding during and after washing. Do not be harsh with them while you wash and shape them properly when you leave them to dry. I understand they are supposed to withstand “harshness” (with THAT price tag) but you also have to be careful if you want them to last very long.

E21 – Smudge


The E21 Smudge features a very small and short, rounded brush head perfect to smudge the eyeliner, eye shadow on lower lash line and even create a crisp crease. I have done it all with it and hence find it multi-purpose. If you want something that does ALL the detailed work for the eyes, this is the brush for you.

It neither shed any hair nor changed its shape after washing.

Price $14.00

E30S – Pencil


The E30S Pencil features a chisel shaped (flat on one side and rounded on the other), thick and pointed brush head perfect to apply eye shadow on the lower lash line for a smudged effect, create a cut crease and apply eye shadow on any other concentrated areas of the eyes. Another multi-tasked brush!

It neither shed any hair nor changed its shape after washing.

Price $14.00

E44 – Firm Blender


The E44 Firm Blender features a firm, dense brush head great for intense crease application for even blending of colour or blending two shades together. You can soften out the crease colour with it very well without losing any control over the application. I use this one for blending out and mixing colours together in the crease to get perfect transition.

It neither shed any hair nor changed its shape after washing.

Price $16.00

E45 – Small Tapered Blending


The E45 Small Tapered Blending brush features a small, tapered brush head with a pointed tip. I love its shape, the pointed tip allows me to place colour in the crease very well to add depth with great control.

It did not shed any hair but changed its shape a bit after washing which did not affect its performance.

Price $14.00

E46 – Shader – Inner Corner


The E46 Shader Inner Corner features a small, tapered oval brush head which is perfect for adding colour to the inner corners and lower lash line of the eye. It gives me control over concentrated application in the inner corners.

It neither shed any hair nor changed its shape after washing.

Price $14.00

E56 – Shader – Lid


The E56 Shader Lid features an oval, tapered tip similar to E46 but broader hence perfect for precise placement of eye shadows either on in the inner corners or smaller areas of the lid.

It neither shed any hair nor changed its shape after washing.

Price $14.00

E57 – Firm Shader


The E57 Firm Shader features soft yet firm fibers with a short, flat brush head. This brush helps in concentrated colour application onto the lids with amazing control.

It neither shed any hair nor changed its shape after washing.

Price $14.00

Availability


Pros

No shedding
Soft yet thick bristles
Do not irritate the skin
Complete control with the thick handles
Feel and look high-end

Cons

E45 changed its shape a bit after washing

My Rating

5/5

Now I am up to try some face brushes by Sigma too as I am hopeful those too will not disappoint me. I highly recommend these brushes to you guys if you also wish to polish your makeup skills and get the perfect results because what I have learnt is that tools, especially the good ones, do make a difference. In the end it’s all about enough practice, your dedication and the perfect tools.

You can check out my work on our Instagram where I use these Sigma Brushes in my makeup looks :)

Love,
Fizzah

Note: This post contains affiliate link(s) for which we get a commission if you purchase through them. If you want to support us and our blog feel free to click on them.


Disclaimer: This is a personal blog edited by its owners and the opinions expressed here belong solely to its owner's. For questions and queries please email at thepoutpainter@gmail.com
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Wednesday, 21 January 2015

Avail The Sale On Sigma Beauty's Products!


Sigma Beauty never fails to excite us with new offers every month. And they have done it yet again!


New Year's celebrations are well over but not with Sigma. Yes, Sigma has done it once again with so many yummy products on discount and not just that, you get to avail a 10% discount on your ENTIRE order and who doesn't love extended celebrations? Use Code NY2015 on check out to avail the 10% discount on your entire order (valid only for the month of January) and if you reside in the States then you get to enjoy free shipping on orders over $50! Amazing, isn't it?


Here are a few most popular items now available on discount prices. 

Sigma has reintroduced the Dynamic Duo Set on popular demand. This set helps in deep cleaning and drying even the most dense brushes which otherwise is quite difficult to clean and dry thoroughly. The set is available at a discount price of $53 (value $67) which is a great steal.


How cute is this Heart Shaped Mirror? Available for $16.20 (Value $27.00)



To select from a vast range of shades and finishes, Sigma's Single Eye Shadows are worth checking out. Price $8.80 (Value $11.00).


Who doesn't love Limited Edition collectibles? Here's something for collectors, The LE Paris Palette available for $49.00 (value $59.00).


Last but not the least, want some precise and awesome dense brushes to apply makeup on? Check out this Sigma Precision Kit available for $45.60 (value $65.00).


I was on the quest of finding some eye brushes and then finally last month I got the chance to order a few Eye Brushes by Sigma. Here is a sneak peak before I come back with a complete review.


Enjoy the Sale! And let me know in the comments section below what would you like to buy from Sigma Sale.

Love,
Fizzah

Disclaimer: This is a personal blog edited by its owners and the opinions expressed here belong solely to its owner's. For questions and queries please email at thepoutpainter@gmail.com

Note: This post contains affiliate link(s) for which we get a commission if you purchase through them. If you want to support us and our blog feel free to click on them.
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Tuesday, 16 December 2014

10% Off On All Sigma Products This December!

Hello lovelies. Sigma once again has come up with a sale on their products! They are offering a 10% discount on all of their products. The offer is valid till December 31' 2014. You can shop for their products here and do not forget to use the code DEC2014 at checkout!


Recently Sigma launched some very exciting products for this holiday season. These loose shimmers and glitter sets and the brushes are on my wishlist now and I will definitely try these out when I get the chance.



I have recently ordered a few Sigma brushes which will definitely complete my essential brushes collection. I am really looking forward to my package and cannot wait to try out my picks. Here they are:




What is on your wishlist from Sigma products?

Happy Holidays everyone! :)

Love,
Fizzah

Note: This post contains affiliate link(s) for which I get a commission if you purchase through them. If you want to support me and my blog feel free to click on them.

Disclaimer: This is a personal blog edited by its owners and the opinions expressed here belong solely to its owner's. For questions and queries please email at thepoutpainter@gmail.com
Read More

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