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I’m a sucker for E.l.f. eye brushes. Actually, I’m a sucker for E.l.f. brushes in general.
I’m one of those people who understands first hand the importance of good makeup brushes. I’ve definitely had my share of makeup disasters thanks to crummy brushes.
But on the other hand, I’m not super keen on spending tons of money on brushes that I rough up, drop on the floor, and ferociously wash every other day. I think I’d die a little inside.
And so this leave me with a dilemma. Where could I get good quality brushes without spending an arm and a leg?
I’ll tell you the answer right now.
E.l.f.
I actually love E.l.f. eye brushes so much that I rarely use anything else. E.l.f. brushes make up about 90% of my brush collection, and it wouldn’t be that way if I didn’t love them.
And BTW, it’s not just E.l.f. eye brushes that I love. The face brushes are wonderful too, and I’ve got an entire collection (and post) to prove it. >> Check out the post all about E.l.f. face brushes here! <<
Now let’s get into the E.l.f. eye brushes!
Where to find E.l.f. eye brushes
Sometimes, a girl just needs options. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy ordering things online, and I also enjoy shopping for things in-store.
But do you want to know what I really love? When I have a product in mind and I get to decide how I want to go about purchasing it. I feel in control and it feels so good.
Okay, but seriously, don’t you hate it when you can only purchase something in one place. Sometimes I just don’t want to go out of my way to buy something. Which is why I appreciate that E.l.f. is quickly expanding their vendor base to include most drugstores, plus E.l.f’s own website.
Most of the brushes I own are in the $3 to $6 range. Some are even are low as $1, though the quality suffers a bit at such a low price point. Recently, E.l.f. began expanding it’s line to include even more higher-end brushes costing upwards of $10. I haven’t tried any of those yet, but I do plan on it. Watch out for a review on those coming really soon!
I purchase most of my E.l.f. eye brushes (and face brushes, for that matter,) at Target, just because it’s the most convenient for me. Plus, I can use my Red Card and get 5% off, so that’s always nice. If that sounds nice, signing up is super easy. >> You can sign up here! <<
E.l.f. blending brushes
I currently own two Blending Brushes, and I love them dearly. I have an affinity for this kind of fluffy eye blending brushes; they just make me feel so fancy like I’m a true makeup connoisseur when I use them. I use this brush to apply overall washes of color, transition shades, undereye concealer, and when I want to soften the edges of my eyeshadow, the soft and full bristles make this brush a great option.
>> Purchase them here <<
The coveted crease brush
The Crease Brushes ($3) are very light and fluffy, and to me they are just perfect for applying transition shades all over the crease. The soft bristles blend the colors together beautifully without any scratchiness on the eye. I use one of these almost every time I do my makeup. I’ve got four, and I love them too.
>> Purchase here <<
E.l.f. Contour Brushes
The Studio Contour Brush ($3) is a medium sized dome brush. It’s great for placing colors precisely where you want them in the crease and in the outer and inner corners. They are also good for blending shadows on your lower lash line.
>>Purchase here <<
“Professional Crease Brush”
This brush ($3) is basically a smaller, lower quality version of the Studio Contour Brush. I still like it though, I will often use it to place the color precisely where I want it. I’ll then blend over the area with the Contour Brush. For the most part, I think I could do without many of the white-handled brushes that I have, but this is one case where I really think they work well as a team and having both is a great idea.
>> Purchase here <<
Additional E.l.f. eye brushes
The Small Precision Brush ($3), Small Angled Brush ($3), Flat Eyeliner Brush ($3), and Eyeshadow “C” Brush ($3), all serve specific purposes in my collection. Perhaps I’m not as head over heals as I am for the brushes above, but I still think they’re worthwhile additions to my collection.
Small Precision Brush & “C” Brush
The Small Precision Brush ($3) is good for smudging out pencil or gel eyeliners on the top and bottom lash lines. The Eyeshadow “C” Brush ($3) does a good job of packing shadows onto the lid because it is so dense, although it can be somewhat uncomfortable to use unless you blend very gently.
>> Purchase Eyeshadow “C” Brush <<
Angled & Flat Eyeliner Brushes
The only brush that I am not fond of is the Flat Eyeliner Brush ($3). I feel the bristles are too long and flimsy to really smudge product effectively. I’ve tried using it to press shadows close to my lash lines as liners, but it is too wide and so I am unable to get the pigment close enough to my lashes.
On the other hand, the Small Angled Brush ($3) does everything you’d expect the Flat Eyeliner Brush to be able to do. It works well for smudging eyeliner, creating sharp lines, and filling in your brows. This is the one to get!
>> Purchase Flat Eyeliner Brush <<
>> Purchase Small Angled Brush <<
Skip the lip brush
Out of this set, I’m just going to say upfront that the Lip Defining Brush (pictured on the far left of the photo) is no good. Even for ($1) bristles are not very densely packed and are very flimsy making it difficult to control where the brush deposits color. On several occasions when trying to apply a dark lip color, a bristle or two would break off from the pack as I carefully dragged the brush along the precarious line between “over-lined lips” and “clown lips.” I’d end up with an unattractive smear of color far away from where I wanted it.
Unless you are planning on using this to apply sheer lip gloss, don’t get it. Instead, I often end up using my Small Precision Brush mentioned above because it’s short and stiff bristles product much cleaner lines than the floppy Lip Defining Brush.
Pretty good, but not as good as the Studio Brushes
The other four brushes pictured, the Professional Eyelash & Brow Wand ($1), the Professional Blending Eye Brush ($1), the Professional Eyeshadow Brush ($1), and the Smudge Brush ($1), are all fair brushes. But as is to be expected, there is a noticeable difference in quality between the Studio line (black handles) and Essential/Professional line (white handles).
This is especially apparent in the smaller eye brushes, as the bristles tend to be coarser and less densely packed. I also find them more prone to shedding, and not cut as evenly and strategically as the Studio line brushes. They’re not terrible, especially for $1, but I think in the long run you will be much happier if you spend the little bit extra to buy brushes from the Studio line.
Now, with that being said…
Professional Eyelash & Brow Wand – Get it!
The one brush from the Essential line I can’t live without is the Eyelash & Brow Wand ($1) otherwise known as a spoolie. I seem to lose spoolies like I lose bobby pins and hair ties, which is a lot. For me, it’s a huge help having a spoolie on a handle that lives with the rest of my brushes. Plus, this one is a nice size, and it’s not scratchy like some other spoolies.
>> Purchase here <<
So what’s not to love about E.l.f. brushes?
There is only one thing about E.l.f brushes in general that I take issue with, and it is pretty evident in the photo below. Yes, those two are both Crease Brushes, and logic tells you they should be the same. But they’re not.
Now, this doesn’t bother me all that much because I find uses for all of them anyway, but for someone who is not intending to purchase multiples of each brush and is hoping for a specific variation, you may be disappointed to find that the brush you end up with is not what you were expecting.
I don’t know if this is intentional and E.l.f. is changing up the brush styles without telling us, or if it is a manufacturing defect, but the inconsistencies can be quite irritating when you purchase something not knowing exactly what you are going to get.
Pictured here are two Crease Brushes. They are the same height, but the brush on the right is obviously fluffier than the brush on the left. For me this is okay because I simply use the left brush for precise placement of color and the right brush for blending, but inconsistencies like this that affect such a large portion of the E.l.f. brush line should be taken into account. >>More on this here<< It would be nice for E.l.f. to rectify this situation and make all their brushes the same size.
There are other inconsistencies, but I only chose these two to picture because they are the most blatant on camera.
That’s all for today!
Like this post all about E.l.f. eye brushes? You’re sure to find this post helpful as well >> E.l.f. Face Brushes Collection (Must-Haves for Makeup Lovers!)
If you find this post interesting, informative, or just plain entertaining, tell me about it in the comments below! And don’t forget, sharing is caring. Share this post!
Till next time. ♥︎
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FTC- Not sponsored by any brands mentioned. I purchase all products myself. All opinions are my own. Some links may be affiliated.
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