Splurge vs. Steal, Makeup Brushes

January 27, 2018

Hi guys! Today I thought I would do a fun little post on makeup brushes – splurge vs. steal. I will be sharing my experience with two specific brushes primarily used to apply blush, liquid or powder foundation.

E.l.f. powder brush, $4 VS. Lancome #7 precision cheek brush, $48.50

Both of these brushes have a flat end, which is perfect for applying/blending in liquid or powder foundation, giving skin an even, airbrushed look. Some use it to apply bronzer or blush. I use it to apply THIS setting powder (in natural beige) after I apply THIS Mac foundation (in NW20).

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been applying my foundation with fingers for years. Then I learned that using makeup brushes or sponges gives your foundation a flawless finish, now who doesn’t want that! Right? I researched makeup brushes and Lancome #7 had stellar reviews. I went to Sephora to take a look. For a moment I thought, do I really wanna spend almost $50 on ONE makeup brush? Is it worth it? Needless to say, I went ahead and splurged. Generally, I don’t like to buy cheap stuff anyway, because let’s face it, it only costs you more in the long run. For me, it’s always been quality over quantity. I believe it makes sense to splurge now on a good quality, longer-lasting item, than to keep replacing it later (my husband might not always agree with that haha). I thought the same applied to makeup brushes, good quality ones don’t shed and tend to last a little longer than the cheaper ones.

The next day, I applied my foundation with THIS sponge. Then I tried the Lancome brush to apply my setting powder. I had very high expectations for this brush! Unfortunately, it felt “prickly” on my skin. Every time I used it, it shed at least 1 or two bristle hairs, which was hard to remove without “messing up” or rubbing off my makeup. I wanted to give it a chance, because it was a brand new brush and maybe it needed a little “breaking in.” Sadly, after a few weeks of trying, I couldn’t take the itchiness or the shedding. I continued my research for a good makeup brush that doesn’t itch or shed. I stumbled upon a YouTube video that featured THIS Elf brush. I thought I should at least give it a try. To my surprise, it was the best cheap makeup brush I ever bought! It’s super soft (doesn’t itch) AND it doesn’t shed!! At all!! The final verdict: save your money and go for the steal! My hubby would have been right about this one!? The Elf powder brush is one of my favorites and you can get yours HERE. Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s not perfect. The head came off?, but that’s what good old crazy glue is for!