My oldest and most reliable face brush is dying. I bought it 15 years ago at an upscale makeup studio/school. It was big, fluffy and could be used to apply all kinds of powders and bronzers. I remember the price tag was scary, but as the makeup artist who sold it had promised, with love and proper care it has served me for a very long time. The brand name has long faded from my memory and from the long and graceful handle which now only says "Made In France". The hair is natural and what still remains of it is as soft as ever, but I can no longer ignore the rapid shading that has made my brush much less dense and effective. It's time to find new loves.
The Luxury Face Brush from Edward Bess fits the name. From its sleek black box (that holds the brush Dracula-style) to the weight and the way it fits in my hand. The brush is soft and dense, made from natural bristles. The rounded head picks up the right amount of bronzer (a review of the Edward Bess Bronzer is coming soon) and other color products (Edward might cringe but I've tried it with Smashbox Soft Lights and Laura Geller Balance'N'Bronze with great results. Much better than the brushes produced by both these brands). Powder blushes look more natural when applied with this brush and blending is a breeze.
Both the Edward Bess Luxury Face Brush and Makeup For Ever HD Kabuki Brush might be the best face brushes I've tried.
Bottom line: I no longer mourn the demise of my old brush.
Edward Bess Luxury Face Brush ($56) is available from Bergdorf Goodman and edwardbess.com.
Makeup For Ever HD Kabuki Brush ($39) is a Sephora exclusive and can be found online and in store.
All photos by me.
This is only my opinion, obviously, but the NARS Yachiyo costs $50.00, and is just superb. At the other end of the price scale, Ecotools synthetic brushes are of very good quality and cost about $10.00. Either option would be better than the two brushes depicted here; both are too expensive in relation to their actual quality.
ReplyDeleteI've tried both these brushes and WOW the Make Up Forever is to die for! I love it and even use it with blush and bronzer! So Soft! The Edward one left little to be desired I think your just paying for the box! It seems the same ass a cheap one that I got in a duty free. My vote is for the Make Up Forever brush.
ReplyDeleteI think your made in France brush was a Raphael one. Raphael was founded in 1793, making (and designing) art brushes. Today, they have a range of handmade cosmetic brushes made from uncut hair. They also produce MUFE/Chanel/dior brushes.
ReplyDeleteI live in Paris and I had quite a hard time finding them. I am quite impressed so far. Unfortunately, they only sell through schools and pro stores.