High End Makeup Brushes Dupes (eBay Bargains)

I always love me an eBay Bargain because you can find some gems there although you have to be super careful. I have only had one bad experience on eBay and I eventually got my money back. I have another post on eBay Shopping Tips here if you are interested. Today, I am sharing some affordable brushes I found on eBay. There are all dupes for many high end makeup brushes mainly for NARS which I love. I was actually surprised by the quality of these brushes and how similar they were to the high end ones they were trying to copy. Of course, it can never be 100% the same but it is really close and the quality is not bad at all. I found these brushes on recommendations from the Makeup Savvy and I saw my girl Olufunmi who writes Lady Wannabe Blog also had a few on her blog. I have been very impressed with these brushes and I thought it would be a crime not to share them with you all.

Packaging and Delivery

I got all the brushes from the same seller which I always prefer because it means they can arrive at the same time. There is not much to say about the packaging as they just came wrapped in a cellophane wrapper. They were also bubble wrapped to prevent any damage. I was not expecting anything ground breaking given the price I paid for it but the seller did pretty well. They usually say it will arrive within 3-4 weeks but I think I received mine just a little over two weeks. I think that’s really cool especially as they are being shipped from China. Most of the items I buy are usually free delivery but  some of these brushes were not free delivery. However, the delivery charges were under £1 which I didn't mind at all. All in all, I would say I was pleased with the packaging and delivery. I think they are getting much better than they used to be. I just order and forget about them because there is no use waiting around.

Bristles

Now I am not sure if all the brushes are made from synthetic hair. However, I am pretty sure the Kabuki Brush (the NARS Yachiyo Dupe) is made from Goat Hair. If you are overly concerned about this, this particular brush may not be for you at all. I prefer synthetic brushes when I can get my hands on them like the Nanshy Brushes and Real Techniques Brushes. However, I also love my MAC 217 Brush which is made from natural hairs (maybe, it is also goat hair). Anyway, the bristles do feel like good quality and you can tell once you run your fingers through it.

Washing/Shedding

I always wash all my brushes before I use them because I just prefer it that way. The NARS Ita Brush Dupe gave me a slight problem while I washed it. It gave off some colour which I think may have been due to the dye used. I was not overly pleased with that but I ensured I washed it with Dr Bronner’s Magic Liquid Soap until I got a majority of the dye out. Surprisingly, the brush still looked brand new even after I had subjected it to some hard core washing. I am pleased to report that it was just a one off occurrence. It does not give off any colouring any more. I bought a backup of the same brush and washed it but it did not give off any colouring at all. So, I am guessing it is just this particular one. The other brushes were absolutely fine and I did not experience any colour transfer with them. On the plus side, they wash really easily when they are dirty and they also dry relatively fast (except the chubby brown contour brush) which takes a longer time to dry. I have experienced minimal shedding with the NARS Ita Brush Dupe but it’s not too bad (it’s very negligible). The others were absolutely fine and I have still not experienced any shedding even after a few more washes.

                                 Individual Brush Reviews

Now it’s time to review the brushes individually so you can find out which ones are my favourites. It is worth noting that majority of them are dupes for high-end makeup brushes which I would refer to them as their names. This is mainly because these brushes don't have any names per say so I have named them myself.  I thought it would be interesting to test out dupes t first before I make up my mind if I want to invest in some of these high-end brushes. They are super expensive so I need to try something similar.

NARS Yachiyo Brush Dupe //£0.99//Link

I was actually checking out other brushes from the seller and I spotted this beautiful brush. It looked incredibly similar to the real NARS Yachiyo Brush which retails for £43 (dear lawd!!). I am happy to report that it indeed feels like the real deal. I have played around with the original NARS Yachiyo Brush a couple of times at NARS Counters.  I have also had my makeup done with it so I feel I can say it feels really similar to the real deal. The NARS Yachiyo Dupe is well made and densely packed and I have not really experienced any issues with it. It is perfect for contouring, applying light powder, blushes, etc. I absolutely love this brush because it is firm but still fluffy to feel lovely on the skin. I really recommend this one. It’s inexpensive at £0.99 but you have to pay for delivery (£0.85). However, it also comes in three colours; black, white/cream and a mixed blend colour.

NARS ITA Brush Dupe //£1.84//Link

I think this may have been the first brush that caught my attention online because it looked really similar to the NARS Ita Brush which also costs £43.  I have also tried this out in store and it really feels similar. The only difference I would say is that the control  the NARS one has is much better than this dupe. This one feels fluffy (a little too fluffy) but it still works well for soft contouring. It is perfect for my Sleek Contour Kit which is pigmented and you need a really light hand for it. I have been using it so much for contouring these days and I have enjoyed it. The only issue I have is the shedding I have experienced. I think this may be the only one that sheds out of all the brushes I purchased. It is minimal but I am so used to not having my brushes shed so any kind of shedding is annoying to me. Despite the minimal shedding, it is now my go-to brush for contouring. It even has the NARS logo on it. The cheeky eBay seller!!

Estee Lauder Sculpting Foundation Brush Dupe//£1.85//Link

This brush seriously surprised me as it is amazing!! It looks like the Estee Lauder Sculpting Foundation Brush although it is not 100% similar. The EL version has a slight curve/dip to it but this one has none; it has a straight dense shape. However, this is amazing for foundation. I know it is designed as a sculpting or contour brush but I love to use it for foundation. It is insanely dense but it is not stiff by any means. This makes it really easy to control during foundation application and my foundation looks so flawless with this brush. I love the shape and it gets into very narrow sections of my face like near my nose and between my brows. I have also used it for contouring and it does the job really well which is why I ordered a few more backups. The good thing is delivery is free with this brush so I was delighted about that. I have washed it a few times and it has not shed or lost any colours. The bristles are still the same as when I got it. I highly recommend this brush because it can be used for a variety of purposes.

Bare Minerals Perfecting Foundation Brush Dupe//£0.59//Link

I was really curious to see how this brush worked especially after I saw several adverts from Bare Minerals. I am not sure I have read any reviews about the original Bare Minerals Perfecting Foundation brush yet but it is allegedly designed to dispense liquid foundation well. It has a groove in the middle to aid this flawless application. Well, the eBay version looks similar as well but the only problem is the size. It is a mini brush and it did not look that way when I was browsing through the seller's items (I think the seller may have put in the dimensions but I ignored it). If you are not in a hurry, then I guess you would like this foundation brush for a precise application. I think the groove works really well in dispensing liquid foundation well. However, I don’t have all day to spend on makeup so I reserve this for weekends or for concealers. However, I still think it is a great brush and if it was larger in size, it would have been incredible. It is my least used brush from this lot.

Sigma 3-D Foundation Brush Dupe//£1.59//Link

I seriously love these strange foundation brushes that have been flooding the beauty world. I saw the Sigma 3-D Foundation Brush on YouTube and it looked really amazing when used. I really wanted to try it but I never got around to ordering so I was super happy to test a dupe. First off, this brush is very small. It is similar in size to the Bare Minerals Dupe brush. I really wish it was slightly larger as it would have been my favourite brush. It is shaped to have a 3-D shape to aid in flawless foundation application. The unique shape means that it fits the shape of the face and get into difficult areas. I still use it despite the small size and I have enjoyed it. It is also amazing for concealer and BB creams as well. I love the way my foundation looks after I use this because it looks so natural.

Cost

All these brushes (including shipping) cost me around £10 or less. Of course, I went back to order some more as backups for myself and my sister. I feel they are all reasonably priced and the quality is really good for the price. Maybe, it’s a little too good for the price. Delivery takes about three weeks or more depending on where you live but as I mentioned, I got mine in a little over two weeks.

Overall Thoughts

I am really pleased with these brushes and I am so glad I came across them. I have not had any huge issues with these brushes apart from the NARS Ita Brush Dupe slight shedding and initial colour transfer. They have all been brilliant and I will be showing how I use them in some upcoming tutorials. I also think they are amazing for travelling because they all have short handles which makes them travel friendly. Have you tried any of these Ebay Brushes?...xx
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Ebay Shopping Tips

( image source: The Drum) I recently shared some of my Ebay Beauty Picks with you here on the blog and it was well received and I really appreciate all your engagement. As promised, I am back with some shopping tips I have learned from experience while shopping on Ebay. I know a lot of people use Ebay and even more now that Christmas and Boxing Day sales are in full swing. I have always had a love-hate relationship with Ebay because you just never know what would be thrown your way. I prefer using Amazon over Ebay but the only snag is Ebay has a wider variety of products which is why I still find myself still being sucked back to it. The truth is I still find myself adding items to watch list on Ebay and trying to track down hard to reach products. I have also found so many incredible deals off Ebay, in fact, I have only had one bad experience and many good experiences so this post will be aimed at sharing tips on being safe and street wise while shopping on Ebay.

1.  Do a lot of research on the product you want to purchase so you know the exact key words you need to use to obtain the best search results.

2.  Always check the feedback for the seller and don’t stop there; filter it to the feedback they have received as a seller not as a buyer so you have a better picture. It also goes without saying that sellers with more positive stars are the ones to purchase from although I have bought a few things from sellers with fewer stars and I have not had any issues.

3. Always ask the seller questions if you want more clarity about a product. I find that some sellers are very brief in their description and I never really buy from them except I desperately want or need the product. If a seller communicates promptly with you, then that’s a good sign that they are a little bit trustworthy.

4. I personally prefer sellers who take actual pictures of the products they are selling. It does not really have to be a perfect picture; it just has to be clear with good attention to detail. I refuse to buy from sellers who use generic/stock photos because you just never know if the products are authentic or even similar to the actual product they end up sending to you.

5. If you are unsure of the picture of the product, say maybe it may have been stolen from a blog post or from the internet, ask the seller for more pictures especially if it is something expensive. The truth is I have never really bought anything expensive off Ebay because I just don’t want to be heartbroken just yet.

6.  Always check the shipping costs of products before buying them because some products may look inexpensive but an expensive shipping cost defeats the purpose. I prefer to buy from UK sellers if I can because I know it would arrive soon and would relatively be cheaper than international shipping except from China/Hong Kong who have very cheap shipping costs although the products take ages to arrive. It is also important to check if the seller is willing to ship to your country.

7. If you like the product, leave a good feedback not just because it is a nice thing to do but it encourages the seller to continue with their excellent service and if you receive a bad product, don’t hesitate to leave a negative feedback so other people can be warned.

8. If you receive a dodgy product that is fake or nowhere similar to the description on Ebay, contact the seller and wait for a few days for a response and if not, then you need to contact Ebay customer service or telephone them (be prepared to wait a while before you get through). They would advice you better but you have to be really patient.

9. Always choose to pay by PayPal and I understand that not everyone has access to PayPal but it is the safest way to get your money back if things become unpleasant. I don’t think I have ever bought anything from Ebay without using PayPal because that’s the only way I feel my transaction is safe and secure. I don’t feel comfy doing a direct bank transfer at all no matter how good the deal is. I once saw an item I really wanted and it was also very affordable but the seller wanted a bank transfer and I was like nopes.#endof

10. Always check if the seller is willing to accept returns because it is very important. I feel a seller is more confident in their products if they are willing to accept returns and it’s a kind of assurance and guarantee for the buyer. I have never actually returned anything from Ebay shopping and I generally hate returning anything I buy online because it seems like too much hassle but I know it’s not. However, Ebay returns may be a little more stressful than traditional online retailers.

11. Above all, listen to your instincts and trust me, this has saved me many times. It does not matter how much tips and knowledge about safer Ebay shopping you know. The one time I didn’t listen to my instincts, I had a very bad experience from a seller on Ebay which I would be sharing soon. So, be safe and listen to your instincts before you may a purchase.

That’s all folks and these are my tips for shopping on Ebay which I have learned over time and it has taken me a whole. If you have any other tips, please feel free to leave them in the comments box below as I am always happy to learn new tips to shop safer on Ebay. Merry Christmas...xx