Sephora Makeup Brush Review

These Sephora Makeup Brushes have made a few appearances here on the blog but I have not reviewed them fully and the day is finally here. As you may all know, Sephora Makeup Brushes have been high on my wish list ever since I saw them in action in many YouTube videos especially ones from the US YouTubers and even some from my favourite UK YouTubers (Thanks to Sephora shipping to the UK). Naturally, I had to pop them into my shopping basket the moment I set foot in Sephora Paris. I opted for the Multitasker/Mineral Powder Brush #45 and the Pro Air Brush #55 and together, they make the dream team.

                                    Multi Tasker/Mineral Powder Brush #45

Sephora describes the Multitasker/Mineral Powder brush as one designed for applying both mineral and loose powder. I think I would struggle to use this for a loose powder only because it is densely packed and has a small surface area. I feel brushes for loose powder should be a little larger with a wider surface area to evenly distribute the product, however, I think this would be brilliant with mineral powder. As the name implies, it is truly a multi tasking brush as it can be used to apply a variety of makeup products including foundation, bronzers, powders, etc. I use this mainly to apply foundation and let me tell you, it does this so flawlessly and I dare say better than my Real Techniques Buffing Brush which is/was my absolute favourite (time will tell!). I also use this for blushes, bronzer and even cream blushes (when I am feeling brave) and it delivers excellent results every single time. Its dome shape ensures that it provides a flawless and seamless application for most liquid and powder makeup. I currently have about four dome shaped buffing brushes which look similar and I may be comparing them so watch out for a post soon.

                                                    Pro Air Brush #55

Sephora describes this brush as their best selling brush with unique bristles that create a truly airbrushed finish. I absolutely agree with them because this provides such a flawless finish/appearance. I know some people use this for applying liquid foundation because it provides a light to medium foundation coverage which is perfect for BB creams or a natural finish but I find it difficult to use it for that purpose as the bristles seem to be too soft for a quick foundation application. I prefer to use this for setting powders, blush and loose powders and seriously, it has upped my makeup application game. I really love this brush and this was the last one on the shelf which shows it is indeed a best seller. The brush in itself looks stunning as you can see from the pictures and I just love it.

Packaging

To be honest, I don’t think the packaging is the best considering the price. They all come in cellophane outer packaging with a plastic lid which is not quite reusable and this means they are not the most travel friendly brushes like the Wilko ones here. However, their classic black handles make up for everything because they looks so lush and much more expensive than they really are. They are also very sturdy and you can tell that they are made with good quality materials. The handle of the Multi Tasker/Mineral Powder Brush #45 is a little rounded compared to the Pro Air Brush #55 which is pointy and quite long; unlike any brushes within my stash. The names of the brushes are inscribed on the side and they have no faded yet despite a few washes.

Bristles and Shedding

The bristles are synthetic which is good and ethical. They are really very soft and fluffy although after washing them a few times, I found that the Multitasker/Mineral Powder Brush was not quite as fluffy but that’s not uncommon with many brushes so I let it slide. I love how easy make makeup application is with these brushes and they just seem to caress my face ever so softly (very cheesy I know!!). The bristles are densely packed but not in a stiff way which hinders makeup application. I have not experienced any shedding yet and I doubt if I would but time will tell. I always seem to know brushes that would shed simply by the way they behave when you wash them

Washing/Drying

They wash really easily which is music to my ears because brushes that don’t wash out easily make the whole process of washing your brushes a bigger chore than it is. I think many people dread washing their brushes because it takes a long while to get dirt off or they don’t know what washing liquids to use (find out my favourite ones here). I have washed these brushes with various washing liquids but the easiest appears to be my Fairy Washing up liquid which is bizarre; it just needs to be rinsed out really well. Drying appears to take a little longer than my Real Techniques Brushes which take the award for the fastest drying brushes I own. However, it still dries relatively faster than many other brushes in my stash.

Costs
I am not sure if I was blinded by how much I wanted these brushes but I would say they tip into the mid-high end range. I know for sure that there are much cheaper in the US so if you are after them, it’s best to buy from the States. In Paris, the Multitasker/Mineral Powder Brush cost me Euros 17.95 and the Pro Air Brush was Euros 24.95 which in total is equivalent to about £36. Although they seem a little pricey, I think they are absolutely worth it and I love them because they have such amazing quality. 

Cons

I think their cost and unavailability in the UK or any other countries without a Sephora are the major cons for these brushes. If you are in the UK and you opt to buy from the Sephora US website, be prepared to pay Tax and Shipping costs which are quite expensive additional costs unless you are buying products worth £70 or so (it may be less now but that's how much it was last time I checked) where you become eligible for flat rate shipping. If you buddy up with a friend it may help reduce these costs, however, I am super pleased they now finally ship to the UK.

Personal Thoughts

I am sure you all know where I stand with these brushes; I absolutely love them and I am looking to expand my collection very soon. I would like to try the concealer brush and maybe some other brushes from the Pro range. I highly recommend them if you are looking to try any brushes from Sephora. Have you used any of these brushes? See you in my next post...P.S. who's loving my attempt at posting everyday?...x

Sephora Haul

I have been such a tease recently showing bits and pieces from my Sephora Haul so I thought it would be nice to do a proper post showing and giving a mini review/first impressions of the products I picked up especially now that I have tested all of them for at least two weeks. Sephora was the one of the reasons why I wanted to go to Paris ((I know, I know-don't judge me) but you can forgive me because I have been to Paris before for all the sight seeing so this time around was for shopping. I had never been to Sephora before so I was quite keen to pop in there and pick up some items. It was very crowded and I am so pleased I had a list because I really didn't want to go there without a mission. My list only had things I knew I could not easily pick up from the UK and I would say I was fairly disciplined and I didn't go crazy at all. The only thing I didn't end up buying was the Sephora Lip Stain in Beige/02 which I wanted to try but all in all, I was pleased with my lil' haul.
P.S. Apologies for the quality of the photos; it has become incredibly hard to get decent photos with the shorter and almost non-existent daylight/sunlight we are "blessed" with here in London.


Makeup Forever HD Foundation
This has been on  my wish list for so long that I had almost given up hope in purchasing it, I know Makeup Forever usually has a stand during IMATS but I just think it's too much of a palaver going to IMATS especially if I am not after many products. Having said that, I may go next year though! I even knew my shade for this foundation without trying it beforehand because I had watched so many videos and read quite a few blog posts on this so I could easily tell although I did a small swatch at the back of my hand in-store. My shade is N173 if you are wondering and it's a perfect match for my skin. I am planning a review soon for this in fact, it may be up tomorrow if everything goes according to plan. I am really pleased with the formula and texture and it provides adequate coverage although I still go in with a concealer. I got this for Euros 37 which is roughly £30-£32 so it is not the cheapest foundation out there but I think it's worth it.


Sephora Makeup Brushes
I always see Sephora Brushes been whipped out in many USA YouTube videos/tutorials and I always drool in excitement and jealousy because they always look so amazing. I stuck this in my wish list hoping to purchase them one day and that day finally arrived. I picked up the Multi Tasker Brush #45 which has slowly but surely taken the place of my holy grail Real Techniques Buffing Brush (yes, I said it!!). I don't think this post is appropriate to fully review these brushes so I will save them for another post. I also picked up the Sephora Pro Air Brush #55 which is so multi functional and I use it for blush, mineral powder, etc. Both brushes are so fluffy and soft and they just look very classy and a full review would be up on Thursday *fingers crossed*.




Sephora Eyeshadow Palettes
These eyeshadow palettes were not on my list but they looked so amazing and I think they were affordable compared to other palettes in store. I picked up the VIP Pass Eyeshadow Palette which stood out to me because the mix of colours seemed very different from any palette I have back at home. I love the packaging even though it is made of cardboard but it feels well made It even has some mini tutorials on how to use these eyeshadows which is really helpful.. I am impressed with the pigmentation of this palette although the darker colours are more vibrant which is not a surprise. My favourite shade is the jewel toned blue in the bottom row. The top row has the perfect nude and smoky eye shades while the bottom row has brighter shades. The other palette does not have any name per say it just says Sephora on the packaging (Update: I think it's actually just called Sephora Mini Palette)  but it is the cutest little makeup palette I have ever seen and I prefer this packaging to the VIP Pass one. Inside, you get four tiny eyeshadows, two lip colours and a blush. The pigmentation is really good and I am really impressed although the blush does not quite show up well on my skin but it does not matter much. It even has a mirror, can you believe it?


Freebies/Samples
Of course I had to ask for some samples because I wanted to try a few things and let's face it, I spent over 100 Euros (I bought some gifts for friends/family too). The sales ladies were kind enough to give me a Sephora Loyalty Card (which is called Sephora White). I did not get any discounts sadly but I got four perfume samples (two for males and two for females) which was amazing and I was given a 20% discount card off fragrances, Makeup Forever primer samples  and a lovely Tote which is really pretty and would accompany me for my next shopping trip. That's it folks! Do you have any recommendations from Sephora for my next shopping trip? See you in my next post...x