All About E.L.F. Brushes

Hello again! Welcome to my second blog post! If you watch my YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/alexal0vesmakeup) then I'm sure it will come as no surprise that I love me some e.l.f. brushes. In case you are unaware, e.l.f. stands for Eyes. Lips. Face. They are affordable, good quality, and did I mention affordable?? There are 14 in my collection all together (one is not photographed bc I forgot about it). The ones photographed below are all "studio" brushes, there are also the "essential brushes" that retail for $1 a piece. One of my brushes is an essential brush that was $1. I will talk about it later in this post.

I have said it before and I'll say it again, e.l.f. brushes are cheap in price but they are not cheap in quality, at least not the studio ones. I have about a dozen more brushes apart from these ones and they range from brands such as MAC, Sephora, Bare Escentsuals, Lancôme, etc. I love to spoil myself from time to time by buying higher end makeup and brushes but at the end of the day I believe these e.l.f. brushes do just as good of a job as some of my more expensive brushes. So I am hear to give you some feedback on these 13 brushes and the many different uses they have. They are soft, durable, dense, and they retail for $3 dollars each (the ones that are photographed, their other brushes range from $1-$6).

My e.l.f. brushes

I will go ahead and name each individual brush I own and the uses they have for me, along with what e.l.f. says it can be used for. I also have the links to each brush posted after the description. To save me from having to write this in each description, e.l.f. brushes claim to be "vegan friendly.'

The first 11 are the brushes that came in the 11-piece studio brush collection I purchased (http://www.eyeslipsface.com/studio/brushes/brush-sets/11_piece_brush_collection).

The other 3 are ones I bought at separate times. 

My smaller brushes

My bigger brushes

1. Eyeshadow "C" Brush- This is perhaps one of my favorite elf brushes I own. It is so dense and does such a good job of picking up eye shadow pigment and just packing the color right on to my eyelid. I use this brush almost every day and even though I use a number of other eye shadow brushes along with this one, I love using this to apply base colors and darker shadows since it packs on so well with this brush. The website states: 

This anti bacterial, synthetic haired Taklon brush is softer and more absorbent and can be used with wet or dry products. Be a professional makeup artist and create a flawless look with this e.l.f. Studio brush!

Creates the perfect smokey eye.

The medium size brush gives more control for more specific blending needs.

Use with any powder eye shadow product for color blending.

http://www.eyeslipsface.com/studio/brushes/single-brushes/eyeshadow_c_brush

2. Angled Foundation Brush- This brush is made with synthetic hairs. I personally use it for exactly what it says, foundation. The website states: 

This new anti bacterial, synthetic haired Taklon brush is softer and more absorbent and can be used with wet or dry products. Be a professional makeup artist and create a flawless look with this e.l.f. studio brush!

Creates flawless coverage. The angled shape allows you to apply product with precision in hard-to-reach places.

The brush applies foundation and other liquid products evenly across the face and within the creases of your features. 

http://www.eyeslipsface.com/studio/brushes/single-brushes/angled_foundation_brush

3. Complexion Brush- This brush has served many purposes for me. I either use it with my bronzer to do a rough contouring job or if I just want to add color all over my face, it can be used for blush, but I mainly use it with setting powder. I think it probably works best with powdering your entire face since it is pretty large in size. The website states:

This new anti bacterial, synthetic haired Taklon brush is softer and more absorbent and can be used with wet or dry products. Be a professional makeup artist and create a flawless look with this e.l.f. studio brush!

Creates an even and natural finish

Expertly sweeps all types of powders across the entire face and sculpts features beautifully

Use with pressed, loose, or translucent powders, blush or bronzer. http://www.eyeslipsface.com/studio/brushes/single-brushes/complexion_brush

4. Blush Brush- I don't think I need to say much about this one because once again I use this for exactly what the name of the brush is, blush! My fav blush at the moment is the Nars Orgasm. These two pair nicely together, the brush really does a great job of sweeping that peachy golden color all over the apples of my cheeks! I would also use this brush for highlighter if you do not want to buy a separate brush. Many people have very few brushes or none at all and get on just fine, so it’s really all about personal preference. Website states:

This new anti bacterial, synthetic haired Taklon brush is softer and more absorbent and can be used with wet or dry products. Be a professional makeup artist and create a flawless look with this e.l.f. studio brush! The tailored design allows for easy maneuvering and precise color application creates a beautifully defined and sculpted look can be used to apply blush or bronzer.
http://www.eyeslipsface.com/studio/brushes/single-brushes/blush_brush

5. Powder Brush- This is probably one of my least used e.l.f. brushes. I couldn’t even tell you why because I'm not sure. The few times I have used it, I applied bronzer with it. The website says use it with powder or blush and I think it could even be used to apply foundation if you do not own a foundation brush and just want to buy this one. Website states: This new anti bacterial, synthetic haired Taklon brush is softer and more absorbent and can be used with wet or dry products. Be a professional makeup artist and create a flawless look with this e.l.f. studio brush!
-Creates a professional sculpted look
-Full coverage color
http://www.eyeslipsface.com/studio/brushes/single-brushes/powder_brush

6. Fan Brush- Until I bought my 11-piece set I had never owned a fan brush. This was one of the brushes I was most excited to use. I had seen beauty gurus use it for applying highlight and I love using it with my Nars highlighter in Albatross from time to time. I alternate with the fan brush and one other one I will be mentioning later. I also use it to sweep eye shadow fall out off of my cheeks. If I could change anything about this brush I would want it to be a bigger, thicker fan brush because I think I could probably get better use out of it had it been a denser brush, but with that being said, it still does a good job of applying highlight and dusting off fall out. Website states:

This new anti bacterial, synthetic haired Taklon brush is softer and more absorbent and can be used with wet or dry products. Be a professional makeup artist and create a flawless look with this e.l.f. studio brush!

http://www.eyeslipsface.com/studio/brushes/single-brushes/studio_fan_brush

 

7. Concealer Brush- I actually use this mainly with wet eye shadows such as MAC Paint Pot's or if I want to wet the brush first before applying powdered eye shadow because it does a good job of packing on color since the bristles are so close together. I very rarely use it for concealer since I absolutely love using by Bare Escentuals concealer brush most of the time. I think it works better than the elf one does. Website states:

This new anti bacterial, synthetic haired Taklon brush is softer and more absorbent and can be used with wet or dry products. Be a professional makeup artist and create a flawless look with this e.l.f. studio brush!
-Creates even and full coverage
-Applies and blends concealer smoothly and evenly to eyes, face, and blemishes
-Use with any cream products, including concealer, foundation, primer, eye cream, or cream shadow

http://www.eyeslipsface.com/studio/brushes/single-brushes/concealer_brush

8. Contour Brush- This is another brush that I do not really use as what is named for doing. I usually like to use this brush in the crease of my eye, I have used it maybe once or twice to contour down my nose but that’s it. To be honest, this is another one of those brushes that I don't use that often. Website states: 

This new anti bacterial, synthetic haired Taklon brush is softer and more absorbent and can be used with wet or dry products. Be a professional makeup artist and create a flawless look with this e.l.f. studio brush!

The domed bristles pick up a lot of color and deposit it onto the eyelid for extra definition.

Adds depth close to the lash line and in the corner of the eye.

Use to sweep colors along the lash lines for concentrated color. http://www.eyeslipsface.com/studio/brushes/single-brushes/contour_brush

9. Small Smudge Brush- In the past I've used this brush for eyeliner, eye shadow, and filling in my brows. I do not reach for this one very often but it does a good job when I do use it. The website states: This new anti bacterial, synthetic haired Taklon brush is softer and more absorbent and can be used with wet or dry products. Be a professional makeup artist and create a flawless look with this e.l.f. studio brush!
-Creates detailed pin-pointed color application
-Great for blending in eyeliner and shadow to create a smokey eye look or to fill in brows
-Use to apply powder to line eyes or create concentrated color definition

http://www.eyeslipsface.com/studio/brushes/single-brushes/small_smudge_brush

10. Small Precision Brush- This brush is my favorite to use for eyebrows. I think it could probably be used as a lip brush as well but I've got my eye on the elf lip brush and when I go home to the states next month I think I'll purchase it. This small precision brush does a good job of filling in my brows and picks up pigment well. Website states: 

This new anti bacterial, synthetic haired Taklon brush is softer and more absorbent and can be used with wet or dry products. Be a professional makeup artist and create a flawless look with this e.l.f. studio brush!

Creates thin lines and precise coverage.

Applies color evenly for small targeted areas.

Use to apply concealer, smooth on lip color, or line eyes.

http://www.eyeslipsface.com/studio/brushes/single-brushes/small_precision_brush

11. Small Angled Brush- Last but not least from the 11 piece collection is this small angled brush that I love using to apply my gel liner or black eye shadow as a liner. It also comes in handy for filling in my brows when I cant find my small precision brush. Website states: 

This synthetic haired Taklon brush is softer and more absorbent and can be used with wet or dry products. Be a professional makeup artist and create a flawless look with this e.l.f. studio brush!

Creates precise color application.

Creates even, thin and straight lines every time.

Use to apply lip color, eyebrow color, or to line eyes. http://www.eyeslipsface.com/studio/brushes/single-brushes/small_angled_brush

12. Professional Brow Comb & Brush (the one that is not photographed)- The title of this one makes it pretty self-explanatory. There are two sides to this brush, although they are both meant to be used for brows, I usually use the thicker looking brush to comb through my brows and the comb side to brush through my lashes before applying mascara. For a brush like this, I don't think there’s any point in buying a high-end brush, I'd say all brushes that look like this work pretty much the same. Why spend a fortune unless you want to buy a name. http://www.eyeslipsface.com/elf/brushes/single-brushes/brow_comb___brush

13. Pointed Foundation Brush- Now this is the brush I almost always use to apply highlight ever since I got it last month. I'd say it's a dupe for the Sigma F25 and F35 brush which costs $25 and $18. Sometimes I have to dip this brush in the highlight quite a few times to get the desired pigment, which is my only complaint about this brush. But I would rather spend $3 dollars than $25 for something that looks very similar. Website states:

Create a flawless face with the Pointed Foundation brush. This Taklon brush features a tapered brush head for precise application with an even, streak-free and flawless finish. Perfect for concealing, highlighting, and contouring. Ideal for use with liquid, cream or powder foundation products - can be used with wet or dry products. Become a professional makeup artist and create a flawless look with this studio foundation brush.

http://www.eyeslipsface.com/studio/brushes/single-brushes/pointed_foundation_brush

14. Angled Blush Brush- I'd say this brush is another Sigma dupe. It looks a lot like the F40 Large Angled Contour Brush. I really really love this brush. I use it mainly for contouring with my favorite bronzer at the moment, Hoola by Benefit. I also do use it for blush as well. It does a great job of sweeping color along the apples of my cheeks and up towards my temple. Website states: 

The slanted shape of the Angled Blush Brush offers precision application for a sculpted look. The soft dense bristles contours facial features easily. Use with cream, liquid or powder blush, bronzers or highlighters for a professional result.

http://www.eyeslipsface.com/studio/brushes/single-brushes/angled_blush_brush

My First Blog Post!

Ok, so I'm relatively new to this whole blogging thing. For one of my classes last semester I had to do a blog of my choice and I chose to do it on food since that is something I am passionate about. A few months later, however, I realized that even though food is a passion of mine, makeup and beauty has always been number one for me, so here I am! But this time I'm not blogging for a class, I'm doing it for  the love of beauty!

I'm not exactly sure what it was that prompted me to start a YouTube channel. I was so busy with school and assignments so it's not as if I had loads of time on my plate, it was just an urge I felt. So one night before going to bed, I turned on my webcam and did an introductory video. It took me a week to post another video and another week after that to get the courage to tell my boyfriend about it, and another week after that before I had the courage to share it on my Facebook.

I know there are people out there who think it's silly, and to be honest, I expected that. There will always be haters, people who are insecure in themselves and need a way to put others down, so I was prepared for negative comments, dislikes on my video, and even finding out that people I know are making fun of me for it, but the truth is, I DON'T CARE! I am doing something that I enjoy doing, I am trying to help people who might need a hand in the beauty department, and I'm even learning new things about myself. I never would have thought I would have the courage to sit in front of a webcam/camera and talk to the world while having no clue who is watching me and/or judging me.

I did not start this channel in the hopes of making money or receiving some sort of fame. To be honest I'm not even sure I could tell you exactly why I started it. It was very sudden for me. I always watched beauty gurus and took tips from them when doing my makeup and I slowly realized that people around me were constantly complementing my makeup, asking for advice, and asking me to do their makeup for them. I had been thinking about it for a few months and then a couple of girls in my course told me they would be interested if I made a channel because they liked my makeup techniques. Maybe that was what prompted me, because within a few weeks I found myself talking to my computer telling it why I am starting a beauty channel along with a little bit about myself.

I hope you will join me on this journey as I continue to make more videos and learn all there is to know about beauty, hair, fashion, and more. To those who have already subscribed, I appreciate you so much and I am always open to suggestions! Never hesitate to give me feedback :)

Love,
Alexa

Check out my YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/alexal0vesmakeup

                                                  A screenshot from my first video