Hi everyone,

I ain't gonna lie: I love makeup brushes. In return, they love me. Magically, they have found their ways to my home and sometimes, the ones that cost me the least money seem to work better. Since I discovered E.L.F brushes, a few of them managed to impress me enough to make me venture out to new ones. The three brushes I am about to show you are my E.L.F eye brush trifecta to complement my $1 eye shadow brush. The cost? $5, even less for moi since I bought them during sales.

My three favorite eye brushes: (top-bottom) E.L.F contour brush (from the Studio line, $3), defining eye brush, and blending eye brush (both from the regular Professional line, $1 each)

 First of all, the E.L.F Contour Brush:

Since it is from the Studio line, the handle is black and longer. It probably works better with those who have big hands. To me, this handle is just a tad too long.

Since I thought it was a dupe of MAC 219, I bought it. However, this one is a lot softer and rounder than the 219. Definitely not a dupe. However, I have come to like it in an unexpected way: since it is soft, I can slightly blend the color from the outer-v. Also, blending the harsh line in the cutting the crease technique is breezy with this one. To be honest, MAC 219 pencil brush is fantastic to place color on the lower lash line but using it for other purposes is quite painful since the bristles are so stiff.

Secondly, E.L.F Professional Blending Eye Brush:

I bought two of these: one for me, one for my BFF. Neither of them have the same shape and I have to say, the quality control in the regular line is quite lacking. My brush had unevenly cut bristles and I had to do the trimming myself. The one I gave to my BFF, however, was a perfect brush.

This is a superb blending brush for those with smaller eyelids (like mine.) Bigger brushes take up the space and tend to overblend. Since this one has a more compact head, blending is quite easy and concentrated. The bristles are really soft, which makes blending a joy as well. Of the three, this is the shortest brush but the length is comfortable to me.

Last but not least, E.L.F Professional Defining Eye Brush

At first, I thought it was a dupe of MAC 275, the medium angled shading brush. However, it is a lot smaller and thinner than the 275, probably 2/3 to half the size and thickness of the 275.

With that said, it is not a bad brush. I use it to shape and clean up my outer-v area and it works well for that purpose. Blending is something this brush cannot do as it does not have the required thickness for that purpose.

Please don't let the price fool you. These are some reliable brushes that do not make you break the bank. Also, the bristles are soft and I have been using them for more than a year without seeing any hair falling out of the ferrule. On top of that, I just love they way E.L.F engraving the names of the brushes on their handles. So convenient, especially when I am on the crunch.

Seriously, if you have small monolid eyes like mine, these brushes are your life-savers. They are small enough to fit the curves of my eyes, as if they were made for me! These are incredible value brushes that I hope you will enjoy as well. (Pss, buy them when ELF has a sale. You'll save even more!)

With love from your brush loving friend,
Dao xoxo

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Hi everyone,

This is my EcoTools retractable kabuki brush which I love very much. Only, there is a tiny problem: the brush is not retractable anymore.

As you can see, the case is separated from the brush and I did not do it purposely. After a few washes, the glue at the bottom of the brush fell off the case and I have been using this brush without the case for a while now. Even in this contouring tutorial, you can see I used the brush by itself. It is ok that way but I want my retractable brush, not a kabuki on a stick!

So far, this is the softest brush I have ever used. There is no way I am going to toss it away. Besides, replacing it is out of the question. So, with a little bit of patience and super glue, I managed to put my brush back together and make it a retractable brush once and for all.

Before I re-glued things together, I washed and dried my brush first. Depending on the weather, this brush can take up to 48 hours to dry and I made sure it dried completely before I proceeded to fix it.

What you need: all the parts of your brush and super glue. It does not matter what brand you use. The dollar store version works just fine. Here, I use the 502 glue, which is the Vietnamese super glue.

Step 1: put the shiny metal part...

...and glide it up. This part is the retractable component of the brush

Step 2: make sure the bottom of the brush as well as the inside of the case is clean. Then, open your super glue...

...then squeeze the super glue to the bottom of the brush without getting any glue into the hole. Also, squeeze the glue to the bottom of the casing

Step 3: quickly, put the brush into the casing and let the glue dry overnight.
DO NOT move or touch the brush while it dries. Doing so will disturb the drying process.

After the glue completely dries, put the cap back on and voila, your retractable brush is retracting again!

Also, super glue is good to glue back your brush once the ferrule is detached from the handle. Just make sure to glue the metal part to the wooden part without touching the brush bristles. Super glue dries fast so don't get it on your skin, either.

Hip-hop Abs update:

Today is day 2 of week 2 and things are getting a lil' intense. I did 2 workouts back to back since the schedule instructed me to do so. Now, as I am typing this, my obliques are sore. Tomorrow is going to be another double workout day and I can't wait for it!

I hope you enjoy this tutorial. Ecotools retractable brush is a really good brush and I am glad to find a way to fix it. How about you? Have you reattached your brush before?

With love from your makeup addict friend,
Dao xoxo

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Hi everybody,

Although I haven't owned MAC 187 yet, I'm kind of a fanatic when it comes to dual fiber brushes. When done right, these brushes can make your foundation application look flawless. When E.L.F came out with their own version of the stippling brush, I said "Hallelujah, finally!" I was so happy when they had that 55% off sale and I went online to order two of them. It took almost a month to arrive and I almost missed the deadline for the Secret Santa. However, the biggest blunder was: I only received one brush. After emailing E.L.F to straighten things out, I got my money refunded to me, although I would much prefer to receive two brushes instead of one.

E.L.F Stipple Brush ($3)

At $3 a pop, E.L.F Studio Stipple Brush is considered the cheapest dual fiber brush out there. However, the question is: does it live up to its standard? Find out after the jump!

Shot of the brush head
Both black and white fibers are made of anti-bacterial synthetic fiber

Full view of the brush

Another close-up of the brush head

Comparison (L-R): Adorned with Grace Ingenue dual fiber brush, E.L.F stipple brush, StudioTools Dual Finish brush (RIP) 

Length comparison (top-bottom): StudioTools, E.L.F, Adorned with Grace

As seen above, the E.L.F stipple brush is not the densest brush of all. While the AwG brush is a smaller one, the white/black density is a lot better. The StudioTools brush is the densest. However, the ELF brush has the longest handle and hair fiber. It feels solid and well-made. The hair did not bleed or shed while I washed and it feels soft on my skin.

With that said, the lack of density and abundance in length only mean one thing: you can't really stipple your foundation with it. While I would not say it's floppy, it is not sturdy, either. I could not quite pound foundation on my skin. However, I still can apply with a sweeping motion and it feels light on my skin.

The ELF Studio stipple brush really shines when used as a highlighting brush. It gives me an ethereal glow when I use it to apply my ELF Gotta Glow blush. Also, it works well with cream blushes as it picks up enough product to blend.

Cleaning wise, this brush is easy to clean and dries fast. As I mentioned earlier, it does not shed or bleed.

Is it worth the money? Yes, it does. At $3 a pop, this brush really bleeds its competitors dry (what competitors?!) However, it is not a good dupe for MAC 187. As I've said many times before, if you want MAC 187, get MAC 187. You really can't compare it to anything else that looks remotely similar and costs about 15 times less. Really.

Would I buy it again? Yes, I would. In fact, I would even buy it to give away to people in dire needs for a stippling brush. It is decent starter skunk brush and believe me, my first dual fiber brush was a lot worse. I would encourage you to get it when E.L.F has a sale. Why paying more when you can get it for less?

Disclaimer: I bought this brush with my own money. The opinions, however, are mine.

So, tell me what you think about ELF stipple brush. I'd love to hear about it.

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Hi everyone,

Happy New Year! While I don't make new year resolutions anymore, I do have plans and intentions to make 2011 a much better year. Lately, I've come to realize that I am a makeup brush aficionado. Although I don't actively collect them, I do own quite a lot of brushes (evident here.) This has a lot to do with me being a painter in my earlier life but in my defense, what not to love about makeup brushes? They are beautiful and they make you look marvelous.

Then, one day it dawned on me that my life was a lot simpler when I only had like, 3 brushes. I know, I couldn't believe it either but it did exist. While I don't want to get rid of all my brushes (come on, am I insane?!), I do want to simplify my life to a few that I use everyday. If you haven't noticed already. The number of brushes I used in the recent tutorials/FOTDs are a lot less. Needless to say, it is very refreshing and I hope those of you who are brush aficionados will give it a try.

Here are the ones I use the most and can't part without. To put it in a different way: if you want me to get rid of them, you would have to walk over my dead body!

Face Brushes

1. ELF studio duo fiber brush (yes!), 2. StudioTools Dual-Finish brush, 3. MAC 168, 4. Sonia Kashuk synthetic blusher brush, 5. ELF studio powder brush

 The ELF Studio duo fiber brush is a new discovery and I haven't done a write up yet (I promise I will. Soon.) I still can't believe it only costs 3 bucks. This brush is really soft and applies highly pigmented blushes very well. It is definitely a good dual fiber blush brush while the StudioTools one is a much better stippling brush for foundation. MAC 168 is love and there's no way on Earth for you to take that brush off my hands. The Sonia Kashuk brush is more for creme blushes. It blends them like a dream. It also works well as an under-eye concealer brush with mineral concealer. The ELF Studio Powder brush is a must-have. I would not buff my mineral foundation without this brush.

6. Sephora retractable lip brush, 7. No name dual-ended powder/concealer brush, 8. EDM long handled kabuki, 9. Crown Brush giant fan brush

 The retractable lip brush is about 10 years old and I am not kidding. That stuff is just very durable and if you use dark lipstick, a lip brush is a must-have. I prefer this one over MAC lip brush as it is a lot thicker and blends my lipstick better. The dual-ended powder/concealer brush is the only brush I use to apply concealer. I bought it for a dollar and it is really good and compact. I also use it to contour my nose :)

The EDM LHK is in the stash because it is crazy soft and blends my blush, contouring powder, and highlighting powder together well. The big fluffy fan brush is LOVE. If you use highlighting powder, you need it. It makes everything look dewier and more airbrushed but with lack of precision. The dual-fiber brushes will allow you to place highlighter with more precision but sometimes, I realize they make it look too obvious. Also, the big fluffy fan brush is good to apply finishing powder as well.

More brushes after the jump. Jump!

Eye Brushes

10. ELF angled eyeshadow brush, 11. ELF blending brush, 12. ELF eyeshadow brush, 13. MAC 266, 14. Coastal Scents synthetic eyeliner brush, 15. ELF contour brush, 16. MAC 217

I don't use brushes #10 and 11 as often as they are my back ups to MAC 217. Also, #11 and #15 almost do the same thing, despite the contour brush is a little bit smaller and shorter. I should go ahead and do another review post of my ELF brushes already, now that I realize I have the good stuff. ELF eyeshadow brush is the only basic eyeshadow brush I use for now. I don't even use MAC 234 or its dupe (the Loew-Cornell brush) anymore. It is a lot better and softer than the others. #13 and 14 are redundant and I prefer to have them both just in case one is drying. Last but not least, MAC 217 is a must-have. I would probably get a dupe from Coastal Scents since I've been using this brush a lot and waiting for it to dry is not fun.

Honestly, I don't use all my brushes in this post at the same time. I would probably use a combination of 5 brushes at a time but just in case some of them are hanging out to dry, I need the other ones to work for me. Life is a lot simpler this way. At least I don't have to wash 30+ brushes at a time anymore. For the other brushes I don't use, I store them properly and if/when I have a special occasion, I would use them.

How about you? What are your most commonly used brushes? Please let me know in the comment section, I'd love to hear all about them.

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Hi everybody,

In this blog, it's all about sharing and caring. Although I've used the ELF professional eye shadow brush for a while now, I did not do a formal review yet. Well, it's better late than never and I hope you'll enjoy.

E.L.F Professional Eye Shadow brush ($1)

I am not exaggerating when I said this is a one-dollar wonder. For those who've followed my blog, you know I love cheap products that work. Why? Because if they don't, they are just junk. And who wants junks, right? Well, as far as a basic eyeshadow brush can go, this one is pretty good. After acquiring my first ELF eyeshadow brush (the white one) from Dollar General, I put my coveted MAC 239 to a "rainy day" brush roll*. The ELF eyeshadow brush has been my stand-in basic brush ever since.

So, what makes it so wonderful? Jump to find out!


 Since I can't tell you without showing you some pictures, I guess I'd better show them to you first:

Close-up at the brush heads.
Despite the difference in color, these two brushes are the same. The white one is the standard version while the black one is the "Back to School" edition at Target

1. Loew-Cornell 3/4' Maxine's Mop; 2. MAC 239SE; 3. E.L.F Professional Eye Shadow brush

Thickness comparison
1. Loew-Cornel; 2. MAC 239; 3. E.L.F

After some intense showing (ha!), let me explain to you why I just simply can't have enough of this brush:

1. The bristles have the same height as MAC 239's:
If you notice, the Loew-Cornell, albeit being a good dupe of MAC 239, is a bit longer. The ELF eyeshadow brush has the same height, which makes it easier to apply eye shadows.

2. It is a bit thicker than MAC 239:
When it comes to makeup brushes, I'm all about comfort. If it does not feel nice on my skin, I would not use it. The thickness has its own advantage: it offers some cushion and firmness to the brush without taking away the comfort.

3. It is not scratchy or poky:
The main reason I don't use either the L-C or MAC 239 is their abrasive nature. While these two brushes pack up eye shadows quite nicely, they are as scratchy as my scrub pad. The L-C, being a painter's brush, is scratchier than MAC 239. When I switched to this ELF brush, it was a relief. I actually enjoyed applying eye makeup again. Also, as it is not stiff goat hair, this brush blends quite nicely. Those who use MAC 239 knows you can't really blend with it. All you can do is pat and go. The ELF brush gives you options to pat and go or blend, which makes it more versatile.

4. It has tapered sides
When I used the L-C brush, sometimes I felt like I didn't apply my eye shadows correctly. Then, one day when it was drying, I used MAC 239 and things just changed. All of the sudden, the outer corner of my eyes just looked a bit sharper. However, as MAC 239 is not that comfortable to use, I continued looking for an eye shadow brush that could do it all: has tapered sides, can blend well, feels comfortable, and is affordable. This ELF brush fits the bill nicely.

The black brush is as tapered as MAC 239 while the white one is even curvier. With this ELF eye shadow brush, my makeup applications have become easier. The outer corners look more defined and I don't have to use too much product for the application. This brush picks up eye shadows (regular and mineral) very well. The first time I used it, I was surprised at how well it performed. And I still do.

At a dollar each, the ELF Professional eye shadow brush is a steal. While I've reviewed many basic eyeshadow brushes, this is so far the best. Believe me when I say this: you can pay more for a different brush but you won't get anything better than this. The only downside is the quality control: ELF does not have the best QC in the world when it comes to their brushes. You can buy 10 brushes of the same category and they would all look different. I find going to stores that sell ELF such as Dollar General or Target is useful. That way, I can actually touch the brushes and choose the best out of the bunch. It takes time but when I get out of the store, I know that my brush is a real performer.

How about you? Do you like this brush?

Disclosure: I bought the above products for my own personal use. Since the quality exceeds my expectation, I decided to write a review.

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Hi everybody,

Recently, the lovely Franchesca sent me her newest premium small dual fiber brush and I was elated. Being a fan of her Ingenue sleek dual fiber brush, I was even more than happy to learn that the premium dual fiber brush is made of 100% fiber. Yes, both the black and white bristles are synthetic. And boy oh boy, isn't this brush soft!

Adorned with Grace Minerals Premium Small Dual Fiber Brush ($16.99 USD)

Unlike the Ingenue sleek brush, this brush arrived in a brush guard and plastic pouch, which is a nice touch. The handle is made of wood and painted black, giving you a sturdy grip.

(L-R): New Hampshire state quarter, Ingenue sleek dual fiber brush and Premium small dual fiber brush

From the above picture, the diameter of this brush's head is more or less the size of a quarter, leaning toward less. Also, it looks like there are less white bristles in the premium brush. However, if you compare the firmness between the two brushes, this new brush is a lot firmer, which makes it a better choice to apply creme blushes.

Body shot: Ingenue sleek dual fiber brush (top) and Premium small dual fiber brush (bottom)

Length-wise, the premium small dual fiber brush is a bit longer. As mentioned earlier, the handle is made of wood. When I touched it, I have a feeling of touching an actual MAC brush. I compared with my MAC 168 brush and yes, the handle has the same grainy texture. This is one sturdy brush that you can bang on the counter top if you want to (although I highly not recommend to do so!)

Also, notice the black bristles come up a bit higher in the premium brush than in the Ingenue brush. This tiny detail makes this brush a lot less floppy than the Ingenue one. I guess some other companies *cough EDM cough* should have studied the real 187/188 brushes more carefully before making theirs. A floppy dual fiber brush is a failed brush. In this case, the Premium small dual fiber brush passed with flying color!

Close up at the brush heads, old brush on the left, new one on the right

You can see the stain on the white bristles of the Ingenue brush in the above picture. Although I've washed it more than 10 times, the black bristles still bleed out some dark colors. The premium brush, on the other hand, does not bleed or even shed a hair.

Density comparison

Yes, the new brush is less dense. However, I find it to be a better brush when it comes to applying creme blushes. It picks up creme blush and blends it better, compared to the Ingenue one. Also, when I applied mineral powder blushes with it, this brush blends a lot better.

When I washed it, I find materials coming out of the white bristles faster and easier than in the Ingenue brush. The Ingenue brush, while is a good brush, has a nasty habit of retaining colors. To properly remove everything, I have to wash and re-wash it. For this brush, wash once and I'm done.

For drying time, the Ingenue seemed to dry faster at first. However, at subsequent washes, they dried at about the same rate. After the first wash, the Ingenue had a gluey smell that's not really obnoxious but quite annoying. After the second wash, the smell was almost undetectable.

To conclude, the Premium dual fiber brush is an excellent dupe of MAC 188 dual fibre brush. This brush makes blush application easy for both creme and powder blushes. It does not shed or bleed but dries fast. It is one sturdy brush and a good (and affordable) alternative to MAC 188. If you want a cruelty-free small fiber optic brush for your blushes, I highly recommend this one.

And now, a disclaimer for FTC et. al.: I received this brush from Franchesca as a gift and possibly as a result of my whining about how the Ingenue sleek dual fiber brush bleeds. I love this brush and I think it is a step above the Ingenue sleek. For more information regarding My Makeup Blog's disclaimer policy, click here.

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Hi everybody,

When it comes to environmentally friendly and reliable brushes, EcoTools get the gold star. Since I bought the EcoTools 6-piece eye brush set, I haven't touched my other eye brushes. I know, somewhere in my makeup drawer, a MAC brush is crying.

EcoTools 6-piece bamboo eye brush set

The set costs $7.99 USD but the day I purchased, I also got a $3 store coupon so it cost me less than a dollar a brush. I know, it is difficult to find a reliable brush that's made of recycled aluminum, synthetic taklon, and bamboo handle for $5, let alone the whole set for the same price. I guess I am just lucky.

It has a mini brush roll made of hemp and a mirror

When folded, the set is a bit bigger than a deck of card. You can toss it into your purse and still have plenty of room.

Top-bottom: EcoTools blend brush, MAC 239SE, EcoTools eyeshadow brush

From the above picture, the brushes in this set are short. In fact, they are even shorter than MAC special edition brushes. I don't find it difficult to use them at all. However, for those with big hands, they may be a bit small for you.

EcoTools blend brush

This is the chubbiest brush I've ever owned. Because of the size, it makes applying eyeshadow faster since it can grab more material. Also, the pointed tip makes the outer-v a lot sharper than usual. Since I have small eyes, blending is a bit more difficult so I don't use it to blend. It is strictly for applying makeup.

EcoTools crease brush

Remember I told you earlier about a MAC brush crying? Well, that one is my beloved MAC 217. While I love the 217 very much, I find it difficult to dissipate colors sometimes. Also, my outer-v area can be blurry when I want a sharp and define v. This crease brush is the solution. With its tapered edge, it looks like a mini version of your slanted blush brush. In fact it functions the same way as MAC 275 angled shading brush but it is bigger. I really love this brush and please don't let the chunky size fool you. It actually works very well.

EcoTools highlight brush

Looks like a blending brush but doesn't work as a blending brush, this brush has some sort of identity crisis going on. At first, I thought I could use it to blend the way MAC 217 does. However, this brush is neither thick nor strong enough for blending. The shape, on the other hand, fits perfectly for the areas underneath the brow bone and the inner corner of the eyes. It just takes time to get used to the functionality but to me, this is a good brush.

EcoTools shade brush

Although it is designed to add emphasis on the outer corner of your eyes, I find it too small and soft to do that. I use it for detailed work and this brush doesn't get a lot of air time. It is just one cute little brush that I am trying to find more ways to use.

EcoTools smudge brush

Like the shade brush, this smudge brush is too soft to work like MAC 219 pencil brush. I find it difficult to smudge out pencils. However, it applies dark eye shadows close to the lash line like a charm!

I highly recommend this eye brush set for anyone who's looking for a cute, portable brush set for travel. I use it on a daily basis now and it is very soft to my skin. Also, it doesn't take a lot of space at all. With that price, you can buy 2 sets and still have some change left for candies. I love EcoTools brushes very much and this set does not disappoint.

Legal stuff: I bought this brush set with my own money. For more information regarding My Makeup Blog's disclosure policy, click here.

A word from Mr. Belly: he's very upset that he didn't have any comments on his most recent post. If you can, please make him happy by giving him some nice comments. Otherwise, he will seek revenge by rubbing his fur all over me!



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