e.l.f. Essential Concealer Brush & Studio Blush Brush

A couple weeks ago, my friends over at NailPolishCanada.com asked if I would be interested in e.l.f. Cosmetics, a US line that the website it now carrying over here. While I had heard of the brand before, I had never used it so I jumped at the chance to pick four different products to try out at no cost to me.
reviewing a few products by

e.lf. is probably best known for their beauty tools so two of the items I requested to review are brushes and they are the focus of today’s review.

First up, the Essential Concealer Brush. As the name suggests, it’s from e.l.f’s Essential collection, which seems to be the brands bottom-tier. On NailPolishCanada.com this brush retails for a mere $2.25.

According to this product’s packaging, this brush, “Conceals…with precious treatment,” “provides even and full coverage,” and “creates flawless and smooth application…” These seemed like lofty claims for a brush that only costs $2.25 but they actually turned out to be accurate. This brush does a great job at grabbing product and allowing me to carefully and precisely apply it, using its soft, short bristles.

While I’ve only been using it a week, it’s yet to shed any bristles and is so far keeping its shape. I didn’t find the brush to be “…ergonomically designed to fit perfectly into (my) hand…” and it did feel a bit light, but overall, it was comfortable to use. Now, I should add that no one’s going to mistake this brush as something from Make Up Forever’s Artisan Brush collection but given the price, this is a great little item.

The same goes for the other brush I received, the Studio Blush Brush. The Studio collection is a step up from the Essential collection and as a result, this brush is more expensive, coming in at a whopping $4.95. It does feel a bit more solid than the concealer brush and e.l.f. says that its synthetic bristles are also anti-bacterial, a comment that’s not made about the other brush.

But like that brush, this one can be used on wet or dry products. e.l.f also boasts that it, “…allows for easy maneuvering and precise color application” and “creates a defined and sculpted look.” I think the latter qualities depend more on your technique than the tool but it’s true that a good brush helps to achieve the right look and this is definitely a good brush.

Its straight, silky-feeling bristles do a great job at grabbing some, but not too much, powder and allowing me to easily and evenly apply it to my face. And like the concealer, it’s so far keeping all of its bristles and its shape.

e.l.f doesn’t make any claims about these brushes lasting forever and I think that’s fair. After all, these brushes do all cost under $5. Because of that, I’m fine if these brushes only last a year. Of course, I’d prefer them to last longer and hey, who knows, maybe with proper care they will.

Would I buy these products: Yes, I would happily purchase either of these brushes. While they might not be with me for years to come, they do do the job.

Should you buy these brushes: Yes! And if you want to buy your brushes from NailPolishCanada.com, note that the site offers free shipping with no minimum purchase needed.