Surratt Artistique Brush Launch and Medium Smokey Eye Brush Review

Fellow beauty bloggers, do you know these posts where you want to publish just the photos and let them speak for themselves? Yeah, it's one of those - but on the other hand, it's make-up brushes, and I have a lot to say. Last week I had the pleasure of attending the launch of Surratt Beauty Artistique Brush Collection, sold exclusively at Barneys New York in the US. Belly from Wondegondigo invited me to tag along (check out her photos and first impressions here) and I couldn't be happier, both to spend time in her company and to stroke some ridiculously luxurious brushes.

Currently, the Artistique Brush Collection includes 12 brushes: 4 face brushes in grey/blue squirrel hair, 3 smokey eye brushes made with the same hair type, 3 flat shader eye brushes in Canadian squirrel, and two concealer brushes in Kolinsky (displayed from the bottom to the top in the photo). All brushes are handmade in Kumano, Japan from the finest, carefully selected materials and take about 60 different steps and a week to create - the Surratt brushes had been in development for five years, right from the brand's conception. In the display case, you can see that the matte, all black handles and ferrules are the exact same length on each brush and feature a beautiful green and purple duochrome ombre design. Troy Surratt also told us about his plans to expand the range to include more brushes: there's a foundation duo fiber buffing brush, a thicker badger hair brow brush, and a retractable spoolie brush in the works.

Troy's assistant, Nathaniel, presenting the Surratt Face Brush, $230.

Surratt make-up brushes are definitely an investment: the jewel of the collection, the Face Brush, retails for $230, and the brand is also working on an even larger soft powder brush that will retail for about $380. The price range is definitely comparable to that of Suqqu, and when Belly asked Troy how he would explain the uncommonly high cost of these brushes to an American consumer, he replied it's all down to the incredibly high quality of his collection: with proper care the brushes should last a lifetime, and he even described his Face Brush as an 'heirloom'.

L-R: Face Brush $230, Sculpting Brush, a mix of blue squirrel and goat hair $90, Highlight Brush $115, Cheek Brush $115

If you ask me about my thoughts on the price of the Surrat brush line, I definitely think you don't absolutely need very expensive brushes to apply make-up beautifully. However, if you perceive your beauty routine as a relaxing, sensual ritual and are completely beauty obsessed like I am, these brushes are certainly a fantastic addition to your collection - I'm already planning more purchases in the future. Another point to note is that if you have access to the Barneys beauty floor, this is the single Japanese-made brush range on the US market that you can physically touch and play with, bar some Hakuhodo appearances at IMATS or other make-up trade shows.

The pom-pom shaped cheek brush in my hand for size reference; it's quite small and dense to allow for a precise blush application and blending

After much oohing and aahing, I've decided to purchase one of the most unique brushes in the Artistique Collection, the Medium Smokey Eye Brush, $65. Each brush comes in a beautiful French-made cardboard box with a sliding top and velvet padding inside - I made a comment that the box is seriously too beautiful to part with and Nathaniel suggested reusing it as a pencil case, which I thought was a fantastic idea.

As you can see, the Medium Smokey Eye Brush has a long tapered brush head, quite a bit larger than my standard crease/ blending brushes, shown below for comparison. I've only ever tried one other tapered blending brush, the LE MAC 226, but the two are nothing alike: the MAC was much smaller, with shorter, denser and firmer bristles, and the only thing it worked reasonably well for was cut crease looks - however, the bristles were so scratchy that I decided to purge it. The three Smokey Eye brush sizes in the Surratt line ensure that everyone can find a good brush to work in their different lid spaces.

L-R: bdellium Tools no. 776, Hakuhodo J 5533, Wayne Goss no. 06, Surratt Medium Smokey Eye

The soft, floppy bristles of the Medium Smokey Eye take some getting used to, especially if you normally use shorter and more resistant blending brushes. However, I'm happy to report that the brush works beautifully to bring subtle definition to the eye. Troy recommended to use the brush by swirling its tapered tip in the eyeshadow and then applying the powder in the crease with a back and forth motion, letting the longest bristles deposit the color, while the shorter bristles on the sides do all the blending for you. He also suggested the brush can be used flat on its side to blend the eyeshadow from the outer corner in. I've been using a combination of both of these techniques and I find they work very well for quickly diffusing pigments in the socket.

There is however a downside to such a large and soft brush head; the Surratt Medium Smokey Eye does not allow for a lot of control, so if you like applying very dark shades in the outer V, I'd suggest using a separate brush for the placement and then maybe finishing the blend with the Medium Smokey. That's true however of most of my standard blending brushes as well.

Overall, I'm quite ecstatic with my new brush acquisiton: I'll try to spare you my exclamations of the 'Oh, but it's so, so soft!' variety, but yes, they're there every time I reach for the Medium Smokey Eye Brush. The attention to detail on these brushes is unmatched, and on top of being very useful tools (or extensions of the artist's hands, as Troy prefers to put it), they're also beautiful objects.

If you have a Surratt counter near you, I urge you to check out the Artistique Brush Collection, if only for the sensory experience (but if you don't have a counter nearby, the brushes are also now available online). I had a lot of fun at the launch and it was a great pleasure to be able to talk freely about make-up brushes, shopping for Japanese cosmetics and the product development process with both Troy himself (a fellow beauty geek by all means) and Nathaniel. Thank you for spending so much of your time explaining everything to us! It's rare these days to find such a down to earth, knowledgeable, passionate face behind the brand.

Have you tried anything from Surratt Beauty? What's currently at the top of your make-up brush wishlist (because I just assume everyone needs to have one)?

Top 10 Beauty Products Under $6

Yeah yeah, I know - six dollars is kind of a random price. Why not good ol' five bucks? Because, my dear smartypants, kindly observe that there's some sort of beauty product pricing policy in place that makes brands always charge just a little bit over $5; like maybe in our make-up obsessed minds, $5.99 is actually close to five bucks, so we happily spend the extra $1?! I  don't know - I don't make the rules. Under six dollars it is. So, in no particular order:

1. INM Out The Door Fast Drying Topcoat ($4.95 for 0.5 fl. oz/15 ml) I've used Seche Vite, I've used Sally Hansen, Essie, OPI - I really tried my fair share, and Out The Door is the only one I've repurchased. Mostly, because it's inexpensive and works just as well as the rest - and gets gloopy slightly less quickly than the others. I could always find it in Bartell's Drugs in WA, but haven't tracked it down yet in NY; you could always order online, especially that Amazon has some giant sizes of this for much less per ounce.

2. Epic Blend Hemp Lip Balm in Coconut* ($3.49 for 0.15 oz /4.2g) I hadn't used stick lip balms in a while, but they're an absolute make-up bag essential - and you can't go wrong with the mineral oil- and paraben-free Epic Blend Lip Balms. I was sent the entire range of 12 balms to try, and from the three varieties they offer (Hemp, Vegan and More Moisture) the Hemp ones were my favorite, especially the Coconut and Vanilla scents - yum. I find that the Hemp range applies easily on the lips but has a slightly heavier consistency than the Vegan and More Moisture balms, which makes them last better on my dry lips. My mom's favorite was the More Moisture Lip Balm in Grape, which she liked for its lightweight, non greasy feel.

3. Essence Stay With Me Long Lasting Lip Gloss in Candy Bar ($2.99 for 0.13 fl. oz/ 4 ml, swatched and reviewed here). I still really, really like this lip gloss, and Candy Bar is such a beautiful coral shade. It's almost hard to believe that you can make such a great gloss for such a low price - and I actually can't believe how come they don't come in a huge variety of shades... I'm actually slightly worried that it's no longer available on Ulta's website - has anyone heard any rumors?

4. Fyrinnae Eye Shadow Minis ($2.25 per sample 1/3tsp, my notes on pressing and swatches here). Did I mention that not all my inexpensive finds are from the drugstore? Because sometimes you  need to go on a quest to find the really good ones - well, not really a quest, more like just shopping online. I've pressed my Fyrinnae loose eyeshadow samples into these dinky pans, and now I use them every time I do my make-up: their neutrals are so unique, the brights wonderfully complex, and the glitters... Oh, the glitters.

5. Yaby Eyeshadow Refills ($3.15 for 3g). Speaking of dinky eyeshadow pans, I also really enjoy using my Yaby eyeshadows in Antique and Pottery, swatched and reviewed here. So if you have an aversion to pressing pigments and can't deal with the little jars of Fyrinnae shadows, these Yaby ones are another great option - and they also have a good variety of neutral mattes.

6. Orly Mani Mini Nail Polishes ($3 for 0.18 fl. oz/5.7 ml). It seems like that these nail polish minis from Orly may not be the easiest to get hold of, but if you see some, grab a shade or two - they're the regular awesome Orly formula, just in a smaller size bottle that you may hope to actually use up in your lifetime. My most used shades are the rose gold Rage, a China Glaze Ruby Pumps dupe called Star Spangled, and a pastel mint Gumdrop. If only more nail polish brands jumped on board the mini size train!

7. Wet n'Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Trios ($2.99 for 0.12 oz) Nope, no inexpensive finds round-up can be complete without some Wet n'Wild eyeshadow love. I've depotted mine into a handy-dandy magnetized palette that makes them even easier to use, and as you can see from the state of these pans, they're well loved. Seriously, if you don't have the budget to buy shadows from high-end brands, these are very, very good for the price, and come in a wide range of neutral and bright shades in shimmery and matte finishes. I still remember the thrill of tracking down their Limited Editions...

8. NYX Powder Blushes ($5 for 0.14 oz/4g; Mauve is the shade pictured in the first photo). My NYX blush swatchathon is still one of my most popular posts on the blog, and we all know why: NYX Powder Blushes are a drugstore classic. You know, sometimes you get caught up in the product hype and later regret buying multiple shades of something, but I've never regretted building my collection of NYX blushes - I still reach for them all the time.

9. EcoTools Flat Eyeliner Brush ($5.29 ea; it seems the new version of this brush on EcoTools website has a different shape, but you should still be able to find the older one as well). This was the first EcoTools brush I ever bought, and it started my love for the brand; I always have at least a couple of their brushes in my everyday rotation. This is a very straightfoward brush, but I find the bristles just right for defining my eyebrows or lining my lashline with powders. I believe I've had mine for close to five years now, and it's still just as good as the day I bought it.

10. Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge ($5.99 ea) Finishing strong with the tools, you guys. I've devoted a whole post to my review and demo of this bright orange sponge, so I won't repeat myself too much, apart from reiterating that you need it - and after trying the famous Beautyblender, I confirm that there's no reason to shell out nearly four times the price for one (also, my BB sponge still leaks that neon pink dye! Grrrr). The Real Techniques sponge is perfect for making higher coverage foundations blend seamlessly into the skin. It also looks fun :)

If you still can't get enough of these inexpensive beauty finds, you can check out my Top 10 Drugstore Make-up Favorites - there are some repeat products, but I've tried to avoid too much overlap. What are your favorite beauty buys for under six bucks?

*Disclaimer: Product marked with an asterix (*) is a PR sample I received free of charge for review consideration. All links are non-affiliate. All opinions are 100% honest and unbiased, no matter if the products featured were purchased with my own monies or provided as press samples. Thank you for reading!

In My Toolkit: New Brushes, Sponges, Puffs...

... Oh my! I happen to be a bit monothematic this month, so here's some more beauty tools I've recently added into the mix (thanks, IMATS!). It's a bit of a weird mix of brush hits & misses, foundation sponges, powder puffs, a hair brush and even some cotton squares; but I'm pretty excited about some of these discoveries and I'm hoping you'll find something interesting here to try out.

First of all, since I'd never tried the original pink beautyblender, Kar Yi agreed to split a discounted pack of two that we got at IMATS with me, which worked out at $11 each - I could never quite stomach the original price tag of $19.95. I mostly wanted to compare the beautyblender to the Real Techniques Miracle Foundation Sponge I reviewed here - and you know what? My gut feeling was pretty spot on, both of these sponges work exactly the same, except the Real Techniques retails for $5.99. The Beauty Blender is slightly smaller and obviously the shape is different, but I actually find that the Real Techniques sits a bit more comfortable in my hand when applying foundation... and the beautyblender leaks some of that neon pink dye when washed.

While browsing at IMATS, I also picked up a new jar of powder from Kryolan, fearing my other powders wouldn't stand a chance against the hot and humid New York summer (more on the powder in a separate post). They had this cute Triangular Powder Puff laying around, and at $2.90 or something ridiculous like that, I really wanted to try it out - especially that pressing powder into the skin with a puff controls the oil a bit better than just dusting on with a brush. I find that getting the right amount of product onto the puff is a bit of a learning curve, but the triangle shape works really well for getting into the little nooks and cranies around my nose and eyes, and the finish is not any more cakey than when working with a brush.

Following on the face make-up theme, here are my two new blush brush loves. I hadn't been satisfied with my blush brushes for a while and silently promised myself not to settle on a mediocre one and actually shell out out the money for something outstanding. And this is it: the goat hair Hakuhodo J 4003 Highlighter Brush Angled, $40. You may notice that the brand calls it a highlighter brush, but on my small face, it works very well for precise blush placement - and it feels like my cheeks are being stroked by a soft, furry kitten paw. The knowledgeable staff member at the Hakuhodo booth explained to me that the brush is meant to be used in a sweeping motion at an angle, and not for vertical swirling and buffing motions, which is how I've been yielding it, and I'm very happy with the results; it works for both softer/ more pigmented as well as stiffer blushes.

At the bdellium booth, I decided to spring for a stippling cream blush brush: the Studio 953 Duet Fiber Foundation, $14. I'd never had a smaller stippling brush for cream products and previously always used my fingers for blending, but this brush makes it so much easier to get an even layer of product - and I love that I can seamlessly add more at the end of my make-up routine without disturbing the foundation and concealer underneath.

Speaking of bdellium tools, here are two brushes that did not work out for me: I picked up the Studio 945 Contour, $11 to use with contouring powders and bronzers for a more sculpted application, but I found the bristles to be a bit too stiff and scratchy - and it's also the first of my bdellium brushes that actually sheds quite a bit. The round Studio 949 Pointed Foundation, $14 was a bit of a let down as well: it leaves some brush marks on my face, but more importantly, soaks up a lot of the product and needs to be cleaned after every use. I can't fault the quality of this brush, it's just that perhaps, the bristles are bit too densely packed and too resistant to successfully blend my liquid foundations.

Now for the slightly more unusual tools that I now can't be without: my fine hair has always been extremely tangly, and as a little girl I would run and cry when my mum attempted to brush it. How I wish I had the Wet Brush Detangling Shower Brush, $14, back then! It looks just like any old plastic hair brush, but the longer, fine, soft bristles work amazingly well to detangle my longer locks, without pulling or breaking hundreds of strands in the process. It works well on wet and dry hair, and I in fact, I now enjoy brushing my hair and massaging my itchy scalp with this brush.

The other odd product to talk about are these Cotton Clouds cotton squares (I got a set of three packs, 200 cotton squares each, for $11.99 + $3.15 shipping on Amazon). I first heard about these from Kristen Gehm on YouTube; she said they were dupes of the more expensive Shiseido cottons I've always wanted to try. In the photo, you can see one square compared to my regular Studio 35 cheap cotton: the Cotton Clouds are much thicker and comprised of many layers - you can peel them apart how thick or thin you want. They're both softer and much more durable than the cotton squares I'd tried in the past, and most importantly, don't leave little infuriating cotton fibers all over my face. I'm really happy to have found those!

I think I'm now all set with my new tools for a while; it's always fun to upgrade the basics you're reaching for every day and thus enjoy the grooming process a bit more again. Life's little pleasures! Have you found any interesting new beauty tools recently?

Eye Blending Brushes Overview

What I limit myself in spending on make-up products, I channel into upgrading and diversifying my make-up tools - can't quite stay true to that low-buy! Today I wanted to show you an overview & comparison of my eye blending brushes, since I've recently got a couple more buzzed-about specimens and thought this might actually be quite helpful. A little disclaimer before you dive in: I'm not going to pick which of these brushes is the absolute best and tell you to run out and get it. I really do believe brush preferences are very individual as well as dependent on your eye size and shape; but hopefully you'd be able to extrapolate from my comments to suit your own eye blending needs. Another extra disclaimer: I do not own the MAC 217. So there.

Now, while in my eyes (har har), there are no exact dupes in this round-up/ all of these brushes perform slightly different, I obviously do not use them all at the same time. I usually have just one blending brush out that I use to deposit eyeshadow in the crease as well as lightly blend it out, another clean larger brush to further blend out the edges and a smaller, more tapered/pencil brush to deepen the outer V. Nearly all of the brushes shown here are used to place shadows in the crease and buff them out - I don't often faff around with the extra two mentioned above.

There are two basic brush head shapes you can see here: 4 pinched/ oval brushes and 2 round/bullet brushes. I have placed these brushes on a left-right continuum from oval and sporting the longest bristles/most tapered, through oval with shorter bristles, to round with the longest bristles again. Does that make sense to anyone? Hmm, maybe not. Anyway...

1. Wayne Goss Core Collection no. 06 Brush ($25, available on Beautylish, blue squirrel hair). The #06 brush has a pinched ferrule and longer bristles, resulting in something between a squashed oval and a paddle-shaped brush. According to the Beautylish representative I spoke to at IMATS, this is supposed to be Wayne's answer to the MAC 217, but I suspect it's actually quite a bit different. Wayne's brushes are handmade in Japan (reportedly in the Hakuhodo facilities) from uncut bristles, and the high quality is evident - the hairs feels luxuriously soft and the brush doesn't shed, but I find that it doesn't hold its shape the best after washing, even when dried in a Brush Guard. Despite that, I do like this brush quite a lot but find it a bit less intuitive/awkward to use because of its bordeline paddle shape and slight floppiness; I have to maneuver and turn it this way and that when blending shadows out, and it picks up less product than its denser brothers. Beautiful brush, but perhaps not the best for the 'whack and go' approach I opt for most days.

2. Sigma Beauty GWP Travel Blending E25 Brush ($12 for regular size, goat hair?). I own three Sigma brushes that I acquired somewhat accidentally, and I'm not a fan of either. While the E25 has an almost ideal shape and size to suit my needs (neither too large or too small, oval shape, some resistance to the bristles that allows for more controlled/precise shaping), the execution is rather poor: the bristles are slightly scratchy, the brush head has some unevenly cut hairs poking out, the hairs themselves are almost textured/frizzy and not smooth. It's not my favorite, but I still use it - and the shorter handle on their GWP version is quite handy for travel. I do not however understand the amount of hype surrounding Sigma products, and I will not buy (or uhm, further acquire?) any more of their brushes.

3. bdellium Tools Studio 776 Blending ($9, goat hair?). If you want my recommendation for an inexpensive, versatile blending/crease brush, this is it. I've had this particular 776 brush for about three years now (still going strong!), and it remains my most used eyeshadow brush. The 776 has marginally shorter bristles/more compact and rounder head than the Sigma E25, so it's perfectly suited to perform a myriad of functions on my small-ish lids: placing, shaping and blending both powder and cream eyeshadows on the lid as well as in the crease with just the right amount of control. I think it's a fantastic brush for the price, and while the firmer bristles are not always able to create the perfect diffused/blended out transition in the crease, it's simply the quickest and easiest to use for everyday shadow application.

4. Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman Shading Brush ($6, synthetic bristles). I hesitated to include this brush in this overview simply because I don't actually use it as an eyeshadow brush - I find it better suited for cream concealer. This is a wide, dense, slightly larger brush, and so not the ideal size for my limited crease space. It does however work fantastically well for really buffing products into the skin: the bristles are soft but quite firm, so you can blend products in very thin layers. I actually think it might work for me as a cream shadow brush; but it is too big for me to place or blend eyeshadows in the crease.

5. bdellium Tools Studio 781 Crease ($10.50, natural bristles, maybe horse?). On the other hand, the bdellium 781 is too small for me to use as an eyeshadow blending brush. It's a round, compact, firm brush with a slightly tapered head, a bit larger than a pencil brush but a similar shape. I find it perfectly suited for deepening the outer corners or precise placing of darker shades on the eyes - quite similar to what I was using the limited edition MAC 226 brush for, so if you're looking for a functional dupe, it's worth looking into.

6. Hakuhodo J 5533 Eye Shadow Brush Tapered ($17, uncut goat hair). Dear readers, meet my new brush love - the soft, round, slightly floppy J 5533, aka the 'Fluffy'. As you can hopefully see from the group shots, this brush has the longest bristles, and so displays slightly less control than either Sigma E25 or bdellium 776; but it has the upper hand in perfectly diffusing eyeshadows in the crease into nothigness. Because of its softness/floppiness, it doesn't pick up a lot of product, but it's enough for my usual subtle crease needs. The brush head is the perfect size for my eyes, and it's just so, so pleasant to use. A new staple - and I'll definitely work on building my Haku collection in the future. There are so many to choose from!

I think eyeshadow blending brushes are probably the hardest to get just right, and something that's worth experimenting with. For more blending brush nit-picking, including more Hakuhodo, Tom Ford, Paula Dorf, MAC, Suqqu and others (I know) check out Driveller Kate's post here. Do you own multiple eye blending brushes or do you find just one sufficient for your needs? Do you have any favorites?

Just Bounce... Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge Review

Bounce your sponge, just bounce, at the sight of it, now pounce! See, there's a reason I've never become an MC... but this hot new Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge ($5.99), already hailed to be the 'drugstore dupe' of the famous Beauty Blender, inspired me to bust out some rhymes anyway. Just to clarify: I won't answer the question whether it is or not since I don't own the BB, but I'll give you my thoughts anyway and compare to another inexpensive foundation sponge. Sounds good?

The plastic packaging is a bit excessive for a rather small sponge, but at least you get Sam Chapman's gorgeous face on the back - and who doesn't love a bit of Pixiwoo with their product? There are no instructions on the box how to proceed with this, so I assume it is to be wetted (umm... sorry!), wrung out, dabbed into product and then - yes yes - bounced on the face.

 As you can see, the shape of this sponge is a bit different to what I've seen so far on the market; it's an orange egg with one concave surface cut out. I expected this side to be completely flat, but it's more rounded - not sure what the design team intended it for, but I use it to pick up foundation and staple it on the face, and if needed, I go back with the clean rounded surface to blend some more. When dampened, the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge increases its size by more or less 50%, as well as becomes softer and more malleable; when you squeeze it, your fingers will leave some indentations.

 Compared to my other inexpensive foundation sponge, the Ulta Beauty Super Blender Sponge ($4.99), the Real Techniques one seems to made out of slightly smoother, finer sponge. The Ulta's has a rounded bottom part which I used to distribute product, an indentation in the middle for comfortable hold, and a small tip to do detail work - I have to admit this end of the design never worked for me and I couldn't get my concealer to blend with it, while the pointy end of Real Techniques sponge deposits and blends concealer well. When dampened, the Ulta sponge doesn't change its size or shape, and more or less behaves like a regular foundation sponge, while the Real Techniques performs more like the Beauty Blender sponge.

In the face shots, you can see how a medium/full coverage cream foundation (Graftobian Hi-Def Glamour Creme, reviewed here) looks applied with the Real Techniques sponge. I prefer to use make-up sponges when working with thicker, fuller coverage bases, as they tend to be rather difficult to apply otherwise. The sponge worked the product into the skin well, giving good coverage but a more natural, satin finish; the whole process wasn't very quick but I think the flawless, long-wearing result was worth spending a bit more time. I also applied and blended my cream blush (NYC Blushable Creme Stick in Big Apple Blush) with the sponge as well.

Left: Face with Graftobian Hi-Def in Buff + Aurora all over, Rimmel Match Perfection under the eyes, NYC blush on the cheeks and brows filled in. Right: Full face with eye make-up (Fyrinnae eyeshadows), spot concealed with Becca Compact Concealer, YSL Glossy Stain no. 15 on the lips. No setting/finishing powder or highlighter in both photos.

So, is it worth it to spend the extra dollar and get the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge over the Ulta Super Blender? I think you won't be surprised to hear that I believe it is - while the Ulta sponge seems just like any other regular make-up sponge, the Real Techniques has more unique properties and performs better in applying liquid or cream foundation. Do you use make-up sponges to apply your base? Which one is your favorite?

Tools of the Trade: bdellium Make-up Brushes

For a beauty blogger, I think I have slightly atypical collection of brushes; in fact, I only own one MAC and one Sigma brush and they're by far not my favorites. I do however own a lot of Ecotools, Real Techniques and bdellium brushes, and since the latter aren't the most talked about, I thought it'd share my stash and some mini reviews for those intersted in more affordable, mostly cruelty-free (synthetic) brushes.

bdellium tools (the all lower case spelling is starting to bug me now) brushes are professional make-up brushes in 4 different ranges: Maestro Series (the luxury line, animal hair with antibacterial treatment, durable nickel plated brass ferule, black handles) Studio (animal and synthetic hair treated with antibacterial agents, anodized aluminum ferule, long yellow handles), Travel Line (identical to Studio, but shorter handles), and three Bambu lines: Green, Yellow and Pink (colorful synthetic bristles non treated with antibacterial agents, colorful sustainable bamboo handles).

I only own brushes from the Studio and Green Bambu lines. Common denomination between all of these: they haven't shed a single hair, they don't leek dye, they wash well and the bristles seem immune to stains - I've been using these for well over a year now and they have lasted tremendously well.

Starting with the eye brushes: 760(S) Liner/Brow, all synthetic bristles, $7.04 at bdellium online store/ Amazon. I bought this brush primarily to use with a gel eyeliner for cat eye flicks, and it works very well for that purpose; the tip is very fine so you can get a very thin line towards the inner corners, just how I like it. I haven't used it for brows, but it works well with powder eyeshadows too. No complaints here - it's my favorite eyeliner brush and I prefer it over standard liner brushes like Sigma no. as well as angled brushes.

No. 772(B), Small Shadow, $8.02. I use a small eyeshadow brush every day for lining my eyes with a darker shade or deepening the outer corners. The 772 works well with its shorter, firmer bristles - it blends out the color well but it's not scratchy or pokey. I maybe wish the handle was slightly slimmer for storing purposes, but I'm nit-picking here.

No. 776(S) Blending, Full Soft Natural Bristles, $7.92. My most used eye brush ever - I already know I want a second one of those. The 776 is supposed to be a MAC 217 dupe, but I can't really compare since I don't own the MAC version. What I do know is that the 776 is perfect for both all-over shadow applications as well as placing colors in the crease, and it works well with both powder and cream eyeshadows. It has a rather fluffy, rectangular-shaped tip, so it can be used flat to apply color and then vertically to blend it out. I love it. You need it.

No. 778(S) Large Shadow, Optimized Soft Natural & Synthetic Mixed Fibers, $7.92. I love using a large paddle brush to apply concentrated shadow to the lid and sometimes also to diffuse it into the crease. The 778 is dense enough to pick up powder but also fluffy enough to blend it out, feels soft on the eyes and holds its shape well through brush laundry. A really great brush all around.

Onto the face: no. 957(S) Precision Kabuki, Full Synthetic Fibers, $14.52. I bought this brush to use with liquid and cream foundations, and it works reasonably well for that, although I find the bristles a bit too dense and firm for blending out - it works well for stippling motions but circular and lateral movements with this brush seem to drag the product around a bit too much. I would personally skip this one, but it might work if you need something for stippling, or maybe pressing setting powder onto selected areas.

No. 975(B) Mixed Powder, $14.96. This brush is recommended for finishing touches, though I like it better for applying bronzer and contour rather than setting powder. It's not really a round dome, I would say it's definitely flatter and thus better suited for applying a line of product when placed horizontally and then blending out when held vertically. It feels wonderfully soft and blends like a dream - what more would you want?

No. 995(B) Kabuki, $18. This is a rather large, very dense kabuki with dome-shaped bristles. It's quite soft and so well suited for blending out powders. Personally, I find the size a bit too large for me (it barely fits into the lid of my mineral foundations), although it works like a charm when I'm pressed for time and do need something bigger. Also, because the bristles are so so dense, I sometimes feel like some of my foundation disappears somewhere within the depths of the brush. I also like to use the 995 for setting powder or blending out an excess of blush on the cheeks.

Overall, I enjoy using my bdellium tools brushes and definitely plan to pick up more in the future; I especially want another eye blending brush and maybe something for blush as well. I think the price to quality ratio and the size of the range of these brushes are something to look into if you're a make-up brush enthusiast. Have you ever tried bdellium tools? What are your favorite brush brands?

Rocaille Raves: Shiseido Eyelash Curler

It took me forever to finally take the plunge and splurge $19 on this bad boy... And I'm so so glad I have it in my possession now, also thanks to the amazingly detailed review comparison by Citrine and delicate nudging from Suka and Spice on our swatching trip to Sephora.


What is it?
A redesigned Eyelash Curler that firmly catches each lash at the root and leaves them beautifully lifted and curled. With just one squeeze, you will instantly glamour-eyes your lashes with this new and improved curler from Shiseido. The broad curve curls lashes from the inner to the outer corner and the edge-free design prevents pinching. (from Sephora website)

What I like about it:
- It works. Simple as that. Mind you, I have naturally a bit of a curl to my lashes, but this is another story. The curler hugs beautifully the curve of my lash line, gripping every single hair, and curls without pinching. My lashes look lifted and my mascara goes on easier coating all my lashes evenly. The curl does drop a little during the day, but it might also have something to do with the mascara I'm using (a dying tube of Maybelline Full 'N Soft). Just take a look:


- I really like blackened silver color of it, I think it looks simple and elegant!
- The spring is rather powerful so that you don't have to squeeze very hard
- The rubber pad feels nice and squishy... Citrine really does explain it a lot better.
- The handle is comfortable to use
- It comes with one replacement rubber pad, and additional ones can be purchased for $6
- I think currently it's more widely available than the Shu Uemura curler and it's a tiny bit cheaper

What I dislike about it:
- Hmmm... That's a tough one! Maybe it could cost a bit less? Or the fact that it curls my lashes so well that it makes it difficult to put mascara on my lashes without smearing it under my browbone (yes, my lashes touch my browbone when I look up... not because they're that long, I just have rather small lid space)? I don't know. It's simply fantastic.

If you're still unsure whether a more expensive eyelash curler is worth the money compared to a cheaper one, here's the proof:


Can you see the difference between the curve of the silver no-name curler and the Shiseido? That's what makes it work so damn well. Maybe you can find a cheaper curler that does the same thing - in which case I congratulate you - but I love my Shiseido. Now and forever.

What is your favorite eyelash curler?