The New Make Up For Ever Artisan Brush Collection - Up Close & Personal Review of Blush Brush #160

Makeup brushes are an interesting breed. A good one is hard to find and needs to hit all the important characteristics - softness, durability, the ability to hold its shape after washing, are all key elements to good brush. I'm also a firm believer that good makeup brushes will help you in makeup application. There's no way (well, maybe with a lot of time on your hands) that you can create a beautiful smokey eye with a sponge applicator eyeshadow brush.

When I first heard that Make Up For Ever was coming out with a new brush collection, I was ecstatic. First off, the collection contains 76 brushes. 76! To get a better idea of what you're in for, take a look at their selection on the Sephora website - there's a brush for everything! There's even a paintbrush. Seriously. Each brush went through a 5 year perfection process, and was handcrafted by a total of 30 people, start to finish. What I find interesting about this brush collection, is that it's very well defined. For example, brushes are classified in numbers: brushes in the 100s are for complexion, 200s are eyes, 300s are for lips and 400s are meant for artistic use for makeup artists, although I'm sure anyone could make use of them. Furthermore, the brushes' fibers are also divided into categories - straight fibers give a more intense and precise application of a product while wavy fibers give a lighter and freer application. The brush I was sent to review, the Blush Brush #160 ($51), is a combination of both which makes it great for multitasking.

And here is the #160 Blush Brush, in all its glory.

The construction of this brush is absolutely beautiful. The brush is weighty, and feels quite luxurious. The handle narrows towards the end which makes it really comfortable to hold.

The brush is very much shaped like the coveted MAC 138 Tapered Face Brush. The fibers are incredibly soft. You can see in the close up picture that the fibers are indeed a little wavy which makes blending in a dream. I've worked with this brush for a few weeks now, and it hasn't shed a hair. I even washed it a few times and no hair has come out, and when it dried, it held its shape beautifully. 

It's also worth noting that the textured wood of the handle is beautiful. 

I've used it for blush, and highlighting, but I think my favorite way to use it is as a bronzing brush. It fits perfectly under my cheekbones and makes blending really easy. One thing that is worth mentioning is that it doesn't pick up a lot of product, however, the straight/wavy fibers are meant for lighter application. I don't mind this at all - bronzing up my fair skin can lead to a lot of streaky application so I prefer to build the products and this brush is perfect for that. 

I'm definitely in the market for a few more of these brushes since I'm really impressed with the quality of the #160 brush! Have you tried any of the new Make Up For Ever Artisan brushes? Any recommendations? 

* I have received this product for consideration but my opinions are always my own. I am not being compensated for this review and I always strive to review products with honesty.