E.L.F Total Face Brush for Blushing, Bronzing and Blending: A Review

An essential tool to achieving any look with makeup is the right brush. Whether you're a girl that likes to dabble with makeup or a professional makeup artist, brushes are important tools to achieving the look you want. Makeup brushes can be very costly and sure, there are some cheap makeup brushes out there, but what's the point of spending money on a makeup brush that doesn't get the job done. Recently I discovered E.L.F cosmetics, short for Eyes Lips Face, and have been a fan ever since. E.L.F is known for their affordable makeup products and among the many items that they offer are makeup brushes. I have several of their brushes but my focus in this review will be on their Total Face brush and their Blushing/Bronzing/Blending brushes.

About

Not only is E.L.F known for their affordable makeup and makeup brushes but they're also known for being cruelty-free. Cruelty-free means no testing on animals and as a result all of their brushes are taklon instead of natural hair. All of E.L.F's brushes from their regular line are only a dollar each. According to E.L.F's product description on their website, "All e.l.f. professional makeup brushes have been designed and tested by professional makeup artist Scott Vincent Borba. Each brush has been ergonomically designed to fit perfectly into your hand and facilitate a flawless finish with every application." E.L.F's Total Face brush is meant to be used with facial and bronzing powder, and their three-in-one Blushing/Bronzing/Blending brush was designed to be able to do all three tasks.

My Experience
Pros

I like E.L.F's Total Face brush and Blushing/Bronzing/Blending brush because both are very soft, affordable and looks nice. Neither brush looks cheaply made. The brushes have a white pearlescent colored wooden handle with the type of brush written on it. The Total Face brush is fluffy, easy to handle and doesn't shed. This brush is definitely big enough to work as a powder and bronzer brush. I like E.L.F's Blushing/Bronzing/Blending brush because it's angled and is obviously made to be multi-functional. The angle is great for bronzing and blushing all the cheek bones and it's small enough to be used as blending brush for eyes. It's also narrow enough to be used for contouring. I have small hands so the handle is perfect for me. With other brushes they're either too thick or too long that I can't get close enough to the mirror without hitting the back of my brush against the glass.

Cons

E.L.F is an ever improving cosmetics brand so they're not perfect and they're fully aware of it, that's why they pay attention to their customers feedback on their website. There are a few issues with E.L.F's Total Face brush and their Blushing/Bronzing/Blending brush. My first complaint is that it smells strange, sort of like unscented makeup. Even after I've washed both brushes I still notice the smell. I understand that E.L.F is cruelty-free so their brushes are taklon but I prefer natural hair bristles. It's possible to have natural hair brushes without having to kill an animal. Although the brushes were soft they're not the softest brushes I have in my collection, and the outer bristles are a little scratchy. There weren't any shedding but while I was washing my brushes I did notice quite a lot of shedding, and the Total Face brush was bleeding. When I say bleeding it was losing some dye, my guess is that it's dye from the bristles. E.L.F's Blushing/Bronzing/Blending brush was a little too flat for my liking. It gets the job done but it's no where near fluffy enough to work as a blending blush brush. I would've also liked it better if both brushes were packed with more bristles, it wasn't quite stiff enough for me.

Verdict

The quality of E.L.F's Total Face and Blushing/Bronzing/Blending brush is pretty good for the price. I would recommend their Total Face brush if you're looking for an affordable, chic-looking brush that gets the job done. I would only recommend E.L.F's Blushing/Bronzing/Blending brush for contouring and highlighting but not for applying blush, blending blush or bronzing because it's not fluffy enough. E.L.F does offer another blush brush from their Studio Line called Complexion brush that would work better as a blush brush, and it only costs $3.