BH Cosmetics Brush Set Review 2
Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a nice, relaxing weekend! As mentioned in Friday’s post, I’m here today with my review of the BH Cosmetics Sculpt and Blend 2 Brush Set. I did a review of the original version of this set at the beginning of November and had an overall positive experience with it, so I just HAD to see what this second set was all about. I purchased these brushes on the BH Cosmetics website on Black Friday for $14, but it’s hard to name a price because BH Cosmetics changes their sales so frequently. As I’m writing this, it’s listed for $20 which is still a good deal when comparing brush prices to other brands. I’ve mentioned many times before how BH Cosmetics shipping can be a bit pricey, but if you sign up to get cash back with Ebates the final price of the brushes will be less which makes up for it a little bit.
This brush set comes with ten different brushes, five bigger ones, and five smaller ones for more precise blending. The first immediate difference that I noticed from the original set is that these brushes are numbered! I know it’s the smallest thing, but it helps so much!! Unfortunately, these brushes have shed on me quite a bit every time I use them and during washing. That was one of my complaints from the original set. And while I still wish they would improve on that aspect, I can’t expect them to be perfect in every way when they’re at such a low price. They did, however, improve on their shipping packaging. The physical brushes look the same, but they are now packaged in a box rather than the clear pouch that made them smell like plastic.
In the pictures above, the brush on the left is the Flat Top Buffing Brush (123) and the one on the right is the Tapered Face Blending Brush (124). They don’t have the names listed on the brush handle, just the numbers. So the only way to remember the names if you needed to is to keep the box, write it down, or refer to the website description. I thought the flat top brush would be good for foundation, but it’s not as densely packed together as I was expecting it to be. My favorite way to use it is with powder. The tapered face brush is also good for powder or just general blending around the face. These were the two brushes that have shed on me the most, especially #124.
The Tapered Contour Brush (125) is the one on the left and the Precision Blush Brush (126) is on the right. I do think #125 is fine for blending out contour, especially after another brush you’ll see in a second. But it can be difficult sometimes because it comes to such precise tip at the top. I found it to be better with highlighting bigger areas around the face. As you can see from it being dirty in the picture (my apologies), I like to use #126 for blending contour. I like it’s shape better and because it’s more even across the top, it can be used for many other purposes. These two have also shed quite a few bristles.
When I ordered this set, these were the two that caught my attention the most because of their shape. The bigger one is the Angled Face Shader Brush (127) and the smaller one is the Nose Contour Brush (131). Both of these brushes are very thin across the top and #127 can give you the most intense contour line imaginable. For the cheekbones and nose, it’s fine but I found it to be a much too thin for other areas around my face. And since it gives such a sharp line, you’ll need to use a separate brush to blend. The smaller brush though, I don’t really like. It looks interesting and that’s about it. When you actually go to apply product, it really only gets on the two top points and is not very blend-friendly. It’s fine for the tip of the nose, but who wants to pick up a different brush for such a small area that could easily be done with something else?
If you’ve seen the original set, then you’ll probably think these two look very similar. The one on the left is the Small Deluxe Blending Brush (128) and the Small Round Blending Brush (129) is on the right. The names of these two basically sound the exact same. Brush #128 has a shorter barrel and is wider with more bristles. It can be excellent for precise blending, especially for concealer. Brush #129 is almost the same brush as one in the original set, but just the slightest bit bigger as far as the amount of bristles it has. I use them both in the same ways and just reach for whichever is more clean.
These last two brushes are a lot different from the rest in this set. The bigger one is the Large Shader Brush (130) and the smaller one is the Precision Detailer Brush (132). I don’t have much use for either of these brushes because #130 is just like your typical flat eyeshadow brush and #132 is so little and has such a fine tip that it’s rarely ever reached for in my collection. Personally, I would’ve liked different blending brushes to replace these.
Overall, I am happy with this second set. While there were still some shedding issues (as there were with the original) and a couple that I would’ve liked to change, I think it’s a good value and has some unique brushes that you couldn’t get in a standard brush set. I should also mention that they’re a very soft texture and pick up product well. Although the white tip bristles look dirty faster, it helps to know how much product you actually have on the brush. If you’re thinking about it, I do recommend picking this set up. As far as choosing between the two sets, I don’t think I could. The brushes in each set are different in many ways and I use both of them in my daily routine. Let me know your thoughts if you’ve tried this set and which ones are your favorite!
~Mani Monday~
This week I’m wearing Ulta’s Super Mauve. Last week’s polish was also by the Ulta brand and I’ve mentioned many times how I think they have a pretty good formula. I actually got this color for my sister’s birthday one year and loved it so much that I went back and bought another one for myself. It is opaque enough that you could get away with one coat for just a simple light wash of color. I think it could be perfect as a year round shade and looks good with so many skintones.
What’s on your nails this week?