Sigma Series #5: F80 Flat Top Kabuki

The next brush in my Sigma Series is the F80, a synthetic flat top kabuki brush.  I must say - this is my all-time favorite brush for foundation.  Love, love, love, love, LOVE it!

This brush is synthetic, so it tends not to absorb product as much as natural brushes.  The bristles are very densely packed and oh-so-soft.

The picture captures one loose hair, but this brush does not tend to shed.  I apply liquid foundation on my cheeks, nose, chin, and forehead, then I blend it out with a foundation brush in circular motions.  This brush helps my foundation look flawless and even.  It washes easily with makeup remover and gentle face wash, then I place it to dry in my Sigma Dry N Shape.  Within 4-5 hours, it's completely dry and ready to use again!

What keeps astounding me is how soft this brush stays.  It feels good in my hand, it doesn't shed, it cleans well.  When my Real Techniques brush completely fell apart, I went on the hunt for a higher quality brush, and this was what I chose, and I'm so glad I did.  Amazing!!

Do you have a holy grail foundation brush?  What is it?

Disclaimer: I am an affiliate with Sigma.  I do not receive compensation for reviews, and my endorsement is honest.

Sigma Series #4: F40 Large Angled Contour

The next Sigma brush in my review series is the F40 Large Angled Contour brush.  I use this super soft brush to apply blush, and sometimes to apply a contour shade in the groove below my cheekbones to flatter my face.  I got this brush as part of the Make Me Cool Collection.

What I like
This brush is so soft and perfectly sized!  It applies blush color in a nice, even fashion.  I like that the bristles are white - you can see exactly how much product you have on the brush.  I know people who wear entirely too much blush and it just makes them look like clowns.  This brush really helps to avoid that problem.  The bristles clean easily back to a very soft, pretty white.  I have had no trouble with shedding at all.

What I'm not fond of
This brush splays more than any other brush I've owned.  I use my Sigma Dry N Shape to hold my brushes' shape while they dry, and even that doesn't stop this brush's bristles from splaying.  Instead, I keep it always in the plastic slip it came with.  After every use, I just slide it back in and the bristles are kept in place perfectly.

Overall impressions
I really love this brush, and keeping it in the plastic sleeve doesn't really bother me.  Sigma brushes aren't the cheapest option out there, but they are reasonably priced and they hold up really well.  I used to never even wear blush, but now that I've started using fuller coverage foundation, I am covering more redness in my cheeks, so blush is actually a nice addition to my overall look.  This brush is so soft and pretty - it's actually fun to apply blush!  I don't have to worry about putting too much on because I can tell precisely how much is on the brush.  It's fantastic, and I recommend it to anyone!

Disclaimer:  I am now an affiliate for Sigma.  However, I am not compensated for my reviews and all endorsements are honest.

Sigma Series #3: E55 Eye Shading Brush

Today's review in the series is for the eye shading brush, the Sigma E55.

I got this brush, again, as part of the Make Me Cool collection.  However, it retails for only $9.  The next time I make a Sigma purchase, I am going to be sure to add a couple of these into the cart.

The E55 is a flat shader brush, very useful for applying shadow to the lids.  I use this nearly every day, and it's held up so well.  It's very similar to the Bare Escentuals Tapered Shadow brush that I've had for years, but I this one is bigger with a greater number of shorter, densely packed bristles.  It applies shadow incredibly easily, and using it with shimmery colors is great because it helps pat them on the lid with minimal fallout.

This brush washes well and holds up so nicely.  I wear contacts and have thin lids - I don't like scratchy brushes for shadow.  This brush is super soft and is pleasant to use.  (I do have a couple of shader brushes that are scratchy and they sometimes hurt.)  This brush is probably one of my favorite brushes from this collection.

I'm sure there are other brushes from other companies that are similar to this one, but I haven't found one that I like as much the E55.  It's held up so well through many cleanings, traveling, etc.  I highly recommend this brush over other brands, and at $9, it's very reasonable in price.

Disclaimer:  I am now an affiliate for Sigma.  However, I am not compensated for my reviews and all endorsements are honest.

Sigma Series #2: F84 Angled Top Kabuki

This is the second review in my Sigma Series.  The first review can be found here.

The Sigma F84 Angled Top Kabuki (from the Sigmax duo), is one of my all-time favorite foundation brushes!  It's a synthetic brush, which helps it absorb product less than natural brushes.  It's densely packed and very soft.  The handle fits easily in my hand and the brush allows for very strategic and flawless application of foundation. 

What I like

I like this brush for the reasons I stated above.  It's so soft and easy to hold.  I put liquid foundation on my face in various places, then use this brush to buff and blend into a nice, airbrushed look.  It doesn't bleed dye, and I like the quality.  The bristles do not splay or shed.

What I don't like

Cleaning it!  Haha, I joke.  

Because the bristles are so dense and I use a higher coverage foundation, I do have to take more care in cleaning the brush.  I love this brush (and the two other brushes from this line), so taking care to keep them clean and properly stored is worth it.

This brush can be purchased as part of the Sigmax Duo, which is on sale for $24.

Disclaimer:  I am now an affiliate for Sigma.  However, I am not compensated for my reviews and all endorsements are honest.

Sigma Series #1: F30 Large Powder Brush

This is the first post in a series of reviews of various Sigma brushes in my collection.

The Sigma F30 (I purchased this in the Make Me Cool collection) is a large, fluffy powder brush that I use to apply pressed powder over my foundation.

Fluffy!

What I like

This brush does a great job of giving the perfect amount of coverage of powder.  After a medium to full coverage foundation, I want to avoid putting a ton of powder on my face because it will start to look cakey.  This brush helps apply a light coverage of powder (I use MAC Studio Fix powder in NW20) all over my foundation without any "heavy" spots where I first place the brush.  It's also very soft and fluffy, so it's pleasant on the skin.

It's tapered, but holds product evenly. Because the brushes are soft and long, there's "give" in using it on your face.  It has great area coverage and holds up really well, without the bristles splaying all over the place.

What I don't like

This brush sheds!!  I've washed it numerous times, and it took a few times to stop bleeding black dye during washing, but it's just now slowing down on shedding.  It was never as bad as some other brushes I've had, but it sheds more than any other brush I have from Sigma.  I haven't heard other people complain about this, so mine may be a fluke, but I'm not sure this is one of the more popular brushes - I rarely hear people talk about it.  Of course, maybe they're not talking because theirs shed too?  I don't know.

The bottom line

I love this brush, and I like it much better than my Bare Escentuals powder brushes.  Its size and shape is perfect for light powder application, but I wouldn't use it for blush because it's too large.  If you can get past the shedding (which does seem to reduce over time), this brush is a great addition to your collection and should last you a long time, making it well worth its investment.  

This brush is $19 on its own, but it is more economical if you purchase a set of brushes that includes the F30.  I suggest the Make Me... collections.

Disclaimer:  I am an affiliate with Sigma.  However, I am not compensated for my reviews and all endorsements are completely honest.