Hi Guys! As Makeup Geek has been so hyped up all over social media, and I was in the market for some affordable brushes, I thought I would order a few to review for you guys! I have had these brushes for a month now, and incorporated them into my daily routine as well as my Youtube tutorials (link below!). I have also both spot cleaned and deep cleansed the brushes in order to give a proper review. These brushes were all sold seperately, not in a kit, on the Makeup Geek website. All Makeup Geek products including their brushes are cruelty free which I love! This means that all the brushes are composed of synthetic fibers. I have an array of 5 eye brushes and one face brush to discuss so let's get started!
1. Makeup Geek Angled Contour Brush.$8.99
-Rating 2.5 out of 5 stars.
I was looking for a more affordable alternative to my sephora collection contour brushes which I love, and I had high hopes for this little guy.
Pros: The size and angle of the brush head is fantastic. It fits right into the contours of the cheeks for a precise contour.
Cons: The brush hairs have been cut very bluntly on the ends making for a very coarsely textured brush in my opinion. This to me is a major deal breaker. A rough texture can irritate acne prone skin, sensitive skin, Rosacea, or other skin conditons. Not only that but I find that this brush is not ideal for beginners as it is considerably dense so it picks up a heavy amount of pigment. This in combination with the coarse texture can make things difficult to blend.
2. Makeup Geek Bent Liner Brush $6.99
- Rating 5 out of 5 Stars.
Pros: Everything! This brush is a must have! It makes doing liner both on myself, and someone else a breeze. I absolutely love this brush. The hairs are soft and stay closely formed to a point for precise application even after washing. The bent contour of the brush really makes applying gel or cream liners an ergonomic experience.
Cons: I can not think of a single one. Great Job Marlena!
3. Makeup Geek Pointed Crease Brush $7.99
-Rating 3.5 out of 5 Stars.
Pros: The shape of this brush is lovely for outer v work and immediate crease application. I have also loved using the pointed dome shape to "roll" shimmery pigments over the lid. I found using it in this way applied even my shimmery Lorac Pro shadows with minimal fallout.
Cons: While not as coarse as the angled contour brush, this one still falls short for me on the softness of the bristles. I expect eye brushes to be supple and gentle as possible on the delicate skin of the eye.
4. Makeup Geek Soft Dome Brush $7.99
-Rating 4.5 out of 5 Stars.
Pros: The bristles of this brush are very lightweight and soft, especially when comparing to others in the line. This long flexible shape is perfect for blending out crease work and creating soft gradients of color. Of all the brushes, this one feels the most like a natural hair brush.
Cons: While this is the soft one of the bunch, I did not give it a full 5 stars because compared to some other synthetic bristle brushes I have it still is not quite to optimum texture. However, this is a very good brush and I would definitely order another for my collection.
5. Makeup Geek Pencil Brush $7.99
-Rating 3 out of 5 Stars.
Pros: This is a tiny pencil brush!! I love how small this is and was not expecting it to be quite that size when I ordered it. It is half the size of the head on my Sephora Pro #24. This makes it perfect for those of you with smaller or asian eyes that need a detailed brush to smoke out a lower lashline. I also loved using this to create a precise cut crease application of shadow.
Cons: Once again the bristles are quite blunt, making for a more coarse texture. This can be a little troublesome especially for my delicate lower lashline area.
6. Makeup Geek Crease Brush $7.99
-Rating 2.5 out of 5 Stars
Pros: I am not really sure to be honest. This brush puzzles me quite a bit. (see below)
Cons: This is probably the brush I reached for the least out of the entire lot. I think I am more confused by its intended function than anything else. My expectation for this brush from the name crease brush, was for it to be great for blending out immediate crease work. However while the slightly shorter tapered shape of the brush head fits nicely into the crease area, the bristles are quite stiff and I find it actually applies product white patchy. This is not ideal for the crease, where you definitely want to make sure everything is blended evenly. I am honestly quite perplexed. I really wanted this brush to work for me, but I can't seem to find a proper use for it.
This round of Makeup Geek Products was quite hit and miss for me. I will still put almost all of these to use in my collection and get my money's worth from them. They are all synthetic fibers and wash up perfectly. NONE of the brushes shed at all which is great! And they also feel very sturdy. None of the ferrules came loose or felt wobbily and all the finishes stay looking brand new! I would say that the must haves from this selection are with out a doubt the bent liner brush and the soft dome brush. The others I think you can probably skip in my opinion. I love that Makeup Geek is cruelty free and that Marlena works hard to make sure her brushes are affordable to all us makeup junkies. There are a couple other face brushes I am interested in trying, but until then these are my thoughts!
As always thanks so much for stopping by and make sure to check out my youtube channel for tutorials and other fun beauty videos! xo
www.youtube.com/mckenziepmann
instagram: @gnomebusiness
twitter: @mc_gnomeski
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iamalizarin
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