Review of Sigma Brushes

As you know, I recently posted a haul of Sigma brushes.  I'm going to review them today not comparing them to their MAC counterparts but instead I'm looking at them on their own.  I'm going to tell you what I like, what I rarely reach for, and what I think really need improvement.

Must Haves:

F30 - Large Powder Brush
This brush is dense but still fluffy at the same time.  This is wonderful for applying loose powder because it evenly distributes the product and blends at the same time.  I have not had issues with it shedding or bleeding color.

$16 Sigmabeauty.com

F60 - Traditional Foundation Brush
I don't usually use the traditional foundation brushes because I feel like they eat up a lot of product and can look streaky.  I do not find that to be true with the sigma one.  It's a smaller brush but thicker and had synthetic hairs.  The smaller size is perfect for getting right under your eyes and blending out concealer.  I have a pretty large under eye area and it does fit in there perfectly.

$14 Sigmabeauty.com

F82 -  Round Top Kabuki Brush
I find myself reaching for this brush more than my F80 now.  It's made from the same Sigmax HD brush hairs but is smaller and somehow denser.  I love applying liquid foundation with the F60 and then blending it out with the F82 because it can get in smaller places like around your nose and under your eyes better.  If I need a little more coverage somewhere, I stipple it on using this brush.  No more streaks, no more unevenness, and best of all no shedding.  This brush is absolutely perfect.

$16 Sigmabeauty.com

E40 -  Tapered Blending Brush
I love love love this brush.  It's fluffy and dense at the same time - like a little F30.  I have found so many uses for this brush and use it every day.  It's great for applying under eye concealer and blending it out, great for blending crease color, great for applying my Bare Minerals Well Rested.  I'm considering buying a back up.

$9 Sigmabeauty.com

E35 - Tapered Blending Brush
I know I said I wasn't going to compare the Sigma Brushes to the MAC ones but I will make an exception for this one because I bought it as a replacement for the 222.  I like this brush a lot but find that it is not much like the 222 and more like the 224.  It is fluffier than the 222 but still good for placing color in the crease.  Fortunately I have a large eye area and so a larger brush actually works well for me.

$9 Sigmabeauty.com

E25 - Blending Brush
This brush does exactly what I wanted it to.  I like using this to apply liquid concealer under my eyes as well as for paint pots.  It blends them out in one easy step.  The fact that it is a travel brush has nothing to do with the quality of it which is rarely the case.

$9 Sigmabeauty.com

E60 - Large Shader Brush
I like this brush.  As I said, I have a large eye space and if I want to do a wash of color on my eye, this is the right brush for the job.  It places color and blends out edges easily.  It can also pack on color so if you're using a harder to work with color (luster eyeshadows) it will still get the job done easily.

$9 Sigmabeauty.com

Worth Checking Out:

F84 - Angled Top Kabuki Brush
I haven't really used this brush much.  I don't know if it's because I'm so happy with the F82 or if it's something else.  I tried using this to apply contour color and just wasn't impressed.  It didn't really pack on the color how I like and used a lot of product in the process.  It probably works amazingly well for liquid foundation but I just don't know yet.  I'll probably give this another go later today.

$16 Sigmabeauty.com

F70 - Concealer Brush
This brush is supposed to be used for under eye concealer but I don't think it's great.  It seems to be too firm and may pull at your under eye area during application.  I don't think it's particularly great for applying concealer on the face either...I'm kind of a fingers girl when it comes to concealer.  It's not a bad brush I just don't really use it.

$9 Sigmabeauty.com

F50 - Duo Fiber Brush
I'm not crazy about this brush because it's kind of flimsy.  Duo Fiber brushes are great for stippling on liquid foundation but this one kind of folds under the pressure and doesn't give you enough control.  The only reason this didn't make it onto my needs improvement list is because it is good for applying blush or blending out blush.  It is incredibly soft and I've had no problems with shedding.

$16 Sigmabeauty.com

E70 - Angled Shader Brush
This brush is ok but I don't find myself reaching for it often.  It's a little flimsy so I don't like to use this for brow highlight.  I don't think there's anything wrong with it exactly and I'm sure I'll find a use for it at some point but I'm not in love with it and I don't think it's necessary in a collection.

$9 Sigmabeauty.com

E55 - Eye Shading Brush
It's not that this is poorly made or anything but it's just sort of generic.  It is exactly like every other lower brand eye shadow brush.  It puts color on your eyes but it's not dense enough to really pack it on.  I think there's other shadow brushes out there that are better.  I will say that it's a good brush for applying brow highlight.  It's like a baby 227.

$9 Sigmabeauty.com

E30 - Pencil Brush
This brush is nice but it has a lot of give to it and it does not come to a point as much as I would like.  It's good for blending out eye shadow along your upper lash line and applying color to your outer V.  I don't really think it should be considered a pencil brush, more of a precise crease brush.

$9 Sigmabeauty.com

E65 - Angled Liner Brush
This is not a liner brush.  It is way too thick to do any sort of thin lines.  It is good for eyebrows though so I don't hate it.  It's not essential but it's not a complete waste either.

$9 Sigmabeauty.com

Needs Serious Improvement:

F40 - Angled Contour Brush
I have the same issues with this brush that I do for the F50; it is to flimsy.  I haven't found anything that I can use this brush for.  It is too flimsy for blush and defiantly too flimsy for contour.  It's not good for blending or placing color.  Maybe it works for some people but I just don't have a use for it.

**I'm thinking that maybe I was being biased about the F40 because I love my MAC 168 so much and they are such different brushes.  I was getting ready to apply cream blush today which I rarely do (oily skin) and grabbed for my 188 when it occurred to me to try the F40.  It actually worked out because it's less dense so it applied the color more sparingly than if I were to use a denser brush.  Sorry F40 - I spoke too soon**

$14 Sigmabeauty.com

E05 - Liner Brush
Like the E65 this brush is way too big to be a liner brush for your eyes.  It might work well for lips but I think that if you're going to designate a brush for something it should at least work to do that.  I don't think I'll ever use this except for fantasy makeup.

$9 Sigmabeauty.com

Well that was my review.  Overall I'm happy with my brushes and would repurchase most of them given the chance.  They are very well made brushes and I look forward to many years of use.