Hello lovelies :)
A few weeks ago I tweeted that I had received some Sigma Makeup brushes and I've been using their brushes almost exclusively since then so that I could give you all a proper review. I've been wanting to try Sigma brushes for a while now after hearing such rave reviews on blogs and YouTube on how they're supposedly "just as good as MAC brushes" but much more affordable.
I only have a handful of MAC brushes since I do find that while they are very good quality, they are quite costly and I'm not sure if you all know this yet, but I'm not made of money. (Here's to hoping that money will one day grow on trees! :D) In several of the photos below I've tried to find the most similar brushes (MAC, Sephora, and Sonia Kashuk) I own to visually compare to some of the Sigma brushes. I'm hoping that those of you that own the same MAC or Sephora brushes may find the comparison photos helpful :)
This post is quite long as I have many brushes to discuss, so please bear with me...
Sigma Complete Kit with Brush Roll in Black
Note the Sigma Makeup embossing
Snaps closed
The brush roll feels like a really soft and supple leather, but it's actually made of synthetic material so PETA can rest easy :) It has the Sigma Makeup logo embossed on the outside of the roll as well as on the flap that covers the brushes. The roll also contains 3 empty brush slots to the left of the included brushes.
Large Powder - F30
Compared to the e.l.f. Complexion Brush
e.l.f (L) and Sigma (R)
The Sigma F30 is a great brush for translucent or finishing powders. It offers light application of product since the brush is quite large and the bristles are very soft. For this reason, this brush can also be used for a light application of bronzer. The only downside to this brush is that it sheds and yes, I've already tried washing it.
Duo Fibre - F50
I've been using my F50 to apply my Lancome Teint Idole Fresh Wear foundation and it works like a dream! Although the bristles on this brush are not very dense (looks can be deceiving), it still gives me that airbrushed foundation look because the Lancome foundation has a somewhat thinner consistency. For thicker liquid foundations, this brush will not work unless you happen to be a fan of spending an hour stippling in your foundation.
Large Angled Contour - F40
Compared to a Sonia Kashuk Angled Contour brush
One of my only qualms about this "complete" kit is that it lacks a blush brush. How can a complete face and eye brush kit not have a blush brush?! This one is meant for contouring and while it certainly does a great job at that, I've been using it mostly for blush and cheek highlight since I needed a blush brush and was trying to use only my Sigma brushes.
Foundation - F60
Compared to a Sephora Foundation brush
Before receiving this kit I had a strong dislike for foundation brushes. My prior experiences with them always ended with me and a streaky face...not cute. While I much prefer to use the Duo Fibre - F50 for my Lancome foundation, this brush still does a pretty nice job. It takes a bit more time and effort to blend the foundation into your skin so that it doesn't look streaky but overall, it's the best foundation brush I've tried (And by that I don't mean the best brush for foundation...I mean the best Foundation brush). Ideally, it would work best when used with thicker foundations while stippling brushes like the F50 are ideal for thinner ones.
Eye Shading - E55
Compared to MAC 239 brush (which is white when it's clean...my bad.)
The E55 is a great brush for patting color onto the lid. This brush does exactly what it's supposed to and I actually like the fact that it's a bit larger than the MAC 239 because it takes less effort to cover my entire lid...Yes, I am that lazy!
Tapered Blending - E40
Compared to MAC 224 brush
I use the E40 to blend out my eyeshadow as well as add highlight to the brow bone. It does a pretty good job of blending out shadows, although I sometimes find that since the bristles are extra fluffy (i.e. not densely packed) that it may take longer than usual to blend out any harsh lines. It also only does a mediocre to decent job of adding highlight to the brow bone due to the same "extreme fluffiness" problem.
Concealer - F70
I'm generally much more a fan of using my fingers for concealer but since my concealer is in a pot (MAC Studio Finish SPF35) and not in a hygienic tube, I didn't mind testing out this brush. I use it to dab the concealer onto my problem areas (which is sometimes more or less my whole face :/) then use my fingers to blend it into my skin. The bristles are really densely packed and the brush does a great job at applying the concealer to my blemishes without losing product in the bristles.
Medium Angled Shading - E70
Compared to a Sephora Angled brush
I use the E70 to deposit color into my crease before blending it out with the Tapered Blending - E40. It does a fine job at this because while the bristles are soft, they are densely packed enough to allow good color deposit and the shape fits nicely into my crease.
Pencil - E30
I've never had a pencil brush before so I was super excited to give this a go! I've been using it when I want to add eye shadow to my lower lash line but didn't want it to look like a perfectly neat line. The thickness of the brush allows you to add color while simultaneously smoking it out.
Small Angle - E65
Compared to the e.l.f. Small Angled brush
Unlike the Pencil - E30 that smokes out shadows, this brush allows precise application of gel liner and eye shadow. The bristles are stiff and dense, as they should be, and allow for perfect application every time.
Large Shader - E60
The E60 has taken over as the brow bone and inner tear duct highlight applicator after I realized the E40 just wasn't cuttin' it anymore. Initially I was confused as to the purpose of this brush but it's done a fantastic job at depositing highlight colors in a controlled manner.
Eyeliner - E05
Compared to a MAC 209 brush
I've been using the E05 to apply my MAC Blacktrack Fluidline and I've been quite pleased with it. The brush is a little bit thicker than the MAC 209 so it's great for beginners as it allows for quick application and doesn't require that you have an extremely steady hand. However, due to the thickness of the brush, it can be more difficult to achieve a very thin line or the perfect "flick" at the end. For those looks I would recommend using the E65 to apply your liner.
Blending - E25
Compared to a MAC 217 (also white when clean :/)
This travel brush is one of a few brushes Sigma offers you when you spend $30+ on their website. (As far as I'm aware, which free brush you receive depends on what you're ordering.) I use the E25 to deposit and blend colors into my crease. I don't like to use brushes like these for blending even though that's what they're meant for because I find that they tend to remove the color rather than blend them out since the bristles are denser and not as soft as the black bristled brushes. The brush is a smidge thicker than what I'm used to when used for the crease, but I actually don't mind as I've found it does a better job at smoking out the crease color so that I don't have to do as much work with the E40.
If you hadn't already noticed, the brushes intended for the face are denoted with an F, while the brushes intended for the eyes are denoted with an E. Sigma used to number their brushes similarly to MAC brushes with the exception of an "SS" at the beginning of the name, but they've since switched it over to their own unique numbering system.
Although I've posted photos visually comparing some of the Sigma brushes to similar MAC, Sephora, and Sonia Kashuk brushes, I didn't really want to discuss the comparisons any further as this post is meant to be a review of Sigma brushes, not a comparison post. However, if any one of you ladies has a question about how any of the Sigma brushes fare against any of the other brushes photographed above, please do not hesitate to leave me a comment below or shoot me an email at willworkformakeup@hotmail.com and I will be more than happy to help :)
Sigma brushes can be purchased at their website and the Complete Kit with Brush Roll is available for $99.
Disclaimer: This product was sent to me free of charge for review purposes only. I am not affiliated with this company, nor am I getting paid for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are honest and based solely on my own experience with the products.
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