Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Edward Bess Luxury Eye Brush and Luxury Face Brush Review

Now that some Edward Bess cosmetics are available at Sephora, I thought I would do a long overdue blog post on some of his products.  I don't know why, but his makeup brushes aren't available on Sephora just yet.  Instead, visit Nieman Marcus.

Last year, several beauty blogs were buzzing about Edward Bess and I found myself drawn to his cosmetics with their elegant, neutral colors packaged in sleek black packaging.

Edward Bess Luxury Eye Brush (L) Edward Bess Luxury Face Brush (R)
I purchased Edward Bess Ultra-Luminous Eye Shadow, Defining Lip Liner and Ultra Slick Lipstick, but I held off on the brushes.  Not because I wasn't interested, but because I already have so many face and eye brushes that I wasn't ready to spend nearly $100 on two more brushes.  

Edward Bess is a luxury cosmetics brand, and it's certainly not for everyone.  His Sheer Satin Cream Compact Foundation alone is $60.  If you want a basic Edward Bess face, foundation, concealer, blush, lipstick, mascara and an eye shadow palette will cost you $262.  Not for the faint of heart.

Add the two brushes featured here, and say goodbye to $358.


After my initial cosmetics purchase (I'll review those later), I was so pleased with the products that I just knew I wouldn't be able to rest until I tried out the brushes.
Edward Bess Luxury Eye Brush bristles
The first brush I bought was the Edward Bess Luxury Eye Brush ($40).  It has a weighted metal handle and densely packed natural bristles.

The design of this brush reminded me a little of  Urban Decay's 24/7 Shadow Pencil Blending Brush, which also has a metal handle - although the comparisons end there.

The bristles on this brush are dense enough to pick up a good amount of eye shadow, but best of all, it blends the eye shadow better than any brush in my collection.

As it turns out, it's good for a wash of color all over the lid, and for depositing color in the crease.  

If you are on a budget but wish to own a small selection of only good quality, multi-use brushes, it's worth the investment.

If you want a high quality blending brush, it doesn't get much better than this one.  

The Edward Bess Luxury Face Brush
I was so pleased with my Luxury Eye Brush, that I promptly ordered the Luxury Face Brush ($56)! And for the past five months I have been alternating using this brush and my Hakuhodo angled face powder S100 Finishing Brush, mainly for applying beauty powders.  The Hakuhodo S100 is my favorite face brush of all time (my HG), but the Edward Bess Luxury Face Brush comes a close second.

The Edward Bess Luxury Face Brush is not the softest brush I have (quite unlike the Hakuhodo brush which is super soft), but the bristles aren't rough, either.  Instead, they are densely packed in a well designed weighted handle which fits easily between your fingers for a good application.

It did surprise me, but the weight and length of the handle truly makes a difference.  I wasn't sure how I would like it when I first received this brush, but after a few swift strokes, application of the powder was evenly distributed and my face had a dewy glow!  Now, it's just easy to reach for this brush.

As it is a multi-use brush, I tried it with with my Stila bronzer (I only use bronzer when filming videos), and MAC blush with equally pleasing results.  

(L) Burberry Beauty Brush (R) Edward Bess Luxury Face Brush



Edward Bess and Burberry size comparison

Edward Bess bristles compared with the Burberry Beauty Brush Bristles

You can see how densely packed the bristles are in comparison with the Burberry Beauty Brush  ($52) (which I will review later).

Bottom line, I would definitely repurchase these brushes if (horror!) something ever happened to them.  You certainly pay more for this kind of quality, but if you are serious about makeup and want to invest in brushes that should last you years and years with good care, take a look at what Edward Bess has to offer.

- The Sassi Wench

p.s. I liked the brush so much I included it as part of my October Favorites (video below - it was the Halloween edition so don't be shocked when you see me in this video!)