The Opinion Page: It! Makeup Brushes
Jan 21, 2021
Every time I move back to Montana for work, I forget that rush shipping isn’t a thing here. Order on Monday? You’ll have it next Tuesday. Maybe.
So when I needed to replace some makeup brushes (Our new puppy can climb anything. Including a bathroom vanity, apparently. And she’s a chewer.), I decided to speed over to Ulta. I intended to just buy some inexpensive brushes from e.l.f. to get me through the session, but when I spotted the It! Brushes for Ulta, it was like a halo appeared around the display.
It! Cosmetics makes some of the best quality brushes on the market. They’re not bargain basement throw aways, but they’re also not overly expensive designer brushes. They’re a solid mid-tier brush for when you want to splurge a bit for a better brush.
This first set is the Complexion Set. It contains a powder brush, a concealer brush and a foundation brush. The price is just under-$50 for all three.
The powder brush is wonderfully fluffy. I especially like how soft the bristles are. You get light, setting coverage without disturbing your foundation layer.
The concealer brush is great for under-eye concealer or if you have just a few small imperfections to cover. If, like me, you have adult acne, you need something a little tougher. Hourglass’s Finish Vanish Concealer brush is the best one I’ve ever used. It helps you buff out imperfections and seems to make the concealer adhere better.
The foundation brush is a more flexible brush, which works well and is quite soft. If you like a stiffer, more dense brush, this set offers powder, concealer, and a denser foundation brush with some eye brushes.
Have acne-prone skin? Uneven texture? Dark Spots? The Airbrush Set is the brush set for you. These brushes are denser and more compact to give you flawless coverage.
The video for the airbrush foundation brush shows you how to use the brushes in a circular motion to get that flawless coverage you need. It’s a great tutorial.
If you need a blush brush, this Master’s Airbrush Set has all your foundation brushes for a flawless base layer and a blush brush.
I could take or leave two of the eye brushes, but that angled liner brush? Perfection. I bought it separately for applying cream liner.
My favorite cream eyeliner is this Bobbi Brown one. If you need a more affordable option, I like this Shany cosmetics liner.
Bottom Line: These are great, mid-price brushes with lots of options. Grab a set or buy them solo. I love mine.
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Puppy chewing aside, how often do you think brushes should be replaced? I still have a full set of MAC brushes that I recently cleaned and stored because I just don’t wear that much makeup anymore due to age, and then COVID. My favorite brushes that I left out after cleaning were my MAC kabuki brush which I love for applying pressed mineral powder, and a looser teddy bear hair kabuki from Too Faced that I use for bronzer. I can always pull the others out if I have an event or something, but I was thinking about if they ever kind of EXPIRED.
I replace mine every five years, so some of them were coming up on that date anyway. But as long as they’re regularly cleaned and the bristles aren’t falling out like snow, I would consider them fine. I just get to a place where there is enough residue and missing bristles that it’s time to begin again. But a good quality brush, cleaned often has a long shelf life.
Too many times I’ve been tricked into buying It brushes, only to be let down. They are soft. They are great, for awhile. That’s until they fall apart. I’ve had whole heads detach at the ferrel. I’ve had bristles come unglued in clumps, causing them all to fall out. I vowed to never buy It brushes again. They are terrible quality.
I like the Real Techniques brushes, also at Ulta.