Make Up For Ever #146 Flat Blush Brush Review & Photos
Make Up For Ever #146 Flat Blush Brush
Make Up For Ever #146 Flat Blush Brush ($37.00) is described as a “medium, trapezoid-shaped brush” that is designed to be used with loose and press powders. By its name, one would expect primarily using this with blush, as it is designed for buildable coverage. Make Up For Ever also recommends using it for face painting. The brush head is 26mm tall, 33mm wide (at the top, which is widest point), and 10mm thick with a pinched ferrule. It has a total length of 7.25 inches/18 centimeters. The brush’s shape is flat, almost a square but slightly flared outwards–like a trapezoid, but it is a squatter one than I envision with just the word “trapezoid.” It had soft bristles at the tips, and the bristles length-wise were fairly soft but you could “feel” the individual bristles slightly (they didn’t blend together as seamlessly).
I think the shape is somewhat large for a blush applicator, and it’s definitely best for just initially applying color to the cheek and less useful for blending or diffusing blush color. It splays out unevenly, is an odd mix of stiff and springy that never quite blends or applies the way you’d expect. It just seems to make applying blush harder than it is with other blush brushes (with more typical brush heads). I just received another blush brush from the range late last week, so I’m testing that one as well to see if that works better for blush application. I can see the flatter shape working better for face painting, though, and to that end, it was nice for applying liquid primer or moisturizer (I tried with Illamasqua’s Hydra Veil).
There’s something about this brush that felt off, because no matter how many washes (I’ve washed it a dozen times now with four different cleansers), it always feel a somewhat oily or greasy. I can press the brushes together, and it molds that way until I squish the brushes in another way. As of now, this is the only Make Up For Ever brush that I’m having this issue with, so it might be a one-off or more specific to the flatter brush shapes. I just received a few other face brushes, so I’ll have a better idea of the context of this issue in a couple of weeks.
See more photos!
Make Up For Ever #146 Flat Blush Brush
Make Up For Ever #146 Flat Blush Brush
Make Up For Ever #146 Flat Blush Brush
Make Up For Ever #146 Flat Blush Brush
Make Up For Ever #146 Flat Blush Brush
Make Up For Ever #146 Flat Blush Brush
Make Up For Ever #146 Flat Blush Brush
Where are these brushes made?
It doesn’t say on the handle, and they came in clear plastic sleeves with a bar code and some jibber jabber numbers/letters, but there was no “made in __” listed.
If it doesn’t say the country of origin, then it has to be made in the US. Other countries are required to say “Made in…..” We say it to brag but not as a law. (I think)
This looks similar in appearance to the Essence of Beauty Finishing Brush. However, the EoB brush is quite soft, and probably wouldn’t be good for applying liquid or cream products.
That’s odd that this brush always seemed greasy.. I wonder why.
This doesn’t look like a brush I would personally use for blush.. can actually picture the results which makes me giggle. In fact it looks too stiff with too much flex for most powder applications. Perhaps it would work with cream blush a little better, but even then it looks rather large and unwieldy . Anyhow, I would maybe use this to lay down skincare products, but I’m far too lazy for that and just use my fingers. Not a brush that speaks to me.
I tried using it with liquid foundation once, actually, because the shape reminded me of flat, foundation brushes, but nah, not really. I liked it best for skincare, too, but like you, I very rarely reach for a brush to apply skincare!
Any thoughts on using it to contour/carve out cheekbones?
It doesn’t have the right firmness/give for it – it sort of just mushes together.
I have never used a brush like this. I always use rounded brushes for blush. So I’d be interested in trying it, to see how it feels and performs.
I have this one, and had exactly the same issue you did when it came to greasiness. I used everything, from baby shampoo to actual brush cleansers and… NADA!
I can also see that in spite of all the hullabaloo that those brushes were made in five thousand steps with the best synthetic hair known to humankind… or whatever nonsense MUFE was trying to sell, out of the three brushes from their new range you have reviewed so far, this is the second with sloppy, uneven bristles. For a spanking new brush that is supposed to be top notch, that’s just plain unacceptable.
Okay, that’s good to know, because it was one of those things where I was like, “What… I don’t… huh?” Like the first time, I thought I forgot to wash it or something, but no…
Did it occur with any of the other ones, if you have them?
I personally have #130, #122 and neither of them gave me any problem. I wonder if it is just #146…
I have a flat brush that always feels greasy too, even brand new it always has. mine is for applying face masks…
I actually had a similar greasy-feeling problem with a duo-fiber brush. At first I thought it was because I washed it with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, but other brushes I did that with didn’t have this issue. A few rounds with cleansing oil and brush shampoo did improve it somewhat, though. :/
Yeah, I thought maybe it was what I initially washed it with, but then I still had the same weird greasiness even after using alcohol-based cleansers and liquid dish soap (both harsher than I use regularly!).