IT Cosmetics No. 315 Soft Focus Sculpting Velvet Luxe Brush Review & Photos
IT Cosmetics No. 315 Soft Focus Sculpting Velvet Luxe Brush
IT Cosmetics No. 315 Soft Focus Sculpting Velvet Luxe Brush ($34.00) is a medium-sized, angled brush made out of synthetic fibers. The brush head is 34mm in width, 28mm in height, and 17mm in thickness. The total length of the brush is 18 centimeters and has a slightly pinched ferrule. It is moderately dense with some give to allow it to glide and sweep across the planes of the face with ease–less dense than most buffer brushes, denser than your average blush brush. The curve of the brush head fits well into the hollows of the cheeks for application of contouring products, and the incredible silkiness of the brush helps it blend cream and powder contouring products well. I’ve used this to apply a lot of the contouring palettes and kits we’ve seen lately, and it is does a fantastic job at diffusing those contour lines without over-blending and losing the definition I wanted. It was easy to wash, didn’t bleed or leak dye, didn’t shed, and retained its shape well. I love that I can angle, tap, pat, buff, press, and sweep this brush in any direction with any pressure and I never feel individual bristles; it never, ever feels rough or scratchy. The cut is very precise, and the bristles themselves are very fine but still picks up powder products well.
It is similar to other medium-sized angled brushes like the less-dense MAC 168 ($35) and NARS Contour Brush #21 ($42). Sephora Pro ANgled Blush Brush #49 ($32) has a steeper angle, but it is fairly similar.
I’m still testing, but hopefully will wrap up everything up soon, of the Luxe Brush Set, as well as some of the other brushes in the IT range that aren’t part of the Velvet Luxe line. Hearing all of your enthusiasm for IT’s brush range in the No. 302 LBD Brush post made me eager to write-up reviews for all of the others I’ve been testing 🙂
No. 315 Soft Focus Sculpting Velvet Luxe Brush
PPermanent. $34.00.
See more photos!
IT Cosmetics No. 315 Soft Focus Sculpting Velvet Luxe Brush
IT Cosmetics No. 315 Soft Focus Sculpting Velvet Luxe Brush
IT Cosmetics No. 315 Soft Focus Sculpting Velvet Luxe Brush
IT Cosmetics No. 315 Soft Focus Sculpting Velvet Luxe Brush
IT Cosmetics No. 315 Soft Focus Sculpting Velvet Luxe Brush
IT Cosmetics No. 315 Soft Focus Sculpting Velvet Luxe Brush
I wish that Ulta sold outside the US. I’ve been hearing so many good things about this Velvet Luxe Brush line.
Me too 🙁
Can you get QVC? I know they carry part of the line. Not certain which brushes. You maybe able to order from the US website if other areas don’t carry them. I know they are in Britain and other countries on line. They are listed on the bottom of the cover page.
The Velvet Luxe line is only available at Ulta. It is a IT for Ulta line.
There are 3 lines of IT brushes for Ulta and then the core line of IT brushes. The original core line are black handles with silver ferrules. Qvc often has special IT brushes they get for sets.
IT LOVES brushes!
Actually, the founder of It Cosemtics,Jaime Kern(I think that is her last name),is going to be on QVC tomorrow. if you get that channel, You could look up the times for “It cosmetics”. Where I am(EST),it is on at 5am,3pm,and 7pm for an hour at a time. May be able to catch something on there. I think you can call in and talk to her if you just want to ask about the brushes.
I’ve been eyeing this brush for a long time but still hesitate to buy it because of the price. Does this brush apply blush well?
It would apply blush fine, though you might prefer a true blush brush as well.
i’ve been using this brush as a blush brush and i really like for that purpose! it picks up pigment really well though so if you’re using it with a pigmented blush just barely tap the brush against the blush. do not sweep though!
Hi Christine… With all due respect, but there is this banner that pops up everytime I click on your link that literally prevents me from seeing anything. Trying to close it, as it moves all over the place, I end ip clicking at anything and is just beyond infuriating. I know is part of your business and you make money out of it, but just telling you it just prevents you from coming back since it messes up the whole thing. And unfortunately, I only have an ipad, so no means to block it.
Hope you dont take this the wrong way. Im sure I’m not the only one experiencing this.
Do you know what the ad was for? It doesn’t sound like the ad is behaving properly, as we don’t allow ads that block content. If you tell me the advertiser you see, it helps me report the ad to get it removed. In the future, it’s best to report these via email – “contact us” is on every page – so that we can follow-up with additional questions if we have them (like browser, advertiser, time, device, etc.).
Ok… I will. The ad changes all the time. Now its gone for whatever reason. If it reapears, will take a screen shot and send it via email. Thank you!
Thank you, Andrea! If we know the advertiser, we can immediately report that specific ad and get it removed for breaking the site/misbehaving within hours (usually, unless it’s a weekend, then it seems a little slower), but if it’s “all” or “sometimes” then it goes into debug mode – which can take days or weeks to resolve. We are working on it. Thank you!
That happens to me all the time! Specially on my iPhone. Right now S&P capital IQ is putting me in a bad mood :/
Thank you! It would be greatly appreciated if anyone else with issues report them directly via email to christine[at]temptalia.com. This post will live on forever, but hopefully we can resolve any technical issues more quickly, so I’d really like to keep the comments focused on the product so someone who stumbles on this post in the future will see relevant comments to their search 🙂
Thank you again!
Yep…this happens all the time to me too when using my iPad or iPhone. I just don’t visit the site anymore unless I’m at a desktop. It’s not just one particular ad. They’re different ones and like you say they not only block the page but they move and jump around and flash and I can’t close them. Worse yet I click on the ad trying to close it and it diverts me to something I am not interested in.
It would really help if more users reported this when it happened, as I often don’t see the same types of ads or have these issues, especially since I am primarily a desktop user myself (since I am writing content) so I’m not seeing the experience on iPad/iPhone! The easiest way for us to resolve quickly is knowing the advertiser, because it narrows it down and we can get that ad out of the network within hours vs. days or weeks that end up spent “debugging” ads instead. We are working on trying to resolve these issues right now. Thank you for your patience.
I am getting a realllly obnoxious ad on mobile right now for Town House crackers. It is at the base of my screen, and when I try to type it covers up half of the reply box.
I can’t take screenshots on my phone, sorry.
Thank you, I will report it! We are still trying to get these ads removed.
I think that problem is generally present for tablet users. I have no such problems on mobile or PC, but it does happen when using my Samsung tablet. A little frustrating, but you CAN close the ad (unfortunately it reappears as soon as you navigate to a different page.) It’s not just one specific ad.
Thank you for the insight, Gen! We are looking into it and have already requested that all mobile/tablet ads that are like this be 100% removed until we can get 100% assurance they will actually behave properly.
To be clear, these are some of the types of ads we don’t allow – we try very hard to balance “annoying” with “need to be able to earn a living”:
– no pop-ups (nothing should ever appear in a separate window – we have a modal window that invites users to subscribe to our newsletter appearing every so often)
– no auto audio-playing ads (if you see one, report it to us via contact form)
– no full page takeovers/interstitials – these are ads that would cover the entire content page or act as a in-between page
We do allow ads that:
– play audio on user initiation (you have to engage with the ad affirmatively)
– reskins (these are ads that change the background of the site)
– expandables (sidebar ads require user initiation)
**Oh, I am so glad to see reviews on the IT brushes. I stumbled on them by accident (bought QVC stuff with a brush thrown in), and I’m already a big fan. But when ULTA came out with their 3-4 collections, I wasn’t sure which one to get. I was sure if the Velvet Luxe line was worth the higher price, but now I see it is a steal, especially with a 20% off coupon.
** Christine, do you think the Velvet Luxe line is better or comparable to the MUFE brushes?
I wasn’t a big fan of the MUFE brushes overall – I liked a few but I only still use one!
Oh, thanks so much! I was eyeing an MUFE Brush set that was +$200, money saved!!
Ok, whoa. This is not what I was expecting from the IT Cosmetics brush line!! (And does it ever look amazing
It’s REALLY well-cut/shaped!
I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again…
It’s a fantastic brush and I love the It Cosmetics Luxe line 🙂
🙂
Hey Christine! Just wanted to let you know the “see more” hyperlink seems to be having issues. I can see the whole post on the regular front page on your blog and the hyperlink looks like regular text. I hope this makes sense!
Fixed! Thank you!
Is there no way to get these in Canada, does anyone know? 🙁 They look lovely!
Another reader mentioned getting some sets on The Shopping Channel (I think) but not easily 🙁
Yes, the home shopping channel for Canada does carry this brand but not the ones made for Ulta.
I am glad you are reviewing this one. I bought this one quite a few months ago with a 20% discount and had a lot of trouble using it with powders for some reason. It had a tendency to go streaky. Fine with cream. But, I mainly use powder contour products. So, i kinda forgot about it. That may have totally been my skin being dry and me trying to not apply setting powder adequately. So, you have reminded me to dig it out of my stash and give it a go. I am eager to hear your thoughts and tips on this one. It’s such a lovely brush and I got it at a great price. So, I couldn’t bring my self to return it.:)
Do you remember what powders you used with it? I’ve used the Kat Von D, MAC, and Kevyn Aucoin ones with it so far (that I can for sure remember).
I used it with The kevyn Aucoin and the Anasatsia “Fawn” powders. I just tried it again this afternoon with the Kevyn Aucoin because I put my makeup on later.. MY right side makes a sharp line almost.. that I can’t seem to get to blend. I wound up having to remove it and start over with another brush. Are you having any issue like that? I wonder if it’s the way I hold the brush in my right hand maybe? I am left hand dominant. Do you contour with the same hand across your face? Thats an absurd question, I know. It just feels awkward to me. I switch hands on each side of my face. But, I do that with a lot of things too..like cutting and other stuff. Eyeliner and detail shadow are the only things I reach across for..is that odd?lol
I was thinking it was too dense /plush for powder. But if it’s working well for you..it must be me or something i am doing wrong. Now, I gotta get to the bottom of it. Hey, I wore the Geurlain Parure de Lumiere today..Love it so far! 🙂 The #2 and #3 mix is working well too! Thanks for the referral! 🙂
Well, I’m happy the foundation is working out at least 😀
Yes,me too! 🙂 And the Burberry lip velvet..I wore the #307,pink rose(?)..very nice. Of course, I checked your reviews before I purchased those..so, thank you!
maybe it’s picking up too much pigment in your sweep? have you tried tapping it against your powder instead. i do this when i’m using it with a more pigmented blush with this brush
Good tip! I will try that! Thank you!:)
Joy, I tried tapping with my contour powder today! much better..thank you. I never have tried using this for blush..maybe I will give that a go since it works well for you!~ Thanks again! 🙂
i’m so glad it helped you! thanks so much for taking the time to let me know. it really made my day!
I think I switch hands for most of my face products, but honestly, I’ve never noticed either way (I’m right-handed, though). But nope, I didn’t have any issues blending with the KA!
Hmmm..maybe I was holding it wrong or something. I tend to scrutinize my left side a lot because I have atypical trigeminal neuralgia. It is a disease which affects the trigeminal nerve in the face. Mine is the left side. It runs basically whole side of the face. But, from the medicines and surgeries, it is dulled. It may be removed eventually because that stuff is not working well any longer 🙁 ..Not good for a makeup lover. So maybe I need to pay more attention to the right side, lol..who knows..I was about to fling that brush out the window today! Had it been not so freezing, it may have gone out it! lol..I’ll figure it out.
LOL! Well, don’t be afraid to just move on (or return) the brush if it isn’t working for you – it might not be the right fit or angle for your features or your technique (and really, there may be nothing wrong with your technique).
Hope you’re able to keep sorting out the nerve problems 🙁
Hey Christine ,I think I just needed to ease up on the pressure with this brush. I am used to using brushes that are less dense to contour plus the KA powder is pretty pigmented, as you know. I followed Joys advice above and kinda tapped today and that worked much better. Before I must have been using more pressure than I needed for this brush and that powder combined. Just wanted to keep you posted.
Happy to hear you saw some better results! 🙂 Thank you for the update!
So what you mentioned happens to me if I contour with a powder directly on top of cream or liquid products (like on top of foundation or concealer or cream blush). I set all my liquid and cream products first with a fine loose setting powder (i use ud naked) and then I apply and blend other powder products on top of it. I tap off the powder a bit before applying to my face.
Thanks for the tip Maggie! I think I have pretty much solved it. I think I was using that bush with too much pressure . I now just press or very lightly sweep. It is much denser than my other brushes I was used to contouring with. I do always make sure to set with powder too. I did pick up some different powder for the winter as my skin was really dry. but I too use UD Naked amongst a slew of others that have accumulated. But, that is a great one when my skin is more “normal” or on my t zone. Than you!:)
Christine, I mean this as a curiosity more than a criticism, but – why don’t you rate brushes/tools with a grade the way you rate other items?
Hi Kristina,
Our system isn’t set-up to have a totally different Glossover – there is one set of metrics and that’s all we have right now. It will take a lot of time and effort just to make the system able to accommodate other ones, but it will touch every aspect of the site and how things work, so it’s a major effort just to rate maybe 20-30 products out of 1,000s a year. On top of that, I’m not sure that there is a really good, one-size-fits all rubric for tools or non-color cosmetics, so since I haven’t come up with a secondary system I’m happy with (I have tried – I have a whole tab in my Glossover worksheet of various attempts, none of which I like, that I’ve been working on for years). The time sink is surprisingly high, so until I have a secondary system I’m happy with AND we accomplish far more important tasks (design, UI/UX, better load, etc.), it’s not a priority.
Oh, okay! That makes a TON of sense and I understand now why you haven’t done so. Thank you for the thorough explanation! I know we all really appreciate everything you do to provide one of the internet’s most helpful resources (in my opinion, at least), and I trust your method of prioritizing what’s more important. Thank you for always tirelessly working to provide great reviews and an ever-improving reader experience. You’re a rock star in my book! 🙂
No problem, Kristina! 🙂 Thank you for understanding!
I need a good contouring brush (currently using my MAC blush brush) that won’t apply too much product at once and will blend out nicely, I only do very subtle contouring on my cheekbones. Which would you recommend for my needs? I am thinking the MAC 168 since you said it’s not as dense?
You might prefer the 168 for that! Though I’d actually recommend a fan brush for very light contouring 🙂
Oops posted again before your reply. Thank you so much Christine!
And sorry, I meant between this one or the MAC 168. Thank you!!
Aww man I want this! It sounds fantastic. It sucks that Ulta/IT Cosmetics aren’t available internationally.
It’s a real shame they aren’t! But maybe they will one day.
I bet it’s awesome for contour!
It sure is!
Christine, I would like a more attractive version of my MAC 167 contour brush (I like my contour to be sharp and I blend it out with another brush) do you think I can get the same result using this one?
Are you trying to get the sharp contour with this brush or blend out with this one or both?
My favorite contour brush!!
You forgot to post the best part, the crystal on the bottom!
I must be the only person who doesn’t care about that part, haha!
Are there any comparable Hakuhodo brushes for those who can’t access Ulta? Thanks!
I’m not sure to be honest! I only have one or two angled brushes from Hakuhodo, but they’re smaller and less dense!
How does this compare with the Hakuhodo brushes you reviewed for contouring? Thanks!
The angled Hakuhodo I have is better for smaller faces OR more precise contouring. I do like the J5521 a lot as it’s more of a tapered shape rather than an angled brush, but the shape itself is pretty different! This is more like your classic contouring brush, and in a way, it’s easier to use. You’ll get a stronger contour out of this than a tapered brush.
Hi Christine,
Have you heard anything about the airbrush masters set? I just got it but now I’m wondering if I should get the Velvet Luxe set instead. Thanks!
I haven’t!