Smith Cosmetics is now available at Beautylish.  I’ve been enamored with the brand since trying their brushes (you can check out my reviews for their brushes here), so I’m thrilled to see an increase in distribution!

It’s rare that I add new brushes to my arsenal, and there are a few Smith ones that made it there–and ones I needed to have multiples of!–so my top recs are:

• Smith 214 Spoolie Brush ($16.00) (Review)
• Smith 205 Angled Liner Brush ($20.00) (Review)
• Smith 253 Laydown Eyeshadow Brush Small ($22.00) (Review)
• Smith 256 Laydown Eyeshadow Brush Large ($24.00) (Review)

This is the last post in my series on my favorite eye brushes, and it covers the more miscellaneous brushes for brows, detail work, and the like. These are the brushes I typically rotate through each and every week like clockwork (though there are more I use in a week, but these are the ones I’ll use first!).

I would love to hear about the brushes you can’t live without for brows and detail work — share your picks in the comments!

Brows

For the last couple of years, I’ve been using brow gel/creams to fill my brows (like Anastasia Dipbrow), and I prefer a stiff, angled liner or brow brush that isn’t too thin nor too thick. For grooming my brows, I’ve had no trouble using various spoolie brushes, but after discovering Smith’s angled spoolie, there was no going back!

Smith 214, NARS 47, Zoeva #17, Smith 205

• Smith 214 Spoolie Brush ($16.00) is an angled, spoolie brush that is excellent for grooming brows into place while simultaneously softening the brow after it’s been filled in.
• NARS 47 Angled Eyeliner Brush ($28.00) is a thin, angled brush that’s firm and stiff but in the best of ways for a really controlled, precise application of brow color.  Mine is actually the 38, but NARS updated their brushes, and it’s now the 47 (I have both and there’s no difference in the brush head, just the handle).
• Zoeva 317 Wing Liner ($9.80) is a strong, angled brush with a firmer feel that has just enough give to move in fluid strokes for filling in brows.  I have a few of these (they’re in a lot of the limited edition sets), and they’re always in my weekly mix of brushes to clean.
• Smith 205 Angled Liner Brush ($) is a small-to-medium, angled brush that’s firm without being overly stiff or rough on the skin.  It’s narrow enough to yield more hair-like strokes but gets the job done quickly.

Details & Lash Line

If you’ve seen my looks, I love a good punch of color on my lower lash line, so it’ll come as no surprise that I have several picks for detail work, particularly the lower lash line. I use these brushes for depositing more intense, deeper color into my crease (typically after I’ve applied other shades) as well as for applying color and blending said color out on my lower lash line.

Urban Decay Smoky Smudger, Hakuhodo G5548, Hakuhodo B5520, Zoeva 230

• Urban Decay Smoky Smudger Brush (E208) ($24.00) is a small, rounded domed, synthetic brush that is excellent with powder and cream products for depositing color into the crease without losing opacity.  It also works well for diffusing and blending out areas for a very blown out, diffused look.
• Hakuhodo G5548 Eye Shadow Brush ($27.00) is a medium, tapered pencil brush that is exceptional for depositing color into the crease (I prefer to do this after I already have done some blending work with crease/transition shades) to darken the area.  It also works well on the lower lash line! It’s like the big sister to the B5520.
• Hakuhodo B5520 Eye Shadow Brush ($22.00) is a small, tapered pencil brush that comes to a more noticeable point at the edge, so it can deliver precise application.  I reach for this one for inner corner work as well as for when I want a very thin line of color underneath pencil eyeliner.
• Zoeva 230 Luxe Pencil Brush ($11.50) is small enough to be precise but fluffy and rounded enough to smudge and blend eyeshadow (or liner) on the lower lash line easily.  It’s not the softest of pencil brushes (though not rough/scratchy), which I find practical for smudging pencil liner in particular.

Lower Lash Line

The first brush is my go-to for applying liquid glittery eyeshadows (like Stila’s Glitter & Glows) to my lower lash line, usually on top of another powder. The other two brushes I find particularly useful for really blown out, diffused lower lash line work.

Urban Decay Tightline, Hakuhodo J5529, SUQQU Eyeshadow Brush M

• Urban Decay Tightline Brush (E213) ($22.00) is a flat, synthetic brush with a domed edge that is quite small, which makes it perfect for applying liquid and cream products to the lash line.  I tend to use it with liquid, glittery eyeshadows that function as top coats on top of my eyeliner or other eyeshadow.
• Hakuhodo J5529 Eye Shadow Brush ($17.00) is a thin, narrower crease brush that’s a bit shorter than the average tapered, crease brush that I’ve learned to love for blending and diffusing darker eyeshadows along the lower lash line for a supremely diffused gradient of color.  It has quite a bit of give, which I think works on the lower lash line but can be too much for use in the crease.
• SUQQU Eyeshadow Brush M (£48.00 / ¥8,000) is a small, tapered crease brush that I’ve found invaluable for diffusing matte eyeshadow underneath my lower lash line, especially along the outer portion of my lash line.  It also works well for depositing color into the crease and for more precise blending work around the crease area.  The big downside is (besides the price) availability, as it takes some legwork to get shipped to the US.

The Details

Smith Cosmetics 202 Microliner Brush ($16.00) is an ultra-fine pointed liner brush. It’s made out of synthetic sable bristles, and it’s firm brush that flexes enough to line along the curve of the upper lash line but it moves together as one so there is no streaking or visible brush strokes. The brush has a total length of 6.00 inches / 15.50 centimeters, and the brush head was in 1.00mm width, 5.50mm length, and 1.00mm thickness (at its widest/longest points). If you work with a lot of gel and cream eyeliners, I could see this being very useful for precision work and very fine lines. If you tend to do thicker eyeliner, you’ll likely want to opt for a thicker brush overall (you can layer and build out your liner with this one, it’ll just be faster for a more appropriately-sized brush). What I found impressive was that it didn’t feel sharp or pokey, even with the tip of the brush against the lash line, so you can really get between lashes, if desired.

Smith Cosmetics 203 Micro Angled Liner Brush ($23.00) is a very short, thin angled eyeliner brush. It is made out of synthetic sable hair and can be used with gels, creams, and powders. The brush has a total length of 6.00 inches / 15.50 centimeters, and the brush head was in 6.00mm width, 4.50mm length, and 1.00mm thickness (at its widest/longest points). Like the #202, this is best suited for precision work, details, and very thin and fine lines. It’s a firm brush that moves together, so while it gives enough to line along the curve of the lid, it doesn’t splay or leave noticeable brush strokes or draggy edges. You can achieve some really fine, natural brow hairs when used with a gel brow product, too. The brush was smooth, never sharp or pointed, against the skin.

Smith Cosmetics 205 Angled Liner Brush ($20.00) is a firm, medium-sized angled eyeliner brush. It is similar in the overall feel, application, and consistency as the #202 and #203; it is just larger than the #203–it is longer and thicker but the angle is the same for both. It is made out of synthetic sable hair and can be used with gels, creams, and powders. The brush has a total length of 6.10 inches / 15.70 centimeters, and the brush head was in 7.50mm width, 6.00mm length, and 2.00mm thickness (at its widest/longest points). The bristles moved together, which resulted in even, smooth coverage that didn’t appear streaky or show brush strokes. It didn’t feel sharp or poke against the lower or upper lash line, and it was comfortable to use.

Smith Cosmetics 212 Tightliner Brush ($18.00) is a firm, rectangular brush with a flat edge that is designed for applying product to the inner rim of the eye. It is made out of synthetic sable hair and can be used with gels, creams, and powders. The brush has a total length of 6.00 inches / 15.50 centimeters, and the brush head was in 6.50mm width, 5.00mm length, and 2.00mm thickness (at its widest/longest points). It is slightly smaller compared to the #205 but has a similar thickness as well as overall feel and usability. The bristles felt soft and smooth, and they moved together, so I didn’t feel any individual bristles while using it, which made it more comfortable to use against areas like the upper and lower lash line. For the upper lash line, I liked pushing motions rather than sweeping or pulling motions. This brush was stiffer and less flexible compared to the other three liner brushes.

Smith Cosmetics 214 Spoolie Brush ($16.00) is a large, bent spoolie brush. It’s longer (almost double the length) of most spoolie brushes, and the ferrule is bent at an angle. The brush has a total length of 7.25 inches / 18.50 centimeters, and the brush head was in 6.00mm width, 38.00mm length, and 6.00mm thickness (at its widest/longest points). I could see this working better for artists when using it on a client, but I was surprised by how much I liked using it on myself as well. The spoolie itself was much softer, without being ineffective, than some others I own, so it worked well to diffuse and soften my brows (particularly the inner portions, closest to the nose) for a more natural look (though I like my brows stronger than what I imagine is deemed natural!). It’s also nice for shaping and convincing brow hairs to stay in place. It’s actually my new favorite spoolie brush for its length and angle!

Smith Cosmetics 220 Eyeshadow Finishing Brush ($24.00) is a medium, rectangular eyeshadow brush with a flat edge and very faint flaring from the ferrule. It is made out of synthetic mongoose hair, and it is designed to be used with powder products for blending and buffing eyeshadow out. The brush has a total length of 6.90 inches / 17.50 centimeters, and the brush head was in 16.00mm width, 12.00mm length, and 4.00mm thickness (at its widest/longest points). This was one of the brushes I was most curious about as I have not personally used a brush like it for makeup. It’s incredibly soft and smooth with a denser base that gets less dense and has most of its flexibility towards the edge (right where the brush hairs become a darker brown). I liked it for blowing out eyeshadow on the lower lash line, as it fits well but gives a really diffused edge with little work. It also worked in place of a traditional blending brush, particularly for areas like the crease, transition, and above the crease to pull and diffuse color towards the brow bone.

Smith Cosmetics 230 Quill Crease Brush Small Brush ($24.00) is a small, rounded crease brush that doesn’t flare out much from the ferrule. It is made out of goat hair and is designed to be used with powder products. The brush has a total length of 6.90 inches / 17.50 centimeters, and the brush head was in 16.00mm width, 12.00mm length, and 7.00mm thickness (at its widest/longest points). The goat hair used in the crease brushes seemed softer to me than what was used in the face brushes. It worked well for applying more intense color into the very depths of the crease for me, which gave a more precise, defined lay down of color. For someone with smaller eyes, it could function the way more common creases brushes do without applying color far past the crease area. Of all the brushes from Smith, this one (along with the #232) didn’t retain its shape as well after washing, so they became more rounded and less pointed after the first wash.

Smith Cosmetics 232 Quill Crease Brush Large Brush ($24.00) is a medium-sized, rounded crease brush that flares out more noticeably from the base and comes to a more rounded edge. It is a bit fluffier along the edges while being slightly denser compared to the #230. The brush has a total length of 6.90 inches / 17.50 centimeters, and the brush head was in 10.00mm width, 19.00mm length, and 10.00mm thickness (at its widest/longest points). It has a much wider edge, so it can apply colors with a more diffused finish (I recommend starting with less product if you want a really diffused look), and I liked it for blending out crease colors or taking a transition color through the crease area. I’m also a fan of using rounded crease brushes like this for applying color to the brow bone and along the inner corner/bridge of the nose area. It was similar in softness to the #230, but due to the fluffier edge, it wasn’t as smooth when I used it in circular motions.

Smith Cosmetics 235 Flat Quill Crease Brush ($24.00) is a medium-to-large-sized eye brush that flares out from the base to a more triangular shaped edge with tapering bristles that come to a soft point. It is made out of goat hair and is designed for powder products. The brush has a total length of 6.90 inches / 17.50 centimeters, and the brush head was in 11.00mm width, 18.00mm length, and 8.00mm thickness (at its widest/longest points). It’s like a flattened, more pointed version of the #232, so you can distribute more precise color through the crease but the tapered, less dense edges improve blendability and diffusion of color than compared to the #230. The shape of it also works well for most instances of blending of eyeshadow as well as applying color above the crease and on the brow bone. It was soft with a minimal feel of individual bristles, and it didn’t poke or feel rough in any direction for me.

Smith Cosmetics 247 Flat Round Crease Brush Brush ($24.00) is a slimmer, medium-sized eye brush with a lightly rounded edge. It is made out of goat hair and is to be used with powder products. The brush has a total length of 6.90 inches / 17.50 centimeters, and the brush head was in 10.00mm width, 16.00mm length, and 6.00mm thickness (at its widest/longest points). It’s longer than most blending brushes, and it is denser with less flexibility and give, even at the edge. The bristles felt soft and didn’t poke at me in any direction. The shape is interesting as it is rather thin and sharper than most crease brushes, so it can be used to apply color directly into the crease and then lightly blended. I liked it more for depositing color into the crease or on the brow bone than for blending, as it didn’t diffuse as much as I preferred.

Smith Cosmetics 302 Lip Brush ($20.00) is a slim, angled lip brush that’s firm with slight flex at the rounded edge. It is made out of synthetic sable hair and can be used with cream and liquid products. The brush has a total length of 6.25 inches / 16.00 centimeters, and the brush head was in 7.50mm width, 8.00mm length, and 3.00mm thickness (at its widest/longest points). I can’t recall having a lip brush like this before, as it’s thicker and has a gradual angle and roundedness to the edge. It is very effective for feathering color on, and it works well for creating ombre lips as you can really diffuse and blend colors together. The brush head is firm with minimal flex but isn’t overly stiff to get the job done. I liked it best in sweeping, pulling motions to diffuse lip liner or applying lipstick onto the lips.

Smith Cosmetics 304 Detailed Lip Brush ($18.00) is a small, dome-shaped, flat lip brush. It is made out of synthetic sable hair and can be used with liquid, cream, and powder products. The brush has a total length of 6.00 inches / 15.60 centimeters, and the brush head was in 6.00mm width, 6.00mm length, and 1.50mm thickness (at its widest/longest points). It’s a smaller take on the average lip brush, and it is very flat and firm, with just the edge of the bristles having any flex. As a result, the edge of the brush can be used to line the lips and define the cupid’s bow. The edge is firm without being sharp or pokey, even on the eyes. The brush moves as one, so the edges look clean and crisp.

Smith Cosmetics is a newer brand that primarily makes makeup brushes but is also well-known for their Smithfolio, which is a storage system that includes pages that can hold makeup brushes, glosses, liners, zippered bags, etc. that are held in a zippered binder. I was more curious about their brushes after watching a video the brand did earlier this year, as I liked their approach to creating and releasing brushes–they specifically looked for gaps in the market or ways to improve and tweak certain types of brushes. There seemed to be a really careful thought process to the whole range of brushes. All of their brushes feature a copper ferrule and antibacterial-coated, stained wood handle (one piece of wood, not wood chips).

They’re a Canadian brand, so shipping to the U.S. is around $10, but my recent order of three additional brushes and Smithfolio came very quickly (overnight) via DHL, which was impressive. They just announced free shipping from August 1st through August 20th, worldwide, so I wanted to do my best to review the brushes I had from them before that promo is up!

See more photos!

Smith Cosmetics Brushes

Smith Cosmetics Brushes

Smith Cosmetics Brushes

Smith Cosmetics #202 Microliner Brush

Smith Cosmetics #202 Microliner Brush

Smith Cosmetics #203 Micro Angled Liner Brush

Smith Cosmetics #203 Micro Angled Liner Brush

Smith Cosmetics #203 Micro Angled Liner Brush

Smith Cosmetics #203 Micro Angled Liner Brush

Smith Cosmetics #203 Micro Angled Liner Brush

Smith Cosmetics #203 Micro Angled Liner Brush vs. #205 Angled Liner Brush

Smith Cosmetics #205 Angled Liner Brush

Smith Cosmetics #205 Angled Liner Brush

Smith Cosmetics #205 Angled Liner Brush

Smith Cosmetics #205 Angled Liner Brush

Smith Cosmetics #205 Angled Liner Brush

Smith Cosmetics #212 Tightliner Brush

Smith Cosmetics #212 Tightliner Brush

Smith Cosmetics #212 Tightliner Brush

Smith Cosmetics #212 Tightliner Brush

Smith Cosmetics #214 Spoolie Brush

Smith Cosmetics #214 Spoolie Brush

Smith Cosmetics #214 Spoolie Brush

Smith Cosmetics #220 Eyeshadow Finishing Brush

Smith Cosmetics #220 Eyeshadow Finishing Brush

Smith Cosmetics #220 Eyeshadow Finishing Brush

Smith Cosmetics #220 Eyeshadow Finishing Brush

Smith Cosmetics #230 Quill Crease Brush Small

Smith Cosmetics #230 Quill Crease Brush Small

Smith Cosmetics #230 Quill Crease Brush Small

Smith Cosmetics #232 Quill Crease Brush Large

Smith Cosmetics #232 Quill Crease Brush Large

Smith Cosmetics #232 Quill Crease Brush Large

Smith Cosmetics #235 Flat Quill Crease Brush

Smith Cosmetics #235 Flat Quill Crease Brush

Smith Cosmetics #235 Flat Quill Crease Brush

Smith Cosmetics #235 Flat Quill Crease Brush

Smith Cosmetics #235 Flat Quill Crease Brush

Smith Cosmetics #235 Flat Quill Crease Brush

Smith Cosmetics #247 Flat Round Crease Brush

Smith Cosmetics #247 Flat Round Crease Brush

Smith Cosmetics #247 Flat Round Crease Brush

Smith Cosmetics #247 Flat Round Crease Brush

Smith Cosmetics #247 Flat Round Crease Brush

Smith Cosmetics #302 Lip Brush

Smith Cosmetics #302 Lip Brush

Smith Cosmetics #302 Lip Brush

Smith Cosmetics #302 Lip Brush

Smith Cosmetics #304 Detailed Lip Brush

Smith Cosmetics #304 Detailed Lip Brush

Smith Cosmetics #304 Detailed Lip Brush

Smith Cosmetics #304 Detailed Lip Brush

Smith Cosmetics 112 Bronzer Brush ($32.00) is smaller cheek/face brush that flares out from the ferrule to a lightly tapered, rounded shape. It looks more like traditional highlighting brushes than the typical bronzer brush. It is made out of black goat hair and designed to give “soft, diffused color.” The brush has a total length of 7.90 inches / 20.00 centimeters, and the brush head was 20.00mm in width, 33.00mm length, and 20.00mm thickness (at its widest/longest points). I’ve always found this type of shape versatile for applying color to the face with a bit more precision and better for blending as it can buff and diffuse color easily. It applied powder products (bronzer, blush, highlight) well with moderate pick-up and blended them without a fuss. The bristles were somewhat soft, but they are not as silky or as smooth compared to the goat hair used in my Chikuhodo, Hakuhodo, Rae Morris, Tom Ford, or Wayne Goss but is softer than MAC face brushes. The brush did not irritate or bother my skin, however, and the bristles more readily grabbed color from firmer pressed powder products (conversely, anything really soft and powdery already may kick up even more excess product if you don’t use a light touch with this brush).

Smith Cosmetics 115 Foundation Brush ($28.00) is a dense, more rectangular-shaped brush that flares out moderately from the base and rounds at the edges, while the depth of the brush is more lightly rounded and flatter (good for patting/tapping/buffing motions). It contains a mix of goat hair and synthetic fibers, and what makes it more unique is that the bristles are the same length, so it is not like a lot of the natural/synthetic blend stippling brushes you’ll find on the market. The brush has a total length of 7.75 inches / 19.50 centimeters, and the brush head was 32.00mm in width, 26.00mm length, and 19.00mm thickness (at its widest/longest points). It is recommended for use with all types of products from liquid to powder. For liquid foundation, it did soak up a little more product than a fully synthetic brush (that’s as expected), but it spread foundation out well and didn’t leave behind a streaky finish. It can lightly buff liquid and cream products into the skin without sheering or moving the product around too much. The brush was less forgiving if it wasn’t cleaned after two uses (or one use, if it was full coverage), as then the foundation left on it would cause the bristles to stick together and leave a streaky finish (some brushes are more forgiving than others in this aspect). For applying powder products, due to the high density, it will pack a punch, so it is good with less pigmented products The overall feel of the bristles is much softer and smoother–it feels more like they move together as one–than the #112. Again, not as soft as a lot of my Japanese-type brushes but not irritating or rough on the skin.

Smith Cosmetics 118 Blush/Powder Brush ($32.00) small-sized, moderately dense powder brush that flares out from the base and creates a rounded, slightly dome-shaped edge. It contains a 50/50 mix of goat hair and synthetic fibers (of matching lengths) that can be used with liquids, creams, and powders for “blending and building blush and powder.” The brush has a total length of 8.00 inches / 20.50 centimeters, and the brush head was 34.00mm in width, 35.00mm length, and 24.00mm thickness (at its widest/longest points). If you have found most powder brushes to be too large for your face or preference, this might be a good option as it is one of the smaller powder brushes I’ve seen–it is more in line with average to slightly larger blush brushes. With a light tap into a blush, this gives a soft, diffused look that is easily blended out in soft, sweeping motions, pulling the brush against the face. I could feel some of the individual bristles a little bit if I used more patting or tapping motions, so I did find I preferred more sweeping, feathery motions for applying and blending out. It worked well with finishing powders when I wanted better coverage, as the smaller brush ensured I applied a bit more and was able to concentrate application on smaller areas. For my face shape, size, and personal preference, it was larger than ideal for blush and smaller than ideal for powder, but I think it could be a sweet spot in size for others. It had a similar softness to the #115, where most of the bristles moved together as one when swept and pulled across the face; I felt some individual bristles when tapping or patting with the top edge of the brush.

Smith Cosmetics 122 Highlighter Brush ($24.00) is a short, dense, dome-shaped brush designed for applying and blending out highlighters. It is made out of pony hair and recommended for use with liquids, creams, and powders. The brush has a total length of 7.00 inches / 18.00 centimeters, and the brush head was 22.00mm in width, 13.00mm length, and 9.00mm thickness (at its widest/longest points). If you like to highlight with precision, and you tend to like your highlighter moderate to intense in coverage/shimmer-level, this brush definitely works well for creating that type of look. It is incredibly dense, firm with some flex (enough that it can maneuver along the curves of the face and but doesn’t splay or lose its shape). The brush felt soft and smooth when patting highlighter onto the cheek bones as well as when smoothing and blending out the color by pulling the brush across the skin. I particularly liked this style and shape of brush for applying cream and liquid highlighters, as I was able to get greater precision and managed to retain better coverage than I normally get when I use stippling brushes. It can be too dense and create a very intense highlight when used with very pigmented highlighters (think Anastasia or Becca), which will not be everyone’s preference. The brush does a good job of blending out intense highlighters, but I find a less dense, feathery highlighting brush does the job faster as it doesn’t over-apply to begin with. So, if you prefer more subtle highlighting, I’d look elsewhere, but if you want a concentrated, moderate to intense highlight, this is superior to typical highlighter brushes.

Smith Cosmetics 124 Contour Brush ($24.00) is a short, angled brush with rounded edges designed for applying and blending out contours. It is made out of pony hair and recommended for use with liquids, creams, and powders. The brush has a total length of 7.25 inches / 18.30 centimeters, and the brush head was in 20.00mm width, 15.0mm length, and 11.00mm thickness (at its widest/longest points). It is very similar in overall size and quality to the #122 with the major difference between the angle and roundedness along that angle that gives it more of the look you’d expect from a contour brush. That being said, it is much, much smaller than even some of my smaller contour brushes with a stronger angle and is much denser. The smaller size and greater density make it ideal for laying down precise contour or navigating on smaller features and faces. It took some getting used to, because initially, I overapplied just about every product I tried using with it! Once I played more and adjusted my application, I was able to achieve softer, smoother contours that weren’t overly blown out beyond where I really wanted the contour color to be. It was easier to use with liquids/creams compared to more pigmented powder products as it was a denser brush. I also liked this brush for applying liquid foundations around the nose and underneath the eyes, as the contoured, smaller shape fit well into the nooks and crannies of my face. The brush felt soft, smooth, and didn’t irritate my face; the pony hair is not as soft as the best goat or squirrel hair, though (I find the pony hair used by Smith to be as soft as the goat hair used, sometimes seemingly softer).

Smith Cosmetics is a newer brand that primarily makes makeup brushes but is also well-known for their Smithfolio, which is a storage system that includes pages that can hold makeup brushes, glosses, liners, zippered bags, etc. that are held in a zippered binder. I was more curious about their brushes after watching a video the brand did earlier this year, as I liked their approach to creating and releasing brushes–they specifically looked for gaps in the market or ways to improve and tweak certain types of brushes. There seemed to be a really careful thought process to the whole range of brushes. All of their brushes feature a copper ferrule and antibacterial-coated, stained wood handle (one piece of wood, not wood chips).

They’re a Canadian brand, so shipping to the U.S. is around $10, but my recent order of three additional brushes and Smithfolio came very quickly (overnight) via DHL, which was impressive. They just announced free shipping from August 1st through August 20th, worldwide, so I’m doing my best to review the brushes I have from them before that promo is up.

See more photos!

Smith Cosmetics Brushes

Smith Cosmetics Brushes

Smith Cosmetics Brushes

Smith Cosmetics #112 Bronzer Brush

Smith Cosmetics #112 Bronzer Brush

Smith Cosmetics #112 Bronzer Brush

Smith Cosmetics #115 Foundation Brush

Smith Cosmetics #115 Foundation Brush

Smith Cosmetics #115 Foundation Brush

Smith Cosmetics #115 Foundation Brush

Smith Cosmetics #115 Foundation Brush

Smith Cosmetics #118 Blush/Powder Brush

Smith Cosmetics #118 Blush/Powder Brush

Smith Cosmetics #118 Blush/Powder Brush

Smith Cosmetics #118 Blush/Powder Brush

Smith Cosmetics #118 Blush/Powder Brush

Smith Cosmetics #122 Highlighter Brush

Smith Cosmetics #122 Highlighter Brush

Smith Cosmetics #122 Highlighter Brush

Smith Cosmetics #122 Highlighter Brush

Smith Cosmetics #122 Highlighter Brush

Smith Cosmetics #124 Contour Brush

Smith Cosmetics #124 Contour Brush

Smith Cosmetics #124 Contour Brush

Smith Cosmetics #124 Contour Brush

Smith Cosmetics #124 Contour Brush

Smith Cosmetics #124 Contour Brush

Smith Cosmetics is a newer brand that primarily makes makeup brushes but is also well-known for their Smithfolio, which is a storage system that includes pages that can hold makeup brushes, glosses, liners, zippered bags, etc. that are held in a zippered binder. I was more curious about their brushes after watching a video the brand did earlier this year, as I liked their approach to creating and releasing brushes–they specifically looked for gaps in the market or ways to improve and tweak certain types of brushes. There seemed to be a really careful thought process to the whole range of brushes. I’ve been testing a lot of the brushes in the range, which I hope to review at some point, but there are two that have fully captured my attention (so much so that I purchased multiples, along with the Smithfolio, after trying them). All of their brushes feature a copper ferrule and antibacterial-coated, stained wood handle (one piece of wood, not wood chips).

They’re a Canadian brand, so shipping to the U.S. is around $10, but my recent order of three additional brushes and Smithfolio came very quickly (overnight) via DHL, which was impressive. They actually just announced free shipping from August 1st through August 20th, worldwide.

Smith Cosmetics 253 Laydown Brush Small ($21.00) is designed to be used for powder products and uses pony hair. The brush has the following dimensions: 6.25 inches / 16 centimeters in total length; brush head is 7.75mm in width, 4.00mm in thickness, and 11.5mm in length. It’s a smaller eye brush with a triangular shape with tapering bristles as you move away and down from the point of the brush. While not quite as silky-smooth in feel compared to high and luxury-end goat-haired eye brushes, it felt very soft and never poked or scratched the skin on and around my eyes (it was softer than my go-to MAC 239). The tapering of the bristles makes it particularly excellent for blending and diffusing colors into each other, particularly when applied on the lid.

It was moderately dense without being firm or inflexible, which made it great for packing and laying down color (real surprise, given its name, I’m sure!). I found that the 253 picked up product really well–sometimes too well, if it was a more powdery and pigmented product–and was a great way to use firmer-pressed powders without having to dig and jab at them. Again, it seemed like the tapered bristles made it so more of the brush was getting brushed across the pan’s surface and therefore more product is getting picked up. The brush is thick enough that the edge can be used to apply color into the crease, and the tapered, smaller size of this particular brush also makes blending out crease colors possible. The triangular shape is one of the reasons I fell in love; it fits so well into the inner and outer corners for more precise lid color placement, while the tapered edge makes it easy to diffuse one color into the next and just above the corners for a more seamless eyeshadow look.

Smith Cosmetics 256 Laydown Brush Large ($23.00) is designed to be used with powder products and uses pony hair; it is a larger version of the 253. The brush has the following dimensions: 6.8 inches / 17.2 centimeters in total length; brush head is 10.00mm in width, 4.75mm in thickness, and 14.00mm in length. Against my skin, the brush felt very soft and smooth without any bristles that poked or scratched at the skin. I enjoyed using this brush a lot for diffusing colors after I placed eyeshadow onto the lid, and it worked well for applying color to the brow bone as well as blending transition shades from crease toward the brow bone. It can be used in the same manner as the 253–placing color on the lid, applying color to the crease, and blending out color on the lid or in the crease–but its larger size made it better for placing one or two colors on my eye due to the size/shape of my lid. I’d actually love to see a Medium version of this style of brush.

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Smith Cosmetics 253 laydown brush small

Smith Cosmetics 253 laydown brush small

Smith Cosmetics 253 laydown brush small

Smith Cosmetics 253 laydown brush small

Smith Cosmetics 253 laydown brush small

Smith Cosmetics 253 laydown brush small

Smith Cosmetics 256 Laydown Brush Large

Smith Cosmetics 256 Laydown Brush Large

Smith Cosmetics 256 Laydown Brush Large

Smith Cosmetics 256 Laydown Brush Large

Smith Cosmetics Laydown Brushes: Small | Large