NARS Powder Brush #10, Bronzing Powder Brush #11, Blush Brush #20, and Contour Brush #21 Artistry Brushes Reviews & Photos
NARS Powder Brush #10
Last April, NARS released new Artistry Brushes. Since then, I’ve spent time using them on and off, figuring out which ones I like, don’t like, and all that. I don’t like any of the face brushes; I find them prone to shedding and at times, scratchy–the latter is hard to deal with. I had shedding with all four face brushes I tried continuously, though after a dozen or more washes, I only find a stray hair here and there now, but initially it was more than a few. The only thing I liked about these were the handles, as they were weighty and well-balanced. They are not brushes I would reach for voluntarily due to the scratchiness as well as the shedding.
NARS Powder Brush #10 ($52.00) is supposed to “blend, buff, and diffuse powder.” It’s a large, flared brush with a slightly tapered (just along the edges) top, that is almost flat. The fibers did not look to be all that well cut–they were quite jagged. It was moderately dense with good flexibility and spring, so it was able to apply a loose setting or finishing powder well without applying too much (it was just uncomfortable to apply). This brush shed quite a bit initially, and it has come down to only a few per use, but it’s still frustrating to deal with it at this price point. The brush head is 48mm in length, 40mm in width, and 40mm in thickness. It had a round, open ferrule and a total length of 7 inches or 18 centimeters. I noticed that the two brushes with all-black bristles seemed to be the roughest and least well-cut–very uneven and the bristles felt thicker, whereas the two brushes with browner bristles were softer and had a more even cut.
NARS Bronzing Powder Brush #11 ($52.00) is a densely-packed, buffer brush with a short-handle (like a regular short handle, not a squat, buffer brush type handle). It flares out slightly with a gentle dome shape. This one was softer than #10, so it is moderately soft. It only seemed slightly scratchy if you tried using it to stipple or tap product on, but if you sweep, buff, or blend, it is fairly soft and doesn’t irritate or bother my skin when used. It blends very well, whether that’s applying bronzer or to correct over-applied blush. It’s 35mm in length, 43mm in width, and 43mm in thickness. It had an open, round ferrule, and a total length of 4.5 inches or 11.5 centimeters.
NARS Blush Brush #20 ($42.00) is a dome-shaped, medium-sized blush brush. It flares out slightly from the ferrule and them rounds along the corners. The bristles are densely packed, and the brush feels soft most of the time. On mine, there’s one edge that is slightly scratchy when I pat on blush color for initial application. The density of this brush makes this pick up quite a bit of pigment and deposit it in one place, so if you’re heavy-handed, you’ll want to look for a less dense brush, but if you tend to always under-apply or have sheerer blushes, you might like how easily this will pick up color. It will soften the edges, but I recommend wiping off excess color on a paper towel or tissue to get good diffusion. The brush head is 35mm in length, 30mm in width, and 20mm in thickness. It had a slightly pinched ferrule, and a total length of 6.5 inches or just over16 centimeters.
NARS Contour Brush #21 ($42.00) is an angled, medium-sized brush designed for contouring. This brush could have been cut better–the bristles were somewhat uneven, and it was noticeably scratchy on the skin during use. When applied with light pressure and skimmed across the skin, it felt okay, but I often felt like it was scratchy when using it. I had shedding problems with this one for the first six washes, and after that, it sheds two or three bristles per use. The shape fits well in the hollows of the cheeks for a softer, more diffused contour. The brush head is 33mm in length, 35mm in width, and 20mm in thickness. It had a slightly pinched ferrule with a total length of 6.5 inches or just over 16 centimeters.
See more photos!
NARS Powder Brush #10
NARS Powder Brush #10
NARS Powder Brush #10
NARS Powder Brush #10
NARS Powder Brush #10
NARS Bronzing Powder Brush #11
NARS Bronzing Powder Brush #11
NARS Bronzing Powder Brush #11
NARS Bronzing Powder Brush #11
NARS Blush Brush #20
NARS Blush Brush #20
NARS Blush Brush #20
NARS Blush Brush #20
NARS Blush Brush #20
NARS Contour Brush #21
NARS Contour Brush #21
NARS Contour Brush #21
NARS Contour Brush #21
NARS Contour Brush #21
NARS Contour Brush #21
I know how everyone was excited about these brushes when they came out, but I just don´t seem to get the fuzz. For the price point, they even look cheap and scratchy alone on the pictures above. No, thanks.
I think if you’ve tried Japanese brushes like Hakuhodo, Chikuhodo, Suqqu, etc. these would feel like a drastic step down. I think most synthetics are softer against the skin. I still love some of my MAC brushes, but there are and have always been some scratchier face brushes – and the two black bristled brushes here reminded me a lot of the scratchiness of MAC’s 129.
Thanks for the review !
When one is spoiled by TF’s quality, it’s really not easy to go back.
Xoxo
Michelle
TF is great quality, but Hakuhodo rivals it in my experience – but their pricing can go much lower than TF or much higher!
I have a huge thing for brushes, you just saved me a lot of money!
No problem, Judith!
I like the big handle on the bronzer brush.
The handles are nice!
Christine, what would you say is the best, reasonably priced (not over $50), easily accessible contour brush? I really wanted the Nars Ita brush but I guess it doesn’t exist anymore 🙁
Hakuhodo makes a brush that looks similar to NARS’ Ita, but I haven’t tried it. They have the very small version for $46 and a medium-sized one for $60. There is also a large for $78. Becca has The One Perfecting Brush for $49, which is also in a similar shape to the Ita (looks wider). Everyday Minerals also makes one for $15.99. I haven’t tried any of these myself, so I couldn’t say that they’re better or worse than NARS’ (and I do not have NARS’ either). I only suggested ones similar to the Ita, since that’s what you originally wanted, but if you’re also considering angled contour brushes (like the #21 in this post), then there are a bajillion options, really!
Thank you but I pass. 😀
“Scratchy” scares me.
Stay far, far away from the all-black bristled brushes!
I would, too!
I had a chance to play with these at a Nars event and I found them scratchy as well. The Nars makeup artist was surprised when I said so but I’ve been around the brush block and I know a scratchy brush when I feel one..I really wanted to like them too because I love brushes and I’m a Nars fan but…scratchy!
How did you like the eye brushes? Gotta write-up a formal post for those still (there are more of them) myself but curious of your thoughts on them. I was REALLY surprised at the cutting and scratchiness of the #20 and #10.
I really wasn’t wowed by the eye brushes either although they weren’t as bad as the face ones. I thought the hair looked scraggly and they were coarse. I did like the little brow brush (the 48, I think) mostly for the size and shape. The concealer brush was nice too and I was most tempted to buy this one. But at the prices and the fact that it was Nars, I just expected more. I think there are way better brushes out there. I even like Mac brushes better and I pretty much abandoned them after I discovered Koyudo and Hakuhodo. I think the paid great attention to shape of the brush heads, the weight and the look of the handles but neglected the quality of the actual brush hair. Sorry for rambling and bad grammar. I’m using my phone and on a train 🙂
I’ve definitely replaced some of my MAC brushes with Hakuhodos and higher-end brands, but there are still several I go to. These reminded me of one of my least favorite MAC brush (129) in terms of scratchness/coarseness of the bristles–you are totally on the money about them seeming to be coarse.
Just wanted to add that I have the old yachiyo and ita brush by Nars and those are scratchy too! The shape is great and the brushes are pretty but compare the same brush by another brand and it’s a surprising difference in softness. So I was kind of hoping that when nars revamped the brushes, they would use better hair but…(sigh). The upside is that those rough hairs blend like nobodies business.
There were sooooo many raves for the NARS Yachiyo, but I was really disappointed with it once I tried it 🙁 Hakuhodo’s is softer, but it’s not as soft as their other brushes are (generally).
Great review. Thank you.
I have the Yachiyo, and cover whatever else with The One by Becca. Im a simple gal.
No problem!
Way out of my budget!
They are pricey for what you’re getting, IMO.
The first things I thought when I saw the photo of the Powder Brush #10 weren’t NARS or $50+…For such a name and price point, I’d expect something that not only performs at a luxury standpoint – but looks like it belongs at a luxury price.
Yeah, at this price point, you should be able to find something similar for the same, slightly more, but way, way better in quality. Sometimes a brush that is super, super, super soft isn’t necessary (especially because they can sometimes under-apply!), but a brush that feels scratchy is a big “no thanks!”
Hmm, I’m definitely underwhelmed by these brushes, and they’re expensive!
They are expensive for the quality for sure!
Ohhh so bad that they are scratchy,I was aiming for the #21 because I really want a contour brush, What would you recommend? I’m a noob at contouring hehe btw.
Hi Karina,
Any price point in mind? If you’re looking for high quality, natural hair, then right now, I usually pull from Hakuhodo – J4003 ($40), J511 ($33). You can see my full list here – http://www.temptalia.com/must-have-makeup-brushes-for-blush-foundation-contouring-highlighting-and-powder
For more affordable brushes, I like Real Techniques and Sonia Kashuk!
Thanks for the reply! I want to try the Hakuhodo ones but The shipping charges are always soo expensive. Maybe the Mac 168 would be a good option.
Yeah, I totally understand! Every time I place an order at Hakuhodo, I have to “save up” my purchase so I can get the most brushes and spread out the shipping cost. 🙁
First line says HARS instead of NARS
Thanks!
Hmm, I’m not sure these are worth the price.
They’re definitely not, IMO!
These look rather ordinary, for a brand like NARS. I’m obviously *not* anything even approaching a brush aficionado, but I looked at t he pictures before reading the review, and even on the first glance they didn’t really set my bosom aflame, as it were. No knickers were gotten in a twist over these! 😉
LOL! 😉 They’re very basic shapes I would say.