[Review] Bubbi Brushes

If you guys know me, then I really do love Bubzbeauty. She's my favourite make up guru on youtube, because whilst I admit her looks/tutorials are quite similar, they're everyday looks which are easily wearable. Not only that, but aside from beauty she also posts many inspirational videos which I enjoy watching. But I suppose my absolute favourites are her DIY Facial Masks. They are just so handy, and work amazingly for my skin. I can honestly say that her DIY Yoghurt Mask has helped my skin look and feel so much more healthy/radiant. 

So when I heard she was releasing make up brushes, I wanted to try them out. Not only because they looked so chic and stylish - but more so because I wanted to show some form of support ^_^ They intrigued me also, since in the "demo" they looked like they had some potential. 

I had to bite my tongue when I forked over money for these, since they were just so EXPENSIVE! :S I've been using all these brushes for around half a year now, so how did they fare exactly?

First Impression: When I first received them in my mail, I actually wasn't too pleased since I had purchased it during the Christmas period in 2011. Without any notice, the bill had been raised to "express" shipping, despite me not choosing to do so. A later notice from Bubzbeauty's facebook stated that it was done in order to send out the packages before the Christmas season. Whilst I understand the logic, I really think it should have STATED on the website clearly that any orders at this point will be automatically changed to "express".

I simply let it go, and paid the extra 10 or so dollars. When I first saw the brush set, I thought they looked very chic and stylish (I absolutely love the red/white colour combo). It really does stand out, and looks pretty good. I gave the brushes a test over, and true to their word - they are super soft. 

Whilst I thought the little tote bag was cute with the little "Bubz Card", I did feel that for the price ($100+ AUD) it really should have had a brush case, or some kind of holder. For a full set, it really should have included that. A case/holder just gives the set a more "professional" feel, and for me as a customer, it just justifies the price so much more. 

Kabuki Brush & Pouch

My first impression of this brush was that it was just so soft. I really liked the design, and the pouch was quite a cute touch. For the price, then it was definitely not my favourite. It didn't pick up powder or blush very well, and required multiple swatches to be able to pick up any pigment. 

The pouch although was of a nice material, it was just so small. I noticed that after using the kabuki, and putting it back in - some of the brush strands actually snagged onto the zipper. Thankfully, it was just a few strands. I feel like whilst the pouch was indeed handy/practical, I really don't think being compact is worth ruining a perfectly usable brush. 

Powder Brush

The bristles are super soft, and does not scratch my skin whatsoever.I love how it feels on my cheeks when applying blush, and it's a lot better in comparison to the kabuki for powder. The brush is very dense, and is able to pick up a lot more pigment. The handle itself is very sturdy to hold/grip. But in overall performance, then I suppose there's really nothing out of the ordinary.

Buffer Brush

Now this was one of my absolute favourites from the set. The bristles are super dense, and soft on my skin (as I've noticed the "trend"). But what I like most is that it blends my cream blushes like a dream. It blends so seamlessly, and gives my face that radiant, natural glowing look (just what I like to aim for). The handle also feels quite sturdy, and well made. There's really nothing that I dislike about this brush, and I give it a definite "thumbs up". 

Multi-Retractable Brush

I felt like out of all the brushes, this was the most well designed. The bristles were very soft, and I prefer using this for my powder blushes. It's just so compact and easy to carry around for everyday use. You can also adjust the handle for contouring your face, so I quite liked the multi-functionality of it. What I didn't really like was that the lid felt quite plastic and cheap to me.

When I first opened it, the lid felt quite hollow and the inside really didn't look crisp whatsoever. The silver colouring looked quite dull and scratched. Not only that, but it actually scraped off some of the red paint on the handle! I was not pleased whatsoever. I felt like the material used to create it could definitely be improved. 

Dual Cover Brush

This was actually the brush that I was most looking forward to in the set. I love finding/testing new foundation brushes, since a good brush can truly put miles onto your make up. I was actually quite disappointed to be honest. I was initially rather impressed, since it was very soft and it did NOT streak my foundation/BB Cream whatsoever. It really did do a good job in blending out my make up.

But what I realised is that this brush picks up SO much of your product! For me, I only really need a light coverage (so I didn't really mind it) but you could literally see all your foundation covering the brush. For those who like heavy coverage and savouring every last drop of your foundation - then this really isn't the brush for you. 

It's one of those brushes where it is absolutely necessary to clean/wash everyday. Overall, then I'm not a fan of the "dual end" brush design either. For me, I like having two separate brushes because when storing them away - I don't have to worry about ruining the shape of my brush. 

Whilst I do understand the whole "practicality" of it, I just find that it's not worth the risk of ruining one side of your good brush. The concealer end also, wasn't anything special to me. 

HD Flawless Brush

I was quite intrigued with this brush originally, since I'm used to using your typical "foundation brush" to apply my foundation/BB Cream. True to it's word, it really did add miles onto my face make up. My skin looked so flawless, and it blended so seamlessly into my skin. Unlike the Dual Cover, this does not pick up as much product - but rather, uses almost all of your foundation for maximum coverage. 

I quite liked the slanted design also, since it allowed me to easily blend into hard to reach areas such as around my nose. What I didn't like was that since it was so dense, the bristles did actually prickle my skin! It wasn't as soft as the other brushes, and not as gentle on my skin. Because of this, I don't like using it as often, and save it only for special occasions. I feel like if the bristles were softer, then it would definitely be a favourite brush of mine and more practical for everyday use. 

Dual Eyes Brush

Again, whilst I wasn't too impressed with the whole "dual brush" design, I did really like the overall performance of this brush. The softer end is for applying/patting on your eyeshadow, whilst the smaller tapered end is for blending the colours out, or adding depth to the eyes. I felt like they worked super well as a combination together, and is definitely a brush I often reach for when applying eyeshadow. 

Once again, I love the white/red colour combo, since I can easily see how dirty my brushes are, and when they need a good clean. This is especially useful for eyeshadow brushes, so I give this one a "thumbs up". 

Fluff Brush

I actually quite liked this brush for highlighting my brow bone, or doing little touch ups on my blending. But as an overall brush, then I felt like it was more of an "extra add on" than anything else. Whilst it is a nice brush, there really wasn't any spectacular or amazing about it. It was soft - but it's performance really wasn't any better than a lot of brushes out there. 

What I Like: 

+ The design & colour was just gorgeous! I feel like the design of these brushes was what made them stand out from the rest, since they just look so chic and trendy. The red and white colour combo is both bold and super pretty. 

+ All the brushes (excluding the HD Flawless) were super soft and gentle on my skin. For me, I absolutely love soft brushes, so that is a definite plus.

+ I've had these for half a year now, and I have experienced no shedding whatsoever. 

+ Great for a starter's make up kit, since it has all your necessities for make up application. Nothing more, nothing less.

What I Dislike:

+ The price was what really threw me off. In total, it was around $100-110 AUD (including shipping) for 9 brushes. For a full set, it doesn't sound too bad, but there are a lot of other sets out there such as the Sigma one, which I feel is more worthy of the steep price range. The Sigma one in comparison, comes in a set of 12 brushes.

+ Whilst overall the brushes were quite nice, each of them still had quite obvious flaws to me. For a final product, I feel like these should have already been addressed before release. 

+ Whilst I haven't had this issue, some people have complained about the label rubbing off when washed. To me, the labels should have been engraved instead of printed - and even if they were printed, it leads me to question where/how these were made if they were worn down so easily. 

+ It doesn't say where it was made or manufactured. Every product should always have this, regardless for the customer's benefit.

Overall Opinion: Don't get me wrong, these are nice brushes and I quite like them. It's just there's no good reason for me to give that can really justify the price. I don't regret purchasing them, since they're still decent brushes - but they're not "amazing" or "great". Although a few in this collection I would actually recommend to other people, as a whole - some of the brushes really aren't better than a lot of drugstore brushes that I can think of (such as Ecotools). 

For a beginner's kit, then they are quite nice - but at the same time, for $110 AUD you can purchase a full sized Sigma brush kit, 2 Sedona Lace sets or invest in some good mac brushes. 

The one's that I would recommend purchasing are the Buffer Brush (love this one!), Dual Eyes Brush, and Powder Brush. The rest just wasn't "wow" to me. 

Would I Repurchase? Probably not, since I'm pretty sure one set for experience is good enough for me ^_^ 

Rating: ★★★