Everyday Minerals Brushes

Long time readers will know I haven't much time for Sigma brushes, thanks to this and this. The eye brushes are not bad, but the face brushes - in my experience - are pretty craptacular. However, I had been considering the Sigmax brushes, as even people who had previously disliked their standard brushes said these were good.

While cleaning out a drawer the other day I found some Everyday Minerals face brushes I had forgotten about, and they seem like a pretty close dupe of the Sigmax ones (well actually, these are pre-Sigmax, so technically the Sigma ones are the dupes). I used to buy a lot of things from EDM, but it's one of those indie companies that seemed to be endlessly surrounded by drama, and the owner's habit of putting pictures of herself EVERYWHERE irked me no end. With every order there would be 2 or 3 postcards featuring photographs of her, and when you go to the website there she is again. I don't know why it bugs me, but it REALLY bugs me. Anyway, the point is I drifted away and kind of forgot about them, but I have to give credit where it's due - the brushes are really nice. These are the ones I have.

concealer brush, pencil/smudge brush, flat shader brush, angled fluffy brush

Although EDM is primarily powder products and presumably that's what these brushes are meant for, the concealer brush in particular is great for cream products. It has a bit of a pointy end so you can get right into the corners. I don't use the pencil/smudge brush much, but it would be good for someone who puts a bit of eyeshadow under the eyes (I don't - it would draw attention to the dark circles and the lines). Again, the flat shader brush is good for cream eyeshadows, and powders of course. I've never really used the angled fluffy brush much - it's very soft and I've never quite figured out how to use it effectively. Something to work on this year, I suppose.

eye kabukis and junior eye kabukis

I think I first heard about these from Anissa. I bought one of the eye kabukis and loved it so much that I bought another one. The junior eye kabukis both came with eyeshadow kits. The eye kabukis are soft and very dense, and fantastic for blending and softening shadows - if you've been a bit heavy-handed in the crease these are great for toning it down. Because of their density they're not great for precise blending as they do tend to remove some of the eyeshadow if you go crazy with them. I use the junior eye kabukis for applying a highlight to the inner corners, and also for blending concealers and cream highlighters like Touche Éclat. Of all my EDM brushes, these ones get the most use and are in constant rotation where I'm using one while waiting to wash the other one.

flat top kabuki, round top kabuki, angled kabuki

These look like Sigmax brushes, don't they? Not sure what's going on with the shiny shininess there - they don't look like that in person. It's very overcast here today so my flash might just be going nutso. These are suuuuper soft and dense and lovely for applying either powder or cream products. I use the flat top kabuki for cream foundation, the round top for a light brush of powder when necessary (I hate powder, so I only use it if I have to and with a really light hand), and the angled brush with both cream and powder blushes.

All of these brushes are very soft, very dense and very sturdy. The handles are made from bamboo. I've had most of these for several years, but most of them are still available and range between $6US-$12US.