As you can see from the comparison to the MAC 217 and Rouge Bunny Rouge Crease brush, the Hourglass Crease brush is quite narrow. It is tapered but not particularly fluffy. Consequently I find it applies colour in a more precise line than the other crease brushes. I can soften the line using a wind-shield wiper motion but it does require a little effort. Whereas the MAC 217 will deposit colour in the outer corner and into the crease at the same time, the Hourglass brush deposits colour just in the crease and I have to apply colour in the outer corner separately. This is probably a very long-winded way of saying that the two brushes apply colour in a different way, the Hourglass brush allows more precision whereas the MAC 217 is faster and more smoky. Which you prefer will depend on the look you want to achieve and possibly your eye shape.
 |
| L-R: MAC 217, Hourglass Crease 04, RBR Crease 011 |
 |
| Top to Bottom: RBR Crease 011, Hourglass Crease 04, MAC 217 |
The Hourglass brush is super soft and feels lovely on the delicate eye area. It picks up colour easily and I haven't noticed any issues with fallout. The brush washes well and doesn't change in shape or shed hairs. As with all taklon brushes, I find it takes a little longer to dry than animal hair.
After all that waffle, what's the bottom line? Well, I like it but I don't love it and it's not a must-have in my opinion. If you're interested in trying the Hourglass brushes I would recommend trying one of their face brushes first (whilst I don't own one, I've had a selection used on me at the Liberty counter). Both their Foundation Brush 02 and Large Concealer 08 are on my wishlist.
The Hourglass Crease Brush costs £22 and I bought mine from Zuneta. Hourglass Cosmetics are also available from Liberty.
It looks like it might be synthetic, is it?
ReplyDeleteEven though bluffier crease brushes can be harder to work with, I prefer them over their narrower sisters. I do love a good weighted brush, though! For that reason, I get a ton of use from the Edward Bess Luxury Eye brush--in fact, if I used the same three colors every single day, I could use just that brush, as long as I dusted it off between picking up the different pigments. I am almost embarrassed to say I use the EB more than my Hakuhodos.
I appreciate your honest review and think I'd probably end up feeling the same way about the Hourglass brush. I don't have the need for super-precise makeup application, so I tend to prefer brushes that multitask.
Hi Zuzu's Petals. Yes, it is a synthetic brush, all of the Hourglass brushes are made of taklon fibre. I don't have the Edward Bess brush but I have seen and admired it in person. I'm actually a little surprised I haven't caved. You have renewed my interest in it of course! Especially as I know Replica and Delicate Hummingbird really rate it too. Thanks for commenting :)
DeleteHum...I know you don't like it but having smaller eyes it seems like it would be useful for me. It may be precision on most eyes but larger blending brushes tend to become all over brushes on me.
ReplyDeleteHi E-A! I have small eyes too so I can appreciate what you mean about the larger blending brushes. I think if you're wanting a cut crease kind of look that this would be a good choice of brush. But I tend to prefer a more diffuse crease application. I wouldn't say that I don't like this brush, it's more that it is isn't a favourite.
Delete