Sigma Eye Brushes

Towards the end of the summer I wanted to pick up some eye shadow brushes so I could more successfully recreate different eye looks.  I particularly wanted to get a brush for precisely placing darker colors in the outer v and crease of the eye, as well as a good blending brush to blend out shadows and get rid of the harsh lines and edges of a eye shadow look.  I looked to Casey Holmes to see what she uses because she always creates the most beautiful and intricate looks, and she just about exclusively uses Sigma eye brushes.  I planned on getting two brushes, but I ended up getting four.  The ones I picked up from top to bottom in the photo above are the E39 buff and blend for $16, the E30 pencil brush for $14, the E45 small tapered blending brush for $14, and the E25 Blending brush for $14.  They are all about eight inches long with a shiny black handle labeled with the brush name, number, and sigma name.

  

This first brush above is the E45 small tapered blending brush.  It is a medium-small crease brush with soft bristles that is cut to a tapered point instead of a rounded dome.  Shown above is how this brush applies when the tip is dipped into shadow and then brushed back and forth on the skin.  It creates a nice precise application of color.  After applying a medium transition shade to the crease with a more traditional crease brush, I love using this brush to apply a darker color to the crease. to deepen up the look.  This brush makes it so easy to apply dark colors to just the crease so it doesn't get above the crease, below the crease.  The side of the brush can also be brushed into the shadow and used to shade the outer corner of the eye to further darken up a look. The only downside is that this brush has shed just a few of the bristles.  I feel like this brush definitely helps me create more precise and detailed eye looks with ease.

This brush is the E25 blending brush, which is one that I see Casey Holmes use in every look she creates.  It is in between a round fluffy brush and a flat brush with slightly stiffer but still soft bristles.  In the photo above from right to left the first stripe is shadow applied and then the edges are blended out with this brush.  Like the name suggests it is really great for blending out the edges of a look which is especially important when applying dark colors that contrast with your skin to make them seamlessly fade out into your skin or into the other colors in your look.  The slightly stiffer bristles do a great job of pushing the shadow around unlike softer fluffy crease brushes, which are great for applying color, but not the best at blending.  Additionally this brush can be turned the skinny way to smudge shadow along your lash line or crease as seen in stripe two or turned the broad way to apply a wash of color all over the lid as seen in stripe three.  It is a great multi-use brush that if you apply colors from light to dark you could use it as your only brush to create an eye look.  The E25 is definitely a must have in a brush collection and I have experienced no shedding with this brush, and have no complaints about it!

The E39 Buff and Blend is a round domed brush that has soft bristles that are shorter and more densely packed than a standard crease brush.  The three stripes are a stripe with blended edges, color swiped on, and color dabbed on with the tip of the brush.  I use this brush to dab a dark color into the outer portion of my lid for a dual tonal lid look, and to add a medium transition color to the crease.  It is proficient at blending because of its short dense bristles, but I do tend to gravitate towards the E25 for that job because I find it to be more precise.  The E39 does not do anything better or different than any other brushes in my collection, but it is a high quality multi-use brush that I has not shed on me.  It is not essential but it is nice to have around. 

Lastly I have the E30 pencil brush which is a small brush that has the same soft but slightly stiffer bristles as the E25 that are densely packed shorter bristles that are tapered to a point.  This is another brush that Casey Holmes uses in every tutorial to apply shadow to the lower lash line, and that is how I primarily use it.  It applies a thin line of color to the lower lash line that really gives a sultry smoky look to the eyes.  It can be used with shadow alone, or it can be used to apply shadow on top of eyeliner to soften the line and really smoke-out a look.  Alternatively it can be used to create and ultra-defined crease look, or to precisely apply a very dark color to the outer V that could then be blended out with one of the blended brushes previously mentioned.  It was probably the brush I was least excited about in the order, but I really love it and use it all the time, and have not experienced any shedding with it.

 I am really pleased with my first Sigma brushes.  I have found them to be really high quality brushes and very reasonably priced when compared to MAC brushes which tend to run five plus dollars more for similar brushes.  Sigma also makes just about any type of brush you could want, from basics to specialty brushes.  It is definitely a brand I will look to in the future when I want more brushes.  What are some of your favorite eye brushes?  What brushes from Sigma have you tried, and what are your thoughts? 

Till Next Time,
Stephanie