This is an addendum to my review on Coastal Scents brushes, which I received last week. I have used them twice when I did make-up for someone’s dance show [two days in a row] and I’ve used some of them on myself because they’re so soft I couldn’t resist! I’ve washed the brushes using baby shampoo two more times since the initial wash because I hate seeing white brushes look dirty. They still don’t shed like crazy. When I used the Duo Fiber Powder Stippler and Italian Badger Buffer Brush (Large), there were a couple of stray hairs that got on her face, but that’s it. Overall, I’m really happy with them, so I’ll definitely be buying more.

Most of us started out putting on our eye make-up with those sponge tip applicators that come with drugstore brand make-up and using the powder puffs that come with powder compacts on our faces. Over time, we eventually learn that the better—-best, even—-way to put on make-up is to apply them using brushes. They are essential tools in achieving a flawless (or close to it) application. Finding the right brush can be complicated. You want one that has good quality, but at the same time, you want to be sure it’s decently priced. There are so many brushes out there and you find yourself asking, “How do I know that I won’t waste my money on this?” I’ve had my fair share of brush shopping. I’ve brushes from Sonia Kashuk (from Target), Costco/Kirkland/Borghese, and I slowly made my way up to Sephora and M·A·C. [I also have one from Essence of Beauty found at CVS Pharmacy.] I’ve acquired what I feel to be a great set of brushes, as well as some not so good ones.

Now, I have my favorite brushes from the aforementioned brands, but I have to admit the ones that get the most use are my M·A·C and Sephora brushes (as well as my EoB angled blusher brush). Sometimes you have to spend more in order to get the best quality. [People need to know that if the brush is scratchy and hurts your face, it's not worth keeping, so trash it and find a better one.] It’s not that easy, though, because it’s just not realistic for most of us to drop hundreds and thousands of dollars on M·A·C. We need to be able to eat and pay the bills too.

Enter Coastal Scents. I was intrigued by how inexpensive their brushes were (I’m not going to use cheap because it has a negative connotation). Seriously, $1-something for a brush? It has to be good to be true, right? I’m sure a bunch of people who saw that were as skeptical as me, but I figured, it couldn’t hurt to try. If the brushes suck, at least I know I didn’t spend $20 or more for just one of them. So…I kind of went crazy. I ended up buying 11 brushes and a brush roll. The total? $57.03 (subtotal of $49.38 + $7.65 for shipping). Yes, you read that right. That’s pretty much equivalent to one M·A·C 138 brush ($52), plus tax.

Before you read my review, I have to mention a couple of things: 1) I was not asked to review these brushes nor did I get them for free. I bought them with money from my own pocket, 2) These brushes are not equivalent to the ones found at M·A·C. They are not intended to be. If you’re expecting M·A·C, then go to a store and get a brush from them. It’s not fair to both companies to put them on the same level, and 3) I have not gotten a chance to use them yet. I ordered them at night on April 10, got the shipping confirmation on the 11th, and got them yesterday (they are fast, I just chose the regular parcel post option; I’m all the way in California, while they’re in Florida). I’ve touched them and compared them to my M·A·C brushes, but I haven’t actually used them on my face in conjunction with make-up since I washed them right after examining them. At the moment they’re still drying already dry (took about four hours, wow!).

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