Sigma brushes have been on my wishlist for a couple of years now, so I was delighted to receive their Travel Kit to review (and give one away to one lucky reader - check back tomorrow to enter the giveaway!).
As you can see it all comes packaged beautifully in organza bags and the brushes are very well protected in their little plastic guards.
The brush roll is fantastic - durable with a magnetic clasp which keeps it shut. There's also a little zip pocket into which you could fit a small palette.
What Sigma says is in Italics...
Concealer - F70 - The rounded, tampered, flat shape makes this brush ideal to conceal the under eye area. It is also recommended for a precise application in small areas. Synthetic bristles.
This has become my favourite concealer brush as the bristles are just the right density to blend in the product, without aggravating delicate under eye skin or rubbing away the product. It also happens to be the perfect shape and size.
Tapered Blending - E40 - Rounded and tapered top. Specially designed to apply and blend color on the crease. Natural bristles.
This is Sigma's answer to the MAC 224, however I wouldn't call it an exact dupe as it's much fluffier with longer bristles. I don't have a huge amount of eye lid 'space' so it's not ideal for me, but I have found a use for it to buff out under eye concealer. It's also pretty good for placing highlighter on top of your cheek bones and on your brown bone.
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| Sigma left, MAC right |
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| MAC left, Sigma right |
Eye Shading - E55 - Soft and dense with a rounded finish. Can be used to apply pressed or loose eye shadows and pigments. Ideal to build intense color on the eyelid. Natural bristles.
This is probably my least favourite brush in the kit as it's a bit too chunky and dense to achieve precise eye shadow application with - I would only use it to add a highlight to my brow bone. However it's very well made and the bristles are soft.
Pencil - E30 - Precise application of color on the crease, outer corner, and upper and lower lash line. Also ideal to smudge out pencil liner. Natural bristles.
This brush is very comparable to the MAC 217 pencil brush - it does taper more at the tip - but I get pretty much the same effect from it. It's a perfect size for applying an inner eye corner highlight.
below: Sigma left, MAC right
Large Powder - F30 - Very dense with a rounded top. Ideal to apply powder products on face and body. Natural bristles.
I adore this wonderfully soft face brush with bristles of perfect density - I use it to apply finishing powder, bronzer and to blend out over zealous blusher!
Foundation - F60 - Can be used to apply liquid or cream foundation. It is also recommended to apply moisturizers and conceal large areas. Synthetic bristles.
While I can't fault the quality of this foundation brush, I do find it a bit dinky and thin - I prefer something along the lines of Gosh's chunky foundation brush which helps to buff it in much better.
Large Angled Contour - F40 - The angled shape makes this brush ideal to apply blush or contour shades. Natural bristles.
This was the brush I was most excited about trying as I was tempted to even order this one separately as it looks suspiciously like my beloved MAC 168, the brush of my dreams!
Sadly, it didn't completely live up to my expectations as it is a bit bushy and doesn't give me a precise application of cheek contour powder, but it does well to buff it out.
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| MAC left, Sigma right |
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| MAC left Sigma right |
Sigma Makeup offers a free travel size F50 brush with this kit - this is a fantastic duo fibre brush - I don't have the MAC one so I can't compare, but I do have the Inglot one, and the Sigma one although smaller, has better quality, softer bristles. Perfect for air-brushed-looking foundation or cream blush.
So while I wouldn't say that Sigma brushes are replacements for a lot of cult MAC brushes, in terms of their shape, size and function, I would say they are comparable to MAC in quality. Therefore they're a great option for make up beginners or MUAs looking to expand their kit. $49 dollars works out to about £32 (but you have to also factor in the shipping to whichever part of the world you reside), which for 8 great brushes is a very good deal. I wish I'd come across Sigma before purchasing all sorts of other 'budget' brushes which have turned out to be a waste of money.
You can win your very own Sigma Travel Brush Kit in my next weekly giveaway which launches tomorrow, so check back then for details on how to enter!
*PR samples provided for review
sooooo jealous. I've been dying to try Sigma stuff forever.
ReplyDeletei'm lovin' it lovin' it <3
ReplyDeleteIr really want some more Sigma brushes, I have the F80 already. These all look lovely and thanks for the honesty! xx
ReplyDeleteEee! I've been looking into the Sigma brushes, especially the F50 and the F80. It's good to know that it's comparable to the considerably more expensive Inglot one.
ReplyDeleteAmazing! It's such a great kit... and although it's not perfect, it's definitely good enough, I'd say :)
ReplyDeletexx
Thank you for this review. It's really refreshing to read some really honest opinions.
ReplyDeleteBecca x
I really love Sigma brushes, they are great for people who are conscious of animal hairs as most but not all brushes are made with synthetic fibres, whereas most of MAC brushes are made with animal hairs!
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