Review: Crown Brush Part 2 - 626 - 11 Piece Studio Pro Brush Set

This is Part 2 of my Crown Brush Review. See part 1 here.

I got this set a number of months ago after seeing rave reviews by  Miss Makeup Magpie and The Black Pearl Blog. 

A few point I thought I would raise, both reviews showed the brushes wrapped individually.(plastic sheath things) Seeing that, I thought that I would receive those too. But I was mistaken, because mine came like this ( excepting the taped name tags. Those I did after). I did feel a bit put off by that, because it made me feel like the company gave a better service in the PR samples and that always annoys me. I did think that while the extra plastic is a bit more of an environmental problem, I would have liked it just to know my brushes definitely were kept securely for shipping, but onto the actual product...

I do reallylike the wrap the brushes came in. It is very soft and I actually like this better than the one I purchased which I reviewed in Part 1 of my Crown Brush reviews. The brushes slip out of the pockets really easily and you can change up what brushes are inside. However, I would note that the little spaces between the brushes can't actually fit any other brushes, but you can always stick one or two brushes into the same pocket.

First up is the Large Powder Brush. I like this brush as it is very soft and applies powder so nicely, without looking cakey or anything like that.

It did shed a LOT for me, which I was disappointed in, but it has since stopped (considering I washed it 5 or 6 times before it stopped.) 

Next is the Small Powder brush. I like this brush as well, and I use it for blush mostly. It isn't my favourite, but it gets the job done and gives a nice effect. 

This brush shed a lot as well and still sheds a little when I spot clean it. However, this one did come out with a bit of black dye the first time it was washed and still does sometimes, though less now.

The Large Duo Fibre Brush is one of the larger brushes within the set. In fact, I think it is the largest. I have used this to stipple on foundation and it works quite nicely, but I almost wish it was just a bit smaller so I can really get the small areas of my face (eg around my nose), but it works nicely for those areas as well. It's a bit too loose and fluffy to get the effect I wanted so I use this for powder and I really really like it for that.

It washes out so clean with no shedding at all.

This is the Angle Blush Brush, quite possibly the most disappointing brush of the set, mainly because I was looking forward to this one the most. It's good for applying blush, bronzer, highlight, and possibly contour (based on reviews as I personally like a smaller brush). It is super soft, and feels really nice on the skin.

So why don't I like it? It smells. Like actually stinks. It is made of goat hair so I was expecting it to have some smell, but this is too much for me. I do have a slightly sensitive nose, but when I put this anywhere near my face (eg my forehead), I actually feel like gagging. It is horrible. I don't know if it's just me or if it's just this brush, but I cannot use it. I have tried everything, washing it over 15 times now, using everything from brush shampoo to soap to dishwashing liquid and olive oil to my shampoo and conditioner. It still stinks. If anyone knows how to fix this, please let me know in the comments below because I really want to love this brush.

Edited to add: After a real attempt at using and washing this brush, I can now thankfully say that is doesn't smell as badly anymore. It is now one of my favourite brushes, but I recommend airing it as I found that helped the most.

Moving on from that, we have the pointed flat foundation brush. I kind of expected this to be a bit useless as I tend to prefer buffing brushes and I was pleasantly surprised. This brush doesn't leave strips on my face but rather leaves a nice smooth layer. However, I felt I used more product than usual and there was a feeling of a mask. So I am planning to use this brush a bit more and figure out how to use this brush a bit better. It helps that this brush is so incredibly soft, I use it to stroke my face sometimes... 

This brush washed out nicely and has not shed.

Moving on to eye brushes, this is the Pro Blending Eye Fluff Brush. I like this brush for blending and it does that really nicely. It is small and quite dense, but there is plenty of movement in the bristles for it to really buff out edges.

This washed well with a little shedding. Black dye does come out when I spot clean though, so I stick to deep cleaning it, which means this brush doesn't get as much use as I would like.

This is the Pro Blending Crease Brush and I love this brush. It has a slightly more squared off head, and is flatter than the usual blending brush shape. I use this when I am just putting a single colour on the lid because it lays the colour down nicely then buffs it out. I also like that it is white as I can see when it is dirty.

It washes out white with no shedding.

Last of the natural hair eye brushes we have the Precision Pencil Brush. I like this to smudge out anything I put on either top or bottom lashlines and it works well for that. I also use this to place colour on my lashlines as well as the inner corner. It isn't the absolute softest, but it doesn't irritate my eyes as long as I don't push too hard.

Washes out with with no shedding. 

Next up we have the small round applicator brush. Made of synthetic bristles, this brush is best used for cream products,

Personally, I don't use this brush much as I prefer to apply cream products with my finger then blend it out with a duo fibre eye brush, but I have used this brush for concealer and that works.

One of my most used brushes, this is the angle liner brush. I use this with my Anastasia Dip Brow Pomade to define and shape my eyebrows and it works so nicely. I've also used it with powder, but it doesn't work as well in my opinion. 

Finally we have the liner brush. I originally dismissed this brush, having been obsessed with the Silicone liner brush from Real Techniques, but this brush is really good. I used with gel liner to get a really precise and thin line just on my upper lashline and I was really impressed with the ease of application and the thin crisp line I got.

Overall, really impressed with this kit, besides the horrible smelling Angle Blush Brush. The shedding is annoying, but now it has stopped I am less fussed.

This set is £39.99 and is available on their website.

Do you have this kit, let me know what you think in the comments below! If you don't, let me know your opinion on it anyway. What do you think about the Angle Blush Brush and most importantly, is there anything I can do to make it smell somewhat more normal? 

Signing off now,

Dusty Foxes.