Review + Comparison - Crown Brush C442 Duo Fiber Buffer Brush + C439 Round Buffer Brush

I placed an order with Crown Brush last year when they had a 10% OFF sale. The company requires a minimum order amount of $25 and they charge a flat rate shipping fee of $7 to east coast residents. I bought the C442 Duo Fiber Buffer brush, C439 Round Buffer brush, and SS003 Deluxe Medium Foundation brush, which totaled to $33.85. The SS003 was too flimsy for me, so I gave it away. Continue reading to find out what I think about the other brushes!

Crown Brush C442 Duo Fiber Buffer Brush ($9.99) - The white bristles are made of synthetic material, while the black bristles are made of natural hair. It is super dense and much firmer than my other duo fiber brushes, which is not necessarily a good thing. I actually find it to be too dense for stippling liquid foundation because it places a concentrated amount of product on one area and takes longer to blend out. I prefer the MAC 187 to stipple liquid foundation because it's not as dense as the C442, but it is by no means flimsy. So, it disperses product evenly and it provides better coverage without absorbing and wasting alot of product. Also, it leaves an airbrushed finish.

When used in a buffing motion to apply liquid foundation, the C442 does not shed because the white synthetic bristles are so densely packed that it prevents the product from reaching the black bristles. (If you press the brush firmly onto your skin and use a heavy hand when you're buffing in the product, then the product will reach the black bristles and it will start shedding. Just use a lighter hand when you're using the brush in a buffing motion and it won't shed.) Because the bristles are so densely packed, it absorbs alot of product and doesn't provide as much coverage as my MAC 187. (Keep in mind, I only use my MAC 187 in a stippling motion.) Also, the head of the C442 brush is wide and can be a little difficult to reach the small crevices of the face. However, it blends out product really well and makes applying foundation much quicker when used in a buffing motion. The Sigma F80 has a smaller head and the bristles are made of solely synthetic material. I prefer the C442 over the Sigma F80 because it doesn't tug my skin as much when used in a buffing motion. 

The C442 feels very soft and doesn't feel prickly or uncomfortable when used in a stippling or buffing motion. I did experience dye bleeding during its initial wash and it stained the white bristles grey, which I had to remove by using olive oil. It hasn't bled since then, but it sheds 1 hair from time to time when I'm cleaning it. (I clean it with baby shampoo and olive oil.) However, it doesn't shed or leave hairs all over my face when I'm using it. It takes about 13 hours to dry, but if you use a paper towel to absorb the excess water, then it'll take about 8.5 hours to dry. Also, the head is full size, but the handle is travel size. The full length of the brush measures 4.75 inches. 

Crown Brush C439 Round Buffer Brush ($13.95) - The bristles are made of solely synthetic material and is much denser than the Sonia Kashuk Synthetic Buffing brush, but a teeny tiny bit less denser than the Sigma F82. The head of the C439 brush is bigger, so it can cover a greater portion of the face and buff in product quicker, while the Sigma F82 is smaller and can reach the small crevices of the face better. However, both tug my skin when I use them to buff liquid foundation because they are very dense and don't glide product onto the skin as easily or blend product as effortlessly as my Real Techniques Buffing brush.

The Sonia Kashuk brush has longer bristles and it is not as dense as the C439 and Sigma F82, so it doesn't tug the skin. Also, the size of the head allows it to buff in liquid foundation quickly. I prefer to use it to apply my Chanel cream bronzer. The top of the brush is too wide to fit on the cheek area, so I like to hold the brush at an angle and use the side of the brush to tap the product onto my cheeks.

The main issue with the Sonia Kashuk, C439 and Sigma F82 is that they all waste and absorb alot of product and don't provide as much coverage as my MAC 187 when used for applying liquid foundation. Also, I don't recommend any of them for buffing in mineral/powder foundation because synthetic bristles do not lay down powder products as well as natural bristles. For applying mineral/powder foundation, I recommend using the Sonia Kashuk Dense Blush Powder brush or the Sephora #43 because they provide better coverage. However, I don't recommend using brushes made of natural bristles for applying liquid products because that will cause your brushes to shed.

The C439 brush feels very soft and I haven't experienced any shedding. Also, the head is full size, but the handle is travel size. The full length of the brush measures 5.75 inches. It takes about 12 hours to dry.

Bottom Line: If you don't mind wasting product and are always rushing out the door, then the C442 and C439 will suit your needs because they buff in product quickly. The size of the short handles also make it excellent for travel.

Note: The Crown C442 and C439 are sold individually on their online store. The Sigma F80 and F82 are available at Nordstrom. The Sonia Kashuk Synthetic Buffing brush is available only at Target. 

Which Crown brushes do you recommend?

* This post contains affiliate links. 

The Sigma brushes were given to me by one of my lovely friends. 

All of the other brushes that are mentioned above were purchased by me using my own funds,

Review: Crown Brush Studio Series C138 Round Contour Brush vs. C317 Deluxe Crease Brush

The Crown Brush Studio Series C138 Round Contour brush (Coastal Scents Sable Contour Brush) and the Crown Brush C317 Deluxe Crease brush both do a great job at contouring, defining the outer v, and adding color to the outer corner or inner tear duct. However, the bristles of the C138 is a little bit denser and softer than the C317. The handle of the C317 (7.5 inches) is also much longer compared to the C138 (5.5 inches).

The C317 costs $2.49 at CrownBrush.com, while the C138 is $1.87. You can also buy the C138 from Coastal Scents for $1.79.

How do they compare to the S217 and C222 (review)? The bristles of the C138 and C317 are a little bit shorter and less fuller. It's easier to blend out the outer corner color with either my S217 or C222 because the bristles are denser. 

If I could only keep one brush, I would choose the S217 because the bristles are fuller and the handle is the perfect size.

What contour brush do you have?

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Review: Crown Brush Studio Series C222 Round Contour Brush

The Crown Brush C222 Round Contour brush is very similar to the Crown Brush Backstage S217 Round Contour brush (review). The bristles have the same density, size and softness. They both do a great job contouring, defining the outer v and adding color to the outer corner or inner tear duct.

The only difference is the length of the handle. The total length of the C222 is 7.5 inches, while the S217 is 5.5 inches. I prefer the S217 because it's great for travel and easier to use. I can't get too close to the mirror when I'm using the C222 or the handle will hit the mirror.

The C222 costs $2.80 at CrownBrush.com, while the S217 is $1.87

Which brush do you prefer?

Review: Crown Brush Italian Badger Angle Blush Brush

The Crown Brush Italian Badger Angle Blush brush is perfect for contouring, applying blush and bronzer. I mainly use it for setting concealer with powder under my eyes. However, like the other Italian Badger brushes, it's a little bit scratchy.

It is also important to note that after a few uses, the handle broke. I had to use super glue to attach it back together.

The total length of the brush is 6.5 inches long. The handle says "IB106 Angle Blush." It costs $7.09 at CrownBrush.com

What do you think about this brush?

 

Review: Coastal Scents Italian Badger Blush Brush

The Coastal Scents Italian Badger Blush Brush is too big for applying blush and for contouring. 

The bristles are not too dense or too flimsy, but can be a little bit scratchy. I personally use this brush to apply setting powder. I prefer to use the Coastal Scents Italian Badger Buffer brush (review) when I want more coverage.

The total length of the brush is 7.5 inches. The handle says "IB126 Chisel Blush."  It costs $8.99 on their online store.

Update: Coastal Scents discontinued this brush, but you can still buy it from Crown Brush for $9.24. It's called the Italian Badger Series IB126 Chisel Blush Brush.

What do you think about this brush?

This post contains affiliate links. None of the products mentioned are sponsored by the company.

Review: Coastal Scents Italian Badger Buffer Brush Large

I use the Coastal Scents Italian Badger Buffer Brush Large to apply setting powder. The head of the brush is short and dense; therefore, it buffs mineral foundation into the skin very well.

However, the bristles of the Italian Badger Buffer brush are a little scratchy and sheds like crazy during the first wash. It now sheds a little bit from time to time.

The handle of the brush says "IB103 Flat Bronzer." The total length of the brush is 6 inches. It costs $11.95 on their online store. 

Update: Coastal Scents discontinued this brush, but you can still buy it from Crown Brush for $10.95. It's called the Italian Badger Series IB103 Flat Bronzer Brush.

What do you think about this brush?

This post contains affiliate links. None of the products mentioned are sponsored by the company.

Review: Coastal Scents Synthetic Shadow Brush

The Coastal Scents Synthetic Shadow Brush has multiple uses. It is not your traditional eyeshadow brush because it does not pick up powder eyeshadows that well. However, it does wonders when you use the brush for pigments, cream bases and concealer. 

  

The bristles are dense and firm. It lay downs cream-based products really well and blends them easily into the skin.

The total length of the brush is 6.5 inches. It costs $2.95 on their online store

What do you think about this brush?

Disclosure: This post contains an affiliate link. The product is not sponsored by the company.

Review: Coastal Scents Tapered Crease Eye Brush

Original C139 Brush

Original C139 Brush

I bought the Coastal Scents Tapered Crease Eye Brush about a year ago. The bristles are tapered and fits perfectly on the crease area. I loved this brush so much that I reordered 2 from Coastal Scents; however, this time, I received 2 different sizes. They are not the same as the original that I bought a year ago. The new brushes are too long and flimsy for blending. They are only good for applying color onto the crease.

I notice that this happened with a lot of the other brushes that I bought from Coastal Scents. No two brushes of the same model have the exact same shape and size.

The handle says "C139 Stiff Tapered Crease". The total length of the brush is 6 inches. It costs $2.49 on their online store

What do you think about this brush?   

This post contains affiliate links. None of the products mentioned are sponsored by the company.

Review: Coastal Scents Chisel Fluff Large Shadow Brush

The Coastal Scents Chisel Fluff Large Shadow Brush is good for packing color onto your lids. The bristles are soft and it's a great brush for blending because it's firm and dense. 

I bought a couple of the same brushes, but all of them had different sizes. One brush had bristles that were thicker and fuller, while another brush was a little wider and the handle was a little longer than the rest. However, all of the brushes had no problems doing the same purpose of applying color to the lids and blending. 

The head of the brush, which is 1 centimeters long, fits really well on my lids. The total length of the brush is 5.5 inches. The handle says C153 Large Chisel Fluff. It costs $2.75 on their online store.

What do you think about this brush?   

This post contains affiliate links. None of the products mentioned are sponsored by the company.

Review: Crown Brush Backstage S217 Round Contour Brush

The Crown Brush Backstage S217 Round Contour Brush is ideal for defining the outer v. It is soft, dense and stiff. You can also use this brush to blend, but I find it to be a little small. I would use this brush mainly for contouring and adding color to the outer corner.

The handle of the brush says "S217 Round Contour." The head of the brush is 1 centimeter long. The total length of the brush is 5.5 inches. It is small enough for travel. I bought this at CrownBrush.com for $1.87.

What do you think about this brush? 

Review: Crown Brush Italian Badger 109 Chisel Fluff Brush

The Crown Brush Italian Badger 109 Chisel Fluff Brush is bigger than your average eyeshadow brush. It is too big for my lids. The head of the brush is about 2/3 of an inch long. The total length of the brush is 6 inches.

The bristles are really soft and fluffy, but not dense. It is also a tad bit flimsy and doesn't pick up color that well. I would suggest to use this brush if you want to apply a light wash of color onto your lids. I personally use this brush to apply highlight on my brow bone and to set concealer with powder under my eyes.

It costs $3.09 at CrownBrush.com Also, I love the packaging, especially the wooden handle. 

What do you think about this brush?