Charm Travel Pro Brush Set v2 review
Thursday, September 16, 2010 at 10:59AM The 12-piece Charm Travel Pro Brush Set was designed by Sophie to be compact, lightweight, and to accomplish simple looks to more complex ones. It's got all you need for a full face of makeup and includes well thought of and well-shaped tools for efficient application. I'd say that this brush set is for an advanced makeup user who needs a smaller brush kit to take outside.
Dark pink faux croc skin case - too luxe!
Charm logo printed on wooden handles
Let's do a quick rundown on the pros and cons of this brush set and then I'll give a short explanation of what each brush is for.
What I love about this
- Soft animal and synthetic hair was used
- Each brush has the right amount of density, firmness, and fluffiness, depending on the purpose
- Doesn't eat the powder/ liquid/ cream makeup
- Applies makeup evenly and precisely. I love the bent eyeliner brush, concealer brush, and angled eyeshadow brush most of all!
- Aced the packaging and appearance category! I love pink and black together, is it obvious?
- It's P1,800 a pop. That may sound a lot, but really the price is very nice for the quality and functionality you get. These will last for more than a couple of years.
What I don't like
- I mostly have trouble with the dual fiber stippling brush (first one from the left). It bled when I washed it and then kept on losing hair as I use it. Even until now there are a couple of bristles that come off when I apply my BB cream, but not as bad as the first two uses. Otherwise this brush is perfect.
- The brushes stank when I got them, but one wash was enough to remove the smell. I guess all new brushes are like that.
- Handles feel a bit flimsy. Has no heft. However, the metal ferrule and hairs were very well packed and made of high-grade material.
Functions of brushes and how to use them
Dual fiber stippling brush. This has dense animal hair (black part) and sparsely-packed white synthetic hairs. It's designed to apply liquid and cream makeup and is a close dupe of the famous MAC 187 brush. It spreads the product evenly without eating it and thus wasting it. Delivers an airbrushed, flawless effect on the face.
Powder brush. This is made of fluffy animal hair and designed to apply loose finishing powder.
Concealer brush. Sophie's version of this must-have is densely packed and fat, mimicking the feel and size of a finger. How cool is that? Using this is similar to applying concealer with your finger. It makes the job tons easier and the effect of the concealer a lot more natural.
Crease brush (top) and Blending/highlighting brush (bottom). The dense crease brush is used for applying a darker eyeshadow on your lid to contour. This one is a bit small for my tastes (I have a large crease area), but this would be perfect for giving depth to small, chinita eyes. The fluffy blending/highlighting brush can be used for ironing out harsh eyeshadow lines, highlighting the brow bone, and even highlighting the cheek bones.
Angled liner brush, Flat liner brush, and Angled eyeshadow brush. The angled liner brush can be used for eyebrows with a dark brown powder or for lids with cream or gel eyeliner. The flat liner brush, on the other hand, is best for lining the waterline. I also like to use this for highlighting the inner corners of my eyes with white eye color. The angled eyeshadow brush, a favorite, is for applying color on the lid. Its the right fluffiness and shape for the job!
Bent liner brush. Ahh, my favorite. This is for lining the eyes with gel or cream eyeliner. No need to tilt your hand in an unnatural angle just to get the right line in your eye. This makes the job a lot faster and cleaner! It may take some getting used to though.
Lip brush. Stiff and dense, it's perfect for applying lip color on the go. It comes with a black metal cap to protect the brush while it's in your bag. You can also stick it to the rear end to get a full-sized brush.
Recommendations
If you're a bit knowledgeable about makeup and don't want to buy those basic travel sets which, admit it, doesn't really do much (aside from blushing, concealing, and lining) then this one is for you! Each brush has a specific function to make your makeup application breezier and more precise.
This isn't necessarily exclusive for traveling purposes. Makeup newbies who want a complete brush set without blowing P2,500+ on a professional set will find this up their alley as well.
Verdict
I love it! I've incorporated the brushes in my daily routine. Now I don't have to worry about packing full-sized brushes when I travel - it's always a bother, plus it limits my makeup choices.
So what do you think? Planning to get this? It's a really cool stocking stuffer this Christmas! *wink*
Reader Comments (8)
Great post, really helpful! I'm definitely considering this for a Christmas gift for myself. Thanks :)
I have the Charm holiday brush set but your entry has now served as fodder for a serious lemming! The concealer brush is especially interesting, I don't think I've seen any brush like that before for concealing purposes.
i'm very hesitant about purchasing charm brushes, because i once got their kabuki brush and after 1 wash, the handle slipped right off! i think the water made the glue lose its grip. kinda sad though bec i liked how soft it was.
@ Kitten its super sulit ;)
@ Kari its unique nga! usually concealer brushes are flat and thin right? this one is one is really fat, but it doesnt eat the concealer so makapal pa rin yung application.
@ Bei i read in another post that the same thing happened to her.the Charm brushes i have gotten though have sturdy handles. nothing that super glue cant solve! or if this happens next time, we should approach Sophie. ;D shes nice naman.
hi Liz, thanks to all your lovely reviews i headed yesterday to Watsons and bought a handful hahaha. So where can i buy these brushes? am really looking for nice mini brushes ;)
Hi Chari! You can purchase them at beautyandminerals.com :D
hi! may i know the approx length of these brushes? it's not on their site. thanks!
hi anna! i'd say around 5 inches.