Re: ***Coastal Scents brushes - 187 dupe plus others! Great prices***
OK I haven't used all of mine yet but here's a couple of reviews of the ones I
have used so far:
Italian Badger Buffer Brush Large:
Price: $11.95
I've been using this with my mineral makeup and MAC Studio Fix powder. So far I think this brush is a great purchase. The hair is very soft but very dense. For those who have the MAC 182 brush, this is very comparable but has a few slight differences. Yes, it has a slightly unpleasant smell to it when washing, whereas the MAC 182 has no smell at all. But once it dries and while using it on my face, I don't notice the smell so in a way it doesn't matter to me. It doesn't smell nauseatingly disgusting or anything, but it does smell like animal air when it is wet.
What I like about this brush is that the edges are very precisely cut so it's great for contouring using the sides of the brush, whereas the MAC 182 brush has a rounded edge. It is also flat topped, whereas the MAC 182 has a rounded head, although the flat top isn't cut
quite as well-precisioned as the MAC 182. This doesn't compromise the application though. I really like the flat top for getting into areas like right underneath the eye and around my nose.
This brush bled a bit when washing for the first time, but it didn't stain the white hairs or anything, and it didn't stain the colour on my face when using.
As for the handle, I don't find it heavy or hard to use at all. Great brush for the price and I would re-purchase.
Italian Badger Chisel Powder Brush
Price: $5.89
This is a nice blush brush with a relatively short handle (kind of like the MAC holiday brush set ones) so I like it for traveling or weekends away because it fits easily into a cosmetics bag. The bristles are soft and deposit the blush nicely. It's not as dense as the buffer brush of course but overall, a very useable blush brush. The bristles are not too fat and big either so it's good for applying the blush more precisely than maybe a larger blush brush.
It has the same smell issue as the buffer, but again, it's not anything that I can't live with and doesn't really smell while using it on my face so I can overlook that.
I would re-purchase.
Large Paddle Face Brush
Price: $9.95
This says it is made of natural hairs but I am really not sure. It might be natural fibre hair bristles, but it smells synthetic, although that could be the dye they used. It's not quite as soft as the Italian badger brushes, but it's note poke-y either. This had a weird very synthetic smell to it when washing it with baby shampoo and it did shed a bit when washing. I think it is the dye that gives off the weird smell, but I'm not sure. It bled a little bit when washing the 1st time but did not stain.
The brush hairs are cut into a contoured, slightly chiseled tip at the top. You could use this for finishing powder, translucent powder, or dusting away spillage. I've also used this for applying blush or just blending it out a bit. It is quite large so it's better to use for all-over application stuff.
I am undecided if I would re-purchase. It's not a bad brush, it's just not as versatile to me so I probably won't reach for it that much.
Update: I actually have been using the brush with my Blot powder to apply a light dusting over my face very lightly, and it works great for that, so I probably
would repurchase.
Duo Fiber Stippling Brush
Price: $7.95
Now I know what you are all wondering: Can I buy this brush
instead of shelling out the big money for the MAC 187 and it will work just as well? My response to that is: No. This brush looks very similar to the MAC 187 but as other reviewers have also noted, it is not as firm or as dense as the 187. The handle is also quite long which - while it isn't a problem for me at all - it may be to some people, especially if you want to use it very close up to a mirror. Personally, I don't have any issues with that so for me the long handle isn't a big deal, I also don't find it overly heavy or anything like that. I saw they now sell a new pink stippling brush on their website, so you might want to inquire if the handle is the same length as the black one if you think that will be an issue for you.
However, this brush does not perform the same way as my full sized authentic MAC 187 brush. It might be hard to actually
stipple with it (like with cream blushes, CCBs, foundation) if that's what you want to do, because it's a tad on the softer side. The white hairs at the top give way much easier than the MAC one when you apply a bit of pressure. I admit I have not used it for liquid foundation yet, and I will update this once I have tried that. However, this works just about equally as well for other products like MSFs, blush, and highlighters, especially pigmented blushes that you want to apply lightly. For me it's ideal because I wanted two 187 brushes, one for liquid foundation, one for powders, without having to wash the brush between usage. So I will continue to use the MAC 187 for foundations, and use this Coastal Scents one for powders and highlighters. But again, it is not equal to the MAC 187, it is comparable but if you only want 1 stippling brush, I'd recommend the MAC one, even with the high price tag. So, if you already have the 187 and want a back-up brush so you can use one for liquids and one for powders for example and don't want to spend the money on a second 187, I'd say go for it. However, if you don't have any stippling brushes yet and are deciding between this one and the MAC 187, I'd say get the MAC one.
I would repurchase.
Chisel Angle Fluff Shadow Brush
Price: $2.00
I thought this would be very similar to the MAC 272 brush which I use all the time and
love, but alas it is not. It's not very dense, doesn't pick up enough eyeshadow, and doesn't deposit the product as well as the 272. For $2.00 it might be good enough for a cheap travel brush or to have one as an extra when you are too lazy to clean your other eye brushes, but it's not the greatest. Especially for using in the crease it just kind of flops around and doesn't deposit the colour placement precisely.
I would not repurchase.
I will add reviews of the couple other brushes I bought when I have used them a bit more.
