I recently purchased the Sedona LaceMidnight Lace Synthetic Brush Set ($49.95) because the company had a 20% sale off of everything in store. I thought it was a good time to revisit the brand and try out the Midnight Lace Synthetic Brush Set ($39.95 with the 20% off) which highly resembles the Sigma Synthetic Kabuki Set ($62 for 4 brushes).
I won’t be comparing this set to the Sigma Synthetic Kabuki brush set here as the review will become far too long. I will write a separate comparison post describing the two brush sets in greater details. I have had experience with the company when I purchased the Sedona Lace 12 Piece Professional Makeup Brushes – Pink ($59.95 before $49.95).
I became intrigued when Sedona Lace came out with their Midnight Lace Synthetic Brush Set which contains 4 brushes, 3 of which are similar to the very popular Sigma F80, F82, and F84 brushes. I spent a lot of time pondering over it, and waited for some time before even thinking about purchasing these brushes. I spent a lot of time researching and reading reviews about these brushes before jumping the bandwagon and eventually became convinced that over the years, they have invested some time and money in improving their brush lines. I ordered 2 sets from Sedona Lace. Shipping was around $12 (which hurts a lot) but I can’t really complain as it is USPS that raised the shipping cost.
The Brushes
The set comes with 4 brushes and I have included the Sigma equivalents (I own and use all four brushes):
- Round Top Powder Brush, similar to the Sigma F82 Round Top Kabuki Brush
- Flat Top Powder Brush, similar to the Sigma F80 Flat Top Kabuki Brush
- Angle Top Powder Brush, similar to the Sigma F84 Angled Kabuki Brush
- Kabuki Brush – Midnight Lace with black handle, similar to the Sigma F45 brush
Aesthetics and Value
For 4 brushes, the price works out to be $12.49/brush (within the Midnight Lace set) which is a fair price compared to Sigma’s $15.50/brush price tag on the Synthetic set. Aside from the cost savings, I love the pink/dark purple (almost black) color combination on the bristles. As much as I love Sigma’s black/white bristles, I have never owned brushes that is this colorful and I loved the idea of brightening up my brush collection with this set. Finally, I was curious that there is an “identical” and cheaper alternative brush set to the popular Sigma ones, and I wanted to know if they could deliver the same quality.
The brushes arrived in a colorful organza bag as you can see here, along with an information booklet about the brushes. Very standard practice so far. The booklet is printed on high-quality card stock paper and some of the information is embossed onto the paper which makes it very pleasing to read and very sturdy.
They also gave me four eyeshadow samples; these are about the size of a dime, similar in size to the eyeshadows found in the 88 palettes. The quality of the eyeshadows are so-so; while they are not atrociously bad, they are on the sheerer side. They apply well when swatched, and feels smooth. The four colors are: matte cream/light beige color, turqoise/teal blue, bright bubblegum pink, and shimmery copper color – two very wearable colors, but not necessarily colors that go well together (in my opinion at least). The four shades are definitely very usable and my favourites are the matte cream and shimmery copper color.
Quality and Performance
What I was most curious about is the quality of the Sedona Lace brushes and whether they are comparable to Sigma Beauty’s. At a glance, you can see the similarities from the length, and size of the handles as well as the density of the bristles. Aside from the color of the bristles, and the numbering/naming system, there is very little difference between the brushes. My first test for these brushes is the washing; I did not experience any shedding or bleeding with any of the Sigma Synthetic Kabuki brushes and I wanted to know if these brushes can handle the washing. Sedona Lace’s brushes did not bleed or shed during the washing. Similar to the Sigma brushes, they took a long time to dry (I had to leave it out for 2 days to fully dry).
The density of the bristles are quite similar as you can see in the pictures below. There is hardly any difference between the density of this brush and the comparable Sigma one.
My next test is the product application. Without switching any of the makeup products I use, I tested each one of the brushes with different products that I use on a daily basis. I used the flat top brush with my liquid foundation, the angled top brush to apply my cream bronzer, the round top brush to apply my powder blush, and lastly, the kabuki brush to apply setting powder to set my makeup. I did this test for one full week (7 days) to see if there are any significant difference between this and my Sigma brushes, and again, I could hardly tell that I was using a different set of brushes.
Customer Service
I had to make a correction to my order (to order a SECOND set) and was able to get in touch with someone right away via the Live Chat. I was really impressed as I had little difficulty in adding the second set, and I was charged only an additional $2 in shipping (which wasn’t a lot since at the shipping cost was initially $10). I spoke to Leah who was very professional and resolved my “issue” immediately.
Overall, the Sedona LaceMidnight Lace Synthetic Brush Set has exceeded my expectations in delivering its promise. The brushes feel much sturdier and more durable than the last time I ordered from them. I’m pleased with this order and highly recommend this brush set as an alternative to the Sigma Synthetic Kabuki brushes.
Where to buy: Sedona Lace ($49.95; $4 off with the code SUZANNA and free shipping US-only with $50+ order with code 50FREE)
What do you think of this brush set? Are you thinking of picking it up?