Sephora Collection Deluxe Antibacterial Brush Set | Review.

I’m excited to review the second half of the brush sets I recently picked up from Wal-Mart. This particular set is supposedly an exact dupe of the Sephora CollectionDeluxe Antibacterial Brush Set ($78, available here). I found these brush sets by accident – a post on the Sephora Forum alerted me to a possible dupe to the higher-priced Sephora version. It is a common secret that when big companies create their own in-house brand, they typically outsource production of those products to manufacturers who already make the same products in order to capitalize on existing machinery and pay lower price due to economies of scale. So it came as no surprise to me, that this brush set could be a potential dupe to the Sephora version.

The 7-Piece Deluxe Cosmetic Brush Set with Case from Wal-Mart ($14, walmart.ca) comes with 2 face brushes, 4 eye brushes as well as a lip brush and priced competitively at $14 compared to $78 that Sephora charges. I bought this brush set on clearance as well at $3.50, which works out to be $0.50 per brush. I do not have the original Sephora CollectionDeluxe Antibacterial Brush Set to compare it to, so I will not compare the two. However, I will review this brush set based on its merits, and objectively to give you a sense of the product and its pro/cons.

Firstly, can we take a moment to appreciate the beauty of the handle (black handle with gold glitter) and the ferrules (gold). The snakeskin-patterned case, while functional, is not something that can be reused to use carry your existing brushes as the slots are designed to fit the brushes that come in this set. After doing a number of comparisons with some of my existing brushes, I find that the length of these brush is similar to my existing full-handle brushes so it still may fit a couple of your existing brushes.

Face Brushes

The first face brush is a face powder brush. Nothing about the shape stood out to me – it felt and looked like most powder brushes I own. What surprised me most though, is the softness of the brush! If you were to blindfold me and gave me a couple of brushes to compare it to, I would not be able to tell the difference. Despite the softness of the brush, it is still firm, and not flimsy at all. I have been using this brush a lot to apply my HourglassAmbient Lighting Powder.

The second brush is a foundation brush. When I first looked at it, I was slightly confused – while it has that distinguishable shape of a regular foundation brush, it was too short to be one. Additionally, it is more densely packed and fluffier than most synthetic foundation brushes I am used to seeing. Now, I have never been a fan of foundation brushes that have this shape, so I typically try to find alternate uses for these types of brushes. So far I have been loving it as an eye brush (to pat colours on the brow bone) and as a concealer brush! Personally, it worked much better for me when I don’t use it as a foundation brush, although I am sure it will work equally well as a foundation brush.

Eye Brushes

The shader brush in this set is identical to the one from the Rose Gold brush set that I reviewed earlier. It has thicker bristles than the eyeshadow brushes I own, and a slightly rounded top that is also wider. For me, this brush is a two-in-one; I can use the flat side to apply eyeshadow colour, and turn the brush on its side to blend out the colours. The wider dimension of the head makes it perfect for many lid sizes, and I can see this working on many people.

Next, we have an angled eyeshadow brush which is perfect for doing precise work around the crease of the eyes. This brush is unique to my collection; it feels fluffy and densely packed with bristles. It is great to use around the crease, particularly when outlining the outer-v.

There is also an eyeliner brush that has a straight, flat shape. Again, unique to my collection, and definitely very nice to have to do precise eyeliner work around the eyes. The bristles are thin, but firm. It worked well to apply gel/cream-based liner under the eyes.

The last eye brush included in this set is an eyebrow brush. I am quite indifferent to the quality of it looked and felt the same as my existing eyebrow brushes; it’s just always nice to have a back up this type of brush.

The very last brush we have is a lip brush; its thin and flat shape is perfect to apply colours precisely on the lips. Initially, this brush didn’t strike me as being a lip brush – I guessed that it was another eyeshadow brush. However, the great thing about it is that it is one of those brushes that can be functional in multiple ways – I have tried using this brush to apply glitter on the eyes, and as a concealer brush. Both methods (on top of being a lip brush) worked well for me.

I am not sure whether this brush set has always been at Wal-Mart or whether it was a one-time find. I got really lucky as I purchased these brush sets for $3.50 since it was on clearance at the time. I have been incredibly pleased and impressed with the brush sets I purchased – I would not have even guessed that they were bought at Wal-Mart at all!

At only $14 for a brush set consisting of 7 full-sized brushes this brush set is absolutely worth it in terms of the price point. Additionally, a number of these brushes are unique to my ever expanding collection which I appreciate, so there isn’t much redundancy with the tools. All the brushes felt well-made, the bristles felt firm and great at what it does. All the brushes are soft, and if you were to blindfold me and made me guess, I would not be able to tell the difference. Despite my low expectations for the overall quality, I was completely proven wrong; The brushes did not shed nor did it bleed during the last 3-4 washing.

At $14, it is a worthwhile deal and a huge bargain; I was able to snag one during clearance for $3.50 so keep an eye out for the set potentially going on sale as you can save a lot of money in the process.