Brush Envy #2: Zoeva Luxe Complete Set (15 pcs.)
I've had the Zoeva Luxe Complete set since August 2014, but the photography and walkthrough of 15 brushes just put me off writing it. Now I'm really getting into a blogging groove and would love to walk you through of one of my favorite brush sets EVAR!
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| Zoeva Luxe Complete Set 15 pcs - INDIVIDUAL review |
The Face Brushes:
101 Luxe Face Definer - is a MUST-HAVE. The size (half my palm) makes it a joy for quick and loose sweeps of powder to the face but its shape is full enough to dab powder where more coverage is needed. Its tapered shape helps me press into the dips of my face such as under the eyes and nose. This is the softest, fluffiest brush in my collection and when you squeeze the brush head with your own two hands for the first time, all of life's mysteries will be revealed.
126 Luxe Cheek Finish - This pinched blush brush is a teensy bit oversized for me, though otherwise Liz claims is the perfect size for no-fuss blush application. I like the pinched shape anyway because I apply blush in a thin stripe high above my cheekbones.
105 Luxe Highlight
- The shape is the perfect size for creating stripes of light on my face. The dense center of the tapered shape allows me to deposit product where needed while the loose, pointy tip allows me to blend - crucial elements for highlighting.
103 Silk Finish - the ULTIMATE, comparable to Shiseido's Perfect Foundation Brush. It is extremely dense that when pinched, the bristles do not collapse any further inward. They're also perfectly cut so that the surface feels like one soft round sponge instead of multiple bristles. I love this for applying BB cream, though the denseness does mean that it is a bit more wasteful on product.
I like how the face brushes consider a complete face routine: Silk Finish for liquid foundation, Luxe Cheek for blush and contour, Luxe Face to set and Luxe Highlight for highlighting (or blush on smaller faces.) Furthermore, each brush is designed so well for its intended use, I almost can't believe it's only being sold at this price point.
The Eye Brushes:
The eye brushes, to me, are hit-or-miss. Some of these are better than my MACs, while some of them feel lacking and poorly designed.
Crease:
231 Luxe Petit Crease - easily my favorite eye brush from Zoeva. Its bud-shaped head allows me to draw the perfect crease by just patting the side with pigment, while the tapering tip allows me to blend harsh edges.
224 Luxe Defined Crease - isn't as full as the rest and has an awkward flat top. Nonetheless, it is my go-to brush for blending over the whole lid, when all the eyeshadow is done.
221 Luxe Soft Crease - It has a soft, rounded head that's quite dense. The density makes it great for buffing out edges, but I find the brush head a bit too big to actually deposit pigment on the crease.
228 Crease - The bristles are longer, the head is a bit poufier but overall a bit sparser than the 221 Luxe Soft Crease. I find it best, especially being colored black, to buff out problematic smokey eyes. 221 and 228 feel quite redundant to me.
I don't see the point in so many crease brushes but Liz says that multiples are always a good idea when you're working with more colors. As my eyeshadow game is evolving, I'm reaching for more types of eye shadow brushes but I don't really feel that each piece is essential to the set. I could do with 231 Luxe Petit Crease and 224 Luxe Defined Crease alone.
Shadows:
234 Luxe Smoky Shader - This is rounder and fuller than the MAC 239- and I prefer Zoeva's shape over MAC's. I have problems with how the paddle-like 239 creates streaks of pigment that are tricky to blend out. The fuller shape of the Zoeva 234 makes it easier for me to 'diffuse' the smoke.
230 Luxe Pencil - Extremely soft and thus comfortable, this is almost the perfect pencil brush to smudge sticky and creamy liners. My only problem is the point seems to stick out too far and tends to feel pokey when used for blending.
227 Luxe Soft Definer - An attempt at the MAC 217, no doubt. The synthetic-natural mix doesn't do as good a job as the 217 in picking up the perfect amount of pigment. The shape subtly fans out on top, and I'd prefer if it were fuller and rounder around the lower 1/3.
Non-Shadow:
315 Fine Liner - I like this angled liner brush. It has a nice bullet point that firmly and precisely deposits the gel liner where I want it. Angled liner brushes are beginner-friendly but I'm pro enough not to feel the difference (Ha. Kidding. Love the angle forever.)
322 Brow Line - This brow brush is the BOMB! The super short bristles have just the perfect tension to draw solid yet fine hair strands. Furthermore, the asymetrical tip allows me to blend the heads of my brows. I just wish it were fuller so I didn't have to do so many strokes.
317 Wing Liner - I find these kinds of brushes sooo difficult to use, so I admit I kinda only picked this up once since getting it and have not found any other use for it so far.
142 Concealer Buffer - This brush has changed my undereye concealer game. Like the 103 Silk Finish, it is so dense that you can't compress it further. Shaped like a ball, it easily and GENTLY smooths concealer under my eyes.
Overall, I'm completely happy with this set. Being an intermediate makeup user, I appreciate that there is a brush for each and every part of my makeup routine. Some were a bit redundant (especially in the crease area) but I guess I'm still learning to love them because I've only started playing with eye shadows.
The face brushes are all on-point but the eye brushes are a bit hit-or-miss. It's not that they're that bad, it's only in comparison to the superior face brushes that some of the eye brushes feel disappointing.
The Zoeva Luxe Complete set retails for Php 7140.50 at Luxola . I'm pretty sure I got mine at 15% off. If you're in no particular hurry, I once waited for a 40% sale but you have to be heavily in the loop and super quick: Zoeva almost never makes the sale. I think it's super cheap for the quality of the brushes. I mean, how many MAC brushes can I get at 7k, 7? 9? The quality is comparable but here you get 15 brushes. I think that's a steal!
The Luxola link above is my invite link, not an affiliate link. Please help me earn points by signing up through there!
You may also visit zoeva-shop.de for more information. The Zoeva Brush Guide Book has detailed information on each of their brushes.
You may read the previous Brush Envy here.
This is a self-purchased set. I was not approached to produce this review.
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| T-B: 103 Silk Finish, 105 Luxe Highlight, 126 Luxe Cheek Finish, 101 Luxe Face Definer |
126 Luxe Cheek Finish - This pinched blush brush is a teensy bit oversized for me, though otherwise Liz claims is the perfect size for no-fuss blush application. I like the pinched shape anyway because I apply blush in a thin stripe high above my cheekbones.
103 Silk Finish - the ULTIMATE, comparable to Shiseido's Perfect Foundation Brush. It is extremely dense that when pinched, the bristles do not collapse any further inward. They're also perfectly cut so that the surface feels like one soft round sponge instead of multiple bristles. I love this for applying BB cream, though the denseness does mean that it is a bit more wasteful on product.
I like how the face brushes consider a complete face routine: Silk Finish for liquid foundation, Luxe Cheek for blush and contour, Luxe Face to set and Luxe Highlight for highlighting (or blush on smaller faces.) Furthermore, each brush is designed so well for its intended use, I almost can't believe it's only being sold at this price point.
The Eye Brushes:
The eye brushes, to me, are hit-or-miss. Some of these are better than my MACs, while some of them feel lacking and poorly designed.
Crease:
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| T-B: 231 Luxe Petit Crease, 224 Luxe Defined Crease, 221 Luxe Soft Crease, 228 Crease |
224 Luxe Defined Crease - isn't as full as the rest and has an awkward flat top. Nonetheless, it is my go-to brush for blending over the whole lid, when all the eyeshadow is done.
228 Crease - The bristles are longer, the head is a bit poufier but overall a bit sparser than the 221 Luxe Soft Crease. I find it best, especially being colored black, to buff out problematic smokey eyes. 221 and 228 feel quite redundant to me.
I don't see the point in so many crease brushes but Liz says that multiples are always a good idea when you're working with more colors. As my eyeshadow game is evolving, I'm reaching for more types of eye shadow brushes but I don't really feel that each piece is essential to the set. I could do with 231 Luxe Petit Crease and 224 Luxe Defined Crease alone.
Shadows:
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| T-B: 234 Luxe Smoky Shader, 230 Luxe Pencil, 227 Luxe Soft Definer |
230 Luxe Pencil - Extremely soft and thus comfortable, this is almost the perfect pencil brush to smudge sticky and creamy liners. My only problem is the point seems to stick out too far and tends to feel pokey when used for blending.
Non-Shadow:
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| T-B: 315 Fine Liner, 322 Brow Line, 317 Wing Liner, 142 Concealer Buffer |
322 Brow Line - This brow brush is the BOMB! The super short bristles have just the perfect tension to draw solid yet fine hair strands. Furthermore, the asymetrical tip allows me to blend the heads of my brows. I just wish it were fuller so I didn't have to do so many strokes.
142 Concealer Buffer - This brush has changed my undereye concealer game. Like the 103 Silk Finish, it is so dense that you can't compress it further. Shaped like a ball, it easily and GENTLY smooths concealer under my eyes.
Overall, I'm completely happy with this set. Being an intermediate makeup user, I appreciate that there is a brush for each and every part of my makeup routine. Some were a bit redundant (especially in the crease area) but I guess I'm still learning to love them because I've only started playing with eye shadows.
The face brushes are all on-point but the eye brushes are a bit hit-or-miss. It's not that they're that bad, it's only in comparison to the superior face brushes that some of the eye brushes feel disappointing.
The Zoeva Luxe Complete set retails for Php 7140.50 at Luxola . I'm pretty sure I got mine at 15% off. If you're in no particular hurry, I once waited for a 40% sale but you have to be heavily in the loop and super quick: Zoeva almost never makes the sale. I think it's super cheap for the quality of the brushes. I mean, how many MAC brushes can I get at 7k, 7? 9? The quality is comparable but here you get 15 brushes. I think that's a steal!
The Luxola link above is my invite link, not an affiliate link. Please help me earn points by signing up through there!
You may also visit zoeva-shop.de for more information. The Zoeva Brush Guide Book has detailed information on each of their brushes.
You may read the previous Brush Envy here.
This is a self-purchased set. I was not approached to produce this review.