Crownbrush C439, C468 + SS025 Makeup Brush Reviews

Crownbrush are my favourite makeup brush brand, above Sigma and Real Techniques. I love how affordable their brushes are as well as being incredible quality. Their brushes are so varied in price to suit all budgets from £1.29 to £19.79 with both natural and synthetic bristles. I really like that Crownbrush are constantly releasing new ranges and brushes too. I've featured quite a few Crownbrush makeup brushes thus far (here), (here) and (here) and I have three new additions to my Crownbrush Makeup Brush collection..

Crownbrush C439 Deluxe Round Buffer £14.69*

I'm going to start by saying I adore this C439 brush. For applying my foundation, I usually use either my Real Techniques Expert Face Brush or my Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge. However since getting my hands on this C439 Deluxe Round Buffer, I've not used any other brush to apply my foundation. The C439 is quite short at 14.3cm long, but fits perfectly in the hand for application. It feels quite weighty and very well made. The bristles are synthetic, 3cm long in length and incredibly silky. The bristles are densely packed within the ferrule, and are shaped into a round, domed shape which allows for buffing motions. Even though the bristles are quite dense, they still retain good movement which is why this is such a good buffing brush. The diameter of the bristles on the C439 are about the same size as a £2 coin so it's so big I can't apply foundation around my nose, or eyes.. but is big enough to be used on the entirety of my face. 

The synthetic bristles mean that they don't absorb too much product, so wastage is minimised. I like to put foundation onto the back of my hand, dip the brush into it and then start from the centre of my face and work my way outwards by buffing the foundation into my skin in small, circular motions. The C439 applies my foundation incredibly quickly, and evenly which really impressed me from the very first use. I like how I can use this brush to apply my foundation all over my face, without having to use a smaller, more precise brush around and under my eyes. It's such a fantastic do-it-all foundation brush, that creates such a flawless and even base that's thoroughly buffed in and undetectable on the skin. Sometimes I like to use this C439 to apply my face primer of choice first, and then apply foundation on the days where my skin is particularly dry, as it helps the brush move more smoothly across my dry patches.

Crownbrush SS025 Syntho Brow Duo £3.99*

When the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dip Brow Pomade launched last year, their Synthetic Duo Brow Brush also got popular although at £15 it's ridiculously expensive for what it is. However Crownbrush have the most amazing dupe which is completely identical for just £3.99. One end of the brush is a black spoolie which is really good quality, and due to how many bristles there are within it.. it blends brow products really effectively. The other end is a synthetic, angled brush which is great at creating small, delicate hair-like strokes with powder to build up definition gradually for a more natural effect. Once I've added multiple strokes of powder through the entirety of my brow, I then use the spoolie end to gently blend through to remove any harsh lines or strokes of powder. It's the PERFECT brow brush, and that's not a proclaim I take lightly. £3.99 is such good value, and I cannot recommend and rave about this little beauty enough.

Crownbrush C468 Smokey Eye Liner Brush £3.99*

The last brush I have to share is an exciting one as it hasn't even launched on the Crownbrush website yet.. so this is a sneak preview. The C468 Smokey Eye Liner Brush has its bristles tapered into a sharp point which allow for a good, precise line when used with gel liner. Equally it works well when used with eyeshadow, to smudge it along the upper and lower lashline for more of a softer, smokier look. The bristles are thicker in width than a conventional liner brush, which makes the bristles quite stiff, so the brush can be used on its side as well as on the point itself.. without too much movement, so to create an even line. 

I like to use this C468 brush in a black matte eyeshadow, to then press the point in-between my lashes to create more definition and to give my lashes a fuller appearance. Also after applying a pencil liner, this brush is ideal to use straight after application before it sets to smudge the liner a little, and to then wing it out slightly too. I find it so much easier to do winged eyeliner with this brush as it glides across the skin so smoothly in one single motion. You could even use this brush to apply shadow through your brows too, as the point is so precise... Or you could use it for precision concealing too, or drawing artificial freckles. It's a very versatile, little brush which is undoubtedly going to be a massive hit for Crownbrush when it's launched - and again for under £4, it's insanely cheap and a definite must-buy for eyeliner wearers. 

e.l.f. 'Guava' Mineral Moisturising Lip Tint - The 1/2 Price Revlon Lip Butter Dupe

During one of e.l.f.'s recent 50% promo events, I bought this Mineral Moisturising Lip Tint for just £1.75. I'd never seen or heard of these tints before but their description sounded promising, and definitely worth a try. There are eight shades available, but I chose Guava as I know it's typically an orangey coral shade which I tend to gravitate towards. e.l.f. describe their Mineral Moisturising Lip Tints as 'nourish, pamper and treat the lips with this super emollient, lip quenching colour' that contains Shea Butter, Jojoba Oil, Coconut Oil and Vitamin E as well as an SPF of 8. They claim to give your lips a 'just-bitten' tint, as well as nourishing chapped lips.

The tint is a black plastic tube which winds up. The packaging does look and feel very cheap, however that's the same across the board with e.l.f's products as they are cheap - the product inside is what matters as long as the packaging is functional. It applies easily, and glides across the lips just like a Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter. However the bullet is so thin and narrow, I'm always worried I'm going to snap it.. I'm used to lipbalms, tints and lipsticks being a lot thicker in size. The Mineral Moisturising Lip Tint doesn't have any scent to it, but it does have a very sweet taste which I like. I feel like along with the tint, it covers the lips in a moisturising layer which doesn't absorb into the lips but leaves the lips feeling comfortable whilst it's being worn nonetheless. I can't honestly say that my lips are left feeling moisturised once the tint has worn off, which I expected considering its name so a little disappointing.

The pigmentation of this e.l.f Mineral Moisturising Lip Tint is really impressive, leaving the lips a pretty peach shade. Compared to the Revlon Lip Butter's the colour intensity is a lot better, and long lasting. With the Revlon Lip Butters I find that they fade so quickly, but this tint lasts at least 2-3 hours. In terms of moisturisation I'd say that the Revlon and e.l.f. offerings are on par, in that they feel moisturising enough whilst on the lips, but once they've faded the lips don't feel any better nor worse for applying them.

For £3.50 I have to say I really like this e.l.f Mineral Moisturising Lip Tint and much prefer it to the Revlon Lip Butters, as it's so much more comfortable.. tastes lovely, and has such intense colour pay-off. If e.l.f. have another big promo event, I'll definitely buy a couple of other shades as for £1.75 they're amazing and I really recommend them, even if they're not intensively moisturising.