E.L.F Stipple Brush: Review

A couple of weeks ago I treated myself to some products from E.L.F, including a new set of make up brushes which I have been testing out. Here is my first review on the brushes which will be about the Studio Stipple Brush which costs £3.75. Here's what E.L.F say about what the brush does:

This new antibacterial, synthetic haired Taklon brush is softer and more ansorbent and can be used with wet or dry products. Be a professional makeup artist and create a flawless look with this e.l.f. Studio brush! The layered bristles create a soft airbrushed look that's perfect for applying foundation or adding colour definition to cheekbones or highlighting with soft layers. Use this brush with any liquid or powder face product such as foundation, blush or bronzer to build your coverage from sheer to heavy.

This is a duo fibre brush with short, black hair-like fibres and longer, white more plasticky fibres. I think that this looks a lot more expensive than it is. The silver embossed writing is gorgeous and the ferrule (metal bit) doesn't wobble. I have not experienced any shedding with this brush either. I haven't got any other stipple brushes to compare this to, but I've seen the Real Techniques one in the packet and I'd say the E.L.F brush has longer bristles. 

I use it by pouring some foundation on my hand and then tapping the brush in the foundation. I then use a bouncing motion with the brush to get the product all over the face, at this point the foundation looks a bit dappled. To blend it out, I use very small circular motions, not applying pressure,  just using the weight of the brush. This brush isn't very dense, so if you apply pressure so the bristles will become splayed and you will just move the product around the face, rather than buffing it in. This is quite time consuming, so I wouldn't use this brush if you are in a hurry! Using this brush creates a really airbrushed effect and I find I get quite full coverage too.

This brush is quite soft if you stroke it over your face (that sounds weird, but you know what I mean!), however when I use the stippling motion it feels a little bit spiky, nothing major but it's a tad uncomfortable.

The Verdict

This is my first stipple brush, but I really like it. It seems to increase the coverage of base products and creates a lovely finish. However, I would only use this if I had a lot of time to spare, as you have to be patient in order to get results. I wish the white fibres were less prickly at the ends, but overall, I think it's an absolute bargain.