Review (5/5): PRO quality brushes at drugstore prices
vela.yue brand offers hands down some of the best makeup brushes anywhere, regardless of price. Folks, this is the unicorn of makeup brushes - they are super-high quality even for professional level use, yet offered at drugstore prices. Cost-wise, 3-5 vela.yue brushes can equal the cost of ONE of my (much lesser quality) MAC brushes.
I've washed these brushes and used them for several months - they've proven to pick up and apply product amazingly well. I was initially skeptical of their description of their bristle technology, but am totally convinced seeing the difference in feel and especially application of product. Build quality is very solid, no loose hairs even while washing. Measurements given are accurate, so pay attention to those if It matters to you. After I bought one brush, I went and bought almost all of their other synthetic hair brushes, and multiples of many of them - even if I didn't have an immediate use for some, as they are THAT good. This is from someone who LOVES and appreciates high quality tools. I was NOT compensated in any way for these reviews, I used my own hard-earned money to buy these brushes. The rest of this review will be about the individual brush(es) I purchased so you have an idea of individual brush performance. FYI, I now only use high-end mineral powder makeup products (moderate coverage on most days, full coverage on days with presentations/meetings - professional level application), and only use synthetic hair makeup brushes, so my reviews will be pertinent to these details.
I already own and have been using 31+ vela.yue brushes for close to a year, so getting this kit of 15 more brushes is an extravagance, needless to say. (We're not even going to talk about the ~ 70 other makeup brushes I've purchased before, other than to say I've given almost all of those away, even my MAC ones. These vela.yue ones really are THAT GOOD.). I was a bit wary of the wood handles, as I had only the vela.yue black metal-handled ones. But I should've known not to have worried - the wood is super-smooth and has tight connections to the metal ferrules, and the bristles have the signature vela.yue quality - super-soft tips, perfect density for each individual brush's purpose, and again they pick up and apply products absolutely beautifully and consistently. The quality is consistent in every single brush in this kit - not like some kits where the smaller brushes suffer. There really is no reason to buy any other brands - and the only reason I'm stocking up is to hoard them for a lifetime's worth of use (easily achieved with their level of quality). Well, that and I'm a makeup brush connoisseur :)
Again, cannot stress how much I LOVE these brushes!! Wish everything was made at this high level of quality and pricepoint!!
* tip: some brush prices are better in their eBay store.