Beautiful Name, Beautiful Brushes #kireicosmetics

Press Sample.  All opinions are my own.

Hello, Fireflies!

Do you remember the first time you tasted something that then became your favorite flavor of all time?  I feel that way about makeup brushes! I was the girl who always used the sponge applicators that came in my cosmetics, because that's what my mom did, and it's all I knew.  The first year I went to The Makeup Show Orlando, I had a friend take me over to Crown Brush and make me buy a brush.. and now I can't get enough - I want to try all the styles, and all the brands.

Now, even though I have brushes from well-known and expensive brands, they are not always my go-to brush! There are some real hidden gems, and I may have found another with Kirei Cosmetics.

Let's just get this out of the way first, so you can suffer as I have.  Every time I say, "Kirei", I think, "Kyrie Eleison" from Mr. Mister. 

But, they're not related.  'Kirei' is Japanese for 'beautiful.'  While we should all feel beautiful with or without makeup, sometimes I can use a little help - and I love using a good brush to get there.

The set comes with 10 brushes, and a faux-leather box case that closes with a magnetic seal, or can double as two brush holders.  Very convenient!

I think this set comes with just about everything a beginner needs, and some great brushes that everyone will go back to.  If you're just starting out, there's a pamphlet with a breakdown of each brush, and what it's designed for.  Each brush handle is clearly labeled for easy reference.

The face brushes come with little drying nets that help the brushes keep their shape after being washed, or during travel.  I love these little guys, but I always lose them.  All of the other brushes come in a plastic sleeve.

Lately, I find myself gravitating towards synthetic brushes like these.  Aside from being cruelty-free, they also clean easier than many natural-hair brushes, and are known for working better with cream products.  I wash my brushes after each use, and I'm not always the gentlest with them - quality synthetic brushes like these seem to hold up better, shed less, and keep their shape well.  I've washed these several times, and aside from pulling out a few uneven hairs the first time, I haven't seen any shedding, or noticed any misshapen brushes.

For me, my two biggest concerns with makeup brushes is that they have to be soft, and they have to perform.  All of these brushes are really nice and soft.  The stippling brush is probably my favorite..even though I don't use it for stippling!  I like duo-fiber brushes like this for applying really pigmented blushes with a light application, and easy blending. 

In addition to the Kirei brushes for application, I also used the following for this look:  Sephora Mixed Metals Baked Eye and Face Palette, Bite Beauty lip primer under MAC Frank-N-Furter lipstick, Cover FX Blemish Treatment Concealer (Press Sample), IT Cosmetics Celebration Foundation Illumination powder in Light, Billion Dollar Brows Universal Brow Pencil (Press Sample), Laura Geller Waterproof Eye Spackle Hues in Neutralizer, Laura Geller Glamlash mascara, and Stila Stay All Day waterproof liquid liner in Intense Black.

In creating this smoky look with a bright red lip, I discovered that I really loved the eye shadow blending brush for, well, blending, and the concealer brush with a little spritz of setting spray for patting down the metallic eye shadows.  The powder brush isn't stiff enough for me to apply powder foundation - it's better suited for setting or finishing powders, in my opinion.

Going for a neutral glow with Cuepido Put-On Wonder liquid foundation (Press Sample), Laura Geller Blush-N-Brighten in Tropic Hues, Kiko Desert Moon Highlighter in Desert Rose, Ulta Gel Bounce Eyeshadow palette, L'Oreal Infallible Lipgloss in Posy, Billion Dollar Brows Universal Brow Pencil (Press Sample), and Lancome Definicils mascara.

Even though I prefer a dense buffing style of brush, or even a blending sponge for liquid foundation, I wanted to see how this paddle brush fared - and I have to say, it surprised me with how well it performed.  The angled blush brush worked great for applying a very pigmented and shimmery blush, and the large powder brush worked well for applying a little illuminating powder as a finishing touch.  The eyeshadows had a better payoff when applied with the finger, but that's just the way these gel/bouncy formulas are.

Inspired by my favorite brush in the set, I made my nails into stippling brushes by starting with Maybelline Bold Gold, then using a fan brush to apply my white polish and Zoya Desiree.

I think anyone who has been using makeup brushes for awhile would be hard pressed to love every brush in a pre-made set, but this set has a lot of great brushes that feel good on the skin, and perform well.  I have my own preferences for a stiffer blending foundation brush instead of the paddle brush, but the awesome duo-fiber brush is worth the trade-off.  If you're looking for a synthetic, cruelty-free brush set, you might want to check out Kirei Cosmetics.  They can be found on their website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and on Amazon, where this set currently retails for $49.97.