My latest brush acquisition is this Elite Mirror 5 Brush Set from Artis Brush.

Over the years, I have seen these brushes pop up online every so often. I have been been generally intrigued by it. I first saw this modern makeup brush from MAC. However, upon seeing the design sensibility of Artis,  I wanted to have one.

Nat passed on to me this Elite Mirror 5 Brush Set during my recent trip to New York. He had this in stock but he never used it. This set comes with:

 

 

 

 

This set retails for $165 with a $210 value.

Nat and I have discussed the ergonomic design of this brush in detail. Using this for the first time will take some getting used to. We have come to the conclusion that it is easier to use this brush on oneself than using it on somebody else.

The brush heads of Artis are designed to be like the pad of your fingertips. Therefore the movement in makeup application is the same as that when you are using your fingers.

The bristles on the brush are very compact but very soft. It’s the same sensation as running your fingers through a very fine piece of Persian carpet. I used this on Suzi Abrera when I did her makeup for the show (MARS) we work on, she found them to be very soft. The bristles glide smoothly. She said it was like a cross between a brush and a sponge.

The fibres are called Cosmefibre. Synthetically produced to be more superior than that of natural animal bristles. These fibres do not absorb any product. This means more product is delivered unto the skin, less residue on the brush.

I have used this with cream, liquid and powdered products. It’s very versatile. I have used these for foundation, cream and powder blush, concealer, powder and cream eyeshadow, eyeliner, gel and powdered eyebrow products and lipstick. It does the job, with a little bit of practice.

I clean my Artis brush heads the same way I clean my traditional brushes. Although Artis has it’s own cleaning system. I find it too extravagant and wasteful (click here to see their full range of cleaning products.). I still prefer to clean my brushes on the palm of my hands or on a brush cleaning pad with an anti-bacterial washing agent.

Over time, as a makeup artist, you will find your own rhythm, your own style, your own process. The tools you use will adapt to this. As an artist, you can use any brush to suit your needs at any given time. As with any other brush, there is no one specific way that you have to use them. What works for you might not necessarily work for other, and that is totally fine!

To see tips on how to individually use the brushes featured in this blog, here are a few videos from the Artis Brush Youtube page:

The Oval 6:

The Oval 4:

The Oval 3:

The Circle 1:

The Linear 1:

Artis Brushes are made by Japanese manufacturing company Taiki. The brushes however are produced in China. The brain behind the redesigned brushes from Artis is former MAC executive Mathew Waitesmith.