Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I have a lot of makeup brushes and am always looking for more, especially dupes for MAC and Sigma brushes. I mainly hoard eye makeup brushes and like to purchase them individually to get exactly what I need, but went ahead and got this set because it ends up being $3/brush. If you are looking to get started without having to decipher Morphe/Crown brush numerology, this is a great set that will give you everything you need. Let me get the bad out of the way first: the SMELL. These brushes WREAKED of chemical/solvent smell. I assume it is the glue. It took a day or so for the smell to dissipate, but I washed them all before use anyway. I was pretty gentle with washing, so I didn’t have problems reshaping them. I do love that Beauty Junkees provides instructions and followup tips/tricks and the bag, although nothing special, is the perfect size for brushes. It is pretty wide so that brushes don’t get damaged being stuffed into the bag! These brushes are on par with budget brands like Morphe and Crown, which are also decent dupes for MAC and Sigma. I have mostly Sigma (and Morphe dupes) eye brushes, so I’ve compared these Beauty Junkie brushes to them. Some of the Beauty Junkees brushes are a wee bit longer, and sometimes they are thicker/fluffier, sometimes not. That doesn’t actually make them better if what you are seeking is precision. However, all brushes applied color evenly and with the density expected. They are also very soft, which I didn’t expect from pony hair brushes (I prefer sable over pony). I didn’t really have a problem with any of the brushes I tested. All-over Shader - Compared to Sigma E55, B&H Cosmetics 23 This is my go-to type of brush to pack on color quickly. It is firm and gives a good coat of color. I use it all over, even in the crease - using the tip to apply precise color then blend it out w/ another brush. I usually like to have several of these on hand, including my MAC 252 and Sigma E60, which are larger brushes. I chose to compare only to the brushes that I had that were pretty much the same size. The BJ brush is slightly longer than the Sigma and B&H Cosmetics brush. The BJ brush is slightly thicker than Sigma but not as thick as the B&H. (The MAC equivalent for this brush would be the 239, but I couldn’t find mine to compare.) Blending - Compared to Sigma E25, Morphe M433 This is my #2 type of brush. I normally use 2-3 during my makeup routine for more controlled application of different crease colors and then to blend out them out. (As you can see, mine are well-loved/stained/used!) This brush is a little bit longer than both the Sigma and Morphe brushes and also has a different layered/pointed shape. This brush is good for getting precise color into the crease of the eye and would work well for a very defined crease and cut crease look. I think this brush will not wear as well as the Sigma (which is synthetic) and end up looking frazzled like my Morphe ones bc of the layering of different bristle lengths and because it’s a natural fiber. It’s also not as thick as the other two brushes as well. (The MAC equivalent for this brush would be the 217, but mine is missing!) Tapered Blending - Compared to Sigma E40, Morphe M330 This is a bigger fluffy brush and I use this type to blend out everything in the end, and not so much for color application. BJ’s brush is also a bit longer, wider, fluffier than the Sigma and Morphe. The Morphe actually has more of a pointed shape and is similar in shape to the BJ Blending (white one). BJ’s brush smaller than the B&H 12 tho (which I didn’t photograph bc it’s so much larger), but it is also large enough to be used as a nose/cupid’s bow highlighter. (MAC equiv is 224.) Pencil Brush - Compared to Sigma E30, Morphe M431, MAC 219 The BJ brush is slightly longer, but also nice and pointed. I didn’t have too much of a problem getting the precision I needed, but it is not a true dupe for the MAC 219, which is a good deal shorter and more pointed. The thickness was on par with MAC tho, while the Sigma and Morphe brushes are almost identical and a tiny bit smaller in circumference. I use this for outer-V color, precise crease color, inner eye and lower lid smudging/grunge look. I also use this shape brush to do a splash of color in the inner arch? - I don’t even know what to call it, but it’s the gold color in the last photo of Jem makeup. Angled Shader - Compared to Sigma E70 The BJ brush is slightly longer and a little bit narrower. For this type of brush, used mainly as a highlighter, the extra length is not a problem. I don’t use this brush often tho; I use the all-over shader to do by brown bone. (MAC equiv is 275.) Eye liner - Compared to Sigma E65 I don’t use these as much unless I want a thicker cat eye using cream/gel liner. The BJ brush is pretty much the same size as the Sigma, but more angled. If I do use this type of brush, it’s on my eyebrows to fill in gel color. (MAC equiv is 263.) There are a few I probably won’t use too much: the two flat eye liners and the crease brush. The angled one is a little too big for my needs and the flat one is way too big but could be useful for really precise color to the lower lash line. It is nice and stiff. I tend to use 1/8” artist paintbrushes instead of actual eyeliner brushes. The crease brush is smaller version of the tapered blending brush, but is synthetic fiber so it might not pick up color as well. But I’m sure I’ll grab it every now and then to blend if I don’t have a clean blender handy. Or I may try it out with my Colorpop cream eyeshadows. I was going to give only 4 stars because of the smell, but after writing all this and reflecting on the products and value, 5 stars! I received a discount for my honest opinion, which I have provided.