At IMATS I came across a booth full of brushes and I'm always on the hunt for new brushes. I love Bdellium Tools which I also saw at IMATS along with Royal and Langnickel Brush Mfg., which I also own one (yup just one) brush from. What caught my eye about Morphé was the shape of the brush handles. The handles are tapered and not straight like some other lines making these look elegant in a way. I have cheap brush from Walmart and Target to Eco-Tool and a couple of Real Technique brushes and of course a bunch of higher quality brushes but all have a similar straight handle while these ones from Morphé look different which caught my eye. If you're familiar with Crown Brushes then you'll recognize these brushes since these are the same brushes. At this point in time I'm not 100% sure if Morphé is part of Crown Brush or what but considering the exact brushes are sold at Morphé and at Crown I think they're sister companies. After talking to the person in charge of the booth I was given several brushes to try. Here's what I was given to try, review and let them know what I think of the brushes. The actual review will be down the road since I'm still testing these brushes out. I DO have to warn those of you who are vegan or against products made with or from animals, you will hate these brushes because these are made from animal fur - specifically these are made from Italian Badger. From the Morphé website:The Italian Badger Series is our signature luxury brush series. Our badger bristle is an ultra soft natural bristle that ensures a natural and flawless application every time. Used with mineral, loose powder and traditional cosmetics, each brush is custom designed with the needs of professionals in mind. This series features a polished chrome ferrule, with a mahogany wood handle coated in a high gloss finish.
IB101 CHISEL DOME DELUXE POWDER $15.95
IB102 POWDER DOME $12.95
IB104 DELUXE SOFT FAN $5.89
IB108 DELUXE OVAL SHADOW $3.78
IB113 TAKLON ANGLE LINER $2.23
IB116 ROUND TAPERED CREASE $2.89
IB117 OVAL TAKLON LIP $2.25
IB118 PRO SPOOLIE $1.72
IB120 JUMBO KABUKI FAN $11.55
IB122 MINI BRONZER $9.50
IB124 ITALIAN BADGER KABUKI $8.99
IB125 METAL EYELASH DEFINER $3.89
IB126 CHISEL BLUSH $9.24
IB127 BLENDING FLUFF $3.30
IB130 FLAT LINER/CAMOUFLAGE $2.13
Total value of brushes: $96.26
Out of all the brushes from the Morphé Italian Badger line that I received the one that I REALLY like and recommend at this time isn't a brush but rather it's the IB125 Eyelash Definer. It is made of metal so if you're skiddish about having pointy metal near your eyes then this isn't for you. What I love about this is that unlike the plastic eyelash groomer the prongs are closer together and sharper so it'll separate your lashes better after you apply mascara. The downside is that because it's metal you have to clean it and dry it after each use otherwise it may rust (I've had the problem with other metal eyelash definers/combs in the past).
From their Duo Fiber Series I received the C406 Large Duo Fiber Face (sells on their site for $8.49) which is a soft blend of goat and synthetic fibers. I believe there have been past reviews on the C406 being a dupe for M•A•C Cosmetics 187 or 188 Duo Fibers brush but off hand I'm not sure which. I do not own any M•A•C Cosmetics brushes at this time so I can't tell you if it is a dupe or if it's not. From the Italian Badger line the remaining brushes are:
IB103 FLAT BRONZER $10.95
IB105 TAPERED BLUSH $6.49
IB106 ANGLE BLUSH $7.09
IB107 OVAL FOUNDATION $3.99
IB109 CHISEL FLUFF $3.09
IB110 MINI OVAL SMUDGER $2.43
IB111 ROUND ANGLE STIPPLER BLNDR $2.99
IB112 BADGER ANGLE BROW $2.34
IB114 OVAL CONCEALER $3.24
IB115 BROW/LASH GROOMER $1.49
IB119 DELUXE CREASE BLENDER $2.99
IB121 FLOCKED SPONGE $2.05
IB123 DELUXE OVAL FOUNDATION $4.99
IB128 ANGLE FLUFF $2.70
IB129 TAKLON MINI LINER $1.81
IB131 ANGLE LINER/SPOOLOE $2.68
IB132 STIFF BROW $1.95
IB133 RETRACTABLE BADGER KABOUKI $7.96
IB134 DELUXE CHISEL BLUSH $6.92
IB135 BULLET CREASE $2.25
While I don't have a full review up yet I can say that these brushes shed a bit and I'm thinking it's due to the fact these are made from animal fur so the length of the fur is not 100% consistent and like human hair will shed. The down side to these brushes are if you have cats - well my kitties at least - think these are their toys. I've already caught two of my cats trying to take off with these brushes.
Right now Morphé is having a sale on all their brushes - 40% off - until July 17, 2012.
Disclaimer: These brushes were given to me by Morphé for my own personal use and to review. These brushes are made from animal fur - ITALIAN BADGER - and are not vegan friendly.
