Review: Sigma F80 Brush

Hi there =] Today I'll be reviewing the Sigma Flat Top Synthetic Kabuki F80 brush that was sent to me by Sigma Beauty to review for your guys. I've reviewed Sigma brushes before so I was delighted to be given the opportunity to review another. The shipping was really fast (it took about a week to reach me from the US).

The items came in a red pouch

(Package was in a yellow bubble wrap-padded envelope)

This is one of Sigma's new brushes under the Sigmax Brush line which has been designed for high definition makeup application. The brushes in this collection have been specially designed for applying powder and liquid products without any of it absorbing into the fibers of the brush hairs.

I was really excited about trying this brush because it's so different compared to the brushes out of the Sigma range that are used for applying foundation. The most popular styles of brushes used to apply foundation are paddle brushes and stippling brushes but now Sigma has introduced a range of kabuki brushes for the application face products. Here's an overview of the Flat Top Synthetic Kabuki:

It has a very flat top, flat enough to allow the brush to stand up on its own

The F80 Flat Top Kabuki brush is perfect for applying and blending liquid, cream and powder products onto the skin. The flat surface allows perfect buffing with flawless results. Synthetic Sigmax HD filament. (Price: $16.00)

Look how dense the hairs are on this brush!

I decided to test this out with a sample of Shiseido Perfect Refining Foundation Teint Lissant Perfecteur in 140 Natural Fair Ivory which I picked up at my local Shiseido counter. I currently don't use a liquid foundation (I use one with a thicker, cream texture) so I thought that this would be the perfect opportunity for me to test the foundation and the brush, which is supposedly perfect for liquid foundation.

I buffed some on my cheek.

The foundation looks a few shades darker than my actual shade but once it's blended it, it matches my skin tone

All blended in with the Sigma F80

Shiseido foundation: medium to heavy coverage

Back to the brush, I had very high expectations for this brush prior to use which wasn't a bad thing because the brush actually did meet my expectations. Referring to the image above, it was such a perfect application of foundation! No streaky marks, nicely blended and gave me a flawless-looking face.

The fibers/hairs are EXTREMELY soft! I can't emphasise that enough. They are so gentle on my skin, not scratchy at all. I am very please with this brush and it has high quality written all over it from top to bottom - the handle, the silver ferrule and of course, the hair filaments. The hairs being so dense but not too dense is absolute perfection. It makes blending and buffing a breeze.

When I think of a kabuki brush, I think of it as having many functions and purposes. For this F80 Kabuki brush, I do believe that it has more than one purpose. As well as a brush for applying foundation, this brush can also be used for applying powder. I haven't given it a try yet since I don't use powder for my face so instead I tested this brush with blush.

The description didn't mention it being suitable and/or recommended for blush however regular kabuki brushes that I know have a density which allows them to be used as a blush brush. Here's the result that I got when I used it for applying some blush:

Using the F80 as a blush brush

It's quite faint in this picture, but still noticeable. Not bad...

When I used this brush to apply blush, I buffed it onto my cheeks first and then blended upwards. For blush application, blending wasn't so much of a breeze as it was difficult to blend out the pigmentation. Overall it turned out looking alright but the problem with blending was enough to make me feel self-conscious if after applying the blush I were to leave the house.

So my verdict is sure, you could use this brush to apply blush but beware of the pigmentation on your cheeks which may be hard to blend out with this brush. If you're in a rush and you end up using this brush for your liquid foundation, powder and blush, you can definitely get away with 'cheating'. I'm likely to do that one day.

I gave this brush a wash with my brush cleaner spray and there was no shedding of the hairs at all. Not even one piece fell out and I was scrubbing pretty hard! Here's what it looked like after:

Almost good as new :) Top hairs are back to being white

Another thing to be thankful of for this brush is that it comes with a clear brush protector/cover. After washing my brush, I slipped the brush cover on so that the hairs could dry and remain in that shape. It's also a really good way of protecting it from dust or dirt particles getting onto your brush before the next use.

PROS:

- Majority of the brush hairs are brown so it doesn't look too 'dirty' after each use

- Extremely soft hairs, very gentle for the face

- Hair density is perfect

- Brush head is not too large compared to regular kabuki brushes

- Silver printing on the handle looks very sleek and professional

- Large silver ferrule ensures that the filaments are tightly in place

- No shedding of hair (so far)

- Buffing and blending of liquid foundation gives a flawless finish

- Can be used for applying powder as well as foundation - multi-purpose

CONS:

- Dense brush hairs prevents the hair to dry quickly after washing

- Requires more scrubbing and cleaning time for the dense hairs compared to other brushes

- May not work well with a velvety cream texture product as it may be too thick for the hair

- Not available in-store, can only purchase online

To anyone who is looking for an alternative to a paddle/stippling foundation brush, I highly recommend the brushes from the Sigmax brush line, in particular, the F80 Flat Top Synthetic Kabuki!

You can purchase the Sigma F80 Flat Top Kabuki brush from here

That's it from me, I hope you found this review helpful and/or interesting. Thanks for reading! if you have any questions, feel free to ask me :)