Bdellium Brushes

I had been contemplating getting these for a while.  They went on sale on Amazon and I couldn't justify not getting them.  I found all the reviews I could, which were all praising them.  One of their biggest selling points is that they have "antibacterial properties".  I wasn't really excited about that, but I wanted to try them just because they were something new. 

I actually bought a whole bunch of them, including two sets:  the yellow handled travel set, and a green synthetic bamboo set.  I also got several individual brushes, most are not shown here because I cannot locate them at present.

I really like these handles, they are lightweight and a great length.  The bristles are really soft.  The two I like the most are the powder brush (#1) and the eyeshadow brush (#4) but they are much better with loose product, not pressed.  The powder brush is ok with pressed powder but it is denser than the others.  The eyeshadow brush was decent for pigments and loose shadow, but I still found it a bit large.  The blending brush (#3) was fluffy and nice, but I didn't find it more effective than others I own. 

Overall, I do like these brushes.  Do I love them?  Nah.  The green handles make them a unique part of my brush collection, so I am glad to own them.  The full price is $40-$50 depending on where and when you get them, and aside from the appearance, I am not sure they're worth it. 

Next is the travel line, 7 piece set.  One of the brushes in the set isn't actually in the picture (it's an eye brush) because I simply cannot find it. 

The brushes also came with a handy multi-pocketed roll up bag:

I can say with complete honesty and candor that the bag is the only thing I liked about this set.  The brushes are completely worthless.  The bristles are itchy, scratchy, and don't even survive one wash.  So much shedding and hairs completely out of place.  Some of the handles are starting to crack.  I really don't have anything positive to say about these brushes.  I also got a brush similar to the MAC 187, and the same problems.  The flat brush pictured (#4) is actually for applying facial clay masks, and it was all right. 

I did get their #957 foundation brush that I really liked.  The long handle is especially helpful when applying foundation to others, and it applies foundation smoothly and evenly.  I only wish it was a little smaller in diameter or the bristles didn't have so much give when using it. 

In short, I'd definitely pass on the travel set, no matter if they were free I still wouldn't get them.  Their customer service also left much to be desired.  The inaccessability doesn't make it any easier.  If you have a Target near you, I'd much rather recommend some of the Sonia Kashuk brushes.