As a beauty writer I have so many weaknesses; a really good sunscreen, a palette of cream blushers (I have to buy every one I see – it’s a compulsion) and makeup brushes; I don’t know what it going on in my head that convinces me that I need so many makeup brushes, but even after a brutal clear out, I still had at least a couple of hundred…it’s ridiculous, I know, but see it as a consequence of my career choice. On the plus side, I know a good brush when I use one (and a bad one too) so I’m excited to share with you my recent find, the Glow & Restore Full Makeup Brush Collection.
The Glow & Restore online shop is wonderfully random, providing a small curation of beautifully designed brushes and an LED Mask; two things I love, but have never seen as the entire contents of a store. The Glow & Restore brushes are available individually, as bundles arranged by formula (cream or powder) and as a full set, which I was kindly sent. There are also two additional applicators, the Powder Puff and the Beauty Sponge.
The brushes are, what I would describe, as the higher end of mid-range; they are so well made with clean and smooth handles and ferrules, whilst the bristles themselves are incredibly soft and well-structured. I also really like the nude colour choices, with the brushes intended for cream formulas having cream coloured handles, whilst the powder brushes are more of a beige. Let’s take a closer look at the brushes:
Small Powder Brush: this is so soft and flexible that it gives the most gentle placement of product, so a great choice if you’re like me and prefer to apply setting powder as lightly as possible; for this reason, it also works really well for powder highlighter too.
Blush Powder Brush: finally a blush brush that doesn’t load you up with pigment that you then have to work away at with a sponge to reduce the Aunt Sally vibe.
Large Powder Brush: this is a bit of a do-it-all brush that works really well for subtle placement of bronzer, but it’s also great for both loose and pressed setting powders.
Foundation Brush: whilst this is marketed as as foundation brush (and it is great for buffing in your base) I really like this for cream bronzer as it places the product so well, whilst also allowing me to buff it in too.
Curved Concealer Brush: this is my second favourite brush of the group as it’s such a fabulous tool for blending and buffing concealer around the inner corners of the eyes and around the nostrils.
Angled Brush: this is my absolute favourite brush from this kit as it is amazing to use with cream blushers – it picks up the perfect amount of product and diffuses it into the skin so effortlessly, it’s quickly become my favourite cream blusher brush to use.
Mini Buffer Brush: this is a really handy tool for working in concealer and foundation that needs a bit of extra help, whilst also diffusing any harsh lines from other makeup applications – it’s a great brush to use as one of the final steps before setting everything in place.
I’ll give a quick mention to the sponge and puff, which are both perfectly lovely and well-made, much like the brushes, but I think it’s pretty tricky to improve on the versions already available for either of these products as I don’t think there’s anywhere for them to go; nonetheless they are very nice!
Find the full set here, where it’s currently on offer for £80
Disclosure: unpaid ad – PR samples