Hi girls!
This is a "follow-up" review of my Sigma brushes, roughly a year after I bought them. I purchased the SS187, SS188, SS109, and SS224 last summer, I think it was June or July. Back when they had MAC numbers, anyway! (Side note: Very glad they changed that system. Didn't do much for their credibility as an independent brand, in my opinion...)
I paid roughly $75 including shipping (which was a lot, if I remember correctly... almost $15!!) for these four brushes, so I will go over whether each one was worth the money. In case you're wondering, I didn't get the brush set because a) they were sold out forever and b) I had similar brushes to almost all of them, except for the ones I purchased. Looking back, I kind of wish I had stuck it out and waited for the full sets to be back in stock. I would have ended up getting more for my money! But anyway, there's that saying that hindsight is 20/20... :)
Let's start with the
SS187, now known as
F15.
Price: $16 USD
Price of MAC 187: $50.50 CDN (** Canadian Dollars are almost equal to American dollars, but things are usually at least $10 more expensive here!)
This brush is still one of my go-to foundation brushes. I don't own the MAC one, so I can't really compare, but this stipples foundation on very very well. I wouldn't call it an "airbrush" or "flawless" finish, because let's be honest here, it's pretty much impossible to hide some things.
I spray it with some Fix+ and get to work on my foundation. It sheds a little bit sometimes, but it's very minor. Maybe one or two hairs, once a week.
As far as washing and how it's holding up, it still seems like a good, solid brush. I don't wash my brushes as often as I should (bad Chloe!), but it washes really easily, and looks almost brand new after a deep cleaning!
Worth the money? Yes!
Now the Sigma
SS188, now known as
F55Price: $14.00 USD
MAC 188 price: $41.00 CDN
Again, this is a brush I use every single day. This is the only brush I use for blush (powder blush; I use my fingers or a sponge for cream). Pretty much everything I said about the SS187 applies here, except for the shedding part.
This brush doesn't shed AT ALL. Ever. The very very first time I washed it, it shed a little bit, but since then, NOTHING! It's still in great shape after a year of daily use. I think in terms of value and quality, this brush is the best of the four.
Worth the money? 100% Absolutely!
Now for the
SS109, now known as
F05Price: $14.00
Price of MAC 109: $38.50 CDN
I'm going to say right now that I don't like this brush, and I have never liked it. I'll use it if I'm in a hurry and it's the first brush I grab to apply some blotting powder around my nose, or to quickly blend out my contour. Other than that, I don't use it.
Let me tell you why: It sheds like you wouldn't believe. I'm serious. More than a year later, it still sheds like crazy whenever I use it. I don't even know how it still has hairs left.
It is very soft, and a lovely shape, I'll give it that. I'm sure that it would be a lovely brush under different (non-shedding) circumstances. But I cannot use this, because I look like I'm in need of a good face wax. So, I can't really comment on how it's held up over a year, because I've hardly used it.
Worth the money? NO. I hope they've changed their "make" of this. Or maybe I just got a bad one? For Sigma's sake, I hope so.
Finally, the Sigma
SS224, now known as
E40.
Price: $9.00 USD
MAC 224 price: $35.00 CDN
This is a tricky one, I'll say that upfront. I use this every day that I wear eye makeup. I apply highlight under my brow bone and use it to blend out lines and such. At first it was really prickly, but after a few washes it softened up nicely. It also never sheds, even when washing! The shape is great for blending, but it's a little bit shorter than the MAC 224, so I don't think it works exactly the same. It definitely isn't as fluffy as the MAC one.
This brush is great, but... It's dying. The bristles are getting worn down and worn out, and get "dirty" wayyy faster than they used to. And I'm wondering... is this normal after only one year? I mean, for $9.00, I'm not going to get too upset about it. But considering how much hype there is about the QUALITY of these brushes, that they're "comparable" to MAC brushes, I'm a little disappointed that this brush has died so quickly. It worked well while it was alive, but... its lifespan is short. I'll be picking up the MAC 224 once I can afford it, and once my makeup diet is over.
Worth the money? Yes, but barely.
I hope this was helpful. I know there's still some buzz around Sigma, so I wanted to show how well their brushes last/don't last!
Thanks for reading, and let me know if you have any questions!
xox
Chloe
