Oval Makeup Brush Sets – Review

2015 was most definitely *the* year of the beautyblender which revolutionised the way in which we apply our makeup, with the majority of us ditching our beloved makeup brushes for the egg shaped makeup sponge. 2016 was however the year of the oval makeup brush which is a trend that is set to continue into 2017. If you're new to the whole oval makeup brush concept, they're essentially toothbrush style makeup brushes with a chunky, rounded handle which typically has some flexibility and a rounded densely packed brush head. There are quite a few higher end oval brush brands with brushes ranging from £25 to £60+ for one single brush. I am personally not willing to pay such high prices for a single makeup brush, so I have been on the hunt to try and find the best budget oval makeup brushes.

W7 are the king of dupes with the majority of their product line being 'inspired' by higher end alternatives with affordable price tags. Here at Luxplus, we stock an extensive range of the W7 products including the fantastic new W7 Professional Soft Oval Brush Collection. The W7 Oval Brush Collection contains ten different oval makeup brushes designed to apply makeup to the eyes, cheeks and face with cruelty free synthetic bristles. W7 doesn't currently sell their oval brushes individually so the only option is to purchase the 10 piece set which at around £23 and works out to being less than £3 for each brush. This is an amazing price, as the set enables you to fully try the oval brush concept!

W7 may be the original dupe kings, but Makeup Revolution are most definitely hot on their heels with their budget, high quality dupes of higher end bestsellers. The Makeup Revolution Precision Oval Brush Collection can be purchased as individual brushes or as miniature sets. This gives you a lot more freedom on the amount of brushes you purchase, but on the other hand you can't purchase all of the brushes in one boxed set. The Makeup Revolution Precision Oval Brush Collection consists of eight brushes versus the ten from W7, but both sets of Oval Brushes feature cruelty free synthetic bristles too. From the brushes on offer I have the Makeup Revolution Precision Eye Brush Set, the Pro Precision Brush Oval Cheek, and the Pro Precision Brush Large Oval Face.

W7 Professional Soft Oval Brush Collection

The W7 Oval Brush Collection is packaged within a big, cardboard box with a clear plastic lid so you can see each of the different brushes. On the back of the box there is a picture of all ten brushes as well as a number guide for each brush explaining the intended purpose for the brushes but you can obviously use the brushes however you want. The ten brushes included within the set are as follows; Eyeshadow Brush, Eyeliner Brush, Eyebrow Brush, Foundation Brush, Face Blender Brush, Powder Brush, Blush Brush, Crease Brush, Nasal Shadow Brush and Concealer Brush. All of the brush heads are different sizes of 'oval' with the smallest of brushes being designed for eyeliner, and the largest for the application of powder.

The Pros & Cons of the W7 Oval Makeup Brushes

The W7 Oval Makeup Brushes can only be purchased in this ten piece set so you do have to make the commitment for the ten brushes which you may not want to do if you've never tried an oval brush before and don't know if you'll like them. But on the other hand, when you calculate the cost of each individual brush, this set is without a doubt a bargain! Aesthetically, the plain black handles are a little boring in comparison to the Makeup Revolution Oval Brushes. But on the flip side of that, the shiny black handles are easier to wipe clean if you get makeup on them and they won't show every fingerprint unlike the Makeup Revolution brushes.

I really like that with a set like this, you can experiment with brushes you'd perhaps never normally consider purchasing and it gives you backup options if some of the brushes needed cleaning as there are multiple face, eye and cheek brushes.  I particularly feel that this set would be superb for those that are just starting out with makeup or have a small makeup brush collection as they'd undoubtedly be thrilled to have a huge range of new brushes to try, from the very current oval makeup brush trend.

Makeup Revolution Precision Oval Brush Collection

We have a range of the individual Makeup Revolution Oval Brushes for you to choose from as well as a couple of their miniature sets depending on what you're looking for. Each of the brushes are beautifully packaged within a matte black box with a metallic silver insert which makes a stunning contrast against the matte rose gold finish of the brush handles. The handles have a matte rose gold finish, with a shiny rose gold centre which features raised Makeup Revolution branding which works as a good grip placement for the thumb when using the brushes. The brush head styles for the Makeup Revolution Oval Brushes are identical to those of W7 so it's just the handles' appearance and texture which are different, as well as the bristle colour. The Makeup Revolution brushes also have a paler brown to dark brown colour blend, whereas the W7 brushes have a medium to dark brown colour blend.

The Pros & Cons of the Makeup Revolution Oval Makeup Brushes

For me the Makeup Revolution Oval Brushes are exquisite in comparison with much nicer packaging and presentation, and their brushes just look a lot more luxurious than the W7 Oval Brush Collection. If looks don't bother you when it comes to makeup brushes, W7 would be the right choice but if you like to store your brushes in a holder on your vanity and want them to be aesthetically appealing, you'd struggle to find prettier Oval Makeup Brushes as these really are beautiful. Not only do the Makeup Revolution Oval Makeup Brushes look more luxurious than the W7 brushes, they definitely feel that way too as they feel slightly heavier in the hand, the bristles are silkier and softer as well as being considerably more dense. They also have a considerably better cut of the bristles whereas the W7 brushes have slightly uneven edges and a few loose hairs here and there.

The Makeup Revolution Oval Makeup Brushes do work out at being pricier per brush than the W7 brushes, but I like that Makeup Revolution allows you more flexibility when it comes to the number of brushes you purchase. In other words, you don't have to commit to a complete 10 piece set. I feel that the Makeup Revolution Oval Brushes are a lot more gift-worthy as the boxes are beautiful and most importantly, look more expensive than they actually are!

Which oval makeup brushes are better? W7 or Makeup Revolution?

There really are pros and cons for each brand's brushes, but for me my favourite would have to be the Makeup Revolution Oval Brushes as they have much nicer packaging and look and feel like they're more luxurious than the W7 brushes. I do wish you could purchase the Makeup Revolution oval brushes in one big set like you can with the W7 brushes, however the plus side is you can purchase the individual brushes you know you'll definitely use. The brushes from both brands perform brilliantly for makeup application, and in my opinion their performance results are identical with my makeup so it's just down to personal preference on which brushes you like the appearance of and your brush buying budget.

I really hope this comparison of the W7 and the Makeup Revolution Oval Makeup Brushes has been useful, and it's inspired you to want to try the oval makeup brush trend!

How to Use Oval Makeup Brushes – Video Tutorial 

A bonus video from professional makeup artist Mia Fabricius