A Toothbrush for your face? MAC's Oval 3 Masterclass Brush: The Review

My boyfriend Garrad is well aware of my make up addiction. He has grown used to it, and now accepts my bulging vanity in our bathroom as the norm. I had begged him to get me something from MAC for Christmas and he agreed as long as he could choose the items himself. I instantly said yes because I bang on about make up so much I knew he would pick out some great bits, and he didn't disappoint!

The first thing he went for was a Viva Glam Lipstick in No. II, which is a stunning muted pinky beige shade that has quickly become one of my favorite lipsticks ever. It's a much more warm beige tone than I would normally go for, but I love it and it really suits me. I guess sometimes he knows me better than I know myself. He also picked out a MAC Oval 3 Masterclass Brush. This was a complete surprise and I wouldn't have naturally gravitated towards these if I was shopping for myself. At £28.00 they are on the pricier side for brushes, but they contain high quality synthetic bristles that can be used with wet or dry products making them extremely versatile.

I have read mixed reviews on these brushes and I admit I was a little hesitant as to where to start and what to use this for.

I decided to try using it as a traditional eye shadow brush initially with standard MAC eye shadows. Holding it like you would a toothbrush whilst trying to apply make up to your eye lid definitely feels strange at first. It makes you feel like you've never held a make up brush in your life before, but the handle is nicely weighted and it has a soft grip feel so it feels comfortable in your hand. I found that with a bit of practice you soon adapt to the best position needed. I used small swiping motions to apply the shadow all over my mobile eyelid. As I got used to the motion of applying the eye shadow from the side, rather than face on, I discovered that I had less fall out than usual. It packed the colour on nicely but it wasn't great at blending into the crease. I prefer to use a regular fluffy brush for this as I feel the bristles on the Oval 3 are just a bit too dense to diffuse the pigments enough.

Where this brush really came into its own though is when I used it to blend out my under eye concealer. This brush gives the most flawless, air brushed finish when used with cream products. I tried this out with my Urban Decay Naked skin concealer by dabbing a small amount of the product in dots under my eyes, then using the Oval 3 to very gently blend it in using sweeping motions. It was perfect! The tilted head on the brush made it so easy and the angle for me was much more suited to under the eye than on top.

I would love to pick up more brushes in this range as they're so unique and different. Have you tried any of the Masterclass or Artis brushes yet?

xoxo