TWO CATEGORIES IN ONE ENTRY! TOPIC: COMPACT BRUSH SETS

It's one entry for two categories. For this edition of Spend vs. Save and The Beauty Battles, let's look at two compact brush sets

CHARM'S TRAVEL BRUSH SET- 950PHP

HENRI CALAYAG SIGNATURE BRUSH SET- 1995PHP

So let's look at the two products in different categories.

BRUSH BAG 

HC's brush bag is thin yet longer than Charm's. Charm's may be a bit plumper but both can fit well in your luggage or bag without taking too much space or adding weight. Both have two brush pockets so your brushes will have more space. Both wins the category.

L- R: CHARM TRAVEL BRUSH SET AND HENRI CALAYAG SIGNATURE BRUSH SET

UP TO DOWN: CHARM AND HENRI CALAYAG

L- R: HENRI CALAYAG AND CHARM

Notice that the fluffy brushes of Charm have brush guards, while HC doesn't have any. I find it hygienic when my brushes come with brush guards. And besides, it prevents the thicker brushes from getting stuck on zippers. It also helps maintain the shape of the brushes. Charm wins in this category.

BRUSH COMPARTMENTS

Both have convenient pockets. Charm's has a small zippered pouch which prevents your make-up from getting lost or dropping but HC's mesh pocket has no zippers. Chances are, your make- up might drop or fall if you open the bag. Charm wins this category.

HENRI CALAYAG'S COMPARTMENT

CHARM'S COMPARTMENT

BRUSH BRISTLES

L- R: HENRI CALAYAG AND CHARM

HC and Charm's brushes are made of synthetic bristles. Both imitate the softness of authentic animal hair so both are uber soft, non- scratchy and helps make- up application become flawless. Both wins this category.

BRUSH COMPARISON

L- R: HENRI CALAYAG AND CHARM

Powder Brush

Notice that HC's powder brush head is thicker as compared to Charm's. It is because Henri's brushes are not really travel- size brushes. These are his regular- sized brushes that may appear too small to some. Charm's is specifically made for travel so it explains why HC's powder brush has more hair as compared to Charm's. Both deliver good results but HC's thicker brush head lessens the effort of applying and evening out the coverage of powder on your face. HC's powder brush wins this category.

L- R: CHARM AND HENRI CALAYAG

Eye Blender Brush

Charm's eye blender brush has thicker hair and is relatively bigger as compared to HC's. It proves that Charm's eye blender brush will define the eyes more and will make blending easier and more flawless. Charm's eye blender brush wins this category.

L-R: HENRI CALAYAG AND CHARM

Eye Liner Brush

HC's signature bent eye liner brush is a new innovation. The bent nature of the brush makes eye liner application precise, cleaner and more defined. But notice that the bristles are starting to look scraggy and most of the bristles are already out of place. I hate how you have to purchase this separately from the brush set making it seem as if it's a wonder product but it eventually proves to be a waste of money. The scraggy bristles messes up my cake eye liner application most of the time. I think the reason is the brush is too thick than the usual eye liner brushes. Eye liner brushes should be thin and pointy so as to prevent scraggy brush heads like this one. Charm's eye liner brush is pointed and quite thin. This is much better because in the long run, It won't become scraggy because it's not too coarse for an eye liner brush. Charm's eye liner brush wins this category.

L- R: HENRI CALAYAG AND CHARM

Concealer Brush

HC's concealer brush is big and fluffy, while Charm's concealer brush is small yet fluffy. What works for me more is Charm's because I find HC's too big for my under eyes. HC's concealer brush gives me a hard time filling the lines on my under eyes. Charm's small concealer brush just hits the right places. Charm's concealer brush wins in this category.

STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

L-R: HC'S FOUNDATION BRUSH AND CHARM'S BLUSH BRUSH

HC's brush set has a Foundation brush and Charm doesn't have any. On the other hand, Charm has a blush brush while HC doesn't have any.

PRICE

HC is priced at 1995php and Charm is priced at 950php.

Overall, I still find Henri Calayag's brush a good purchase but truth be told, when you're traveling, less means more. I must admit you can't really use everything in HC's brush set. Charm's travel- brush set is more economical and convenient. And for a price of 950php, you get quite a lot of brushes. Both may prove to be your best bets for traveling but nowadays, we have to find alternative ways to save because we never know when we will need the money. Charm's will save you 1k. At least that amount saved makes way for more make- ups plus a new cosmetic bag. :D

FOR THIS EDITION, I SUGGEST YOU: 

SAVE

AND THE WINNER FOR TODAY'S BEAUTY BATTLES IS:

CHARM TRAVEL- SIZE BRUSH SET

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: HENRI CALAYAG SIGNATURE BRUSH SET

Here's an in- depth review of the HENRI CALAYAG BRUSH SET.

PLACE BOUGHT: 

HENRI CALAYAG SALON, GREENBELT RESIDENCES, MAKATI CITY (BESIDE NEW WORLD HOTEL)

OTHER LOCATION/S: 

RELIGIOSO BOUTIQUE, GREENBELT 5 MALL, GREENBELT, MAKATI CITY

PRICE: 

1995PHP

It's the signature brush set by Henri Calayag. It comes in a lightweight and semi- shiny black pouch. Inside, there's a small compartment for a few cosmetic items and there are 9 travel- size brushes for the face and eyes. It's one thing I love about this set. It's so light so you wouldn't have to worry about adding weight to your bag. It's also sleek so it could fit almost anywhere in your bag, without consuming too much space.

BRUSH NUMBERS AND DESCRIPTION (LOCATED AT THE BACK OF THE FLAP)

002- EYEBROW BRUSH

003- LIP BRUSH

004- EYELINER/ LIPLINER BRUSH DUO

005- PENCIL POINT BRUSH

006- EYESHADOW BRUSH

007- CONCEALER BRUSH

008- FOUNDATION BRUSH

009 POWDER BRUSH

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED:

*001- BENT LINER BRUSH

*PURCHASED SEPARATELY

HENRI CALAYAG SIGNATURE BRUSH 9 PC. BRUSH SET

FACE BRUSHES (TOP TO BOTTOM):

CONCEALER BRUSH, POWDER BRUSH, FOUNDATION BRUSH

EYE BRUSHES (TOP TO BOTTOM):

BLENDER BRUSH, SLANTED EYEBROW BRUSH, CONCEALER BRUSH

OTHER BRUSHES (TOP TO BOTTOM):

DOUBLE- ENDED BRUSH (LIP/ EYE LINER BRUSH), BENT EYE LINER BRUSH, PENCIL POINT BRUSH

I was able to purchase the bent liner brush along with the set. Maybe the reason why it can be purchased separately is because it can be sold individually, without having to buy the whole set. The double- ended brush (lipliner and eyeliner brush) is convenient but honestly, I don't see the need for it. I'd rather have a blush brush thankyouverymuch!

It has a wooden handle, with the Henri Calayag logo, brush number (for identification purposes) and the brush ferrule is metal that's painted black. The brush handle doesn't feel heavy at all, which makes this a perfect brush set that you can bring in your bag everyday for a flawless make- up application.

The handles are just right to the grip, which is important in giving you a good grasp of the brush so you'll be able to execute your make- up application with ease.

The hair is made of synthetic fiber, much like the Ellana brush set. The quality of the synthetic bristles are very good because it's almost like real animal hair. It's uber soft and not scratchy at all. One thing that I don't like is that, per brush is not packed with hair that much so some might find the brush size quite thin or small for blending and dispensing. But don't worry, the excellent texture of the hair will help you do blending with ease.

I did the tug test for the brushes to check if the hair is secured nicely in every ferrule. I'm very happy to know that I wasn't able to tug a single hair, which means every hair is secured tightly inside the ferrule.

Closer look at the bigger brushes

Check that the bristles were able to pick up a good amount of powder. Dispensing is relatively good, though it might take time for you to dispense powder on your face because of the thin brush head.

THE VERDICT:

Honestly, the reason why I bought this is because I was in dire need of a travel brush because my Suesh brush set is too big and heavy for everyday. A travel brush set is really on my list but I end up spending the alloted budget on something else. I had the money now so I decided to invest on a set. Honestly, I find this too expensive for a brush set. I could've gone for a Charm Travel set, which is a tad bit cheaper than this Henri Calayag set. But to be fair with this product, it looks really exquisite and quite sophisticated for a travel brush set. That would somehow be a valid reason to shell out 1995php for this brush set. Another thing, I don't see the need for the double- ended brush since it already has a separate eye and lip liner brush. I wish they replace it with a blush brush, which is a common bummer for travel brush sets, they all don't have blush brushes. 

Some might assume that Henri Calayag's brush set is a travel brush set. No, this is not a travel brush set. This is a regular- sized brush set of the Henri Calayag line, which are only in travel- sized proportions. Since I already have a Suesh 16 pc. professional brush set, which is too big and long for everyday, I decided to get small brushes for everyday. 

Lastly, there are too many make- up brushes. I could do with a 5 pc. brush set. A powder brush, blush brush, lipliner brush, eyeshadow brush and an eyeliner brush. Suesh offers a travel brush set at 900php, which made me realize now that I should've gone for it. But Henri Calayag is a good buy. If you just want to buy a brush set for your make- up collection, that aren't too big, this will do you good. But gaaaad, I still find it too expensive. But if you're looking for a travel- sized brush set, I suggest you try Suesh or Charm.