The Primark beauty section sure has been buzzing on Instagram lately. For every new beauty hype there surely is an affordable dupe to be found at Primark. In the search of the perfect Beauty Blender dupe, I picked up a set of 2 blending sponges. And then in the corner of my eye I spotted these oval brushes, better known as the Artis dupes. I was never interested in coughing up that amount of money for a makeup brush, but at a fraction of the price I was willing to accept the challenge for this experiment. Do these actually work? Let’s find out!
PS PRO Blending Brushes
Let me just start off with a little history to clear some things up. Today these toothbrush shaped brushes are mostly known as dupes for the Artis Oval brushes which launched in the US in late 2014. The brand’s founder, Matthew Waitesmith, was a former MAC makeup artist and masterclass brush designer. MAC launched a collection of oval brushes just the year before (late 2013). However I first encountered this new style of makeup brushes at Korean makeup brand MULE by celebrity makeup artist Jung Saem Mood in the Summer of 2012. In short, is Artis responsible of today’s oval/toothbrush brush hype; yes. Is this brand the inventor of the toothbrush makeup brush; no. Now that that’s sorted out, let’s move on to the review!
I purchased 3 of the sizes – the smallest is great for eyeshadow blending, concealer or smaller areas (around the nose). The medium sized one can be used for foundation, but I mostly use it for blusher, highlighter or contour. This one is supposedly a perfect dupe for Artis’ Oval 6. The largest one I use for my foundation blending. You can use them both with powder and liquid products, just bear in mind the bristles do tend to suck up quite a bit of product. This makes them also a bit difficult to wash. One shampoo is definitely not enough so I don’t use them every week because don’t feel like spending 2 hours above my sink every week.
Overall my impression of these brushes is pretty good. The synthetic bristles are soft and dense, and actually do a great job at buffing in makeup for a seamless finish. I’d be surprised if the Artis brushes were significantly better to justify the price point. The handles of the Primark ones are made of simple plastic and are quite flimsy so they may not be as long-lasting if you’re not careful. I’ve been using them for over a year now and so far they still look pretty good though.
PS… 2PK Blending Sponges
The set features 2 different sponges that come in different colours, one resembling the original beauty blender with its round bottom and pointy tip. The other is slightly curved. I’m not going to waste too much time on these.. if you’re looking for an affordable dupe for the Beauty Blender, carry on cause this ain’t it. Priced at only € 2, the set this seemed too good to be true. The sponges hardly expand when under water, they’re just too hard to be comfortable. It takes me 3 times as long to blend my foundation and I’m still not happy with the result. Don’t waste your money on this. I’d much rather spend mine on the original.
I guess you could say I’m a lot more into the brushes than the sponges. The sponges of the Primark PS PRO range are supposedly better but I have yet to try those for myself. If you are curious about the Artis brushes but not willing to break the bank I’d say these Primark PS Pro brushes are a worthy alternative to try. I won’t say you need all 3 of them though, I would pick up the small one and choose either the medium or large one for the rest of your base. Have you tried any of these toothbrush shaped makeup brushes? Which ones do you recommend?
PS Pro oval brushes € 3,5 – € 5,5
PS Pro 2PK Blender Sponge set € 2
PS Pro is available at Primark
Disclaimer: Products were purchased