Charm Brush Set Review : A Year After

my stormy week

How’s everyone? To those who experienced the great Glenda storm with me, I hope you’re well and safe. I was writing “tips for blog photos” when it hit my city big time. Trees fell, billboards flew, and a huge post landed on top of our car knocking all electricity and internet down for four long days. Crazy right? It felt like at any minute a gang of zombies would appear on the streets.

Thankfully, things are being replaced and cleared out as I’m typing this. And as for me, I just spent hours cleaning up my own jungle (and these brushes). Oh if you saw my room hours ago you’d think Glenda passed directly through and wrecked it.


that’s the way the rookie crumbles

I bought this beginners brush set (as I call it, Charm’s didn’t really name it that way) back when I had very little idea what they were for. Who knew there were more than two types of brushes? I thought a big brush (for the cheeks) and a small brush (lids) were all I needed. For around P2500 I got a set of 14 basic brushes and a nifty leather organizer, packaged inside a box that looks a lot like Sigma’s. Not bad I thought, since 2 MAC brushes cost around the same.

The brushes are soft except for one the blush brush, which was slightly uncomfortable. But they all easily became a staple in my makeup routine anyway. A year after and they remain soft as ever and they never shed on me. Although the blush, contour, blending brushes are already showing signs of bad “fly-away” hair days. Then a month ago I had to glue the stippling and contour brush heads to their bodies (that sounded creepy) cause the factory glue used on them didn’t hold so well. It feels like they are slowly perishing.

I still think this set has served my makeup well. If you’re just starting up your own makeup collection and you can get it for a discounted price, it’s worth a shot. But if not, in my opinion the Real Techniques brushes are cheaper and have better quality :) What brush set are you using?  I’m planning to upgrade mine by the end of the year, maybe Sigma or Zoeva? What do you think?

64 Comments

  • Rae O. says:

    Oh, update posts are always helpful, glad to hear they don't shade. Had a recent shedding trauma (but you already know that :P)

  • Diana says:

    I think brushes are really important. I used to only have really low quality brushes but last year I got the chance of wining a few from Real Techniques (which are amazing! I'm thinking about getting another set from them later on as well) and buying a few from Argent Makeup. I finally understood what a good quality brush can do.

    Personally, I only go for synthetic bristles because natural hair brushes tend to get damage when we use cream products. Also, synthetic ones tend to be more softer (in my opinion)

    Sigma has a nice range of brushes, personally I've been dying to get their Mms bunny kit – haven't got it yet because of it's price, shipping and because sigma gets stopped at out customs every single time. It gets really expensive. Too much in my opinion.
    Zoeva has a nice range, I would go for their new “rose gold collection”. I have an eye set from them (which I'll be reviewing during August) which isn't the best one, but was good to experience. They haven't lost bristles, broke or lose shape. They are just a bit too stiff from my taste but they are from their really cheap range so, can't complain too much.

    Personally, I'm on the hunt for eye brushes. I'll probably end up getting a few Real Techniques from iHerb (specially the Sam's Pick's kit) and a few single synthetic brushes from Crown Brush as well. If Sigma wasn't that expensive, I would probably get their bunny kit + another foundation brush and concealer one from the sigmax collection.

    I hope that everything is okay with you, I got really worried when you told me about the storm :< Take care*

  • Victoria says:

    I have a few brushes from the “pink line” (hahaha I don't what that's called) and I loooooove them! They're so cheap but so great! <3

  • Beautiful brushes thank god the storm pass doll.
    http://tifi11.blogspot.com

  • Kay Cake says:

    Love the packaging of these ^^

    Kay ♡ imladiiekay

  • Anna says:

    Oh, Shayne, so glad to hear you are safe!! D: How scary! I use various brushes based on what I like. I have a couple Bubbi Brushes from BubzBeauty, a Sigma brush here and there, a MAC brush or two, and a Too Faced brush or two as well. I also have a few Everyday Minerals brushes which I really love. I was thinking about getting the Real Technique brush set because everyone raves about them and they look suuuuper soft!

  • Hollie says:

    too bad the blush brush isn't so good. I only have 4 charm brushes in my kit and 3 of them are my absolute fave!

    The Charm Luxe Retractable Kabuki in Gold, which I've had in my makeup bag for almost 3 years! I've washed it several times and it hasn't shed a single hair. It fell several times already, so it now has a tiny dent on gold handle since it is my fave everyday powder brush. The bristles remain soft and slightly dense, the quality never changed. it's amazing!

    my second fave is the Charm Essentials Classic Blending Brush, which I use a face detailer brush. I use it to set powder on the under eye area and contour my nose. had it for 2 years now and still looks new, it's part of the charm vegan brushes.

    and lastly the, Charm Luxe Flat Top Brush… It's my all around face brush, can be used for either liquid or powder foundation (But I prefer using the Sigma F80 for liquid foundation) , can be used for contouring as well as for setting powder. Equally soft and sturdy as my gold retractable kabuki. this brush will also turn 3 years old this september hehehe

  • Lovely brushes♥ I started collecting brushes last month but its hard for me to find pink brushes. hehe :)

    Xoxo,
    Nica♥
    http://thesweetkitty216.blogspot.com

  • Kylie R. says:

    Great post! I don't really own a lot of makeup brushes… Just general ones although I do want to expand my collection soon.

    And OMG the storm was terrible! Nawalan kami ng electricity for four days straight :(

    http://itsthekyliebabii.blogspot.com

  • Paola Ysabel says:

    I hope everyone is well and safe where you live! In our area, our garage roof fell off as well as a lot of trees :(

  • Pau B. says:

    We were hit by Glenda pretty bad too. Debris were flying above us. In the same night Glenda hit, there was a fire a few blocks away. After, we were in a horrible rotating brownout lasting for hours. >.< Where do you get the Charms and Real Techniques brushes? :) xo, Pau
    http://bookshelvesandvanities.blogspot.com/

  • I've heard so many good reviews about Charms make up brush sis but I haven't bought one pa. I think they have fairly good brush naman. This is a very good post sis kasi I'm actually in the middle of thinking which set to buy the set from Charms or the one from Real Techniques? thank God, I found my answer here hehee

    love lots,
    Tin

    mypoeticisolation.blogspot.com

  • Natasja says:

    MAC brushes are very expensive indeed! I do like your brushes.. I have not tried many yet, but I am currently using Zoeva brushes and I love those! I got the Bamboo set and it is just perfect! No complaints :) I'm happy to read you are safe btw :) x

  • As you probably remember, I only have one brush! HAHA. Blush brush I bought from Watsons and I still have until now. I think it's been one year too. It's not the best but it serves its purpose I guess. Your brushes are so pretty!

  • oh my! this storm sounds awful! I hope everyone is ok and safe! Great tips for the brushes. I have such a hard time spending money on make-up brushes… so I will probably opt for the less expensive ones!

  • Christine Uy says:

    Hey sis! I was thinking about you during the whole Glenda storm.. I'm so glad you're safe and the storm has passed. The huge amount of damage resulted from it is so crazy, it was such a bad storm. :( I'm happy it's over. Great brush set sis, and I might be a bit bias because they're pink! hehe The quality sounds good for the price you paid for, and good that majority are still intact even after a year. There's always gonna be that one brush from a set that breaks, hehe.. even some Sigma brushes disintegrate. Thanks for the update review sis! I really love the colour =D

    Take care always, love Christine ~ xx
    BLOG | BLOGLOVIN' | TWITTER | FACEBOOK

  • Audrey C. says:

    They actually remind me a little bit of Real Techniques brushes, as far as the bright pink ferrules go. RT brushes really are great, though. Cheap but super soft and useful!

  • Deborah says:

    Firstly I'm glad to hear that you were okay during Glenda. I was watching it on the news and it looked intense! I saw from your Instagram photo that the storm ended up doing some damage on your car which is a shame but I'm glad that you were safe.

    Secondly these brushes seem amazing! I'm looking to replace some of my EcoTools brushes and I think I'm going to look into this. Seems perfect for a makeup newbie like myself! :]

    xo Deborah
    Coffee, Prose and Pretty Clothes

  • Bethany says:

    Wow, that sounds intense. o_O Glad everything is okay now!

    I've never heard of Charm. What's P2500 in USD or AUD? Just curious as to the price point.

  • Shayne ♥ says:

    thanks sis! i thought a lot of bloggers posted an initial review of these brushes na, so i thought writing about it a year after would be a little bit different :)

  • Shayne ♥ says:

    i didnt know that zoeva has a cheaper brush range! here zoeva brushes are more expensive than sigma. i want the rosegold set too VERY BADLY haha but i have a feeling its going to be super expensive.

    so im also thinking either i get more RT brushes or pruchase the sigma mrs bunny set in black <3 btw if you wanna get the sigma brushes its cheaper here i think. i can also wrap the package and send them to you in so they wont open it :) thank you thank you for being so thoughtful!

  • Shayne ♥ says:

    is that the long handle brushes in a roll up pouch? how much did you get it? :)

  • Shayne ♥ says:

    indeed, thanks jackie!

  • Shayne ♥ says:

    pretty in pink :)

  • Shayne ♥ says:

    thank you anna, and yes go get RT <3 they are nice and inexpensive too! i wish i could get pass my obsession over having similar looking brushes haha. it bugs me a little when they are from different brands and look different from each other (cray cray hehe)

  • Shayne ♥ says:

    wow they all sound good, nako maybe im doing something wrong with some of my brushes thats why they're deteriorating =
    oh i want to get that kabuki brush too! im glad to hear a good review from a trusted friend here. ty ty

  • Shayne ♥ says:

    ay sis they have like 3 i think in charm. you might like those :)

  • Shayne ♥ says:

    same here amg, until now we dont have a decent internet connection, it takes around 3 minds to post one comment reply here lol

  • Shayne ♥ says:

    wah! sorry to hear that sis. hope everyone is safe there too <3
    ay our park looks like a jungle from Jumanji, esp at night. gubat mode lol

  • Shayne ♥ says:

    so sorry to hear that pau! hope everythings ok now and noone got harm. thats one of the worst things that could happen during storm.
    you can get them via online sellers, just google charms philippines and stores will pop out. as for RT brushes there are good deals in ebay :)

  • Shayne ♥ says:

    ooo im glad it helped sis. imo real techniques is better and mukang cheaper too than the charms set. unless they have some other sets that i havent seen online :) go get RT hihi

  • Shayne ♥ says:

    i wanna get those too! but the rosegold set <3 its extra expensive here and a bit hard to get. ty natasja!

  • Shayne ♥ says:

    thanks sis! ako din for the longest time i only had one blush brush haha :D

  • Shayne ♥ says:

    thank you <3 imo real technique brushes are the best option, theyre inexpensive plus in good quality. i feel like they will last a very long time :)

  • Shayne ♥ says:

    aw oure so thoughtful! thank you! the damage was insane, i heard it was worse on other areas. OH haha that just shattered my sigma expentations haha. thanks for the tip. i wonder if there is something we could do extra to make them last longer. :)

  • Shayne ♥ says:

    ferrules – word of the day for me, i didnt know they were called that :P
    i agree thanks sam chapman for making these brushes haha

  • Shayne ♥ says:

    thank you deborah, i appreciate it! <3 i heard eco tools are one of the best inexpensive ones :) pls let me know if you find this, im not sure if its sold internationally. but if not i recommend the real techniques brushes :)

  • Shayne ♥ says:

    its 56USD, not sure if its available internationally tho :S thank you bethany! <3

  • “Fly away” moments hehehe…i touch some charm brushes at the ramp and they are soft but the blush brush is slightly uncomfortable? well thank you for the review, it saves me from buying it then having a red cheeks because of the not so comfortable feel…i also thought that i just need a big and small fluffy brush and I'm all set but my sister saying i need a flat top foundation brush for a great finish on my dry skin makes my head pop(complete with question marks on top) and i got the artist studio brushes in landmark, they are very affordable but the powder brush shed after some months, Rae is also experiencing the same shedding

  • Doesn't RT shed as well? I've been meaning to get myself a spare set to practice on other people, but I'm not sure which one's the best investment…

    So sorry about your car and other losses :( I spent the brownout days of the typhoon cleaning my brushes, hehe.

  • rhaindropz says:

    i have this set too but the sonia limited edition one =)

  • Anna says:

    Oh! I totally understand! For me, I have to get over it, because I usually purchase brushes based on my makeup needs, and after thorough research, I usually purchase something affordable, yet practical, and I have yet to personally find a brush line that carries every single brush I may ever need and in the best quality and at the best price lol. I did at one point, consider painting/coloring them all the same… but I decided against it! XD

  • Nicole says:

    The storm pretty much wrecked up my grandmom's home in Batangas, and our hose there as well. and here in manila, the trees in our frontyard are lying down and wrecked the roof. so yeah. atleast there's still electricity and internet and especially that nobody got hurt…

    It's a nice twist to review them a year after… I think you should go for the Real Techniques or the Zoeva… Customs here is just a pure evil headache kasi… :)

    followed you via bloglovin btw!

    xoxo,
    Nicole
    ChicMix

  • Steph says:

    Glad to hear you're safe sis! Our electricity was interrupted for 4 days too and because of that i'll never take electricity for granted. lol. I only have 1 brush from Charm and the quality is pretty good! I would like to own a MAC brush someday, even the blending brush lang. BTW, I'm looking forward to your “tips for blog photos” :) <3

    http://www.beautychapter.net

  • Ika says:

    They look very functional and cute in pink!!

    Ika
    http://www.liebeladies.com

  • Belle Femme says:

    Sounds amazing. Never heard of this brand. Is this available in US?

  • glad to hear you're safe, Shayne! That sounds really frightening :(

    great brush set! these immediately caught my eye because of how cute they are, and I love everything pink! haha. I currently use the real technique brushes and I absolutely love them! :)

  • Shayne ♥ says:

    thats actually a great idea anna! if you paint your brushes in the future youd be the first one i know who has customized makeup brushes :)

  • Shayne ♥ says:

    nabuhaghag na ung ibang brush sis! hehe. for me mas better pa rin talaga real techniques and if you compute it, its cheaper too.
    sayang naman the artist studio :( i tried researching about the zoeva rosegold blushes, they are nice sana but the shipping is gah. I wish luxola will carry this set soon.

  • Shayne ♥ says:

    cleaning season na talaga, i guess cause there was nothing else to do cause of the blackout :)
    RT doesn't shed on me but if your looking for a good investment & brushes with longer handles (to practice on other people) i've tried the sigma prof set and its really good talaga. Expensive lang but mukang it will last a long time.

  • Shayne ♥ says:

    ay that one looks nice! i remember choosing between that set and this one :)

  • Shayne ♥ says:

    im so sorry to hear about the damage it did to your houses :( but im glad to hear noone got hurt.
    ay talaga yan customs na yan. they are very unreasonable at times thats why as much as possible i avoid have my packages pass thru them. im thinking zoeva rosegold brushes <3 but we shall see, the shipping fee is quite high.
    thanks nicole, btw welcome to my humble blog!

  • Shayne ♥ says:

    hahaha youre so cute! but yes same here, i felt so useless without electricity, i guess thats a bad thing hehe. thank you sis! still working on it <3

  • Shayne ♥ says:

    hi belle! im not so sure :( but i think there are online stores that ships internationally

  • Shayne ♥ says:

    thanks melissa! the RT brushes are really nice esp for their prices, the only thing that bothers me is they have different handles and colors hehe.

  • Victoria says:

    Yep, that's it. I got individual brushes lang. But the whole set is for P2,700 :)

  • Vanessa N says:

    I seriously can't imagine living in the tropics and facing a tropical storm every year. Shts dangerous and surreal ._.
    BUT ANYWAYS, I've only had to glue together 2 brushes so far…and none of them were RT, so thats good! I think RT should be the benchmark for everything tbh–seriously amazing for the price. EVERYONE NEEDS A SET OF THE CORE COLLECTION.

    (PS, shipped your package off today!)

  • Diana says:

    They do, the cheaper brush range isn't the best. Comparing it to RT for example, RT wins for sure. But the Rose Gold set has tones of raves and looks really nice :3

    Hm…may I ask how much they are there? From “official retailers” here they usually cost either 142,99€ (the full set) or 74,99 € for the travel one. From the website could be cheaper but again – the shipping and tax would made it horribly expensive TwT (and out of curiosity the Rose Golden Set here costs around 58€ , if not maybe we could exchange brushes later for our new year Swap? :P who knows :3)

    I'm so happy that you are okay <3 Take care*

  • Shayne ♥ says:

    amagad diana thats a great idea. ok let me calculate it for you sec… I can get them discounted esp during the holidays so that will be full set – around 126EUR and the travel set – 62EUR (not sure if this is tax included). but its cheaper see! :) we can do a swap like that or any other products here in Asia that you like. and i from your country.

    im still debating between the rosegold zoeva brushes and the full set (only downside is its long handles) or travel set bunny kit.

  • Shayne ♥ says:

    thats so true! i wish they'd release a professional all black set tho. id like my brush collection to look uniformly hehe.
    how exciting! yours is scheduled for shipping today, sorry for the delay I was late on wrapping them :) btw have fun on your euro trip!

  • Shayne ♥ says:

    ay mas mahal hehe, i thought it would be cheaper… but then again mas maganda ung roll up case and i think that set has more brushes

  • Diana says:

    Yes we can :3 And since we are already planning it for the end of the year we can easily and have all the tranquillity to get everything <3 we can always talk about this later via twitter or e-mail :3

  • Shayne ♥ says:

    okay :) how exciting!

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