Review & Deal Alert: Sonia Kashuk Color Crazed Brush Set

Thanks to Nouveau Cheap, I knew that the Sonia Kashuk Color Crazed 10 Piece Brush Set went on clearance at Target recently. I had passed by this brush set when it first came out and I was tempted to get it. I have been tempted to buy a Sonia Kashuk brush set for a couple of years now. What stopped me? The original price of her brush sets are usually around $30-$40 on average depending on how many brushes come in the set and what kind of brushes are included, and that's a lot of money for me when I have very little experience with the brushes from this company. Up until now, I have owned 2 brushes from the Sonia Kashuk line and both were bought about 6 years ago. I bought a smudger brush I used once and threw out (it did nothing for me) and then I had an angled liner brush that I used for a few years until it cracked down the handle. Both brushes came from the "Core Line", which is the lower end of the brand. Sonia Kashuk also has a "pro line", similar to how ELF Cosmetics has an "essential line" and a "studio line" of brushes. Most of the brushes that Sonia Kashuk releases would fall under the "pro" category, but I still have never been willing to spend $40 on an iffy set. I have read many reviews about this line of brushes and the reviews are always so mixed; some people claim they are horrible and cheap, while others claim they are a steal and they use them all the time. I have read that collectors like to buy them just for the look of the brushes on their vanity. Still, no matter the review rating, these brush sets tend to sell out and when they go on clearance they go extremely fast! I can never catch them when they're on clearance. If you miss them, the only other option is eBay or independent sellers that usually double the price of the original selling price or sometimes more than double! Well, since I had known that these were already on sale I made sure to look out for them on my recent trip to Target, which is the only place that Sonia Kashuk is sold, and they had a full shelf of the brush sets and they were only $18.48. I felt that for less than $20 it was worth giving them a try.

***Feel free to scroll down to the very bottom for an overall summary and skip the fine detail.

The packaging is nice, but not special. It comes in a sturdy box with a clear cover so the brushes are visible and the brushes are separated from each other in a plastic base inside the box. There is no cover that goes over the box. The brushes in the Color Crazed set sport navy blue handles with gold bottoms and gold ferrules. The actual brush hairs are a deep teal green that fade into a light teal green.

The plastic cover of the set is just taped on. Once the tape is off, the plastic cover can be removed and the plastic containing the brushes can be lifted out of the box.

This set includes (left to right):

• Domed Powder Brush
• Flat Blusher Brush
• Synthetic Buffing Brush
• Angled Contour Brush
• Synthetic Foundation Brush
• Large Eye Shadow Brush
• Crease Brush
• Synthetic Pointer/Lip Brush
• Bent Eyeliner Brush
• Lash & Brow Groomer

For those who are concerned- Only certain brushes contain the word "synthetic" in their title. The rest of the brushes are natural hair brushes and use goat hair. All information can be found on Target's website.

[Synthetic Pointer/Lip Brush, Bent Eyeliner Brush, Crease Brush, Large Eyeshadow Brush]

The eye brushes are all solid performers. I didn't have any problems with shedding or with them scratching my eyelid. 

The Synthetic Pointer/Lip Brush has a similar problem; It is too thick for a lip brush. It does work nicely to apply shadow or product in smaller areas or areas that need a more compact brush. It also works well for smaller areas that need concealer. It is synthetic, so it's not going to soak up the product, which can be helpful.

The Bent Eyeliner Brush works well and holds up nicely. I actually enjoy the bend in the brush handle and if you're a beginner with eyeliner or you have troubles with it, I suggest getting a similar brush. My only issue with this brush is that I feel it's a little too thick. I like thinner liner brushes, because I like my wings to be thin. It works well for a standard eyeliner look or a cat eye though. 

The Crease Brush is not the best for applying overall color to the crease or smoothing and blending colors out, because the hairs of the brush are very dense. It's better to have a fluffy brush or at least a brush with looser hairs to apply color in crease and smooth out any rough patches, and a dense brush like this just cannot do that. It's not a bad brush if you're looking to apply concentrated color to an area. 

The Large Eyeshadow Brush works well, but it is large. I prefer a small or medium eyeshadow brush for daily use, but a large one has it's place and time. Since I don't have many of these, it was nice to get this one.

[Domed Powder Brush, Flat Blusher Brush, Synthetic Buffing Brush]

The face brushes are all soft too. Not the softest I've ever felt, but I had no problems with them scratching my face and so far when I use them to apply product there is no shedding.

The Domed Powder Brush is the softest in the whole set and is really nice to apply powders to the face. I really like this brush!

The Flat Blusher Brush is oddly named. It's not flat. It is not domed shaped, but it's definitely not flat. It's a good brush to apply blush or highlight.

The Synthetic Buffing Brush is an odd brush. It's not big enough to really apply or buff on foundation; I tried. The brush feels nice, but it's not one that most of us will use often. It's best for buffing out contour or powders after already applying them or to apply product in a concentrated area.

[Angled Contour Brush & Synthetic Foundation Brush]

I'm not sure how well this views on other screens, but the Angled Contour Brush worried me when I saw it in the package and even more so when I first took it out of the package. The hairs on the outer part of the brush seemed pretty beat up, but I used it before washing it and it applied powder to the face fine. I enjoy this brush and enjoyed it even more after I cleaned it.

The Synthetic Foundation Brush is a good brush for foundation and concealer. There is not much to write about this brush. It is a typical synthetic foundation brush, so take that how you will.

[Lash & Brow Groomer]

Last, is this "brush" right here. I've stated in previous brush reviews about how annoying it is to continuously receive brushes like this (as well as spoolies), but almost all brush sets come with them. I don't hate this brush, but it's rare that I'll use it. My only issue is that the bristles on the brush part are clearly just plastic and they're a bit scratchy. I don't recommend this for people with sensitive skin.

[after washing]

Part of the negative comments on the reviews of Sonia Kashuk brushes were the running and fading of the colors when washing them. The back of the box does state to wash the brushes in mild soap and not detergents (sodium laureth sulfate) and to use cold water to keep the color from fading, so the company itself is not hiding the fact that the brushes bleed their color. 

After using all of the brushes at least once, I washed them. I did actually use Dawn dish soap and warm water to wash these; because I have acne prone skin I have to use products and warm water to kill bacteria and prevent it from being spread around my face. Most of the brushes had some color bleeding, but not all. The bigger brushes were the worst culprits. In the picture above is what the brushes look like after washing and drying them, and I don't personally feel they look much different. The only brush that was a bit noticeable was the Flat Blusher Brush. I will update after future cleanings if there is anymore fading or damage, but all the brushes held up well during and after the wash.

[after using Brush Guards]

Again, not sure how well these pictures will appear on others screens, but these 3 brushes in the picture above were the worst looking when I first bought them. They hairs were really roughed up and I was concerned that they would not perform or hold up well. I did use them before washing them and they applied products fine, but they performed even better after cleaning them. I also used The Brush Guard guards on these to help reshape them and I really feel that helped as well.

Final Verdict

I am quite happy with my Sonia Kashuk brush set purchase. For $18.48, it is indeed a bargain! At the full price of $36, I would say it's not quite a bargain, but it's still a good deal. Nice brush sets on today's market tend to be an average of about $60-$200 depending on the brand, materials used, and number of brushes in the the set. Most of these brushes are natural hair, which always costs more; the rest of the brushes are good-decent quality synthetic material. I had no real problems when applying product with them and there was no shedding. All the brushes are good or great quality. There is color fading after washing, but afterwards only 1 brush had any noticeable fading of color. The brushes are well made and sturdy. I was very impressed by how sturdy the handles are and the fact that they're not too big, but also they're not tiny and easy to hold onto. Though some of the brushes looked a little beat-up when I bought them, that was quickly fixed when I washed them and used brush guards. The only real negative part of the set was the Lash & Brow Groomer, because the bristles are plastic and rough. I would recommend this brush set and personally would purchase a Sonia Kashuk brushes in the future, because of the good experience I've had with this one. This brush set would be good for anyone who has at least some experience with make-up and application. This set would be great for pros and experts as well. I just wouldn't recommend a set like this for a beginner or someone with little experience in brushes, because not all the brushes are practical for everyday use.