Artis Brushes – Elite Smoke Collection

If you follow me on Instagram (@sarahbeautypov), or saw my detailed introductory post of Artis, you already know that I absolutely adore this revolutionary line of makeup brushes. So much so, that I now have the full collection and I’m really excited to share them with you.

Before I begin however, if you haven’t seen the previous post I did, I highly recommend you check it out HERE, as I explained features and functions of each brush and designed face charts to highlight how and what parts of the face to use them.

Today is all about comparing the different styles and sizes within this collection, as well as the much hyped about Oval 7 brush. I also did a demonstration video at the end of the post which I’m sure many of you will find quite interesting…

Artis Elite Smoke Collection

The Elite Smoke Collection is the latest addition to the Artis line of brushes. Compared to the original Elite Mirror Collection of bright silver handles, this line still looks and feels just as luxurious with a sexy dark twist. The color is a glossy gunmetal with a hint of brown.

There are 10 brushes in total and I also have the cleaning pad framed with a stunning silver casing. The Artis brush range features Oval, Round and Linear styles. I also included here the Oval 7 brush which I photographed side by side with the Oval 8 as I get asked a lot about the differences between the two.

OVAL 10, OVAL 8, OVAL 7 

The larger Oval range of brushes are designed for application of base products. This can be anything from body products to moisturisers, primers, foundation, contour/highlight, blush as well as powder.

Oval 10 is the largest brush in the collection and I find it’s amazing for the body, whether you apply body makeup, your favorite moisturiser or even instant tanning products to add a healthy sheen across the shoulders and décolletage.

Oval 8 was launched as the perfect “base brush” and believe me when I say it really is. It distributes and blends liquid products flawlessly and the whole process literally takes seconds. It’s also great to use with powder products to either set the face or apply a sweep of blush or bronzer.

Oval 7 is the newest addition to the large Oval brush family and I must admit, I always wished Artis would launch this size.

Whilst the Oval 8 is perfect for base products, Oval 7 provides just as good application with the added bonus of applying contour, highlight and blush products with better precision. Being slightly smaller in size, the tip of the brush provides better control and concentration of color and gets into smaller areas of the face.

So, for many of you who contacted me asking which one you should go for: If you’re into the whole contouring and highlighting, blush/bronzing routine and prefer a “do-it-all” brush, then I would recommend the Oval 7.  If however, you’re happy to stick to just base products of foundation/powder and a dusting of blush/bronzer, you’ll be happy with the Oval 8.  I personally love both brushes depending on what type of makeup I do in a day but if I had to choose one, I would go with Oval 7. Hope that helps ;)

OVAL 6, OVAL 4, OVAL 3 

It would be an understatement to say I LOVE these three brushes. I already had the Oval 4 and pretty much mastered how to make the most of it for perfectly blended eyeshadows, but I always had my eye on the Oval 6 in particular.

Oval 6 is simply perfection. In terms of size and density, this brush blends away under eye concealer like a dream! I also use it for contouring and sculpting the cheekbones as it fits perfectly in the hollows of my cheeks. As with all Artis brushes, they can be used for whatever you feel comfortable with so Oval 6 is no exception to that rule.

Oval 4 is great for blending eyeshadows seamlessly. It feels like velvet on the skin and couple of light swipes back and forth gives me a quick wash of color for everyday use. This brush is also great for concealer too as it gets into the inner corners of the eyes or around the nostrils if you need to do any color correcting.

Oval 3 brush is a great little helper when creating more dramatic eye looks. It fits perfectly on the outer corners of the eyes and crease of the eyelids so you can build up intensity of eyeshadows simply by pressing the color onto the skin.

CIRCLE 1, CIRCLE 1R

Next style of Artis brushes are the Circle ones. I already had Circle 1 and mentioned in my previous post why I thought Circle 1R would be a better choice – at least for my needs. Now that I have them both, I can explain my reasons in more detail.

Both circle brushes are the same size in diameter; the only difference is the cut of the bristles. Circle 1 brush is cut flat and it’s marketed for use as a lip brush. I never use a brush to apply lip color so I don’t use this brush for that purpose. Until getting the Circle 1R, I was using it to build up darker color eyeshadows on the outer corners of my eyes which worked just fine. The only downside is that the sharp edges can be a little hard on the delicate eye area which is why I wanted the Circle 1R -where the bristles are rounded in a softer, dome shape.

Circle 1R has been one of my go-to brushes since I got the collection. As I’ve guessed, it’s definitely a much more gentle and effective version of the Circle 1 brush for the eye area. I’ve been building up dark color eyeshadows with this brush and blending with my smaller Oval brushes for perfect eye looks. It’s also great for applying shimmer highlights on the inner corners of the eyes and buffing in concealer on blemishes. Contouring the nose and applying highlight to the brow bone with perfect precision are other ways to utilise this brush.

Between the two circle brushes, I find Circle 1R to be more versatile.

LINEAR 6, LINEAR 3, LINEAR 1

Last of the Artis range is the Linear line of brushes. These, as the name suggests, are designed for lining and precision work.

Linear 6 is the largest of this range. I’ve been using this brush for nose contouring as a quick sweep of contouring cream down the sides of my nose instantly sculpts the shape and all I have left to do is blend. It’s also great to shape under the jawline to define and sculpt.

Linear 3 is a great brush for diffusing eyeshadow on the lower lash line. The length and density of the bristles ensures the shadows (or eyeliners) are smudged into the lash line and diffused with little to no effort. This is always a bonus as getting a good gradient of color especially around the eye area can take a lot of time and blending with traditional brushes.

Linear 1 is my must have favorite in this range. I can actually use it for everything I just mentioned with the other two linear brushes, as well as achieve perfect lines with gel and cream eyeliners for the top lash line and fill in my brows with a few strokes.

Of all the linear brushes, I reach for Linear 1 the most – again, it’s all a matter of what your personal needs are.

THE CLEANING PAD

I posted this quick demo video to my Instagram not too long ago and it’s a great way to show you why the Artis line of brushes are revolutionary. A part of makeup that I’m sure we all dread is washing our brushes. The Artis cleaning pad, made of washable micro fibre cloth is designed to remove all product residue from the bristles by just wiping the brush on the pad. You can use it dry or with the special cleansing solution you can purchase for a deeper clean.

Here’s a demo of me using a very pigmented brown eyeshadow and then wiping the brush on the pad to “dry” clean it. Watch what happens…

I cannot say enough good things about Artis brushes. Yes they are a different concept but once you master your own style, you won’t reach for anything else. The brushes are available as individual purchase, in sets and collections.

You can purchase Artis brushes from their website HERE or HERE for international delivery.

What do you think beauties? Share your thoughts/questions in the comments below