Sigma - Travel Brush Kit Revisited

As some of you may recall, I was lucky enough to have a Sigma Travel Kit come into my life courtesy of Kat at Click&Makeup. Since then, I have been using this kit like there's no tomorrow. I took it with me to Ireland for a week, where I used it exclusively, except for my F80, for a week. There was a comic moment when we went through the airport security on the way back and my bag was put through the scanner a few times. Spying the concerned look on the security staff's faces, I realised my lovely kit looked like something potentially less lovely and more threatening on-screen, LOL.

Anyway, since then I have hardly used my generic brand full sized kit at all. The travel kit has almost everything I need on a daily basis for my standard face for work. Unlike many other travel kits out there, these brushes do not feel cheap and disposable. There's no feeling of 'roughing it' at all.

Here is a more detailed blow by blow of how each of my babies has fared.

Large Powder F30 – This is a dense, round topped brush with natural bristles for applying powder products. This was the brush I thought I was going to love most and as much as I did, there is one major problem. Unlike most of my other Sigma brushes, this one sheds...a lot. It has from the first day and regular washing has only worsened the problem. Such a shame, as I love the size, feel and application, but look like a bearded lady after use.

Large Angled Contour F40 – an angled brush with natural bristles for contouring I'm not one for regular contouring, but have been using this instead of the F30 of late, to apply bronzers. It's been doing a good job of that with no stray hairs. However, where this brush shines is in the application of powdered highlighters.

Foundation F60 – for liquid or cream foundations and applying moisturisers or concealing larger areas. This brush is lovely and soft and much gentler on the skin than many of the same type of brush out there. Personally I prefer to buff my foundation in, but this is a great brush for detail, blending under the eyes and precision work. Love it.

Pencil E30 – natural bristles for crease work and more precise application. This brush has been through the wars and looks as good today as it did when I unpacked it. The shape has held up beautifully.

Tapered blending E40 – natural bristles, rounded and tapered for blending . This is a real work horse and although the shape is a little less tapered now, it still does a good job of blending.

Eye Shading E55 – natural bristles, soft and densely packed. For applying colour all over the lid.
This beauty gets daily use. Great for applying a base colour before more detailed work, like any staple, this never lets me down.

Concealer F70 – this is tapered, round and flat and is particularly recommended for the under eye area. Honestly, I have to admit, I tried it as a concealer brush, but have come to the conclusion that I prefer it for shadows and a lovely job it makes of them too.

The brush that came as a free gift was an F50 Duo Fibre. Having tried my first cream blush (NYC Natural) I have come to the conclusion that cream blush would be much tougher to master without this brush on hand. Perfect application every time.

In conclusion, if you’re unsure about paying for a full kit or it’s something you haven’t got the price of now, this is well worth the money as a starter. It’s a great way to cover all the basics and get a feel for Sigma’s brushes in general. As a gift, this would definitely be a winner. If you have a full kit already, this is still a handy get-away kit to have. It’s one of the few that didn’t leave me wishing I had packed more.