I first heard rumbles about a really good AND cheap makeup brush brand available in Shopee months ago, but didn’t act on it until recently. It was more because I’ve been using pretty much the same makeup brushes in the last two years and just wanted a change! Also I’m always on the lookout for a good deal, for diamonds in the rough. And so here we are.

OVW Makeup Brushes are China-made tools that are shockingly cheap. Would you believe that I spent P790 for 17 full-sized brushes, and that’s including shipping already?

I was in Hong Kong last November for a beauty convention when I spotted a simple booth tucked in amongst hundreds of others in the massive venue. I almost missed it, but a glimpse of luxe brushes caught my eye. When I entered I found out that my hunch was right: the brushes were indeed luxurious and made by Uyeda Bisyodo, an artisanal brush brand founded in Japan in 1945.

After all the initial rush of collecting lipsticks, eyeshadow palettes, and foundations tides over, makeup lovers soon find themselves in need of the right tools to apply them. Just like most beginners, I started by buying brush sets which had most if not everything I need to do a full face of makeup. At first, it seemed enough to have a brush each for foundation, eyeshadow, and blush. However as I learned more about makeup application and better understood which of my features I actually wanted to emphasize, I realized that rather than splurging on a collection of 20+++ brushes, it’s actually more sulit to invest on premium quality individual brushes!

I love brush sets. I’m addicted to them, and the bigger, the better. I’m very maarte with my personal makeup routine, and I like to believe that the brush I use affects my final face.

As with any brush set, I have three basic review guidelines; form, fiber, and function. With form, I look at the shape of the brush heads. These must be a good size to work on my face, and a good shape to apply the makeup it’s meant to apply. With fiber, I touch the actual brush heads and check if they’re dense or loose enough. I actually prefer synthetic fibers, as well-designed synthetic fibers can mimic the feel of natural fibers, minus the staining and the cruelty. Lastly, I look at the function. Does it blend if it’s meant to blend, or line as it’s meant to line? I look at a set cohesively and determine what it’s meant for. Is it meant for a full face? A basic face? Or was it just meant to supplement existing brush collections?

The beauty industry is fast-paced and constantly evolving with new trends, techniques, and tools popping up seemingly overnight. Some of them, like these skincare “innovations” we reviewed, are fun but ultimately passing fads that soon go the way of butterfly clips and elephant pants.

While some trends are destined to delight then disappear, there have been a few survivors that have made the jump from beauty gimmick to beauty staple. While the fate of “washing machine” brush cleaners, jade face rollers, and pizza-cutter eyeliner are still up in the air, these tools have weathered disbelief, dissing, and dupes, and look like they’re here to stay!

Honestly, it's getting harder and harder for me to blog. There are so many moving parts in our business that keeps my whole day booked! There are events, products, and even our own line which is now available in retail. It's a lot of work but I love what I do every single day. I don't want to stop writing because it is a huge chunk of who I am and it's how I built this up from nothing. So I'm not going to overthink it; I will keep on writing about the products I use, and it will have been worth it if you enjoyed reading it.

I was a young teen when I purchased my very first makeup brushes: a cheap travel set I'd spotted in the department store. The handles were thin and flimsy, and the bristles scratched my face and left a patchy application. I wasn't ecstatic about my purchase but I remember feeling proud of myself for getting them. To me, they signaled that I was serious about makeup and learning how to properly apply it to my face.