Sigma • F80 Flat Top Synthetic Kabuki (was SS197) • Makeup Brushes

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Shaz809 on 10/20/2010 2:14:00 PM more reviews by Shaz809

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Hazel    

This brush is now known as the F80 - Flat Top Synthetic Kabuki. I have'nt used this for powder products only liquid foundation and it is gorgeous.
It feels like the ELF Studio Powder Brush in softness but the F80 has a better shape to it and the bristles does not splay out as much as the ELF brush (which I used to use for liquid).

My brush has not shed at all and I've had it over 6 weeks. I am from Ireland and shipping took nearly a week. Got a few more brushes aswell, will be reviewing this in the next few weeks but the F80 is one I would repurchase again. MAC who?....ha ha

Update 25/03/13
This has been pushed aside for better brushes i.e Real Techniques Buffing Brush - less dense, cheaper (part of a 4 brush set, The Core Collection) and softer. Also a 'rediscovered' item - the Louise Young LY34. A fat foundation brush that comes to point. Again, not as dense as the Sigma Flat Top so is faster to dry and easier to manoever around the eyes and sides of the nose that a flat top. Bit pricey though. Also these two brushes does not 'suck' up the product.

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littleboots on 10/18/2010 7:08:00 PM more reviews by littleboots

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Green    

Cannot live without this brush now, very tempted to order a backup. Buffs liquid foundation into skin for a flawless finish, no need to use concealer once using this with a good foundation...

LOVE IT!

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alisdr on 10/18/2010 6:40:00 PM more reviews by alisdr

Age: 19-24   Skin: Dry, Medium, Warm   Hair: Black, Relaxed, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

This brush is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! When I placed my order on sigmabeauty.com I ordered two of these instead of one because of all the good reviews it got and let me say that I don't regret it! Okay, first off, it's not called SS197 anymore, it is now called
Flat Top Synthetic Kabuki - F80 and it costs $16. When I first got them the first thing I did was wash them; one of them shed one hair and the other one didn't shed at all which is pretty effin' amazing...and they haven't shed ever since. The bristles are super duper soft and dense, can be used to apply primer, foundation (liquid or powder), tinted moisturizer or anything you want to put on your face really. They are the perfect size; big enough for all over your face and small enough to get into the small places like around your nose for example. They give the most flawless look. I would (and I will) definitely buy again.

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donchica on 10/18/2010 4:57:00 PM more reviews by donchica

Age: 30-35   Skin: Normal, Dark   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

i just received this baby today, so of course i tried it right away! without washing(gross I know). My verdict(for now) is that it makes my use less foundation, which i like, and you can either stipple for more coverage, or buff for the airbrushed look. I have now washed it and hopefully it does not fall out in chunks like I hear. Got it on Amazon, cos I live in Canada and the Sigma folks were charging me almost 30 bucks for shipping, ridiculous!. I got this brush and shipping for $30. No tax, no duty, no nothing...Thanks amazon!

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*TOP REVIEWER* miafrush on 9/23/2010 12:59:00 AM more reviews by miafrush

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Green    

the absolute best for applying liquid foundation. quick and flawless airbrushed look.. it is made of very soft synthetc fibers. it very thick though which makes it hard to clean and you have to use a bit more product.

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malu22 on 9/20/2010 4:19:00 PM more reviews by malu22

Age: 36-43   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Black, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

This brush is freakin awesome! I abandoned my Chanel and Mac foundation brushes for this. Dense but absolutely soft, and no shedding at all. Not to mention the size is just perfect for foundation application. It gives me a very nice airbrush look. I'm ordering more as a back up and to give to my sister and friends.
UPDATE: I have collected several foundation brushes. I have all the MAC face brushes, Laura mercier foundation brush, 2 of cover fx foundation brush, philosophy foundation brush, sonia kashuk foundation brush, I even have the hakuhodo G543, G527, G544 and G543 but this F80 is my HG foundation brush. Hakuhodo G543 is an awesome brush but it only comes second to this brush. I had been using this brush for 8 months now and it is still good as new. I wash it twice a week with seventh generation dish washing liquid mixed with olive oil.
JUNE 5,2011 UPDATE: It has been 10 months since I started using this brush and it's starting to fall apart already. It now sheds a lot. I have 3 of this brushes that I alternate to use so it should not fall apart from being overly washed. . This is not a very expensive brush but not on the cheap side either. For it's price, I was expecting more from this brush to at least last for a while. I still love this to apply liquid foundation though. I just have to keep picking all that hair from my face. What the heck, I'm just gonna order some more until I find a good more durable foundation brush. My Mac brushes that I wash together with this brush all the time has not shown any wear at all. I wish Mac can make something like this brush. Minus 1 star for DURABILITY. And Minus 1 more star, for it's PRICE the quality should be better.
JULY 24, 2011 UPDATE: I emailed Sigma 2 weeks ago and told them about the brushes that were falling apart in less than 1 year. They sent me 3 replacement brushes and I received it yesterday. Up 1 star for an awesome costumer service. I will continue buying their brushes especially this excellent performer foundation brush and my other favorites E45, E20 and E15
JULY 17, 2012 UPDATE: This has become "one" of my HG foundation brushes. I had also been using the Coastal Scents Bionic Flat Top Buffer which applies better on more liquidy foundation because it has more give compared to Sigma F80 which is good for thicker liquid foundation or even cream foundation. However my current favorite now is the Real Technique Expert face brush. The sofness is between Sigma F80 and CS Bionic Falt Top. It has rounded edges which makes it even better for application compared to other 2 brushes mentioned.

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nolly9 on 9/15/2010 1:09:00 AM more reviews by nolly9

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Fair   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

this brush is amazing! by far the best brush for applying foundation. the brush is super soft and feels amazing on the skin. i've used it with my revlon colorstay, dream smooth mousse, and msf natural and it's worked well with all of them. i love, love, LOVE this brush! <33

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*TOP REVIEWER* luv4juicy5308 on 9/9/2010 3:35:00 AM more reviews by luv4juicy5308

Age: 19-24   Skin: Oily, Medium, Warm   Hair: Black, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

this brush was a nice surprise to me. originally when i got it i had absolutely no clue as to what to do with it. i tried it for foundation but hated it. but later on i decided to give it another try. and it works wonders. it blends my foundation so well and there's no streaking at all. i love it :) it is so dense but it's so soft against my skin :) one of the best sigma brushes out there.

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ILUVMU on 8/28/2010 12:15:00 PM more reviews by ILUVMU

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Dark, Warm   Hair: Brown, Kinky, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

This brush has been great applying my Colorstay Liquid Foundation.

It gave a nice smooth, even finish. I love the size and length of this brush. I can hold and maneuver it easily over my face.

I really like this brush.

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*TOP REVIEWER* nadeen4ever on 8/20/2010 5:26:00 PM more reviews by nadeen4ever

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Tan   Hair: Black, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

The brush quality is good i really like it ..i have the mac 180 brush and the result i get from this sigma brush is quite satisfying to me ... I can't say this brush can replace my mac 180 brush but their performance is really comparable ... I do recommend this brush

i bought this brush though amazon.com they charged me 7 $ for shipping for one brush only and the price of this brush is 16 $ ...so this brush costed me 23 $

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*TOP REVIEWER* thriftesfai on 8/20/2010 1:37:00 PM more reviews by thriftesfai

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Dry, Tan, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Curly   Eyes: Black    

I live in Canada, ordered the brush from the site and got it a little less than two weeks later. Came in a little draw string bag, a plastic brush guard, and a few informational pamphlets.
Upon receiving the brush, the handle felt sturdy and comfortable in my hand, and the brush itself is densely packed, very soft and is synthetic. I washed it before my first use, and it shed about two hairs. This may not happen to everyone though, and after all two hairs isn't that bad at all. This was the first and last time it shed after washing. Drying time took a day (it was completely dry the next day), despite how dense it is, which is odd. I don't know why LOL, maybe I'm lucky.
I used my Revlon Colorstay foundation, poured a bit onto the back of my hand and dabbed the brush in the foundation and started to gently dabbing it onto my face. I also spray my face, the foundation on my hand and the brush with some water prior to application, that's just my method, it helps for a smoother application on my dry skin. After I applied foundation where I need it, I starting gently buffing it into my skin. Oh boy. I looked airbrushed. It required no pressure, all I had to do was work in circular movements making sure the brush had contact with my skin. Basically, the brush did all the work. It's soft, so application wasn't unpleasant in any way. The overall end result was smooth foundation on my face, a second skin. I've used this brush many times after with the same result.
I highly recommend this brush, it's affordable and excellent quality. The one I got anyway. Give it a try!

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therealiluvbmx on 8/12/2010 11:53:00 PM more reviews by therealiluvbmx

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

This brush is super soft and the price is very reasonable. It can be used as buffing powder foundations and liquid foundations. This brush works amazing! It could also be used for blush and it gives a really nice finish. I recommend this to everyone!

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*TOP REVIEWER* yoyocanary on 7/30/2010 6:06:00 AM more reviews by yoyocanary

Age: 19-24   Skin: Very Dry, Fair, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Green    

The first brush I received was defective, so the company sent a replacement. I have had the replacement for three months, and it has started to shed a bit. I am beginning to fear that this one will fall apart, too! I wash it with a gentle shampoo and use my fingers like a washing board: I just lightly rub the bristles over my fingers with the soap and do the same to rinse under running water. I do not feel like this really gets the brush as clean as I would like it to be, but to really, deeply cleanse this brush, I feel that I would need to put soap IN the bristles, risking water/soap in the ferrule. I feel like there is always product build up in the bristles, no matter how well I wash it.

The brush applies most foundations really well, but it is a difficult brush to clean, and it takes a very long time to dry. I have gotten to the point with this brush that I am afraid of using it and washing it because I am afraid of not cleaning it well enough or risking it falling apart. That completely defeats the purpose of owning this brush. Finding a method of cleansing it properly without damaging it is a lot of effort, but once you do that -- this is a good brush. I doubt I would repurchase because cleaning it is such a PITA and almost stressful for me, but I will not deny that this brush applies both liquid and powder foundations like a dream (though I would not recommend using this with powder if you've got dry skin).
The price is good. The quality is good, not amazing. The performance is excellent. The amount of work involved in cleaning is not good. I would not repurchase.

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jenrulez on 7/28/2010 4:26:00 PM more reviews by jenrulez

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Very Oily, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

this brush worked great in the beginning, but after time, it constantly shed and was hard to clean. it was a little to stiff in my opinion to blend my liquid foundation. i think there are better alternatives. try the elf studio powder brush! works amazing!!!

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miszdeniise on 7/24/2010 2:34:00 AM more reviews by miszdeniise

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

Hated this brush! It way to dense to apply liquid foundation for me and its flat topped so it did not glide over the curves of my face ( cheeks, chin, ect) Itll probably be good for powder foundation but I find the flat top so hard to use and buff in! Im sticking to my MAC 130. HG!

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*TOP REVIEWER* kjmsmm on 7/15/2010 12:06:00 AM more reviews by kjmsmm

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Blond, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

This is a great brush! I love this for applying both liquid and mineral foundations. It is a synthetic brush and is super super soft. It gives me almost an airbrushed effect. I highly highly recommend this brush. It is a very reasonable price and such good quality!!!

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pinktini007 on 6/21/2010 4:13:00 AM more reviews by pinktini007

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Red, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Green    

Love it. The brush is very dense and soft. Application of foundation has never been so easy and even. Works great with both thin and creamy formulas. Unfortunately, after washing it takes forever to dry. So I'm thinking about getting a second one since it is so great and reasonably priced.

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annieup on 6/16/2010 6:56:00 AM more reviews by annieup

Age: 25-29   Skin: Oily, Dark   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

This is my favorite foundation brush. It's now called the F80 Flat Top Synthetic Kabuki Brush. I own four of these brushes and feel it works better than the MAC 187 because it's denser. I stipple foundation on my face with this brush. I also use it to buff and blend. I have an obsession with makeup brushes and this is by far my HG. With the quality and effective nature of this brush, I'd pay more than $16 for it.

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*TOP REVIEWER* sugamonkey on 6/1/2010 11:22:00 PM more reviews by sugamonkey

Age: 30-35   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

LOVE this brush. Originally got the MAC 130 brush to apply MAC Mineralize foundation compact but the brush head was too small and dense that I had to use lots of pressure to smooth the foundation into my skin AND it SHED like CRAZY and the short bristles stuck on my face! So, I got the SIGMA brush because of the great reviews and I am so glad! Bigger head and smooths right on and DOESN'T SHED. Half the price of the MAC brush too-Score!

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* shorty87 on 5/28/2010 2:58:00 PM more reviews by shorty87

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Black, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Black    

LOVE this brush! I used to use a paddle-shaped foundation brush. This blends SO much better. At first I wanted to get a regular duo fiber brush like the MAC 187 but that was so expensive. So I ended up getting this. The bristles are very dense and stiff, making it perfect for stippling. It's a bit tougher to do the swirling and buffing since it is so stiff but it's still doable. I've used it a handful of times and washed it about twice. No shedding yet =) I just love the finish it gives my skin. I highly recommend this brush!

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