Style

These Strange Silicone Makeup Brushes Are Unlike Any Beauty Tool You've Ever Seen

by Amy Sciarretto
Courtesy of Amazon.com

A year ago, the SiliSponge — which is a squishy, silicone, and parallelogram-shaped application that functions like a beautyblender — was the talk among beauty insiders for how it blended product, absorbed less and reduced waste, and was easy to clean. The MakeupDrop and the SilC sponge offered variations on the concept. Now, Lormay Silicone Makeup Brushes are buzzing in the beauty world for using the same material with new execution. Instead of the usual densely-packed hairs on the brushes, the heads of Lormay brushes are made out of silicone.

Lormay offers a nine-piece set that's easy to clean, which is an attractive quality, since the drying process for freshly washed brush hairs is quite a chore. Another pro of the silicone brushes is that they are bacteria resistant, since they can be wiped clean after every use. The soft and odorless surface can be used on all skin types.

There are face brushes, eyeliner tools, and shadow applicators in the set, which costs $10. No, that's not a typo. It averages out to just over a dollar per tool. They are crazy affordable, but the jury is still out on how long they will last before hitting the garbage can.

Courtesy of Amazon.com

We already know that silicone is top notch for buffing with cream or liquid products, such as primer, concealer, and foundation. That's precisely why the SiliSponge had such a moment.

Courtesy of Amazon.com

But how do the silicone makeup brush heads perform with powders, like eyeshadow and blush? Well, the reviews on Amazon are generally less favorable towards the brushes' interaction with powders.

One user wrote, "A little flimsy and not great for applying any powder eyeshadow. But if [you] want reusable, easy to clean applicators for cream or liquid makeup, these are pretty good."

Another commented that the problem of shedding hairs is eliminated here, posting, "These are really cool brushes, but don't buy them to replace your normal makeup brushes. I used them for applying a face mask. They were perfect because I wasn't losing any product that I would normally lose in makeup brushes with hair... But if you want brushes to blend, don't use these because they won't blend anything."

Courtesy of Amazon.com

Another user stated, "They work very well for liquids such as foundation and skin creams, ok for gels like dip pot brow, but really not at all good for powders such as eye shadow."

Beloved beauty vlogger Laura Lee reviewed the silicone brush set earlier this year. While she noted that the construction felt cheap, she liked the bend-y nature of the heads. She also felt that they blended cream products better than other silicone sponges because they were more flexible and less hard.

Lee tried one of the face brushes with a powder product and noted that the performance was poor, saying, "I don't recommend it because it presses into one area" and doesn't disperse the powder as needed.

Courtesy of YouTube

Lee loved how the silicone brush applied cream eyeshadow but struggled a touch while attempting a cat eye flick with gel liner. It took some time, but she made it work.

The general consensus is that these brushes work wonders with wet products. With such an affordable price and an intriguing design, they just might be worth a go.