Hello gorgeous! Last week on my Instagram, I had posted that I had received the e.l.f. Studio Ultimate Kabuki Brush and there were SO many questions regarding how it compared to a few other brushes. I posted a quick snap shot between this & the NARS Ita Brush & Becca The One, but I figured you would want to see a little bit more in depth shots & my thoughts on if it does or doesn’t compare at all! So let’s do this!
e.l.f. Studio Ultimate Kabuki Brush – $10 (Available on the ELF Site)
Let’s start off by talking about the e.l.f. Studio Brush. This is described as a true beauty multi-tasker and works for blending, contouring, highlighting and stippling. It has densely packed bristles that distribute powder evenly to create a smooth and soft-focused finish on the face.
Let me just say – This brush is H-U-G-E! Much bigger than I thought it would be. The bristles on this baby are insanely soft – Much softer than any ELF brush I have (And that’s quite a lot!) Now because of that, would I use this for a precise contour? Probably not. I have an extremely small face so my contour would be a hot mess. But highlighting and warming up the face with my favorite bronzer? Absolutely! I have even been using it with my Urban Decay Naked Skin Powder Foundation and it gives me such a flawless finish.
So how does it compare to the NARS ITA? As you can see, the brush head on the ITA is MUCH smaller as is the handle. The ITA is one of those brushes that people have been going crazy after. I took the plunge during a Sephora VIB 20% off sale and to be honest – I’m not all that crazy about it. For the price, I expected the bristles to feel like newborn unicorn baby tears and change my life. I rarely reach for it so I should have just thrown $55 out the window. Unless you’re a HUGE contour person, the ITA isn’t worth the money.
This is a super awkward photo, but I wanted you guys to really see the size comparison and just how large the ELF brush is.
The other brush I want to compare it to is the Becca The One brush. This one retails for $49 and claims to cut time in half & replace 10 makeup brushes. Much like the ELF brush, you can use it for powder, cream, highlighting, contour ect.
I have such a love / hate relationship with my Becca brush. It really is a great multi-tasking tool (It definitely doesn’t replace 10 brushes in my collection) but the bristles shed like crazy. Once again, the brush hairs on the ELF are 10x softer and I haven’t experienced any shedding at all. The Becca bristles are more dense and stiff which would probably make it easier to apply cream foundations and products.
Size Comparison – While the ELF brush is definitely fatter and bulkier than the Becca, I do appreciate the fact that I can stand up the ELF brush on my vanity for easy access and display purposes. The Becca is rounded at the bottom, so it does not stand up (Nor does the ITA brush)
The Line Up :
Overall, what it’s going to come down to for most people is price, quality and how you want it to perform on your face. Like I said, if you want the ELF brush for really chiseling out your cheekbones, it probably won’t happen because of how huge the brush head is. If you want to do a soft contour, bronze and highlight the face – it’s definitely something I would pick up.
So who wins the battle here? I’m going to have to give this one to ELF by a landslide. I am actually surprised ELF isn’t making this brush more expensive than $10.
Who do you think wins the battle? Do you see yourself picking up the ELF Studio Ultimate Kabuki?
Availability : ELF Website | (Not sure when this will be hitting stores such as Target, Walgreens ect)
Price : $10
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*Provided for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Post contains affiliate links*
ummm, yes to ELF Dang, the size comparison is insane! And the price comparison, elf wins in my book too!
Woo! ELF for the win!
I always felt bad that I missed out on getting the Becca brush, and in spite of the thickness I think I will give the elf brush a try. Thanks for this informative post!
Girl no don’t feel bad – The ELF needs to be in your life!
Thanks to your IG post, I am definitely picking up the ELF brush.
Yay! You’re so welcome! <3
I wish the ELF was a tad bit smaller! Maybe in the future they will come out with a smaller one!
Ooh I hope so!
Unicorn baby tears. Done. Almost couldn’t keep reading after that! HAHA. Great review, and very helpful!
LOL this made me laugh out loud. Love you! Thanks so much Vic! xo
That ELF brush is giant! But I love the price! Great post!
So much bigger than I expected – but well worth the $10!
That ELF brush sounds like it’s really amazing on so many levels.
Trust me – It is!
Well, you’ve sold me another e.l.f. brush! Would it work as a soft blush brush, do you think? I always feel true blush brushes are on the small, thin side.
I don’t see why not! It may be a little too big, but you may be able to make it work!
I wish the ELF brush was a teeeny bit smaller, but when you’re saving that much on a single brush, you really can’t complain!
Hopefully they make a smaller one in the future!
So next question, how do these compare to the new sephora contour brush ($16)
Hm.. I haven’t seen that one yet? Can you send me a link & I’ll see what I can find out? Thanks!
This is a great comparison post! I don’t use makeup brushes so I can’t really pick, but the ELF one sounds like a winner 🙂
Thanks Kellie!
I have other elf brushes that were a great value. This one looks perfect for the price!
It is! I’m surprised at how affordable this is!
I need the elf brush!
YES you totally do!
I have always been a huge fan of ELF products. So that would definitely be the one I go to.
Woo! ELF FTW! I love it!
I don’t have any brush like this in my collection, mainly because it looks like it would be scratchy on my skin. But now my interest is piqued!
I’m telling you – The bristles are CRAZY soft!
Great review and comparisons! It looks like it’s worth a shot. 🙂
Totally! Especially for $10!
total win this ELF brush! thanks for all the angles of analysis
You’re welcome! 🙂
Great post! I have the BECCA brush but don’t reach for it often.
Thanks Cindy! 🙂
That ELF brush is so huge! How could they think you could use it for contouring?! This review is great – so thorough and just saved me a bunch of money on brushes I was considering but probably won’t buy now.
lol I have no idea! It’s definitely worth picking up though!
I like the elf brush, great post 🙂
Beauty & Colour
Thanks Caitlin! 🙂
Fantastic comparison! I have super small features so I’m wondering how this would work? I mean for $10, I’m definitely going to try it out!
I have small features as well, so it definitely doesn’t work as a contour brush for me – but for everything else, it’s fab!
i love elf! Affordable and nice. Thanks for sharing.
Me too! They make awesome products!
I think I would be crying if I bought the Ita and then noticed the Elf afterwards. Thanks for an awesome review! I know what I’m going to buy!
My pleasure!! 🙂
The Becca brush being a heavy shedder would definitely be a bit of a deal breaker for me. Way to go, Elf! This sounds like a great brush to have! Excellent comparison and review!
Thanks so much Lola! ELF nailed it!
Awesome! I haven’t tried any Elf brushes yet.
Oh girl you don’t know what you’re missing! Super affordable brushes & they work great!
that BECCA brush sheds like crazy. I threw it away!
Right?! Its ridiculous!
I was never really interested in this style brush, but for $10 I’d totally give it a try. Great comparisons!
For the price, it’s definitely worth taking a shot!
I’m sure you realize that you could return the Becca and Nars brushes to Sephora for a store credit.
Oh I totally know that – I’m just lazy lol They are good to have for brush comparison posts & such though! 😉
I’ve been needing a new brush for awhile! Thanks for comparing them!
My pleasure!
This is such a fantastic post! I haven’t tried the NARS but I do have the Becca and it def does NOT replace 10, like you said. I do like my brushes to be on the denser side but for the extreme savings the ELF gets the job done well.
Thanks Brooke! <3
What a lovely comparison! I think I’d still pick up the elf version because I have a weak spot for brushes with soft bristles.
Thanks! And yes – for $10, it’s a must!
I don’t have many brushes, but it’s always nice to know which is the best for the value!
LOVE elf but I still want ITA! I can’t help it
I love ELF brushes and I’m not surprised it’s better than or comparable to the higher end options. I didn’t get all the hype surrounding the ITA brush either.
I have been swooning over the ELF brush since I seen photos of it on Instagram. I also have been wanting the Becca one. So many great options. I have the ita and while I do love it, I wish I loved it more to use it more.
I’d go with the ELF brush! Looks like an easy tool to slap on some bronzer without loosing control over where it goes 🙂
Great comparison! I have lots of ELF brushes that I love, with the concealer brush being my HG for nail polish cleanup.
This is great! I love good brushes. I will have to check out Elf’s brushes now!
ELF it is then!
The BECCA brush is my favorite, but not the gold one – the original one
I received the ita as a bday gift and I also expected the bristles to be just as soft but nope
I got a BECCA brush from iFabbo but I haven’t had the shedding issue. I wonder if it’s a defect? But I also don’t use mine more than maybe once a month if that. Thank you for the comparison though! Always helpful!
No idea! Mine sheds like CRAZY. I have heard from a few other girls theirs had the same problem :\
This is why I stay away from hyped up Makeup Tools unless i’ve had a chance to see an artist use it themselves or use it on me. Sorry you feel like you wasted your money but hey girl you got that from Sephora and they accept returns!
EXCELLENT point! I will most likely return it – I don’t have the box though, so I hope it won’t be an issue :\
I’m so happy to see this review because I’ve wanted the ITA brush for a long time but if you rarely use it than I probably won’t either, especially since it’s not cheap. E.L.F brush for the win! Definitely picking that up next time I’m in Target!
That elf brush looks just like ecotools face and body sculpting brush! I love it for body bronzing.
Wonderful review and comparison ! Very helpful. Thank you 🙂
Hey, great post. I’m looking for the widest, softest brush for applying foundation in less than 6 strokes, the way that geikos/maikos do. You mentioned the bristles are “insanely soft,” and, since ELF uses synthetic bristles, they’re closer towards what I’m looking for. I do not have the budget to purchase an authentic >$40 brush from Kyoto, and, from my experience, natural bristles absorb liquid foundation. In your experience, does the ELF brush absorb liquid foundation?
Thanks!