Yes, you read that right. Today I’m reviewing the Morphe x Jaclyn Hill brush collection. I know these brushes came out a very long time ago now, but in April when I picked these up, they were 50% off and I thought that was a pretty good time to finally try them. I only got the Morphe x Jaclyn Hill eye brush set, so this review doesn’t include any face brushes. Now, given who this collab is about, there’s a couple of things I’d like to address before I get into the full review.
Morphe
My overall opinion of Morphe brushes isn’t a good one. I’m testing this collaboration with an open mind as if it’s a completely new brand, but in general, I don’t think Morphe brushes are very good. I’ll put my hands up and say I am a bit of a brush snob, but I really do care about the finer details when it comes to my brushes. Things like the weighting of the handle and the precise angle of the finish of the brush are important to me.
As I said, I’m looking at these with an open mind. But, I see a lot of people rave about Morphe who are either affiliated with them or use nothing but Morphe brushes anyway, and I’m not that person.
Jaclyn Hill
The other element of controversy here. I don’t want to have to address this but I feel like I have to. I’m not a Jaclyn Hill fan, I’ve seen some of her videos, find her somewhat entertaining, but that’s it. There’s no prejudgement when it comes to her name either, good or bad.
I think the case of the internet vs Jaclyn Hill is a very cruel one. She screwed up, badly. But I’m sure she knows that, she’s lost a lot from it, both financially and in terms of her reputation. I don’t think the constant bullying she’s received after that is warranted, and I’m willing to look at products with her name on it with an open mind still
First impressions
This is a set of 8 brushes, that come with a little zip up brush case. It retails for £39 (10% off with a code) but as I said, I got mine 50% off so I paid £20 for the set. The quality I’d typically expect from a brush that cost me £2.50 each isn’t great. However, individually, the blending brushes can be purchased for £8 each. As my regular Zoeva brushes are £9/10 each, I’m going to be comparing these as a like for like.
My first impressions of the set as a whole are pretty good. I think if you’re a beginner looking for new brushes, this set has just about everything you’d need. The only thing that I think is obviously missing is a small detail liner brush, but I’m sure most people buying these will likely already have one of those.
L-R: JH30, JH33, JH32, JH40, JH43, JH41, JH42 & JH39
I went through my collection and picked out my most used brushes to see if there were any other things missing. The only thing that I could see being a real problem is that there isn’t a rounded blending brush in this set. I use the Zoeva Soft Crease brush as my initial transition brush every day, and much prefer to start with a fluffy rounded crease brush than a tapered one. But we’ll see how it goes.
How I chose my look
To test these out, I wanted to try and complete my eye makeup using just these brushes. And I wanted to try and use all of them so I’ve definitely used more brushes than necessary in one of my looks.
My typical everyday look is a simple matte one, which doesn’t give me much opportunity to test them all. So, I did something a little bit different on my first attempt to try and use more of the set, then tested them with my typical daily look separately.
I wanted to keep things simple and only use one palette for both of these looks, which was going to be the Colourpop Flutterby palette. But, I’m sorry, I couldn’t help it. I kept dipping in my Too Faced Natural Matte palette too.
What I Used and how it performed
Look 1
- All over lid and through the crease with Lush on JH30.
- Then through the outer and inner corner with Wild Wing on JH33.
- Spray the JH41 and used Sunflare and topped with just imagine.
- Popped some Angel BB on the JH40 to add a little depth to the outer corner.
- Using the JH39 I used wild wing then decided to pop some more Angel BB directly on my lash line with the JH43 but decided I didn’t love that and blended that out a little more with the JH39 again.
- Back in with some Cleavage from the Natural Matte palette to blend my edges and soften the crease a bit.
I didn’t manage to use the JH42 or the JH32 with this look.
Look 2
For my second look, I wanted to try and use the brushes I didn’t use in look 1 for my everyday look. Which is a simple cool toned neutral matte eye with a thin liner.
- I started with Lace Teddy from the Too Faced Natural Matte palette all over my primed lid on a JH30, then used Lush from the Flutterby palette in my crease and half way across my lid with the JH32.
- Then went over my outer corners and back through my crease with Wild Wing on the same JH32 brush. Very simple and easy, but I have slightly heavy lids (not fully hooded eyes, but a bit of a fold in my crease), so I like to sculpt my eyes a little to open them back up a bit. I used another brush I already owned for my liner.
- And to finish I used a mixture of Lush and Wild Wing on the JH42 on my lower lash line.
If I wasn’t intentionally trying to use those two brushes, I would have likely used the JH33 again for my lid colours as I’m not the biggest fan of the JH32. I found it to be too tapered for my liking, I’d have preferred the body of the brush to be slightly thicker if it was going to taper that much at the end.
Are the Morphe x Jaclyn Hill Brushes worth it?
This is a bit difficult, and it fully depends on what you’re used to. For the £20 I paid for 8 brushes, I think they’re 100% worth it. At full price, they’re still probably worth it but I’d be more hesitant. Overall I don’t think that these are bad quality brushes, they’re all reasonably soft, but not the softest ever. And they don’t have those weighty handles I was talking about earlier.
When it comes to brush by brush, there are definitely some stand outs.
I wouldn’t bother
JH40 – I was really excited to try this one because of its potential for detailed work, but this one isn’t doing it for me. It’s very soft, but I’m not sure if that’s a good thing for a brush of this shape. The bristles are quite long for a detailed brush and I’d prefer it if this one was a little bit firmer. Or this soft with shorter bristles.
Bit Meh
JH32 – I don’t know where I stand with this one. Fresh out of the bag, I hated it. It was fairly soft, but nothing special and the bristles didn’t seem to have a lot of flexibility in them. I thought it was too finely tapered to be an effective blending brush. Wasn’t a fan. However, after a couple of washes it got fluffier, and I’ve been beating it against the back of my hand to try and soften the shape of it before using it and now I like it a lot more. However, the brush I like isn’t the shape as the one in the packet, it’s literally been beaten into this shape.
JH42 – I have nothing against this brush, it’s just nothing special either.
I really like this one
JH33 – This brush is very soft on the eye and picks up product well. But this brush shape is a staple in every collection and I feel like you can’t really go wrong with ones this shape unless you make them really scratchy.
JH43 – like this brush a lot. I think it’s a great size and shape for pressing shadows into the lower lash line. It’s firm enough but not scratchy and hard.
Favourites
JH41 – I was surprised I liked this one so much as I don’t use this style of that brush that often. However, sprayed to apply a shimmer this one is perfect. I find this style of brush is often too stiff for my liking and this one is the perfect balance of being firm enough to do the job without feeling like you’re stabbing your eyeball…
JH30 – I initially didn’t love this one. As a big fluffy blending brush, it’s good, but my favourite fluffy blender is b-r-i-l-l-i-a-n-t. But my favourite big fluffy blending brush was £48 and I let that impact my judgement for a minute. It’s not fair to compare. This is very soft (could be softer, but very soft) and blends everything well from blowing out shadows to helping to fix any patchy areas.
JH39 – It feels strange saying a pencil brush was a standout for me but I really like the size and shape. It’s firm enough to press product on but soft enough to blend on the delicate under eye area. It diffuses product well and I really like that she opted for a slightly softer, rounded tip with this one rather than a hard taper.
Have you tried any of the Morphe x Jaclyn Hill brushes? What are your opinions on Morphe brushes in general?
Until next time,
Sophie
Outakes featuring Hugo:
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- Looking cute, minding his own business.
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- ….approximately three seconds later.
Great review! I agree about Morphe brushes, they’re not as good as some of their other products.
Al xx
Love your looks! I’m usually super fussy about my brushes too, and I’ve heard so many bad things about both JH and Morphe that I’m not sure I’d ever risk trying their brushes! You seem to have got good results from them though, by the looks of your lovely makeup!
Ellen xx
http://www.ellennoir.co.uk/
To be honest I always try and spend less on makeup brushes so I can spend more on the actual products. There are some really good dupes out there 🙂 it’s always good to know if the brushes are worth it or not. x
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on these brushes with us. I’ve never tried using Morphe brushes but I really love the looks you created with them.
I find it difficult once I have my favourite brand of brushes to try out different ones haha, I’m really not good at experimenting and trying out new products when it comes to make-up. I seem to find one I like, and then stick to it, but it would be nice to test out others, maybe thats something for me to work on!! I haven’t tried using Morphe x jaclyn brushes, they seem okay though! Love your make-up looks too, and the outtakes of Hugo are great haha.
Chloe xx
I’ve got a few morphe brushes and they can definitely be hit and miss, some are fine until you wash them! It’s good that you got them for £20 that’s such a bargain, but I don’t think I’d spend £40 on them. I might buy jh30 as I need a new fluffy blending brush. I love how detailed this post is!
It’s good to see which brushes are good and which are not! I try and spend less on makeup brushes as I think they can be quite expensive x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
I never tried any Morphes products since I don’t follow much the hypes but I think people dragging Jaclyn all the way down because the collaboration is just plain rude and I think I may get some of her brushes since they are discount.
Michelle| brokebutflawless.com
You look really great with that bold red lip. I really love a red lip. I haven’t worn that style in awhile and I need to get the perfect kind to rock it again. This is a great review. I feel like every YouTube influencer has a palette of some kind. But that doesn’t always mean it is any good. I loved your honest review on this and I really think it is interesting. 🙂
Love your look and appreciate your honest review! I haven’t tried the brushes yet.
lots of love, Miri
http://www.meetmiri.com
It is a bummer that Morphe didn’t leave a good impression for their brush collection. This was my first starter foundation brush, which served its purpose for a bit. You got a great deal for the brushes! I LOVE the white bristles. You look gorgeous with your makeup! It’s a bummer that the brushes wasn’t worth the full hype. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Nancy ♥ exquisitely.me
This is such a great and honest review. I am not really a brush snob. I try to get cheaper dupes because I feel like makeup itself is just so expensive lol but I always love reading reviews to see if it’s worth it or not!
I always finding myself deep in your comparison posts, even if they include controversial topics. I appreciated your opening thoughts on the brands you used in this post, and love that you went at this with an open mind!
I am loving your red lipstick. 🙂
Great review, I don’t spend much on makeup brushes but I really appreciate how you broke down the brushes. I love your look particularly the red lipstick
Fab review, gorgeous makeup looks! I’m sending you so much love. Stay strong, stay home, stay safe. ♡
With love, Alisha Valerie x | http://www.alishavalerie.com
I’m always looking to try new brushes but they are so expensive! I haven’t tried these morphe brushes but I might invest because there is always a few great ones in a big set!
We did a similar review of these brushes and glad to know we have similar thoughts! Loved reading what you thought of each brush and what you would and wouldn’t recommend. Great review!
Pretty makeup ❤
I love your honesty about the brushes, especially as her brushes aren’t exactly cheap either!
Love, Amie ❤️
The Curvaceous Vegan
Great review! I am actually looking for new brushes right now and these sizes look perfect for my needs!
I haven’t tried any of these brushes before but they look stylish and classic. You have created some lovely make up looks with the brushes and make up. I am using real techniques brushes and sponges, have been for a while. Thank you for sharing your thoughts Sophie.
I haven’t tried these brushes before but I’ve heard some good things about them! I would definitely pay £20 but I don’t think I’d pay the full price for these brushes as I can get some really good ones for cheaper! Great review x
You look lovely, Sophie. I’ve never heard of these before and I’m not really into make up but I like how you’ve kept an open mind about the product. Some people will never purchase a product because of the name attached to it and they could be missing out on a great thing but I guess it’s just how people work. Great and honest review!
I’ve never used morphe brushes before…just bought sets of brushes off Amazon I had no idea that they all had numbers! Make-up brushes can be quite expensive, can’t they? so I love that you broke it down to which are your favourites, as well as which ones to use for what look. Really helps when coming to buy new ones!
Love both of your looks too!
Thanks for sharing!
Aimsy xoxo
https://aimsysantics.co.uk/diy-pom-pom-rug-how-to-make-your-own/
Love the makeup looks you created!
Great post and also I love your makeup! I’ve never tried morphe brushes but I have heard about them in the past.
I think brushes is something that I need to invest more into! I only use the same ones that I have had for so long!
https://www.emilyclareskinner.com
I’ve never used Morphe brushes, in fact with the exception of a blusher brush, bronzer brush, and foundation brush, which all came with their respective products, I’ve never actually bought any make up brushes! But I did appreciate your comments about approaching the products with an open mind: I think that’s so important, and everyone deserves a second chance. Fabulously detailed review, Sophie, thank you! Lisa xxx
I love how iridescent your eyes look in Look 1. Awesome that you broke down each brush so people know what’s what!
I’ve always heard good things about Morphe brushes but they’re not easily accessible in the country I live in, and brushes are the type of thing I’d want to feel before I bought. Hopefully one day I can!
Marissa Belle × marsybun.com
Such an in depth review Sophie. I don’t follow YouTube drama much so I don’t actually know what the deal with Jaclyn Hill was but I know there was some sort of controversy. These brushes sound okay – nothing to scream from the rooftops about though!
I need to try something rom Morphe! Hugo is so cute x
I really want these brushes! xx
I’ve never used Morphe brushes before! I have used Real Techniques for years and find those really good for applying my makeup and quite affordable. Great review lovely! xx
Tiffany x http://www.foodandotherloves.co.uk
This was such a great review. I haven’t tried these brushes and I’m not sure that I would because I prefer them to be as soft as a feather, especially if I’m going to use them anywhere near my eyes.