Da Vinci – the story of high class makeup brushes

I’m really honored to introduce to my beauty community a very respected German producer of hand-made make-up brushes who is famous with their vast selection of art brushes as well. Da Vinci is a company from Nürnberg that has cultivated their special know-how in the field of brushes since 1890.
On their make-up website you can read more details about their company, their vast selection of all sorts of brushes and you can download their ultra precise catalog where the brushes are printed in the scale of 1:1! It means you can see the brush exactly how it looks like in reality. Here is a quick excerpt from their catalog where you can see the hand-made production.

Before presenting you the newest collection of their eco-friendly synthetic brushes, I want to share the story of my Da Vinci brushes, which is older than 10 years. When I started with make-up artistry I slowly started to build my make-up kit and I soon realized that I need a set of high quality brushes. At that time there weren’t so many brands and online shops like now and so I needed to plan my buyings. After checking and using many other well known brands of brushes I finally decided that my first complete set of professional brushes will be Da Vinci. I felt in love with them from the time I saw and tried them while working with an elder make-up artist who got a set of them. I was completely fascinated with ultra long, hexagonal shaped handles of the professional collection that allow the brush to stay firm in your hand. The feeling of these brushes is like handling painting brushes. I decided to purchase them, but there weren’t any online shops at that time and so I didn’t know where to find them. In good make-up shops they had just the classic line. It happened that I went on Cosmoprof cosmetic fair in Italy and “casually” find there their stander. I was so surprised and enthusiastic that I wanted to buy the set there. I didn’t know that on the fair they don’t sell small quantities, they obviously do businesses just with bigger stores, which is the purpose of fairs. But my enthusiasm was so obvious that I managed somehow to make “a deal” there and buy my set. You couldn’t imagine my happiness when I went home with a new set of Da Vinci brushes! There was another detail that was a revelation to me: with the brushes I also purchased their special soap for brushes in a tin box. Not just a cute idea, but very practical as well. The soap is made with vegetable oils that take care of the brushes. As you can see from the picture my first set of brushes looks like new after all these years of use and proper care.

And now while I was downloading their new catalog, I saw there is a new synthetic line in arrival. I wanted to try it and review it. I got the fortune to receive a few samples before the launch and the rest is the story below…

Synique: latest synthetic make-up brushes from Da Vinci

When I got in my hand these brushes I thought at first sight (and touch) that I have mistaken synthetic fibers with natural ones, although I knew that with an ultra precise German brand something similar is impossible. I was touching again and again these brushes with huge amazement. As you already know, I have tried lots of synthetic brushes, not just normal polyester or nylon ones, but even special patented fibers as well and not every synthetic brush is just ok for my perfectionist tendencies 🙂 Well, Da Vinci Synique has really made me stare there in pure amazement. First, when you receive a Da Vinci brush, it is neatly packed in a special box with a protective foil inside so that the brush is protected from outside damage and its shape remains intact. The next and most important thing are their specially developed synthetic fibers that look like natural hairs at first sight. What is more, the fibers are even softer than natural fibers! And they are the softest fibers I’ve ever tried! Yes, the softest fibers among natural and among synthetic hair!
In the Synique collection there are 12 brushes in total (2  are retractable). The entire collection consists of classic make-up shapes that are a very good selection for every woman. As all Da Vinci brushes they have 2 shapes of powder brushes: oval and round ones. The selection of eye brushes is very basic and enough for everyday use. If in the future they will extend this collection, I wouldn’t mind at all 🙂

And now to technical details: The handles are high gloss laqured in a taupe color and every brush has the logo and number on it. They have the so called silver ferrules. Through the time I have noticed that their ferrules have extreme quality, after washing and rewashing the brushes they didn’t get rusty even after a decade. Overall the main advantage I see about these new brushes is the advanced technology that has improved the synthetic fibers to a degree that resemble and feel like natural hair.

Review of DaVinci Synique brushes

DaVinci SYNIQUE FOUNDATION BRUSH n.9657/ 22

This is a classic foundation brush with dense and soft fibers. It extends well the product on the face. It can be used for liquid or even cream foundations. This kind of brush must be soft but at the same time it must have a certain amount of rigidity so that it can extend well the product. In comparison with many other brushes of this type it gives one of the softest feelings on the face. Its shape is not too wide and not too short, which means that you reach easily every corner of the face and thus achieve an even finish. The width of the ferrule is 2 cm large. The length of the bristles is 2,5cm. I must admit that recently I’ve put a little bit aside this classic shape of  foundation brush, because I prefer the duo-fibers and buffer types of brush, especially with light foundations or mineral powders. Speaking about that, there is another interesting buffer brush in Da Vinci classic collection, that is dense and made of synthetic fibers. It’s the 9770 Brush for foundation and creamy brush, that is from my perspective a modern shape to try. However, for those who look just for synthetic brushes, I recommend to check the catalog and you will find even other classic shapes of high-quality brushes for concealer, foundation, eyeliner, kabuki,…

DaVinci SYNIQUE 95747 POWDER BRUSH OVAL

This is an ultra soft powder brush with an oval shape that is suitable for applying the finishing powder or bronzer. The width of the ferrule is 2,5 cm large. The maximum length of the bristles is 5 cm. For those who love big and soft powder brush this one will be perfect. I wouldn’t use it for blush although some prefer to use large brushes, but I use it for applying a soft natural looking layer of bronzer.

DaVinci SYNIQUE EYE BRUSH – SMALL BLENDER BRUSH 41947

This small blender is a classic shape in the Eye brush category. I like it very much for smudging the pencil and soften the line on the top or bottom lash line. It’s fine also when you need to trace a thin line of eyeshadow in the crease of the eye. You can even blend the eyeshadow with it, but since it’s so small it’s the best used for blending narrow lines.

Years ago I have already written about the main advantages of synthetic brushes and the advancing technology in this field. Here is the resume of some main advantages that synthetic brushes offer:

– Brushes don’t shed which is very good news!
– Their shape remains stable even after washing them, cause the synthetic fiber doesn’t absorb water like animal hair
– A huge advantage is that they dry quickly after washing them
– Brushes are cruelty-free; suitable also for vegans and vegetarians
– These brushes allow you to apply powder and cream products
– The powders aren’t so volatile

Da Vinci has also many brushes for all sorts of arts, which are useful for make-up as well. As you can see from my picture, I just purchased their art brushes (that I use for make-up) in a beautiful “vintage looking” art store. I love to include art brushes in my work. As you can see the green Da Vinci brushes from the Synthetic Nova art collection are especially precise for lipstick or eyeliner application. I couldn’t help myself to buy even the old looking brush which is amazing for smaller touch-ups or highlighting.

This is a really long post, but I really felt to write more about this special company, because I admire the precious knowledge and the long tradition of hand-crafted products. Once I’d really love to visit their company and store where I would see all these brushes at one place 🙂

I guess this is something new for most of you, my readers, but if you already use any kind of Da Vinci brushes, please comment below.

photo credit: Boris Gorjan