Another 187 Dupe and Studio Tools Brushes Review

So I was walking around Target, not intending to buy anything makeup-related, and I stumbled across the Studio Tools section near the Sally Hansen nail products display. Damn, I was in for some impulse buys. I had already owned the Studio Tools Smudge Brush, which I love, and decided to pick up three other brushes. And after I remembered seeing a video that Kaycee did about the Studio Tools Dual-Finish Brush, I decided I had to get it.

The Studio Tools Dual-Finish Brush is $6.99 and it's a stippling brush with natural and synthetic fibers. The entire brush measures a little over 6.5" long and has a transparent, dark-gray plastic handle, as do all the brushes. The handles look solid black but if you hold them up to the light, you'll see right through them. They are also made in China and so far, only a couple hairs from the crease brush has shed.

Now, I don't own the full size MAC 187 because I don't use liquid foundation (watch Kaycee's video that compares the full-size MAC 187 to the Studio Tools), so I'm comparing the Studio Tools brush with other stippling brushes that I own. I love these types of brushes for blush, bronzer, and contouring.

For my previous posts about these other 187 dupes, click below:
Flirt! Feather Dust-her Brush from Kohl's
Everyday Minerals Skunkless Foptic Brush

~The Studio Tools 187 dupe has the perfect ratio of natural to synthetic bristles. It's not as dense as the EDM and not as sparse as the Flirt! brush - it's perfect. I also love the height of the bristles and the handle is chubby enough to fit comfortably in my hand without being too big. Another good thing about it is that the end of the handle is flat, so you can stand it upright on your desk or vanity. That's a good thing for me since I have no more room in my brush holders. The bristles are soft, they haven't shed (so far), and it did not smell funky right out of the package. It gets a 5 out of 5.
~If I had to rank my 4 stippling brushes in order of preference, it would be exactly like the pictures below: Studio Tools, MAC, Flirt!, and Everyday Minerals.

(Click to enlarge)

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~The Medium Shadow Brush ($2.49) is one of those brushes you grab for when you're lazy and don't want to get out another brush. You can do a whole look with this one brush: lid, crease, outer-V, and highlight. It's super soft, not pokey at all, and made with natural hairs.
5 out of 5
~The Smudge Brush ($2.49) has shorter, stiffer bristles and it's good for packing on color on small lids or for applying three or four different colors on your lid if you're doing a rainbow look. Of course, it's also good for smudging out your eyeliner and is made with natural hairs. 5 out of 5

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~The last brush is the Eye Contour (crease) Brush ($1.99) and I have to say that this is now my favorite crease brush. It's not as full as the Sonia Kashuk but it's almost similar to the elf Blending brush - the Studio Tools is more tapered at the end, so it fits into your crease nicely. It's super soft and not pokey, just like all the other brushes. This is also made with natural bristles and can you believe it's only $1.99! 5 out of 5

~(BTW, the UpStage Crease brush is another fave of mine and I got this at Long's Drug, which is now converting to CVS, so I don't know if you can still find it there. I love how fluffy, tapered, and pointy this brush is and it fits perfectly into your crease - a very underrated, unknown brush.)
~The MAC pencil brush (219, not 119) is just there to give you an idea of the brush head sizes.

(Click to enlarge)

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FINAL THOUGHTS

1. These 4 Studio Tools brushes are affordable, easy to find (at Target), and very soft. All of them get 5 stars!
2. All brushes have handles with flat ends, so you can stand them upright. This is a great option for the Dual-Finish brush.
   

Hope this helps! It's 3 in the morning and I'm going to bed! =)