As a discerning consumer, three things are very important to me:
Good customer service, attention to detail, and value for money.
It really is as simple as this: Out of all the choices out there I chose you to give my money to and I want to feel happy that I did that and I want you to acknowledge it and treat me like I matter.
I’m a fan of all cosmetics, but one budding brand holds a special place in my heart on account of who created it. Our very own Lauren Luke, the YouTube sensation who has single-handedly changed the world of make-up, challenged all the stereotypes and allowed women (and men!) around the world to realise that we can look beautiful, regardless of age, race, shape, etc. Lauren is involved in every single step of creating her products and works hard to give us high end cosmetics at high street prices.I have a couple of the By Lauren Luke palettes but they were purchased whilst on honeymoon from the huge Sephora store in the Hollywood & Highland shopping centre in LA. I have no experience of mail ordering Lauren’s products - until now.
I thought I'd buy a couple of brushes before deciding if to get the whole set. I chose the Pencil Brush and the Flat eyeshadow brush. I received an email to acknowledge my order and then tweeted my excitement to @Panacea81. Lauren replied saying I would receive the brushes soon. Now, this is what I call customer service! The thing with Lauren is that you truly know she cares; she wants your feedback, ideas and suggestions and she really listens. So it was no surprise that my brushes arrived in immaculate condition in a gorgeous parcel very soon after my order was placed: 
I could not wait to use these brushes. Firstly, we need to talk about the quality of them. I know that there are £1.50 brushes available at ELF and they are really good value if on a budget. Their Bamboo brush range offers a higher quality but then the price jumps up significantly when compared to the £1.50 range. To put it in perspective, Lauren's brushes are better quality than the bamboo brushes and are also cheaper. So if you are on a budget but don't want £1.50 brushes but something a little more high end, spend the extra. It is worth it, I promise!
Shown above : Pencil brush £3.25, Flat eye Shadow brush £4.00.
Mac equivalent £19 each - and Lauren's brushes are easily of the same quality. I have MAC brushes and have compared them. I like Lauren's better (and I'm not just saying that because she tweeted me!); these are genuinely top quality brushes. They look great, they perform great, they are great. Today I used them for the first time, in conjunction with the My Fierce Violets palette. 
I started by using the medium primer and then used the flat eyeshadow brush to tap on the light purple shade. The brush loads up really well, but not too much - there was no fall out on my cheek which means no mess and also no wasted product. Application was quick, easy and even. The eyeshadow went on really well and then when tapping the brush off and dabbing into the white to highlight, the lilac was all gone from the brush meaning no mixed colours. I used the pencil brush to tap in the darker purple to the outer crease of the eyelid and also to apply to the lower lash line. It's quite a fine brush but not too fine which gives a smoky, softer look. I then blended the shadow and finished with a bit of eyeliner and mascara.
The brushes are lovely to use, I was really very pleased with them and will definitely be going for more when I get paid.
The bottom line is - amazing value, top end brushes without the high price, great customer service and also a tutorial available on line detailing how to use the brushes. Click HERE to see. Highly recommended.
Value : 10/10
Customer service 10/10
Product : 10/10
