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I Hung Out With James Vincent and All I Got Was This Brush Set*

April 26th, 2016 by Nicole Fraser-Herron 29 Comments

James Vincent x LBC
James Vincent x London Brush Company

I was oohing and ahhing over pots of glitter when I felt someone tap my shoulder. I turned around to see James Vincent smiling at me saying, “Hi, Nicole.”

A mutual friend introduced us. I have long since admired James Vincent, but meeting him in person, artist to artist, was so wonderful. I met him at The Makeup Show in San Francisco last year. If you aren’t familiar with The Makeup Show, it’s a pro-focused beauty convention that travels the US every year. Bigger brands and smaller local brands attend, and you can find tons of goodies at a pro rate. They also have classes! I could listen to James Vincent teach for hooooours. And I did.

When I met him, he told me about this brush collection from the London Brush Company (it looks like they’re sold out as of right now), and I obviously needed it. The brushes are vegan Mongoose hair, and very simple in design with only James Vincent and London Brush Company on the ferrule. They’re very soft, and very versatile.

Let’s break it down: there are 3 pyramid brushes and two bent ones.

James Vincent x LBC
James Vincent x London Brush Company Pyramid Blender Brush

The biggest pyramid brush works for so many base products. That’s something I LOVE about LBC — the multitude of uses a single brush is made to have. I’ve used this brush for moisturizer, primer, foundation, setting powder, and contour. It’s bloody brilliant. The fine point makes it easy to get in there and contour precisely and the pyramid angle helps blend it out. It applies powder so easily with not too much product (I’ve been using it with the Laura Mercier Loose Setting Powder and the Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder).

James Vincent x LBC
James Vincent x London Brush Company Pyramid Blender Brush (medium)
James Vincent x LBC
James Vincent x London Brush Company Pyramid Blender Brush (small)

The next two pyramid brushes I’ve been using mostly as eye brushes, but also for contouring my nose (which I don’t do often, but it helps in photos and when I’m hanging out with drag queens and feel under…painted). Again, this pyramid thing is bloody brilliant. Apply with the tip, blend with the edges. It also makes crease work so damn easy because the flat part of the triangle sort of blocks pigment from blending down onto your mobile lid. Brilliant I tell you.

Next, my favorite brushes. I am all about bent tools. I have a scar on the center of my right pupil which makes me see double (if not triple) at a certain distance (probably explains my art), so bent tools are great for precision work when you have obstacles. They’re also great when working on other people.

James Vincent x LBC
James Vincent x London Brush Company Bent Mini Mascara Fan Brush
James Vincent x LBC
James Vincent x London Brush Company Bent Mini Mascara Fan Brush

I love the mascara brush for smokey lash lines! It’s really easy to control pigment deposit with these brushes, and I find that switching between like colors (wiping the brush on a towel in between) is really easy. This eye look took a minute. One. Minute. Two brushes, one minute.

James Vincent x LBC
James Vincent x London Brush Company Bent Lip Brush

The bent lip brush is great for those bold lip colors that you need to get right the first go around. Since it’s bent, you can see exactly where you’re about to place the product, and there is literally nothing left up to chance. Bangin’ lip color every time.

Needless to say, I love this brush set. I have complete faith in anything James Vincent does.

James Vincent has worked with the likes of Joan Jett, Courtney Love, Florence and the Machine, and Lady Gaga to name a few. He founded the punk rock glam line Ardency Inn (check out their black eyeliner!) Check him out on Instagram for albums of the day & other makeup industry insights. His handle is @jvincentmakeup.

*James Vincent did not gift me this brush set.

Nicole Fraser-Herron


Nicole was born a red-headed fairy child and nothing has changed. Ditching the mountains tucked away in East L.A. for the mountains in Oakland, she became a photographer with a flair for too much glitter. You can check out her work and follow her adventures on her website and @elephantinfantry on Instagram.

I Hung Out With James Vincent and All I Got Was This Brush Set* / Originally published April 26th, 2016

There are 29 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Guest Post, London Brush Company, Makeup Tools

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Comments

  1. yelena says

    April 26th, 2016 at 1:19 pm

    oooh the brushes look lovely. ps. I love your hair!

    so how do you use the mascara fan brush? I received it in a Sephora brush set but have no idea how to use it. lol.
    is it for liner? is it for mascara? who knows. It’s just sitting on my vanity, waiting to be used!

    Reply
    • Nicole Fraser-Herron says

      April 26th, 2016 at 8:00 pm

      Thank you! Well, I think they’re meant to be used for mascara, like fanning the product onto the underside of your lashes if that makes sense. But I prefer mascara wands, so I LOVE using it for getting dark shadow on top of and into the lash line. I also love it for applying darker colors to the lower lash line, and then blending it out with a fluffy brush. Is yours bent? It makes it soo easy to use! In the picture above where I’m using it on the upper lash line, Thats pretty much what I do, but I shimmy it all the way across the lid. Also for reference, I used tape to map out my wing on the far edge, so to make the smokey liner in this post, I had that tape down, subtle shades in the crease & a light shade on the lid. Then I used that fan brush and a light brown to map out my wing (thinner than usual). I wiped the product off of my brush with a towel, and then blended it that way, building up to black.

      Reply
      • yelena says

        April 27th, 2016 at 1:48 pm

        mine is not bent, but now that I have an idea what it’s for, i’ll give it a go!
        thank you!

        Reply
        • Nicole Fraser-Herron says

          April 27th, 2016 at 3:19 pm

          I just got another idea. Have you ever used powder before your mascara or in between coats to beef up your lashes? I bet fan brushes are awesome for that!

          Reply
  2. Karen says

    April 26th, 2016 at 2:52 pm

    Great pics, Nicole! I love what you’re wearing on your lips. What is it?

    Reply
    • Nicole Fraser-Herron says

      April 26th, 2016 at 8:01 pm

      Thank you, Karen! It’s my fave – Sad Girl by Anastasia Beverly Hills. It’s a matte berry w/pink reflects! It’s amazing.

      Reply
  3. Rachel R. says

    April 26th, 2016 at 3:02 pm

    I’m just jealous of how photogenic you are; you have the perfect nose shape.

    I’m a bit confused by the term “vegen Mongoose hair.” I’ve never heard that term before. I thought vegen meant no animal products. Does that mean it’s faux mongoose hair? Or the mongooses are fed a vegen diet? Or did you mean cruelty free (as in the hairs are brushed off the animals without harming them)? I hope I don’t sound rude, I’m just confused. Thank you, Nicole!

    Reply
    • Nicole Fraser-Herron says

      April 26th, 2016 at 8:04 pm

      Thank you! I’m pretty sure vegan Mongoose hair means it’s vegan hair (aka not even Mongoose hair) that is made to look, feel, and perform the way Mongoose hair would. On London Brush Company’s website, it says the hair is manmade. Hope that helps!

      Reply
    • Erin says

      April 26th, 2016 at 8:19 pm

      I have the same question. I am hoping that it means the hair is removed from the animals without harming them/fake Mongoose hair because I’d like to try these brushes!
      Erin recently posted … CrowsToes Mintally Unstable and Abracadabra

      Reply
    • Erin says

      April 26th, 2016 at 8:24 pm

      Found the answer on their website- “It’s a makeup brush made from fake fur!! Our nouVeau collection are made from the highest quality Vegan Mongoose, Vegan Blue Squirrel and Vegan Brown Squirrel.”

      But I think that only some of the brushes in this set are the vegan fake fur.

      Reply
      • Nicole Fraser-Herron says

        April 27th, 2016 at 3:34 pm

        Thanks for your detective work! I did some more… The 3 pyramid brushes are vegan, and the two bent tools are “Premium Grade European Sable”. I looked deeper into their philosophy, and it looks like all of their products are cruelty-free. Here’s more: “due to strict EU regulations, animals have to be handled carefully and without cruelty, and the hair has to be processed a certain way to make sure it is absolutely safe for use… Outside the EU and we have found hair that is coated with silicone to give a silky ‘high grade’ appearance. However, a few months down the line, the silicone wears off and the true integrity of the hair is revealed which is often more brittle and sharp.”

        Reply
      • Rachel R. says

        May 2nd, 2016 at 12:58 am

        Thank you, Erin! I should have thought of that.

        Reply
    • Erin says

      April 27th, 2016 at 11:44 am

      I had the same question Rachel! Nice to know it’s faux.
      Erin recently posted … Play! by Sephora April 2016

      Reply
  4. Alison M says

    April 26th, 2016 at 3:56 pm

    Hooray for James Vincent and for London Brush Company! I’m such a fan of both <3

    Reply
    • Nicole Fraser-Herron says

      April 26th, 2016 at 8:05 pm

      Meeeee toooooooooo! It’s like Christmas.

      Reply
  5. LindaLibraLoca says

    April 26th, 2016 at 5:56 pm

    When I am hanging out with drag queens and feel under-makeupped… We have all been there, lol!
    LindaLibraLoca recently posted … Lacura face Hydro Multi-Intensiv Serum – Beauty on a budget

    Reply
    • Nicole Fraser-Herron says

      April 26th, 2016 at 8:08 pm

      Haha if you like glitter & sarcasm it is the place to be!

      Reply
  6. Jen says

    April 26th, 2016 at 6:18 pm

    Cool 🙂 I really like the design of those brush handles.

    Reply
    • Nicole Fraser-Herron says

      April 26th, 2016 at 8:09 pm

      Me too! And the cantaloupe color. They stick out & are easy to find on my messy table.

      Reply
  7. Kiss & Make-up says

    April 27th, 2016 at 1:38 am

    How exciting! And oooh I like the look and sound of that lip brush! Interesting how you hold/use it. Want to try!
    Kiss & Make-up recently posted … Make-up look | Taupe, glitter and a touch of purple

    Reply
    • Nicole Fraser-Herron says

      April 27th, 2016 at 3:13 pm

      It’s pretty fantastic and super easy to use!

      Reply
  8. Jaclyn levy says

    April 27th, 2016 at 5:02 am

    Vegan mongoose? I’m confused…

    Reply
    • Nicole Fraser-Herron says

      April 27th, 2016 at 3:38 pm

      I didn’t realize until after publication how confusing that sounds, but here’s the deal – The 3 pyramid brushes are manmade hair that resembles Mongoose fur. The other 2 brushes are made of “premium grade european sable” hair, which is also cruelty free. From their site: “Due to strict EU regulations, animals have to be handled carefully and without cruelty, and the hair has to be processed a certain way to make sure it is absolutely safe for use… Outside the EU and we have found hair that is coated with silicone to give a silky ‘high grade’ appearance. However, a few months down the line, the silicone wears off and the true integrity of the hair is revealed which is often more brittle and sharp.”

      Interesting stuff. I hope that helps!

      Reply
      • Jaclyn levy says

        April 27th, 2016 at 5:47 pm

        Thanks so much for the extra info! I really appreciate it.

        Reply
  9. Christine says

    April 27th, 2016 at 7:30 am

    Wow, so great to hear that James has a brush line!! I highly respect anything he does, too.

    He’s a fantastic mentor, had a chance to be under his watchful eye at The Powder Group’s second Evolution workshop in Provincetown, MA.

    It’s great to see you demo-ing the new brushes, thanks for the review!

    Reply
    • Nicole Fraser-Herron says

      April 27th, 2016 at 3:16 pm

      No problem! Happy to take one for the team.

      He really is a great wealth of knowledge if you ever get a chance to sit down and chat with him. Glad you’ve been able to!

      Reply
  10. Kwmechelle says

    April 27th, 2016 at 10:51 am

    These look both interesting & ergonomic. I’m definitely a fan of bent eyeliner brushes. Helps me to see where I’m drawing my line & how how to wing it out. Great post 🙂

    Reply
    • Nicole Fraser-Herron says

      April 27th, 2016 at 3:14 pm

      Thank you! I love them too. Next I’ve gotta try those brushes that look like tooth/hair brushes!

      Reply
  11. Christine says

    April 28th, 2016 at 7:11 am

    I love your lipstick – what color/brand is it?

    Reply

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Hi there! I’m Karen, your friendly neighborhood beauty addict, and I’m a Bay Area girl who hoards brown eyeshadow and covets coral lipstick. Every morning, I wake up and say, “I’m going to do something other than a smoky eye today.” Then…I end up doing a smoky eye anyway (most days). When I’m not putting on makeup, taking pictures of makeup or writing about makeup, which I’ve been doing daily since 2007 (!), you’ll find me hanging out with my hubby (“El Hub”), my four-year-old daughter (Connor Claire) and my torbie girl cat (Pretty Girl Rosie, a.k.a. PGR).

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