I saw the Hakuhodo G543 a long time ago and I was incredibly tempted but I wanted to read more reviews before I order it, unfortunately there aren’t many reviews of it so I had to take the risk…

I also wanted to compare this Hakuhodo G543 with the Koyudo H011 that looks very similar, both are short-hair kabukis meant for powder and liquid foundation.
Sometimes, like today, I feel frustrated because I cannot find the right technique, the one that will really tell you if these brushes are really good and why… These two brushes are totally outside my comfort zone, I am trying to review them for you today, but let’s say that today is just the beginning of a series of testing and experimenting with a follow up review later on.

The Hakuhodo G543 costs 94 Usd, is made of Sokoho goat hair.

The Koyudo H011 costs 65 Usd and is made of goat hair.

They both look divine and I hope the pictures make you want to touch them
They are soft, extremely good quality, I will try to give you a closer look to each one of them.

This is a view from the top, you can see how densely packed they are :

Another view where you can see the density of both brushes :

The Koyudo H011

It’s made with goat hair, softer than the Hakuhodo G543, very fine hair, longer and with more flexibility than the Hakuhodo. The hair length is 2.2cm, really soft as silk, which can be good or less good depending on how you will use it. I was never expecting it to be so silky, when I ordered it I was looking for a similar brush as the Rae Morris Radiance but the hair is completely different.

The first time, I have tried this brush dry but with liquid foundation,  it’s so dense that for me it’s difficult to control the application. Even if I first apply the foundation roughly with my fingertips, then I blend with this brush, still not easy to have an even coverage but I think the problem is also me, I have to tell you that I am having a lot of problems mastering these brushes and it’s going to take me some time…

The second time, I tried to use it very slightly damped and with liquid foundation. Better. The coverage is even, compared to a blending done with a dry brush, it’s more dewy, it doesn’t emphasize my facial hair so much and you can clearly see that the foundation is not sitting on the skin, it’s a natural coverage but it takes me some time to complete the application, mainly because it’s new for me and I am not used to this technique at all.

The third time, I used it with mineral powder foundation, swirl then tap the excess off, then apply with a stippling motion and buff. I did not like the result, too drying for my super dry skin, not flattering for me at all. I did not even try to go to heavier than sheer coverage because I could see that the result was not dewy at all and I did not like it.

Bottom line : I prefer when the brush is slightly wet and the great thing about that is that you can wash your brush and use it just afterwards (you just need to gently dry it with a towel), no need for it to completely dry in between each usage. My problem is that I am not  used to this technique, it reminds me of the Beauty blender sponge, it too time consuming.

I have to keep on trying again, unfortunately I cannot say today if I really love it or not. I will need more time but I will keep you updated on my progress, if by any chance you have found some reviews or you have any other recommendations for me, or ideas, please let me know !

The Hakuhodo G543

This is such a funny brush, it’s so tiny, the hair length is 1,8 cm. Much denser than the Koyudo, it’s so densely packed that I did not know if and how I could use it on my dry skin. The Non-Blonde loves it, but I am actually still wondering how to use it properly

The first time, I tried it dry, with liquid foundation. Did not like it, again too time consuming and I was feeling that the foundation was sucked inside the head before I could have enough transferred on my skin… Need to try again though…

The second time, I tried it wet, with foundation. Much better. It becomes softer and more flexible when damped and I tried it with a stippling motion, the result is dewy, the foundation does not sit on the skin and it doesn’t emphasize my facial hair…  this is important for me with the quantity I have –  spanish roots :p

The third time I tried it with powder, it’s just not appropriate for my dry skin at all. Not meant for me.

Bottom line : I need to keep on trying again and again until I find the perfect technique !

You can see the size difference with other similar kabukis :

If you wonder where the Fu-pa02 comes from, I can tell you that it could come from this Hakuhodo G543 and the Koyudo BP013 :

You probably already know the Koyudo FuPa-02, it’s a gorgeous brush, very unique and amazing for liquid foundation. It really looks like it has both Hakuhodo G543 and Koyudo BP013 DNA. The density of the FuPa-02 is exactly in between these two, same for the softness, same for the size.

I have to tell you that today I have tried the Koyudo BP013 for the first time, it’s the kind of brushes that when you see it, you don’t realize the potential but I had the feeling I had to order it, so insanely happy I did !

I tried it with the Mac Mineralize foundation, it’s a thick cream formula. I am not often impressed like I was today : a match made in heaven. Exactly what I was looking for, in terms of coverage, ease of application, flawless finish. I ran outside with my mirror to double check the result, I was speechless ! This is it ! The brush I was looking for for my Mac Mineralize foundation, I am in my third “pot” but it doesn’t contain that much actually.

Before I was using the Sigma F80 and the coverage was a bit too obvious and thick so I was in the hunt for the perfect brush made for this foundation that gave me enough coverage with a comfortable wear. Mission accomplished

It has a little sister, the Koyudo BP014 that is good to have for the corners of the nose or smaller zones, together they are the best army.

This is a picture with many other similar shaped brushes, the Koyudo BP016 is not made for foundation but it’s an excellent blush brush, softer than the BP013.

Here the Koyudo BP013 on the left, the Fu-Pa02 in the middle and the Koyudo BP014 on the right :

The hair of the BP013 is not soft like the Tom Ford bronzer or the FuPa-02, is a bit more coarser but in a “good way” coarser, delivers a fantastic result, I had enough coverage (sheer to medium) without looking like I had foundation on at all !

The hair of the Koyudo FuPa-02, you can see it’s thinner and softer :

The Tom Ford bronzer brush is even much thinner and softer :

I am so happy that I have this BP013, an incredible fantastic surprise ! of course the surprise is even bigger when you don’t have high expectations…

About the Koyudo H011 and the Hakuhodo G543, I am not disappointed but I need to work with them a lot more, I will update this post when and if my experience with these two brushes evolves…

If you know RMK brushes, you probably also know Lunasol brushes, they are manufactured by the same company : Chikuhodo, just like Suqqu.

The Lunasol handles are quite similar to the RMK ones, but they are a bit heavier and slightly longer.
I got my Lunasol brushes in a swap but they were brand new, actually it’s difficult to get them if you are not living in an Asian country, we have a Kanebo counter in Switzerland and even though Lunasol is a brand from Kanebo, we don’t have access to Lunasol.

These are the Cheek N and Powder N brushes :

Lunasol powder brush N

It’s a 100% blue squirrel hair brush, the hair length of this brush is approx 5.5cm and the base of the ferrule 2.2cm. It’s a very soft brush but not extremely dense, the bristles have a lot of flexibility and the application will be quite sheer. It feels really great on the skin, very soft and very pleasant to use.

I own a similar brush, the Hakuhodo K002, also 100% blue squirrel hair, it’s denser, also firmer, the layers of hair are more evenly bundled and you will get a more controlled application. I have to say that it’s even softer than the Lunasol,  I can feel that the quality of the hair in the Hakuhodo and its shape feels more “achieved” and luxurious.

The Lunasol (I only found it in Bonboncosmetics.com) is 81.99usd, the Hakuhodo is 82usd, for that price I’d rather pick the Hakuhodo, it’s just my personal preference…
I know the Lunasol is cheaper in Hong Kong but I am not sure if the prices are the same across all Asian countries were it’s available.

The RMK powder brush is a mix of grey squirrel (outside) and goat hair (in the inside), this allows the brush to be denser and still affordable and also more durable. I have to say that it is very nicely and evenly bundled, it has a flatter surface therefore I love to use it when I want an all-over bronzer application, quick and easily achieved. I just remember that the price was decent (I got mine in Selfridges UK) but unfortunately I don’t know how much it was. Then if you don’t have easy access to this brand it might cost much more than the retail price…

Lunasol Powder N

Hakuhodo K002

RMK powder

It also reminds me a lot of the Chikuhodo Z-9, or the Chikuhodo MK-2, I know Chikuhodo is even more expensive but, if you are really truly into luxurious brushes, this Z-9 or MK-2 are the ones to go for. They have approx the same flexibility but the quality is far more superior – so is the price -… The shape is slightly different but the final purpose is pretty much the same : a sheer all-over application of powder or bronzer.

Chikuhodo Z9 vs Lunasol Powder N

Lunasol Cheek brush N

Made of 100% blue squirrel hair, hair length is approx 4.5cm, base of the ferrule 2cm. As you can see it’s really very similar to the Addiction Cheek brush but this one has a mix of goat and grey squirrel, it feels more dense and full and will deliver a heavier result than the Lunasol. Although this Addiction has goat hair, it feels also very soft and you can barely feel the difference between the two.

These are some of the most similar brushes that I own in my collection. The RMK cheek on the far right is also a mix of goat and grey squirrel (like the Addiction).

I love :

• the Lunasol for how soft it feels and because it’s excellent for more pigmented blushes, since it’s not as dense, I also use it with bronzer.
• the Addiction for it’s perfect density and for how good it applies and blends any blush I use it with. I tend to use it more with nude blushes, when instead of  precision I want to add dimension to my cheeks (larger zone to cover and a flawless blending to achieve).
• the RMK cheek S because it’s really easy to carry in my small makeup bag and good with any blush I would carry with me (application and blending) and has a decent price tag.
• the RMK cheek (full squirrel) because it’s such a soft brush yet dense, firm and directional, these kind of brushes are quite difficult to find. Perfect size for my cheeks. Reminds me of the Chikuhodo Z-4 that I deeply love, the RMK in comparison is denser, firmer and less soft.
• the Koyudo because it’s insanely soft and works wonders with heavily pigmented blushes, but not only, any blush is good for this brush (maybe not with some of the Chanel JC…).
  I use it very often with Rouge Bunny Rouge Gracilis which is one of my go-to when I am wearing a strong eye look and I am  impressed every time I use it, the Tom Ford Narcissist looks so gorgeous applied with this Koyudo, unfortunately since I love it so much I tend to over apply (just to feel the brush once more…) then I have to blend … but this is just my fault for being distracted when I use it !!

My favorite is the Koyudo, it’s really an insanely soft and efficient brush and since it’s LE, if you are really looking for this kind of brushes you better hurry…

Lunasol brushes are great brushes, they are not my favorites because I am lucky to own very special brushes so the competition is really tough.
All these brushes I am showing you are great blush brushes, depends what you are looking for and what are your favorite brands. If you are going for a Chikuhodo manufactured brush, I would rather recommend you the Z-Series, they are better quality but keep in mind that they can be much more expensive depending on where you get them.

Lunasol Cheek

Addiction Cheek

Koyudo Red Squirrel LE

If you have any questions related to these brushes, please don’t hesitate ! I have surely not covered all aspects so please  just ask

Thanks for reading !

You know how much I love makeup brushes, now, this is what happens when “cute” meets “efficient”  :

And this is what happens when “Alien” meets “My Little Pony” and have children in Heaven :

The result is absolutely divine. Well, you don’t always “need” this kind of brushes, but I am pretty sure there is a big chance you just want to get them anyway

Remember I told you I had to write a review on some Koyudo that didn’t feel “that” soft, I was recently spoiled with the Chikuhodo and the Koyudo White Mushroom so all the brushes felt kind of scratchy after having these ones !

So, I was concentrating on many softer brushes and ignored these 3 Koyudo for a while, then in order to write a review I started using them, at first I wasn’t that excited but one day I realized that I was automatically using them and finding them extremely efficient, these are the three I am talking about :

You probably guessed why I ordered them in the first place : they look different. Yes they do and they are. Today I love them and I will share my thoughts on them and also on some other cute ones.

Koyudo BP026 (goat)

This is a brush in two dimensions : the outside feels a bit rough and you see that the bristles are a bit thicker but all of the inside hair feels so soft ! Softer than any Mac, softer than the Hakuhodo 210 for example or the G527 , more similar to the softness you get with the J528. The firmness of the brush helps to deliver an excellent “flat firm yet flexible” blending, one side is shorter so it’s firmer, the other side is longer and more flexible, blends whatever product you applied previously with the shorter side. I use it for contour or blush, not in a circular motion but in a sweeping motion, the short side goes first.

I wasn’t realizing how much I loved it until I was automatically putting it inside my daily makeup bag: “YOU ! AGAIN !”

These are the angled brushes that I love to use, this Koyudo is flatter and denser :

Koyudo BP019  (goat)

I ordered it because again, it looked so unique. I was disappointed at first, the longer side is a big too rough, but I don’t think you are supposed to use that side at all actually !!!

As you see there is a “layered side” and a “straight side”, I press the layered side again my cheeks and draw any movement that side leading. You can even draw quite a precise application since the other side ends as a line. The longer side helps blending whatever product you applied with the shorter side. I use it often with nudish blushes or even bronzers, more when I want to give an extra dimension to my cheeks or face without looking for too much precision.

Compared to the Hakuhodo S 110, although it doesn’t hurt at all, the hair are slighter thicker, the shape is not the same but the size is quite similar.

Koyudo C004P (goat)

It’s very soft goat, similar to Saikoho in my opinion.

I have similar brushes in my collection, I am loving the Hakuhodo J210 and this C004p the most. The C004p head is smaller and the handle shorter. It’s very nicely bundled and dense, firm but soft.

Koyudo Sakura 022

The total length of this brush is 11.5cm, it feels like a small kabuki with a handle

It’s really soft, I believe squirrel. It’s dense but not fully-dense, still has flexibility with precision, something in between a Fupa-01 and a blush brush. Really special and cute.

This Sakura is a bit difficult to find, what I did is that I saw it here (because again Nikoleta got me into it…) and then I sent an email to Koyudo. They sent me an invoice and shipped it to me. It’s the same if you contact CoolJapanNow, you send them an email and I believe they are able to get any Koyudo brush for you, even those not showing on their website.

Koyudo FU-PA01

Difficult to believe this is goat hair, it’s called Sokuho goat. To me this feels softer than the Hakuhodo Saikoho kabukis for example.

It’s a thick mass of hair, I can try to use it in a stippling motion and it will never hurt. I use it for blush because I have a few that are so difficult to grab that I nearly need a sponge to get some color on bristles (Guerlain, Addiction) so it’s perfect for that. Also for applying powder in a stippling motion. I don’t know if you can see how perfectly it is layered, the shape is even and rounded, I just cannot find any flaws, the work put into these brushes makes them worth every penny.

Koyudo FPr001

This brush makes me laugh because of what is engraved on it… Purin might be a pudding in Japan, but here in Switzerland or France it’s something you certainly don’t want to put in your mouth

It’s goat hair, the surface is really huge once you wash it, it spreads to a 4.5cm diameter. Very soft, very cute, I don’t use it much but it’s great for softly buffing or applying powder in a stippling motion, no way that this brush will ever hurt.

Similar softness than the Hakuhodo J528 but it’s a bit less densely packed, much more flexibility.

Compared to the Hakuhodo G527, the FPr is softer and has more flexibility, it’s more “fluffy”.

Koyudo DEKAFupa-01

Same softness as the Fupa-01 so I believe same material, Sokuho goat hair. I have to admit that I haven’t found the perfect usage for this brush yet, except for massaging my face  which is already a good reason, or a good enough reason. I am in the hunt for extraordinary brushes and this one is one of the most extraordinary brushes I have ever seen.

You can see more pictures here,  it’s a dwarfish giant, measures only 10.5cm in total length, the surface it covers is 4 cm diameter. If you are looking for a huge flat extremely dense and extremely soft brush, this is the one. I will dearly take care of it because I am not sure I will ever find anything like it. Well, I take care of all my brushes anyway but these are so special and unique that they nearly feel like they have a soul

Koyudo BP022

A flat squirrel brush, insanely soft and dense. Soft like the Z-3 and it’s also grey squirrel. I use mine for powder, highlighter or blush, covers the same surface than the Hakuhodo J528 but I use the Hakuhodo more with foundation or creamy products and this squirrel one with powder products.

Koyudo BP016

Made with Hosomitsu goat (if I got it right…). Extremely soft, very similar to the Hakuhodo J110, just slightly less dense but you can barely tell. For me it’s one of best size for blush brushes. I love both the Hakuhodo and the Koyudo, they are both extremely good. These are in my top favorite blush brushes and they will be forever.

I hope you liked the pictures and that you find them helpful. I try not to be too boring when I talk about these brushes but I really do love them, even though I haven’t mastered all of them yet

So many unique brushes, Koyudo will never cease to surprise me. These brushes offer so many possibilities and finishes and I think that there isn’t a texture that could resist them !

They remind me a bit of my motorbike : UNSTOPPABLE !  -  just like the Koyudo

If you have any questions at all, please let me know !

Here are the prices :

• FU-PA01 : JPY 4680
• DEKAfu-pa01 : JPY 7350
• Sakura 022 : JPY 4200
• BP019 : JPY 3990
• BP022 : JPY 6615
• BP016: JPY 4410
• BP026 : JPY 2625
• FPr 001 : JPY 3675
• C004p : JPY 2835

1000 JPY : approx 11.5 USD

Available either at Koyudo or CoolJapanNow websites.

PS : I will soon be receiving some of their new FUpa’s so you will shortly be able to see pictures and my thoughts on them

I thought it could be a fun idea to start the year with some pictures of the most exceptional brushes I have come across during 2012. I have tried to narrow down the list to the minimum but there are still so many of them !

I wanted to pick the most exceptional and unique, the ones that have surprised me the most, not exactly the most necessary. I will make sure I share at least one link where you can find them in order to get more details on the brushes. They are not in preference order, just brand by brand. You will see the picture of the brush(es) and below the picture a small comment on each.

The most lovable brush !

Koyudo designed the most creative and tempting brushes I have seen this year, I am nearly scared when they release new brushes because I know there is a big chance than an order will follow. This macaron has been released in 3 colors, there is also an orange and a purple, it’s adorable, incredibly soft, tiny, very densely packed and firm, not the most necessary brush I admit but I have to say that this one is one of the most beautiful brushes to look at.
I use it to apply powder or blush, the surface covers approx 4cm and it’s only 5cm tall.

The most spellbinding brush.
It can drive you crazy believe me. One touch and you are under… It feels so insanely soft. It’s extremely densely packed, little flexibility on the tips but it’s perfect to apply powder in a stippling motion. It’s actually very small but the surface covers 3.5cm diameter which is perfect for me, not too big not too small for powder application. You can see more details here. I really enjoy it and I am glad the quality is outstanding, the price is quite high but no problems whatsoever, no shedding, no flaws.

An outstanding achievement.
When goat hair becomes so soft that it blows your mind away. This brush is the reason why I got so addicted to Koyudo brushes, I was mesmerized with the quality of the hair, with the smoothness. This brush is my favorite of all. You can read more details here, the material is : “100% top-quality baby goat chest hair”  if that doesn’t make you want it, I don’t know what does… It’s densely packed but flexible, the surface is quite flat but rounded on the sides, the softness remains even all around. The surface it covers is huge, 5cm diameter, feels like surreal angel hair on your skin…

The most perfectly balanced kabuki brush.

This brush has the softest combination of goat and squirrel hair with the perfect density and grip for a flawless application of bronzer… I was going to skip it but I am glad I didn’t, my sweet friend and follower Nikoleta ordered it and gave me a great feedback on it, I am really happy when you share your thoughts on the brushes, so I don’t miss out on them
It covers approx 4cm with the surface and is 6.8cm tall, they have the same one with different colored handles (black, white, pink and wood).

The softest brush EVER.
It’s a limited edition brush, it’s as soft as a brush can be. Works miracles with highly pigmented blushes but the tips of the hair have also a great capacity in picking up a decent quantity of blush so I love it with any blush actually, Rouge Bunny Rouge, Burberry, etc.  If you are looking for the softest brush ever this is it. I have tried 2 other red squirrel brushes but nothing compares to this one, Piccasso also creates nice red squirrel brushes but they are darker and not as soft in comparison to this one.

Best performance.

I got this one when I ordered the Koyudo Christmas set but now it’s also available individually.
If you are looking for results that could come close to the Rae Morris Radiance, this brush is what comes the closest. In terms of specs, the hair length is the same, it’s more densely packed and of higher quality than the Radiance, sometimes softer does not mean better for blending so in terms of results, I prefer the Radiance but the Radiance will not work with everything, this Koyudo will and the result is amazing.

Since I got it, I haven’t even used the Radiance brush. This Fu-pa feels great on the skin, works with any foundation I tried and it’s just so easy to use. Nothing else to add, it’s a must-have brush. The surface covers 4cmx2cm, if that’s too big, well they made a smaller version of it : 2cmx3xm, or an angled  one if you prefer to have a mixed flexibility on the bristles.

A revelation.

When I ordered it I was expecting a dupe for the Tom Ford bronze brush, it’s not at all. Not the same softness and the hair is thicker. I would say the hair is more similar to the Radiance than the Tom Ford.

I wasn’t thrilled by this brush when I received it but when I started using it a few days (or weeks) later I was sincerely impressed. I don’t use it with powder products just with foundation, on the website it’s actually mentioned it’s a foundation brush. The day I used it with thicker foundations I was hooked, I love when the foundation application is totally invisible and flawless and that is not easy to achieve for me when I use thicker products, this one just does the job for me.

A gigantic success.

There is nothing like it, there are similar brushes but this is a horse, I was using it every single day but then Koyudo happened and stole the show but this one remains in my top top favorite foundations brushes. I prefer it to the Koyudo fu-pa07 but the Koyudo is much more easy and straight forward to use, as I am often in a rush I automatically grab the Koyudo but I LOVE this Radiance brush, it’s a huge success and I don’t want to live without it, which brings me to the quality topic, I am just a bit worried about the quality and about the regular and increasing shedding, I think it’s a high price for the brush but I have to say that they got the hair quality/density/flexibility right, just worried about the solidity and the durability of the entire brush.

The link to the store is here, it’s sold out but there is a waiting list, you can email them and they will put you on it.

Standing ovation.

Great quality but at high price. If you are a kabuki lover these will hypnotize you, so nicely bundled, dense soft and firm at the same time. Hakuhodo released the maple ones just a few weeks ago and when you look at the handle quality you think it just cannot get better. It doesn’t.

The link to their Saikoho brushes is here.

Excellence in design and performance.

Hakuhodo released the J Series this year, ALL the J Series are amazing, truly great value for price and they all deserve a huge award. I love so many of them that  a post on my favorite ones would take me ages to prepare. I have to say that the “stippling” brushes from these series are just so insanely good that they need a special mention just for them.

I really wanted to use more stippling brushes because I love what you can do with them when they are good, I had a few already but didn’t care at all for them, now that I have these J Series I do seriously care and use them very regularly. They are great with so many products, foundation, cream bronzer, wiping excess off, concealing, blending, etc etc etc. Soooo worth it.

The ONE I was waiting for : one of the biggest surprises of 2012, arrived on the 31st of December

I was looking for the perfect contour/blush, small but dense, and with exactly that shape (fluffy-ish but with flat surface) so that I could do both applications.  I just got it 2 days ago and the reason why I did not order it before it’s because it’s written “eye shadow” in the description, too big for any eyeshadow application but perfect for my cheeks. I can’t believe how good it is ! The hair length is 2.5cm, it covers 2.3cmx1.5cm at the tip of the head. Perfection and with this handle is double the hit. Totally and deeply utterly in love !!!!!

A masterpiece.

You are probably going to be disappointed since this brush is only available on the Hakuhodo Japanese website therefore not available to the rest of the world but I still had to talk about it here. It looks like a sword, it has all qualities that you could dream of in a flat concealer brush, or so I think. It’s firm yet soft and even though it’s flat it feels “fluffy”-flat, the hair bristles are placed in soft layers and then end to a point. Love it to pieces.

One of its kind.

It’s quite dense but still has flexibility and it allows a controlled application, so soft that it will not alter your base makeup underneath. I just think that even though it’s not a necessary brush, it’s really unique and one of the softest brushes you will ever find.

Link here.

Excellence in design.

A beautiful brush and extremely soft, but it’s Chikuhodo after all, so the best is to expect. The head of this brush is incredibly full and soft, the application of pigmented bronzers is a dream. It’s expensive but I think it’s worth it’s  price, it’s art in a brush, well, Chikuhodo brushes are already art on their own but with this Kaga Maki-e decoration it’s even more unique.

An outstanding performance with an outstanding and perfect design.

This is what I was hoping the Suqqu powder brush to be : dense and soft. The Suqqu is a bit too soft and doesn’t pick as much product as this one does. Insanely soft and so efficient !

The size of the head is a bit similar to the Koyudo H005 kabuki, of course softer since it’s only grey squirrel but sizewise similar.

The best ensemble has to be awarded to the Z series.

All the Z-Series are truly amazing, my favorite are the Z-1 and this Z-8 for its versatility and its shape. Once more, perfection.

Best arrangement.

This is the shape I was looking for, it’s like we are made for each other  It’s pointy and fluffy, goat hair but it feels soft and it’s amazing for applying, blending and reaching also the sides of the nose. It’s goat so don’t expect an insanely soft brush this time but it still is soft enough and very efficient. When I saw it on the website I knew I had to have it and I don’t regret it at all, one of the best purchases I made.

Link here.

Another masterpiece.

When I first got this brush, the Hakuhodo J Series weren’t out yet and I did not know about the Koyudo White Mushroom yet so this was a first in softness, fluffyness and remains a huge winner.

Two days ago, together with my Kokutan eyeshadow L, I received the J531 that reminded me of this Tom Ford, the J531 is also a great fluffy brush and incredibly soft too, it’s angled but it’s also a great option and slightly less expensive than this Tom Ford.

Another outstanding achievement !

When I saw this brush at the TF counter I was afraid it would not last because they all looked terrible (dirty and damaged by the surrounding elements, normal when they are tested so many times a day), but actually it does last, it’s solid, it’s as good as the first day, for me it’s just the best crease brush ever.

Yet another masterpiece, an expensive one though.

I have tried to find dupes but this one has all the qualities you could wish for and can do so many things that I think it’s better to go for the real one instead of getting other alternatives in which you might just waste your money. Just my opinion though.

Not available on the USA website but I can show you a link here.

Most Promising Newcomer.

I got mine here, it’s actually very similar to the Suqqu cheek brush, pics and little review here. It’s actually even better for me but it looks like I have a weird Suqqu anyway…  this Kyureido deserves all our attention and beyond !

Customer services

Hakuhodo

I have always experienced a very efficient customer service with Hakuhodo, always replying fast and clearly to my emails. The shipping is also very fast and consistent, I select the 12$ option for overseas delivery and it’s always here in less than a week.

Kohlindo

Since Chikuhodo do not deliver outside of Japan, Malin from Kohlindo has been helping us to get these amazing brushes and I want to thank her for her honest and friendly help. It’s very important to trust where you are getting these brushes from and I have no worries in trusting the Kohlindo services 100%.  I heard that their site will soon be in english.

Koyudo

I wish they could process the orders faster than they do today but the packaging is absolutely to die for ! Once the items arrive in their premises the shipping is fast, takes approx 3 to 5 days to reach me in Switzerland.

CDJapan (Koyudo brushes)

Their customer service is friendly and helpful, they can get you any Koyudo brush you want (or so I think…) if you ask them by email. I believe it’s a bit faster than  Koyudo but I might be wrong, don’t have much experience ordering with them so I can’t give you a consistent statistic

Just a few days ago CDJapan contacted me and they thanked me for “spreading the word” about the Koyudo brushes, they are extremely happy that today their brushes are a bit more known internationally and they told me they also want to help me by providing me with samples of their brushes. So far all the brushes I have reviewed have been purchased by myself but in the future I might also review some sample ones, either way, I will always remain honest about ALL the products and ALL the brands I review and that does not mean that they can “buy” my opinion.

I just appreciate that this happened specially with Koyudo brushes because if there is a brand that has a special and dear place in my heart it’s Koyudo.  I have told you what I think about most of their brushes well before they contacted me, if you know me by now, you know that I am a honest person, I feel much closer to my readers than to any company and my readers will always be my priority.

Conclusion

It looks like the brush market is opening new interesting opportunities and since I am very curious I will carry on exploring it ! I would love to know which ones have been the most amazing discoveries in 2012 for you !!!

I also want to thank you for your amazing collaboration and for the trust you have placed in this little blog, I hope I can continue sharing more with you in 2013 and wish you all the very best ! <3

When you are looking for face brushes you can easily get lost with all the choices available in the market today, even more when you are just starting to build a little collection. The most common questions I receive are about the “cheapest+most versatile+most efficient”  face brushes, with that in mind, I tried to create this post for you, either to help you in your research or to point you in the right direction.

My first advice is : buy fewer brushes, but greater brushes. If you have a monthly budget, start with the minimum and then buy them gradually. If you start with great brushes, believe me you will avoid wasting your money on brushes that you’ll not use anyway.

The most important and complex brush to choose is the foundation brush. It will depend on so many factors, if you have dry skin, if you use thicker products, powder products, if you want heavier coverage, all that will directly affect your choice. Foundation or base makeup is only flattering when the application is nicely done, it’s supposed to boost your confidence, if you feel that your foundation is patchy, not well blended and too obvious it might just do the total opposite.

My profile :

• I am not a makeup artist, my recommendations are based on my own experience
• I have very delicate and dry skin therefore I don’t often use powder foundations but more liquid or cream
• I prefer sheer to medium coverage so I will never fully cover all my pigmentation irregularities
• I prefer a more natural looking coverage and with my dry skin I would not be able to bear heavy ones anyway.

Below you will see an example of what I consider to be some of the most essential and affordable face brushes :

This is just a tiny sample of what you can find out there, the final choice will depend on your budget, your skin and specially the products you use and how many of them you would be applying during your makeup routine.

I can use all these brushes with liquid/cream products, even the Billy B. Not sure what material the Billy B is, it feels like a mix of goat and synthetic fibers but I think it’s durable enough to use it with both powder and cream products anyway and endure heavy maintenance with the washing.

If you only want to use a brush for powder blush, maybe it’s better if you use darker brushes, you still need to wash darker ones on a regular basis but maybe not as often as white ones since you won’t see all the powder residue therefore it could just mean an easier maintenance. I spray some alcohol on a cloth and gently wipe my goat or synthetic brushes with it after washing them, this is to kill any germs left on the bristles (I don’t do that with more delicate materials like squirrel hair).

If you are interested in a post about how to “de-germ” your makeup, there is one here that covers many items.

The essential face brushes

Please keep in mind that this is just an example, I have just selected a few that I think could fit the three-in-one category ”cheapest+most versatile+most efficient”

Hakuhodo J544  (41$) : goat-synthetic fiber brush, versatile (liquid/cream/powder), it’s dense enough for foundation application, firm enough for blending, precise enough to go near the eye area. It feels very soft but still does a great job with the blending. I also use it with cream blushes, or I mix liquid blush with foundation to give a natural flushed look.

Hakuhodo J110 (52$) : goat. Big enough for bronzer or powder, small enough for blush, fluffier and softer than the S110. This brush is probably just the right size to allow a greater versatility for these three options. This brush will work with most of the blushes, pigmented or less pigmented. But for extremely pigmented ones, I’d rather recommend you to get a squirrel brush instead.

Billy B Four (28$ only available in the USA) probably a mix of natural/synthetic. Also a highly versatile brush, this is the size of brush I  have been hunting for a while. Perfect for blush, contour, finishing. The bristles pick just the right quantity of product and apply it evenly, it’s soft (enough), not too firm or too dense so the application remains soft and without streaky lines.

Hakuhodo J4002 (32$) goat-synthetic fiber. Again, a great versatile brush to own, you can use it for cream blushes, highly pigmented powder blushes, highlight (great for sparkly products) or also to wipe the excess or fallout off.

Koyudo Fu-pa06-p (60$), goat-synthetic fiber. Amongst all the Fu-pa options, I have chosen this brush for it’s versatility, all the Koyudo Fu-pa brushes are fantastic but you may be able to get more usage out of this. One side is goat and the other goat-synthetic fiber, I actually can do many things with this little gem, for example apply foundation with the slicker side and blend using both sides. Also good for contouring with cream products, applying and blending concealer or lighter foundations on the center of the face.

Hakuhodo J5533 (17$), goat.  It’s fluffy enough to deliver flawless contouring on small zones like the sides of the nose, or to set concealer with powder or even to softly apply concealer. The fantastic think about these white goat brushes is that they can be used with powder or liquid products so the options are so much greater.

Hakuhodo J125R (27$), goat-synthetic fiber. Same usage as above, if you already have this one in your collection you can use it for concealer or cream/mousse eyeshadows. It’s also meant for contouring and highlighting  and all the duo-fiber brushes that have synthetic bristles that extend further allow a fantastic application of glittery or very pigmented products.

More about foundation 

Depending on what you prefer, you can either get a versatile brush or just pick the one and only that you will be using for that purpose. I can give you a few examples with some other brushes shown here :

The BP013 (57$) delivers the perfect flawless sheer to medium coverage that I love with thicker cream foundations.
I often use the Mac Mineralize cream foundation since it works nicely with my skin, no breakouts, no dry patches but it can feel a bit too heavy, if I don’t use a foundation brush like the BP013 the application would be too thick and my pores would drown.
Another example, if you love to use the Chanel Bronze Universel, it can look too orange if not applied correctly but if I use this brush, it just the delivers an amazing sun-kissed glow, it’s not a precise brush so you might need help with smaller corners more difficult to reach but it’s just fine for me
I also love to use mineral powder foundations with this brush, like the Laura Mercier Mineral Powder SPF15 but powder foundations are not the best for my skin, it’s ok in summer but winter is really not the best time to use them. My favorite  ”powder foundation routine” is to apply Mac Skinfinish Natural with this BP013 on top of a sheer coat of liquid foundation, the result is FLAWLESS and this is what I do when I want a polished slightly heavier coverage, still natural and dewy.
This brush is firm but fluffy, still soft on the skin but has thicker bristles and that’s what makes it so amazing with either mineral powder foundations or thicker creams.

The Hakuhodo J4001 (54$), it’s big and covers quite a lot of surface but if you love cream bronzer, like the Chanel Bronzer Universal or these Givenchy healthy glow powders – that I LOVE –   these are weird textures, not really powder not really cream but perfect for that brush. For me it’s actually too big and flexible for applying foundations, better take a firmer brush like the J544.

The Koyudo Fu-pa07-p (57$)  is the one to have if you want to apply any liquid foundation “the fastest way possible”. I place my foundation with a flat concealer brush or with the fingers and then I blend with this. It’s like a horse that will do it’s job in a record time. It’s soft, I can use it without any problems at all on my dry skin but if you have skin problems maybe it’s better that you use the double-sided version of it, the application will be even softer and since it has too sides it blends even more softly.

A bit more on the blush/bronzer/powder topic…

Hakuhodo J531 (87$) goat. If you are looking for a big, incredibly soft and utterly fluffy brush, this one is not exactly cheap but this is a fantastic option and less expensive than the Tom Ford bronzer or other squirrel brushes, I do prefer squirrel brushes but this one is a dream. You can see below a pic near the J110 for size reference.

Koyudo BP026 (30$) goat. Always by my side, it “buffs” blush and powder like a wild dream, it’s dense and firm but has enough elasticity to do it without burning or making the whole process a hell for your skin. Picks a huge quantity of product too and for some blushes you need either great “picking” capabilities or great “polishing” capabilities and that’s the best option I can recommend. It’s angled and you can also apply thicker contouring and then flawless blend it.

Hakuhodo Kokutan Eyeshadow L (64$) blue squirrel. It’s a very recent purchase. I am delighted with it, you can see in the picture below that there isn’t much difference in size with the Billy B, I prefer the Hakuhodo to the Billy B but honestly both are amazing options as “smaller” blush/contour brushes. In my opinion everyone should have a brush that size.  I don’t have any other cheaper options except for the Billy B but since this one is not available outside the USA, I had to mention an alternative. If you know of a similar size brush, please share with us
This Hakuhodo is dense but extremely soft, will work wonders with contour or blush provided that you love smaller brushes for blush.

A bit more into concealing…

Hakuhodo J4005 (34$) synthetic fiber. Once more another versatile brush :

• You can apply and blend concealer
• You can apply cream contour products and blend
• The angled side will allow you to be a bit more precise around the eyes
• You can place the foundation on your face with this brush and the use a foundation brush to blend, if the product is placed with this brush it will be less sucked into the bristles of a fluffier foundation brush.

It’s flat but still has some thickness compared to other concealer brushes and since it’s bigger and soft, it gives so much more possibilities.

These were my cheapest – yet great – brush recommendations, please let me know what you think and what your favorite foundation routine is, together with the brush you love to use

I hope it was useful for you and if you have questions or you want similar options with different materials, don’t hesitate

Before I start to introduce you to some of the new Fu-Pa brushes from Koyudo, let me tell you how important it is not only to use the right brushes, but to use appropriate skincare and foundation products for your skin, sounds obvious but sometimes we just tend to forget it or to loose focus on that.

I am totally and utterly devoted to my Laura Mercier Repair creme and my Astalift Jelly but recently I wanted to try to reduce the depth of my wrinkles using a skincare that specially targets wrinkles so I have temporarily switched to a different skincare routine replacing just the Astalift Jelly with the Murad Intensive Wrinkle reducer. Did it help with the wrinkles ? Absolutely, I can say that they became less deep but it slowly caused a butterfly effect on my skin : my skin reached a point were it wasn’t able to keep enough moisture throughout the day to tolerate foundation or even to feel comfortable enough on its own. I didn’t understand what was going on at first, I even thought this was caused by the usage of these Koyudo goat brushes so I needed to find the origin of my  problem before I posted. The Murad was actually draining my skin from the vital moisture it needed, don’t ask me why because I wouldn’t be able to tell you but if I stop using it, my skin reverts back to normal again. I am a bit sad to be honest because I was loving the result on the wrinkles, I have used it for 2 months, morning and evening and I would have carried on if it wasn’t causing me to dry out completely.

I finally discovered that my problem could be solved by simply reintroducing the Astalift Jelly and stopping the Murad, it wasn’t the brushes and it wasn’t the abrasive cold weather. I feel relieved because I thought I had to abandon these lovely brushes, bottom line : you may use the best brushes in the whole world but if you don’t use the skincare that is right for you, those brushes will not deliver.

Foundation is the most important part of my makeup routine therefore it has to be perfect and 100% adapted to my skin and since it’s very dry and dehydrated, I cannot wear a heavy coverage, it would just accentuate my wrinkles and feel uncomfortable, I am aiming for a light to medium coverage with a dewy finish. All these Koyudo brushes feel good on my skin, they don’t irritate my skin at all, they can deliver from sheer to heavy coverage if desired. It is known that white goat brushes are better for oily skin and synthetic or duo-fiber  better for dryer skin but I haven’t experienced issues with any of them since I stopped using the Murad.

The Koyudo Fu-pa02 has been introduced to me in July 2012 by a sweet follower and now friend Nikoleta. I was very surprised to see that this was the kind of brush I was looking for so there was no doubt that I had to try it.
When I received it, my jaw dropped, not only the quality was perfect, but it was soft, densely packed and so different from any other foundation brush I had seen before.

Historically, the first white-goat one was the Fu-pa02, then Koyudo released a Christmas 2012 set with 2 new versions of the Fu-pa brush : the 07 and the 10. Later in November 2012 Koyudo released a full collection of Fu-Pas. Today I own a little army of Fu-Pas :

Do you need as many Fu-Pas ? Certainly not. I am just brainless when it comes to makeup brushes, don’t try to do that at home !

You will find many options in these collection : different sizes, full goat, dual-sided, duo-fiber or even angled, you may feel lost in your choice and it may not be easy, I hope the pictures will help. There can be more than one good brush for you and honestly the difference in the finish is not that striking to me, the duo-fiber will deliver a more dewy finish and the white-goat ones a more matte finish but it also depends on the products you are using. I will share my thoughts on them hoping that if you are interesting in trying them, I can direct you towards the best one for you.

The original Fu-Pa02 and the Fu-Pa07

When you own the Shu Uemura 18 goat and you wish it was just 3x bigger, then you can get the Fu-Pa02. Soft but extremely dense, the handle is much thicker and shorter than the Shu Uemura. It delivers the same result as the Shu but just in a larger scale.

The Fu-Pa07 is also very dense but has a flatter surface and longer sides which allows you to cover even more surface with more flexibility at the tip of the bristles which delivers a more flawless and airbrushed result. It’s a total hit, works with any liquid or cream foundation I tried. You can use it in a combination of movements, strokes or buffing as you are working the product into the skin, I don’t need to put a lot of pressure and this may also be the reason why it doesn’t cause exfoliation on my skin. I can reach the sides of the nose as well even thought it’s quite big.

Together with the angled version of it, (the Fu-Pa12), they are probably delivering the most similar result to the Rae Morris Radiance. They are also more portable and they seem more solid to me than the Radiance.

The original Fu-pa02 and the dark pink Fu-Pa02

I wanted a backup of the Fu-pa02 and since I saw the same brush in pink I ordered it on the CDJapan website. It’s  just exactly the same brush, the only difference is that obviously it’s pink and you can store it vertically on a flat surface.

All the handles are made of hinoki cypress and have all the same length : 7.7cm. The white goat hair is all the same quality whatever the brush. The total length of the brush varies depending on the shape of the hair.

You will find several type of brushes :

• Full goat hair (baby goat chest hair) either black or white
• Dual sided brushes : one side is only goat hair and the other side a blend of goat and PBT, either black or pink
• A blend of full goat hair and PBT, either black or pink

I haven’t ordered black ones since I am only interested in using them with liquid or cream products. On the CDJapan website the dual-sided with the black hair are also meant to be used with liquid foundation but the ones with only black goat hair are only meant for powder and shading purposes. I still may get one in the future Unfortunately I haven’t tried these brushes with powder products. I will update this post in a few days with some information about that. I thought that since they were already on the CDJapan website you may want to get some pictures and start the discussion, I am getting a lot of questions about them and I believe that most of you would use them for foundation.

I think they are totally worth their price and that the quality is absolutely stunning, the only disappointment is that they get dirty… but that’s the case for any foundation brush so we will have to deal with it and wash them regularly. The white goat brushes dry very quickly but the goat/PBT material takes slightly longer to dry. If you use liquid/cream products with the PBT ones you may not need to wait for them to be completely dry anyway.

The flat versions (fu-pa07, fu-pa08) vs the angled ones (fu-pa12, fu-pa13)

There is a flat Fu-Pa07 and a smaller version of it, the Fu-Pa08. As you can imagine the smaller version will deliver more precision so you will also be able to use it for highlighting or contour and if you apply foundation also to your eyelids it will fit without covering your entire eye/brow. The smaller can be more multi-purpose but for foundation I prefer the bigger version, the Fu-Pa07  feels softer and less firm and I prefer the more airbrushed effect it delivers, it’s also more pleasant to use due to the flexibility of the bristles.

The angled versions are in fact “just angled”, they don’t have the strange shape showing on the design picture, they are simply shorter on one side and longer at the other side and I find them even better than the flat ones for liquid foundation, specially the smaller one is even more multipurpose and they are even more pleasant to use due to the additional flexibility of the longer bristles. If you compare only the two smaller ones, the angled one will cover a wider surface on the skin and will be easier and faster to work with.

• The fu-pa07-p measures 10.5cm in total, the hair length is 2.7cm, it covers approx 2x4cm at the surface.
• The fu-pa012-p measures 10.7cm in total, the hair length is 2cm (shorter side) and 3cm (longer side), it covers approx 2x4cm at the surface.
• The fu-pa08-p measures 10.2cm in total, the hair length is 2.4cm, it covers approx 1.8x3cm at the surface.
• The fu-pa07-p measures 10.6cm in total, the hair length is 2cm (shorter side) and 3cm (longer side), it covers approx 3.5x2cm at the surface.

Sideways, the appearance of the angled brushes is similar to the flat ones but they will just cover more surface with more flexibility.

The dual-sided brushes (fu-pa05, fu-pa06)

They are meant to be used with anything :

“Multi-use brushes for both liquid, powder and blush. The goat chest hair side will allow liquid foundation to gently spread out on your skin. As for powder foundation and blush, use the goat chest hair side for a full coverage look, and the PBT side for a natural glow. “

Usually I skip dual-sided brushes, they tend to loose efficiency and I never found them better than a full whatever-material brush. I don’t know why but I trust Koyudo, if they think that creating dual-sided brushes could be a good idea is because they must know how to do it. It was a brilliant and efficient idea by the way.

Due to the recent problem I had with my skin (my skin was flaking as soon as I was touching it with any foundation product), I couldn’t even use foundation, well, I could IF and ONLY if I applied it with the dual-sided brushes. The application is so soft that it doesn’t mess with your damaged skin, it just glides softly on the skin. I was applying my foundation with the goat-PBT side and then using very gently both sides for blending.

These dual sided brushes are actually insanely helpful for me, I use a lot of cream/liquid blush or contour and they do the most amazing  job softly diffusing the color. You can apply and blend at the same time.

I strongly believe that people with skin problems (dry-delicate) could use them to get a flawless and pleasant foundation application, I am actually in love with them and I prefer them to the full goat ones but it’s also because my skin is still recovering from flaking-hell.

The goat/PBT brushes (fu-pa09, fu-pa10)

The first Fu-pa10 to come with the 2012 Christmas set was a great surprise. I was looking for a brush to apply cream contour or cream blush but I didn’t like to use a flat foundation brush, I wanted something fluffier and that would easily glide on the skin but a bit thicker to help with the blending, this Fu-Pa10 was a godsend.

One of the brushes I thought I would not like is the big Fu-Pa09 but I was wrong. Since it’s thick even when the bristles are covered with foundation then don’t fully stick together and you still have thickness to blend your application even in a circular motion, this reduces the streaky-effect that this kind of brushes tend to deliver. So, no streaky lines with the big one, I wouldn’t use the small one for foundation but it’s fantastic for application of a base or for contour or blush (cream since I haven’t tried powder yet).

When I use the fu-pa 10 for the application of base foundation products since the application is more dewy and not immediately absorbed into my skin, when I apply my foundation with a full goat brush afterwards it’s much easier to work, both products are sealed together and then flawlessly blended.

There is another option with longer bristles if you like this kind of pink duo-fiber brushes, the PR010 is much more flexible and feels extremely soft, it’s the same hair but less densely packed.

The Fu-Pa11-p

I took me a while to understand this brush… but suddenly it clicked.

It looks really funny, it’s very short, 9.5cm total length, it’s like a cyber-finger

It doesn’t blend like a fluffy brush, it’s different, I was trying to find a way to explain that to you but all that I can think of is a small finger with blending capabilities.

When you blend your concealer with a flat brush, the risk is that it “moves” the product around without really pressing it into the skin, with this brush it blends the product “where you put it” and you can add gentle pressure with a lot of control. It’s angled and when it’s damped with product the bristles come closer together, I thought it was a disadvantage at first but when they actually allow more precision. They don’t come completely together, there is still some surface so you can use it flat or you can also bend it holding it at an angle, it makes it thin and you can reach the smaller corners of the eyes, the nose, etc.

A picture with the Hakuhodo J125R to compare the size :

The three duo-fiber brushes together for size reference :

Other brushes I use for foundation, cream blush or cream contour

The Fu-Pa02 is just the huge version of the Shu 18, Chikuhodo G-10 or Koyudo BP014. The Tom Ford 02 is the one I was using for cream contour but since I have these Fu-pas, I prefer reserving the Tom Ford for powder contour and use the Koyudo goat/PBT for cream products.

Then when it comes to very very thick cream foundations, I prefer to use a brush like the Koyudo BP013, as I said in the past thick products would only work on my skin with sparser bundled brushes with thicker hair, it’s just a shame it’s so huge but I love it and I hope that one day there is a slightly smaller version of it.

In comparison to these brushes, the white goat hair of the Fu-Pas is same softness as the Koyudo BP014, very slightly less soft than the Chikuhodo G-10 or the Shu 18 but you can’t really tell.
The Tom Ford 02 hair is softer and finer than the Fu-pas.
The Koyudo BP013 has thicker hair than the Fu-pas.
The Hakuhodo J110 is also more fine, more close to the Tom Ford than the Fu-pas.

There are many duo-fiber options in the market today, Hakuhodo makes very great ones too and they are also gentle with your skin, as I said before, there is more than one great foundation brush but as you see, most of them are made in Japan

I put this picture here for size reference :

More pictures for size reference of the smaller fu-pas :

The Fu-pa02 is the size in between the BP014 and the BP013 but if the Fu-pa02 had longer bristles and less density it would even be better

I was hoping to be able to show you the thickness of the hair with this close-up picture, looks like the Radiance had a road accident, it’s just natural ageing

The Radiance has thicker hair than the Fu-pa but not as thick as the BP013.

I haven’t covered everything but since I am getting a lot of questions I thought maybe it would be a good idea to start with a post and then if you have specific questions we can address them here in the comments so that everyone could see and read them, your comments are always extremely helpful and I am sure everyone is appreciating them a lot ! So, if you have any questions, please kindly write them down on the comments and I will take time to reply accordingly.

The brushes are now available on the CDJapan website but it may take a while to get them since they are handmade.

CDJapan have offered me 3 of the brushes I ordered as a kind gift for my continuous and crazy brush orders and obsession and also because apparently thanks to this blog I am bringing them some business. Well, what can I say, they do deserve it and I am not the only person to love them. I just wish they could send us the brushes faster but to be honest, I prefer quality so if making them faster compromises quality, I prefer to wait.

If you have been reading the recent comments, you may know that yesterday I received a few new brushes, 6 bought on the Tanseido website and 3 on the Rakuten website.  In the afternoon I managed to also buy a funny brush but you’ll know more if you get to the end of the post…

My research at the moment is specially targeting  :

• Mac 239 dupes
• Small (tiny) and very soft laydown brushes
• Suqqu dupes
• Big eyeshadow brushes OR small cheek brushes
• Foundation brushes

With that in mind, I ordered the following brushes :

I have to say that my (and our) determination is transforming our research for exceptional brushes into a fun an scarily easy process…

Tanseido have many laydown brushes, I first ordered the YWQ 10 and YWQ12 but I found them too big for what I had in mind : application of eyeshadow on the mobile lid. They are extremely soft and of the best quality possible.

I FINALLY found my HG small brush : YWQ 7. I was using the small Hakuhudo G5513 or the small Rouge Bunny Rouge 005 or the Mac 228. I use these brushes to apply my pencil eyeliner in the bottom lash line so it has to be extremely soft but firm. I am happy to say that the YWQ 7 meets my needs by 100% , I will have a few of them in the future but in the meantime, in order to use it everyday and spot clean it I will use and abuse my Bobbi Brown cleaning spray.

I discovered that applying pencil liner on the tip of a tiny brush and then from the brush on the bottom lash line, the application was more appropriate for my ageing eyes. You will have a similar result than with an eyeshadow (soft and sultry) but with long lasting benefits. With the recently released Lancome Chocolate Affair pencil, it’s fantastic, the pencil is too creamy to apply it straight from the pencil but with this application method you get more control and the application lasts all day long !

The Mac 239 is another HG laydown, I could not live without it and because I am curious I am trying to find a dupe, for fun mostly because I don’t know how it cat get better than the Mac 239.

The YWQ 9 is softer but thinner, although it may become a bit fluffier with washes. Another HG, this YWQ 9 surprises me by how efficient it is, picks a lot of product applies evenly without fallouts. Again one brush that is going to be duplicated in my collection. I still don’t know if it will be better than the Mac 239 but yes, there is a chance.

I am not a fan of the Piccasso “239″, it’s a bit too rough for me. The Hakuhodo J242G is also a great brush but I even prefer the Tanseidos.

Since the Suqqu S seems to be discontinued, (WHY???), I am trying to find similar options. I ordered the Fine Kalla KK-004, as you can see in the pictures, it’s a mutant of the two Suqqus. It delivers nearly the same precision as the S but with M blending capabilities. Although it’s not as soft as the Suqqus, it’s a must-have. It picks more product than the Suqqu and does an incredibly great job at packing product, blending, smudging eyeshadow on the lashline and also with the outer V application. At the beginning I was a bit disappointed because it doesn’t have the “perfection” of the Suqqu, but it still is very soft and extremely efficient. Totally worth it. Loving the handles!

I will carry on searching for a Suqqu S dupe (just because it’s fun). I have ordered this Chomotto brush but I am not sure it could be similar to the Suqqu S anyway, I will post when I get it.

I really enjoy the Suqqu S, other similar brushes are either too thick or too pointy in comparison but I do enjoy all of them, there is not a “best” brush here, it will all depend on what you need. Some would prefer more precision, others may prefer a softer option, and many will look for a versatile pencil brush that is pointy, soft and has great blending capabilities, in that case you may love the Fine Kalla KK-004.

You are probably wondering how the Fine Kalla cheek brush KK-002 compares to the Suqqu and the Chikuhodo, so I took some pics :

Sorry about the blush residue on the brushes (I could only notice it on the pictures).

The Chikuhodo is the more dense of the 3, then the Fine Kalla then the Suqqu (but my Suqqu is a bit weird… although it’s authentic, it is totally different from any other Suqqu cheek brushes I saw).

The softest is the Suqqu, then it’s difficult to say, the Fine Kalla and the Chikuhodo are so similar that I could not tell. You will cover more surface with the Z-4 and you might get better blending capabilities but the three brushes are excellent with very  pigmented blushes and they will all feel incredibly soft. I guess it will be a matter of personal taste and preference (and budget).

Same as above, at first I was a bit disappointed with the KK-003, not as soft as the Suqqu L and not as pointy. But, I was wrong to be disappointed. The fact that it’s less soft than the Suqqu makes it better for picking up product and blending, actually it makes it amazing for that, of course it doesn’t hurt or feels scratchy at all, it’s just not as soft as the Suqqu. Since it’s flatter is better for blending and since the hair are layered starting in the middle of the head, it picks and applies base color beautifully. For me it’s another must-have.

I know that Suqqu have similar brow brushes but I don’t have them. Browsing the Rakuten site I found this one “ho-gentei 4” (?) not sure about the names though, it was 50% off so I decided to try it… and here we go, another must-have. I don’t need precision with the grooming of my eyebrows so this kind of brushes is absolutely perfect for me, I regret not having tried it before. HG for me. It delivers a very natural application of eyebrow powder and has excellent blending capabilities.

I also wanted to try darker laydown brushes like the Tanseido YCQ 12s, it’s actually a weird shape, very thin and VERY soft. It delivers a stronger application than the Hakuhodo S 127, probably because the hairs are shorter and you can press the powder with more strength on the eyelid, actually it is insanely soft and while I was using it, my eyes went from  (o_o)  to  (O_O)   !!! it’s SOFT and it WORKS ???

When I saw it for the first time yesterday I didn’t think I would use it at all but when I tried it I entered a whole new world… I think of all of you who have very very delicate eyelids, this will be a Godsend.

I got the Piccasso here recently but it feels too rough for my eyelids, it’s goat so it’s normal that is isn’t as soft as the other squirrel brushes in the picture but with my delicate eyelids I have to stay away if I can.

I am looking for big eyeshadow brushes but to use as cheek or contour brushes. I ordered this AQ14 eyeshadow brush with the idea of using it as a contour brush. Spot on !

Soft as red squirrel (although it’s not written red squirrel on the description), a dream to use. Not as dense as the Hakuhodo so it will work better with very pigmented products.

I am looking for a less dense and slightly bigger brush than the Shu 18, I thought the Tanseido YGQ 17 would be the one. It is less dense but I was expecting thicker hair bristles, although they are a bit thicker than the Koyudo or the TF (so more similar to the Shu), they are still quite thin and very soft. I’ll try it with liquid foundation and mineral foundation and I will let you know how it performs. For blush it’s actually really good and to me it’s the perfect size.  Either way, a great purchase.

UPDATE :

I have just used the YGQ 17 for the application of Ellis Faas foundation. Here are my thoughts :

It is very pleasant to use, requires more time than with a denser brush but the feeling is actually interesting. It looks like this one only comes with a long handle (you’ll notice that most of the Tanseido brushes come with both short or long handles and in different colors), I started the application by picking some product that I had transferred onto the back of my hand, then swirling it into my skin, I wasn’t very confident with the application but after a while it started to feel better, the application takes a while but it’s relaxing, maybe the fact that you are applying the foundation with a very long handled brush adds some kind of artistic feeling to it. It delivered a sheer but natural coverage, with very very little exfoliation (almost invisible) compared to other denser goat brushes. This brush will be great for people with dry skin that still want to use goat brushes for a soft application of foundation.

Then suddenly I had an idea I took a cream blush and I applied it with this brush. Can you guess the result ? Flawless, beautiful, perfect and more. I don’t know what I prefer, how it makes me feel good and glamorous when I use it or the flawless result it delivers. H-G.

Since I found the perfect size brush for my cheeks (YAQ 17 red squirrel), I wanted to try the YSQ 17 (grey squirrel), you will have great difficulties to find out which one is the softer one. I asked my boyfriend for help (he likes to be involved from time to time ), he confirmed it was the YAQ 17 but honestly you won’t feel that much difference. Both are the same density, same shape, nearly same softness.

The Tanseido YSQ 17 reminds me of the Miyao shape-wise which is also very soft but the Tanseido quality is above it in my opinion.

In comparison the Koyudo is much more dense and versatile.

Tanseido are a great discovery, I don’t think I could ever be disappointed with this brand.

I am preparing a post with my favorite “makeup sets options” (the softest, the most efficient, etc etc) with brushes from any brand. I am so glad that these brushes arrived before I posted it !!! I’ll have to redo some pics but I totally recommend you Tanseido if you love soft and efficient brushes, just like Hakuhodo or Koyudo (or many others that are being discovered at this moment). Japan IS the source of the best makeup brushes.

I have two big posts being prepared at the moment but I have little time, doing my best to publish them asap !

I just want to thank you all for your support and for your help, either for getting me products that I can’t get from where I live or to share your wonderful discoveries with me, you know how much I enjoy it !

Loving you all

- the end – or is it ???

Since I am showing you the brushes that I got yesterday, well yesterday I also got my hands on another fun brush, absolutely by accident. I had to go out to help my boyfriend with a few things, while I was waiting for him in a shopping center I tried to get inside a professional beauty shop (ONLY for professionals). I am not a professional but I asked them if I could have a look, they asked me if I was in the beauty field and I showed them the website hoping for them to say “OK”.

They said ok ! and I had a look inside… there were mostly items for beauty institutes so not really for me… but I still managed to get another brush for my collection

It’s not a makeup brush, it’s meant to clean and brush away cut hair or residue on the hands after buffing the nails I guess. It’s synthetic and soft, not really a necessary brush but I will use it.

I cut my boyfriends’ hair regularly and it will be useful for brushing away the tiny hairs on his neck

I also got this cute spray bottle for water and a personal care box where I will be storing my tools.

… because I just had to

My reason fails me when it comes to makeup brushes, I have this unrestrained curiosity to discover more and more and I don’t think I will ever have enough of them.  The worst part is that it’s not going to end soon and due to the newest acquisitions that keep on coming my favorites may change on a regular basis.

When I finally calm down and my wallet gets some peace and quiet you then send me new links and trigger my inner beast again !  I don’t know if I have to thank you or blame you, probably both, but I do enjoy it, a lot.

I am creating this post due to high demand, I received a few emails recently about brushes and thought that it was time for a new post on that topic, it will certainly help me address these questions a little bit more in detail.

Your questions were related to my favorite brushes:  whatever the price, whatever the brand. After a few days, weeks actually, of deliberation I came to the conclusion that it would not be easy to answer and the result would involve a lot of them, more than 140 actually, 140 is not the total amount of brushes I have, it’s just the number of brushes that made it into my very top favorites. I did my best to narrow it down to just a very few by category but still, too many.

These are most of my HG brushes :

But these are my top favorites, approx 140 :

I have split them into categories and whenever possible you will see a white and a dark option in each one, this is just to allow more flexibility with personal preferences. I will only briefly comment each category, due to the huge amount of them it makes it impossible for me to cover every single aspect. I am only showing you my HG or top favorites, I have other brushes that I also love but if I feature all of them I would still be writing this post in 2014 !

If you have any questions about these brushes, if you are looking for a dupe, a more affordable option or a more easily accessible brand, don’t hesitate to comment, I’ll do my best to help and to guide you in your research.  As you know I have an unbridled passion for makeup brushes, I am not here to show off, nor are my friends and followers, we just want to introduce you to a whole new world of wonders. Not only because they are beautiful to look at but they will make a difference, make you feel good and look good.

Why so many different options (materials, shape, density) for the same function ?

• We all have different needs and preferences. Please keep in mind that these are my personal favorites and although I can give your some recommendations, your own preferences may differ. It’s not because one of these brushes is HG for me that it will necessarily be the same for you  but I do hope that my comments and discoveries will help you in your research.
  I love white goat brushes, they look beautiful and they are also meant to be used with cream or liquid products since they usually don’t contain dye. The downside is that they require more frequent washes. If you don’t have the time or if you don’t care for white goat brushes that much, you may want to stick to darker ones.
• Goat (or coarser) hair brushes will pick more product and deliver a heavier coverage  -in theory-. Some squirrel brushes are just as good and sometimes we are not looking for a heavy coverage but for a more natural and soft application.
• Goat hair brushes will deliver a more polished effect and a more easy blending  process but if you have delicate and very dry skin you may want to prefer softer options.
• If you are new to brushes, you may prefer brushes that allow a more diffused application, this may be an important criteria when you are just starting to build a collection. Also important to get great but versatile options to avoid huge budget allocations.

I don’t usually function in “rules”, it’s known that goat hair is better for oily skin and squirrel for dry skin, or that you can get a heavier coverage with goat hair than with squirrel brushes. Yes, it’s often the case but nowadays goat hair can be really soft and squirrel hair can be incredibly efficient, I don’t feel the absolute need to base my selection on these rules. Whatever the brush I will show you here, it is certified soft and efficient. I have very dry skin and they are all pleasant to use, some more than others of course.

The categories below are : eyeliner, eyebrows, concealer, smudge, precision, laydown, small, medium or large crease, base, blending, outer V, lip brush, blush, contour, highlight, bronzer, powder and foundation. You don’t need to own one of each category, it’s obviously directly linked to your own needs and your budget.

Eyeshadow brushes

Eyeliner

It’s probably the most difficult brush to find, I spent years looking for the perfect one for me.

Hakuhodo K007 : For gel liners or liquid liners. I like to draw a very thin line just at the outer corner of my eyes (2/3), not very easy to do it but I can precisely place the product.
Hakuhodo G5515 : For powder lining, I also use it with powder-to-gel liners (when you have to dampen the product with water to use it as a liner), the result will not be as defined but it makes my lashes look fuller without looking like an obvious application of liner.
Hakuhodo G5531 : I use this thicker brush with softer products, like the Suqqu cream/liner pans in the recent quads or also with powder-to-gel liners (Laura Mercier, Becca).
Hakuhodo K005 : I love this brush with any gel liner, I have a great control on the application, I manage a thin(ish) line (~1mm) and it’s much easier to use than the K007.
Hakuhodo S148 : same as above but I find the K005 easier to use since the hair are shorter. I use it also to line the bottom lash line with lighter color texture (to open up the eyes), it’s more forgiving.

If I had to keep only one : the Hakuhodo K005,  it has become my daily brush.

Eyebrow brushes

I don’t need much precision or much work on my eyebrows, on a daily basis I use the Hokuto, then for more precision I’ll pick the Z-6 or B264. I have been using the cheapest options until a few months ago and I was happy with that, I recently decided to upgrade to better brushes, they do make a difference but it’s not that important at the beginning when you are trying to build your brush collection.

If I had to keep only one : the Hokuto. Suqqu have a similar one but I don’t own it, I was happy to find this one on the Rakuten website at half-price.

Concealer

It’s mandatory to use very soft brushes around the eyes, I am lucky I don’t have much to conceal but my skin is extremely thin, delicate and dry, if I don’t blend well -but softly- the result would be cakey and unflattering.

The Hakuhodo J122R is fantastic with the application and blending of concealer around the eyes,  if you use thicker products you can put pressure without hurting your eyes. It’s made of goat and synthetic fibers.

The Hakuhodo G537s  is only available in the Hakuhodo Japanese website, I love the sword shape (kolinsky).

The big Hakuhodo J4005 is the perfect brush to conceal large zones, for example in between your eyes and your nose. I also use it for highlight and place the contour, not blending it, but placing it. It’s a synthetic brush.

If I had to keep only one : the Hakuhodo J122R (or J125R)

Smudge

One of the most important brushes in my collection, I am always in the hunt for little precision/smudge brushes like these.

The Suqqu S (squirrel) seems to be discontinued but I am trying to find a dupe for it, I have one similar pending in an order at the moment, if and when I get it I will let you know if that could be a dupe.
The Koyudo C011 (goat)  is a wonderful pencil brush, much softer than any other goat pencil brushes, long but firm enough, perfect balance and a must-have.
The Tanseido (goat)  is a brush that will be cloned in my collection, I need a few of these. I use it nearly every single day either for precise application of eyeshadow or for the application of pencil eyeliner (from the pencil onto the brush and then from the brush onto the lashline).
The Rae Morris 12 (squirrel-ish I believe)  is doing the same role as the Tanseido, but I hate magnets in brushes.

If I had to keep only one two : The Tanseido and the Suqqu S

Precision

This is a very important category for me, I need precision so I will try as many brushes as I can, since they have little hair and require less work they aren’t as expensive as others.

I can use all of them to line or smudge the lashline or create more detailed work. Goat, kolinsky (Shu Uemura) or weasel (Hakuhodo S) are also appropriate for cream/liquids. The Billy B is not as soft as the others but it delivers somehow the perfect width and finish (=coverage) on the lower lashline to pair with a dramatic smokey eye

If I had to keep only one a few: The Tanseido, the Koyudo C011 and the Suqqu S

Laydown

I found my “dupe” for the Mac 239, a softer version, with this Tanseido YWQ9, another one that I will duplicate in my collection. Not exactly the same size and thickness but to me it delivers equals results with the benefit that it feels softer on the lids and it will allow a more detailed application.
When I saw the YCQ 12s for the first time I wasn’t convinced, it’s very thin and so insanely soft, you can barely feel it on your skin and I was wondering how it could deliver enough intensity, but when I tried it I just could not believe what was happening. It was actually delivering similar intensity as a Mac 239  with the most unbridled softness you could ever dream of. My next mission is to find all the sisters of the YCQ 12s, all shapes and sizes if there are any !

The two Hakuhodo here are great options too, more easily accessible.

If I had to keep only one two : the two Tanseidos, YCQ12s and YWQ9.

Small crease

This is a category that will depend on your eyelids, I prefer small crease brushes than larger ones. The more precisely you can place the color the more you can play with the lifting effects. The Nars and the Billy B are not exactly the softest options on earth but they are so incredibly efficient that I could not live without them, they are soft enough for my eyelids though. The Rae Morris shown here is the medium one but since it’s very pointy it will fit smaller eyelids. Although the RM is supposed to be squirrel hair (I think), the Hakuhodo J5529 feels definitely softer.

If I had to keep only one : the Nars 12 (forgot to put the name on the pic, so it’s the one without the name…) 

Medium crease

My HG crease is the TF 13, this is all I can wish for in a medium crease brush, perfectly shaped, perfect density, perfect firmness, feels fantastic and blends like no other (goat hair).

The Hakuhodo S122 is the most stunning angled brush I ever saw, after all this time the shape is still the same, it did shed a few hairs but the hair are still tightly and firmly packed together, this gives the brush a lot of power and control and of course it’s really very soft (canadian squirrel).

The Hakuhodo S142 is a fantastic pointy medium crease brush, I use it for a contouring effect in the crease, for more precision I will use a smaller one. It’s not as dense and firm as the TF 13 but it’s a fantastic affordable option (goat hair).

Then you have the other crease brushes, the G5523 (squirrel) is a softer and the more tapered version of the J5523. The BP033 (squirrel) is not exactly as soft and precise than the G5523 but has better blending capabilities. The J5523 is probably the most versatile option, crease application and blending capabilities, very soft, fluffy, great quality.

If I had to keep only one: The Tom Ford 13

Large crease

These are more blending brushes than crease brushes to me, they are all incredibly well shaped and efficient. If you want the softest version you need to go for the G5522, but the two goat brushes are and feel absolutely divine.

If I had to keep only one : The Hakuhodo J5522

Base application

It’s also a very important brush to me, it has to feel very soft, pick enough product and deliver and even application.  These brushes are just the most magnificient base application brushes I came across. They are all extremely soft and efficient, they all apply an even coverage, more or less heavy depending on the type of hair. Whatever brush you go for, you will not be disappointed.

If I had to keep only one : …Not possible, I just can’t choose. Probably the one that has the biggest place in my heart is the Chikuhodo 12-6, because of  it’s reasonable price and the shape, flexibility of the head.

Blending

Blending is the most important part of my makeup routine, I own very pigmented products and I have a very heavy hand, I *NEED* to blend whatever the look, it’s just something I cannot skip. When I want the softest blending I will reach for the Suqqu L but the Fine Kalla is even better to me due to it’s shape, it’s more full and flatter near the surface therefore it makes the blending easier. The other brushes are all incredible blending brushes, the Koyudo here is very dense and could eventually overly blend your application but  it’s actually what I want. The Hakuhodo 214 will also do the trick but it’s not as soft as the Koyudo, the other Hakuhodo J214 is excellent and even softer.

If I had to keep only one three : the Tanseido YWQ12 and the Koyudo BP023 and the Hakuhodo J5523.

Outer V

I prefer a precise brush but not too pointy, if it’s too pointy it may be too flexible and if it’s too firm it may deliver a too harsh application.

If you have very delicate eyelids there is nothing worst than placing a scratchy brush against the skin in the corner of your eyes, it’s essential for me to use extremely soft brushes in that area. For a precise cut-crease application I will use the TF 12, absolutely amazing the control you have with this brush, I wish I had two of these but the price of the TF brushes is so high, I am in a mission to find a dupe so if by any chance you know of a similar length/width brush that is very soft on the skin, I would love to receive your recommendations !

If I had to keep only one FOUR: The Suqqu S, Koyudo C011, Tom Ford 12 and Fine Kalla KK-004, but they are all absolutely amazing.

Lip brushes

The only way I can pull off a dark lipstick like Mac Ruby Woo, Absolute Power, Pink Parrot or many of the Tom Fords, is if I apply them as a stain with a lipbrush. Although I love the Shu Uemura, I don’t find it very easy to use, the angled point can be tricky to draw a precise application so I prefer the Lunasol or the Hakuhodo.

They are all incredibly pleasant to use, the Hakuhodo is weasel, the other two are Kolinsky but I don’t feel the difference…

If I had to keep only one : the Lunasol. It’s very heavy and it’s more for the handle that I love it so much, compared to the Hakuhodo both work pretty much the same.

To summarize my top HG brushes for eyes/lips/concealer 

My recommendations for beginners

If you are starting to look for more higher-end brushes for a reasonable price, I would recommend you these :

• Lips:  just a normal inexpensive brush would do the trick. This Koyudo is just an example (it was part of a set), I think it’s better to choose a square, firm but soft, but it’s a question of personal preference. If it’s too firm it might hurt your lips.
• Eyeliner : the Hakuhodo K005 is the easiest brush I own.
• Eyebrows : just a simple angled eyebrow brush would do the trick, not necessary to pick the softest brush. This B264 is a fantastic option (mine came with their 2012 Christmas set)
• Concealer : just make sure it’s soft ! The Hakuhodo G540 is a medium size, easy to use. The J125R is amazing for blending concealer and can be a versatile brush, also for cream eyeshadow.
• Precision/smudge : the Koyudo C011 is probably the softest pencil, great price too. The Tanseido YWQ7 is excellent for precision application.
• Outer V : I think the most versatile brush can be the KK-004, extremely soft too and worth every penny (got mine in the Rakuten website).
• Laydown : Hakuhodo J242G, great for powder and cream. If you already have the Mac 239 you may not need this one.
• Base : Tanseido YWQ 10, perfect size for base application, it’s a bit smaller than other similar options for base application so it will fit more eye shapes and sizes. Can also be used to blend.
• Crease : It will totally depend on you, I like to have a small, a medium and a large. The J5522 is fantastic for blending or even for small contouring.

Except for the Kyureido that is squirrel, all the others are appropriate for cream or powder.

Face brushes

Blush

Darker cheek brushes

I have extremely delicate skin, using a blush brush is only possible if it’s very soft. The Suqqu Cheek, the 2 Tanseido and the Koyudo are the softest options on this planet. The Koyudo is denser and works with so many type of blushes, more or less pigmented. The 2 Tanseido are not that dense but they are absolutely divine with very pigmented products. The Chikuhodo Z-4 is also a very unique brush, denser than the Suqqu or the Fine Kalla.

The RMK is a gem too, I cannot leave it behind because it’s a wonderful and very efficient option and probably the least expensive one.

If I had to keep only one, well, let’s be difficult : the head of the Koyudo, with the shape of the Z-4 and the handle of the Fine Kalla

White cheek brushes

Below are some options for white blush brushes, if you are like me and love white hair brushes, there are so many fantastic and soft options today !

The Hakuhodo is the most versatile because it will work also for a more diffused application (for bronzer for example), the Tom Ford is extremely soft and dense, of course a HG (but Hakuhodo has cheaper dupe), and the Koyudo BP016 is the most perfectly well balanced cheek brush ever, it has all the qualities I am looking for in a blush brush : softness, perfect size, perfect density, perfect shape.

If I had to keep only one : the Koyudo BP016.

Contour

Rounded brushes

This is a special category for me since I am crazy for tiny cheek brushes.  Contour brushes tend to often fall in this category so I simply cannot resist them.

The Billy B is a fantastic little versatile brush (contour, blush, blending), soft enough, but not the softest brush, don’t expect squirrel quality, it’s not, feels like goat blended with soft synthetic fibers but I may be wrong.

It depends what products I will use to contour, if it’s a powder contour and very pigmented I will use a less dense brush like the Billy B, for normal products the Hakuhodo Kokutan or the J5521 are wonders and also very versatile.

The Koyudo BP023 and Chikuhodo Z-3 are extremely dense, I don’t use them very often for contour but I do for blending.

Angled brushes

For detailed contouring I’ll use smaller brushes, like the small Tanseido, soft like angel hair, you can barely feel it on your skin.

The Tanseido SS14 has probably the cutest shape ever, insanely soft and fluffy, one of the biggest surprises of 2012 ! You can see it in action here.

If I want great blending capabilities and brushes that will pick a lot of product, I will grab the chikuhodo G-9 or the Koyudo, the Koyudo is much thicker than the Chikuhodo.

The Rae Morris is a funny brush, I am not crazy about the quality, certainly not worth its price, but it’s efficient.

If I had to keep only one : I can’t only pick one but I will definitely be happy if I had the Rae Morris design with the wood of the Hakuhodo Kokutan, the hair of the Hakuhodo J5521…

Highlight

Again a rather difficult category, it will just depend on the type of product I am using. If it’s very sparkly or creamy I would go for the Hakuhodo J4002. Some new highlight products have textures  in between cream and powder (Givenchy croisiere, Dior Nude), these brushes are perfect with them.

For very pigmented highlighters, I love the two tiny Tanseidos, the squirrel AQ14 and the goat YWH12.

The little Maple Kinoko is very dense, just like the J5521, rounded but still pointed for some precision and medium to heavy coverage.

The Hakuhodo S116 (blue squirrel) is amazingly soft, if you love small flat tapered brushes you will be amazed with this little one, delivers a sheer application and you can use it sideways for more precision.

The big Hakuhodo G5537 is more like a fan, not dense at all but I apply just a very subtle wash.

It will be a question of what coverage I want and what precision I will go for.

I tend to use highlight products like Kevyn Aucoin Candlelight or similar textures, for that I can use pretty much any highlighter brush. I often go for the Tanseido  YWH 12 just because it’s wonderful on the skin and  using it feels very artistic.

The Hakuhodo G5518 is a masterpiece, although it’s incredibly soft, since it’s very dense if you don’t have a light hand you may struggle with it, it’s more for expert users I’ll say, I use it only for highlight.
In comparison the Chikuhodo Z-2 is more tapered and less dense, it will very softly apply any product without altering your foundation at all.

Bronzer

I initially got the Chikuhodo Z-9 to complete my Z-series collection, I really didn’t think I would use it as much as I do today but I have developed some kind of addiction to it. It feels amazingly soft on the skin, it’s huge, actually it feels like a soft lion paw caressing my face…
The result will be sheer and as you can imagine, it’s for an all-over application, the surface it covers is really huge.

The Koyudo H005 will deliver a more heavy coverage but has excellent application and blending capabilities, similar to the Z-1 but this one is a mix of goat and squirrel.

The Tom Ford is gigantic and very soft too, not as soft as the Koyudo white mushroom but extremely soft and pleasant to use. The coverage will be in between the Koyudo H005 and the Z-9.

If I had to choose only one : I would die !

For a more directional or heavy application of bronzer or a diffused application of nudish blush, I am loving these ones below :

I love to apply nude blushes, just to even out my cheeks and give some dimension, the application doesn’t need to be very precise. Just be aware that the Koyudo is goat, it’s not coarse at all, but it’s not soft like other baby goat brushes would be, the shape and the efficiency is out of this world though.

The Chikuhodo G-9 is goat and squirrel, I have been looking for a similar shape brush for a long time, glad I found it ! I am loving how it’s fluffy and tapered, quite dense and the application is easy and can be built up.

The Chikuhodo Z-8 is my precious baby, creepy. Since it was the first one I bought from the Z-Series I am very attached to it. Great for blush (maybe too big for some of you) and great for bronzer or powder.

The Chikuhodo Z-1 is another masterpiece, this one is much more useful than the Suqqu powder brush and it’s cheaper, expensive but worth every penny.

If I had to choose only one (well… two) :  the Chikuhodo Z-1 and Z-8.

Powder

I don’t often powder my face, I have very dry skin and I just don’t need to. If I powder it will be a “glowy” powdering mode, with Rouge Bunny Rouge Sweet to touch or a similar type of product that, instead of setting my foundation, it will set it but still deliver a glowy finish.

Today with Guerlain Meteorites I use the big RMK powder, it’s so dense and full, a really amazing brush for the price. It’s a blend of goat and squirrel hair.

The Tanseido EQ28 is Hosomitsu goat hair, extremely fine -and expensive- but sooo soft !

The Chikuhodo MK-2 is a masterpiece, extremely soft too (grey squirrel), the design gives so much personality to this brush , I just wish I could find a brush made with a handle similar to the MK-2 with hair like the Tanseido EQ28 ! that is my dream !

The Hakuhodo K002 is blue squirrel, extremely soft too but not as dense as the MK-2.

If I had to choose only one : Chikuhodo MK-2 and Tanseido EQ28′s baby…

Some favorite Kabukis

If like me you have the kabuki fever, these are my favorites :

Kabukis are not an essential part of your brush collection, it is for me but it’s also pure therapy

Most of them here are insanely expensive, but they are also absolute wonders. I think they are irresistible  in their little home…

Foundation

I just recently bought the Real Techiques Face expert, it’s very easy to use, soft and very cheap, probably the best value for money you could ever find.

The Rae Morris 23 is a very pleasant brush, very delicate with my dry skin. I just have a problem with it, when Rae created the sets, she did not send the same brush in all sets, the one in her website is a 23 completely different. I have both, this 23 and the other 23, the other 23 sheds like crazy and the quality is terrible. Look here for a comparison of both.

The Koyudo BP013 is a brush I love to use with thicker cream foundations or powder foundations but the coverage I will be targeting is sheer to medium, it’s very big so not really the best to achieve precise work but it’s just the perfect one for me.

The Rae Morris Radiance is the best blending brush ever. They have just released a new version of this one and it’s on its way to me now.  I will keep you updated with the comparison.

These are other very loved options, all for foundation application. Unfortunately I mostly use liquid foundation, at this moment I cannot wear powder foundation so I am not able to give you a proper feedback on that topic.  The more gentle option is probably the Hakuhodo J544 , it blends without any exfoliation whatsoever. The Koyudo Fu-pa05 are also a great option for my sometimes flaky skin.

If I had to pick only one : my favorites are the Radiance, Hakuhodo J544 and Koyudo fu-pas, I need all of them, each one for different type of application so I won’t pick just one.

Cream brushes

Since I also got questions on what brushes I was using for cream shadow application and blending, these are the ones I use :

If the product has a thick consistency, the Shu 10 is the one I prefer. If the product is more similar to a mousse consistency, I like the flat crease brushes from Hakuhodo for blending and the simple laydown Mac 239 for applying. Probably that the most versatile is the angled duo-fibre ones (J122R, J125R),  must-haves.  I don’t use synthetic brushes on the eyes, but just because I prefer these Hakuhodo, I find them much more gentle with my eyelids.

I have actually ordered some of the new Makeup For ever brushes for using with powder or cream products, I should be getting them beginning of next week. I will let you know how they compare to these Hakuhodo.

If I had to pick just one : hmmmm, not only one but three : the two Shu and the J125R (or J122R)

Cream contour

I use a lot of cream contour, mostly Hourglass and Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate, I like them to be fluffy and blend very well.  These are my favorites brushes for that :

The Shu 18 has a Koyudo and a Chikuhodo dupe. The Hakuhodo J4005 is to place the contour on specific places but then I will blend with a round brush.

If I had to keep one, I would keep the Koyudo.

Cream blush

For more liquid textures like Daniel Sandler or Kett, I like to use the Hakuhodo J544. For thicker textures the Tom Ford or the Hakuhodo J5543 are fantastic.

The Tanseido is a recent discovery, it’s meant to be a foundation brush but I love it with cream blush, really amazing flawless application and just the perfect size for my cheeks.

If I had to choose only one : Although I love all of them, I feel very attached to the Hakuhodo J544.

To summarize, my HG face brushes

Face brush recommendations for beginners

• Powder/bronzer : Hakuhodo J531, incredibly soft and fluffy, a similar brush to the Tom Ford bronzer. J110 will also be an option, since it’s fluffy enough.
• Blush : The S110 is smaller than the J110, the J110 is much softer than the S110 but the S110 will deliver a more precise and polished application.
• Blush/contour : The Hakuhodo J4003, beautiful versatile option.
• Contour/highlight : The Hakuhodo G511, very soft and very easy to use. The J5521 is also an excellent versatile brush.
• Foundation : Real Techniques Expert face and Hakuhodo J544, obviously the RT will delivery a heavier coverage. The J544 is incredibly versatile (foundation, cream blush, cream contour, highlighter…)
• Highlighter : The Hakuhodo J5521 or the J116, both absolute wonders.

If you are looking for affordable synthetic and multipurpose brushes, I totally recommend you the Real Techniques Core Set, you will get a lot from this little set and I love to use it with cream products.

Travel set

I also got many questions on what brushes I take with me on a trip, obviously versatile brushes. I know I take too many brushes, this is an example :

But it depends if the trip is just for a few days or weeks, my selection will be totally different. It also depends what brush roll I take with me, if it’s long, I don’t need to limit myself to shorter brushes.

I would also like to share a few travel brush holders I use, I don’t have that many but at least I can show you a few that I really love.

This Piccasso has been sent to me as gift with purchase. I could not find it on their website at all, if you are interested I can maybe ask them where to get it.

The great thing about it is that it’s long, therefore you don’t need to restrain your choices to shorter brushes. I can fit all the brushes above in this same pouch :

It’s a fantastic idea these separators, it prevents the brushes from rubbing against each other. Unfortunately I have to insert several brushes in the same compartment and would have preferred to have each one in its own little home…

I got this Illamasqua belt when I was with my friend Dena in London, it’s not leather but I love it, you can fit A LOT  of brushes there ! Two rows have separators for each brush and two rows have larger compartments. When I take it with me I can hang it in somewhere while I am doing my makeup.

I can also fit all the brushes you see above (and many more) :

This is the soft  Hakuhodo case, it could fit all the brushes but the kabukis and other thicker ones will have to travel somewhere else.
I don’t really like the beads hanging in the cords, they are very heavy and when I am at the hotel getting ready they tend to slide down, fall and make a terrible noise when they hit something.

This is a set more appropriate for a weekend, it doesn’t hold many brushes. It’s from Hakuhodo too, it’s not the one being sold separately (the side pockets are different), this is the one from their Christmas 2012 set but it’s the same dimensions.

Another option is the Sigma holders but they take a lot of place in my luggage, this is the smaller version :

You can fit brushes as long as the Hakuhodo J544 in this little Sigma holder :

Koyudo have small pouches for their foundation brushes, too small for any eyeshadow brush but nice for other very short ones.

If you want some other “non-beauty” options, I often get myself a few school pencil rolls or pouches, this is really fun and handy :

This one is handy but not as cute, I like the idea of the two separate compartments :

Daily beauty bag

To complete this huge brush post, I can show you what I have in my daily beauty bag, although I don’t really have much, I never do touch-ups ! I often throw these little two from Suqqu that came with palettes and keep them always with me in case of emergency.

If I think I will really need more, I will just pick any blush brush that works with most blushes like the RMK S cheek brush.

For the eyes, I will pick a little versatile one like this Chikuhodo M-5, a Hakuhodo 210 for blending and the Koyudo BP033 for the crease.

- THE END -

I hope you have survived the post and that you are not suffering from brush indigestion

I have tried to address as many questions as possible in here, if you are not familiar with these brands and need some help, don’t hesitate to ask !

There is something about this set that made me want it, actually a few reasons:

• The little black handles with the golden logo, elegant and sleek with their matte ferrule
• The lip brush was specially tempting and had a little James Bond look to it, well not really but my imagination is playing tricks on me and apparently I see Daniel Craig everywhere
  This set comes in red handles or black handles, I just wanted the more “spy looking” one in black and gold.
• At this moment I am in the hunt for smaller cheek brushes, a nice comb brush and a Mac 239 dupe (travel size).

This set contains 5 brushes, is delivered in a pink box (cardboard) and also comes with a pouch, you can see the full description here.

The pouch measures approx 18cm x 11cm x 2cm.  It’s bigger than the Koyudo Christmas set pouch which was only appropriate for Fu-pa size brushes. In this set, you cannot really store full size brushes but you have more flexibility and can fit other smaller brushes.

The brushes and the set 

There are two compartments, with 3 separations for brushes on each side. There are two large elastic bands and another tiny elastic band in the middle for example for the lip brush.

The lip brush fits perfectly in there but since I have just noticed it now, I did not take the picture with the lip brush in there.

To have a better idea of what kind of brushes could fit in this pouch, here I have a Hakuhodo J series, the Chikuhodo Z-4, the Fu-Pa01, a Tanseido short handle and the Rae Morris Radiance. It’s not very wide but still contains a reasonable amount of brushes for a small trip.

The brushes 

The set comes with 5 brushes. The two face brushes are made of goat hair, unfortunately I can’t confirm if it’s dyed hair. I will try to find out but I can assure you that when I was washing them they did not release any dye at all.

The eyeshadow brush is also goat hair, white and extremely soft.

On the CDJapan website the description (translation) of the material used for the other brushes is not very clear, I will contact them and make sure I understand what they mean.

The powder brush

I have been using the Mac 134 for several years until my skin became too sensitive and I could not stand it anymore. Then I stopped using it and started using mostly squirrel brushes. Recently I tried some Koyudo goat brushes and I realized they were actually much softer than Mac goat brushes. Today if the goat hair is of good enough quality, even if it’s not soft like squirrel hair, I can definitely use them.

Compared to the Mac 134, this Koyudo is much softer, more evenly bundled, more fluffy, denser, it’s just simply much better. It’s goat, not scratchy but of course it’s not as soft as squirrel. There are so many different quality goat hair, this is not soft like “baby goat chest hair” (=fu-pa01 quality if you have that one), or Saikoho goat hair, but it’s also neither Mac goat hair nor Nars Yachiyo hair. The Nars Yachiyo is just a lethal weapon for my skin, it hurts like hell. Some Mac brushes are ok to use for me, like the LE Mac 165 (just soft enough) but nearly all the others I had to stop using them completely.

It’s also a nice size for the application of powder or bronzer all over the face. It’s not heavy but it doesn’t feel cheap or fragile. It can also be used as a finishing brush, if I travel with it I can use it for all the 3 type of applications and benefit from its versatility.

The cheek brush

The hair : I have exactly the same comment as for the powder brush, it’s the same quality hair.

I will add : perfect size, perfect density, both in between the Hakuhodo K022 and the Hakuhodo 210. It’s the same softness as the K022.

I can apply blush and contour with it, work with many different powder products and level of pigmentation, it picks and blends powder without any flaws.

The eyeshadow brush

It reminded me of the Chikuhodo Z-5, both have short black shiny handles. The ferrule is matte on the Koyudo. The base of the ferrule is the same size but the head size and shape is different. The Chikuhodo is heavier, weights 7.5g and the Koyudo 5.5 g, you just slightly feel the weight difference when you hold them but since the handle has a nice width (approx 1cm diameter) they are easy to hold for me.

The great thing about this Koyudo is that it’s flatter at the top, soft and dense so I use it also to blend.

It will not be a dupe for the Mac 239, it’s much larger and thicker but I am not disappointed at all, it’s a great multipurpose brush to have and it is of better quality than the Mac 239, it will not replace it though because it’s much bigger and cannot deliver the precision you get with the Mac 239.

The Koyudo is softer and denser than the Mac 239 but has a similar flexibility/firmness.

The comb

Great quality, the handle looks elegant, it’s very light but sleek and of nice quality. What I like about it is that the layer of bristles is much thicker than other combs I saw before, it’s not a brush you necessarily want to have included in a set but since I needed one, that comes in handy.

I don’t know what material it is, on the website it’s mentioned  ”mustela sibirica” but it looks like water badger or horse, I will double check and update here when I know for sure.

The lip brush in my opinion it’s weasel or a mix of weasel/kolinsky (but need to ask them).  I love square and thick lip brushes like the Lunasol or the pink one from Koyudo (from their 2012 Christmas set), this black Koyudo is very similar, same thickness and flexibility, I don’t think lip brushes can get any better than these.

The set is approx 125 Usd. These face brushes are of higher quality than Mac ones so if you are thinking about “upgrading” from Mac to much better goat brushes, this might be a great option, just remember these are travel brushes with shorter handles.

If you prefer Saikoho goat (softer) but more expensive, this hair is not as soft but if Mac brushes were as good as these I probably would have kept them and not even tried to search for other replacement brushes but today this whole quest for beautiful softer brushes has deviated into a passion of mine.

If you already own the Mac 217 and the Mac 239, the eyeshadow brush here will not be a replacement but a nice addition to your Mac eyeshadow brushes. Unlike Mac face brushes, I still use my Mac 239 on a daily basis.

The set is very interesting for travelling and the pouch is small but big enough since I can still fit other normal -but smaller- brushes.

The lip brush is not here just to justify a higher price for the full set but it’s actually a very good brush.

Today, I am very lucky to be able to benefit from time to time from CDjapan samples, sometimes they are kind enough to send me some of the brushes that I have selected and that I have planned to order in the future and they do it for free. I was interested in this set since I saw it a few months ago but wasn’t sure if I wanted to order it, now you know a bit better what to expect if you are interested and I hope the pics help you, if you have any questions or need more comparison pics, please don’t hesitate !

I was interested in trying some new Japanese brushes so I have placed an order with Tommy. All went perfectly well, she gathered all the different brushes for me and it was a very smooth transaction, I didn’t go through all the pain trying to order myself and have the items forwarded and then shipped to me. If you don’t want to bother with forwarding companies this is actually an easier solution when you don’t speak Japanese or when the companies don’t ship internationally.

These brushes are from Kihitsu, Houkodou and Chomotto Beaute.

Although I haven’t tried them for a long time I will share my first thoughts, hoping this helps you decide if you should be getting them in the future. I don’t think they are LE but I do recommend you to have a closer look specially at the Houkodou before you have to wait months to get one

Houkudou Stand-white foundation brush (5,250 yen), goat

Made of  “Mineyama light crude wool” as per my friend Bonnie, it may be Sokoho goat hair. It’s extremely soft, feels amazing (x1000) on the skin. When I used it, I just couldn’t stop rubbing my face with it, despite that, it didn’t irritate or cause any exfoliation at all. The application of liquid foundation was even and flawless, the process of buffing removed the overly-moisturized effect that I had on my skin (since I always apply a lot of cream!) but didn’t dry my skin out, the result was still glowy and healthy looking.

The hair is same quality as the Fu-pa02 but has a little bit more spring since it’s also longer. Compared to the Fu-pa01 it has slightly more flexibility, I think both are made with same type of hair, although the Houkodou seems to be a tad softer but it could be due to the higher flexibility and length of the bristles, can be misleading sometimes.

Applying the foundation with this brush is the most luxurious sensation, I applied some foundation on the top of my hand then placed it with this brush and buffed it, it was fast and furiously efficient. I thought it would suck in too much foundation the way I was applying it but not really, it shouldn’t be a blocking point, the final foundation stain goes down 5mm down inside the bristles but the total hair length is 3cm.

When you have very delicate and dry skin, having the possibility to use this kind of brushes is a Godsend. I believe it was Melissa who introduced me to it and I am so glad ! HG foundation brush.

Chomotto Beaute Magenta Circle Shadow , small, (2,415 yen), grey squirrel

I bought this brush hoping it would be a dupe of the Suqqu S, it’s not. It’s more a dupe of the Hakuhodo Kokutan T, same softness and size.

If you press very hard against your delicate skin you can feel some pricking from time to time but no more than with both Hakuhodo here. Although it doesn’t hurt, unless provoked on purpose, it’s not as soft as the Suqqu, the Suqqu brushes never hurt your skin whatever way you use them. The Kyureido FineKalla is softer than the Chomotto, somewhere in between the Suqqu and the Hakuhodo.

For now, the best alternative to the Suqqu’s is the Fine Kalla KK-004, but don’t worry, my quest for a Suqqu S dupe is still ongoing.

Chomotto Beaute Magenta Round Highlights (1’925 yen) Goat

The Chomotto has more flexibility than the Hakuhodo, just very slightly more. The Hakuhodo and the Chomotto have similar softness but B214′s  quality is higher. The Koyudo is bigger, flatter at the surface and feels softer than the other two.

Although I use this kind of blending brushes regularly, I could have easily skipped it.

Chomotto Beaute Magenta Oblique Circle (4’200 yen), goat and polyester, powder and liquid foundation

The Chomotto is more directional and firm, normal since the bristles are shorter but the density of both Hakuhodo and Chomotto is similar in proportion.

The hair quality is also similar in both but you will have a softer application with the Hakuhodo since the synthetic bristles are longer, so less exfoliation in the process, therefore I prefer the Hakuhodo.

I haven’t tried it with powder foundation yet. For me it’s small enough for the application and blending of cream highlighter and contour . The diameter is 2cm. I also use it for concealer application and blending underneath the eyes, it’s soft enough and helpful when you need to blend thicker creams.

Kihitsu Eye shadow brush PACE003W   (2’625 yen), goat

It’s an hybrid between the Mac 239 and the Mac 217, it’s just small enough to place eyeshadow on the mobile lid and long enough to be able to apply color in the crease and blend, versatile, soft, but I find the one from the Koyudo set much more achieved.  It’s really short, total lentgh 11.3cm, hair length 1.4cm.

It’s not as well made as the Hakuhodo J532 or the eyeshadow brush from the Koyudo set but it’s soft enough, although it’s softer than the Mac 217 I still prefer the functionality of the Mac 217 I just wish this Mac 217 was softer.

I could have skipped that one too. “Avec  plaisir” is french for “with pleasure”.

Kihitsu Powder & Blush PACE002W  (4’200 yen), goat

The softness of the hair of these two brushes is nearly similar, the Koyudo feels defnitely denser and fuller, the Kihitsu has more spring to it and you can see that the layers of hair are not that full/even around the brush head.  Although it’s a nice brush, the Koyudo (5’000 yen) is a much better brush and absolutely HG material.

Kihitsu FW1-N4G bracket G Liquid Foundation (3’675 yen), goat, liquid and powder foundation

This is a brush I will seriously enjoy using, it’s like a travel version of the Koyudo BP013. The hair is not soft like the Koyudo BP016 blush brush shown above, it’s thicker but it’s perfect for powder foundation. It’s less dense than the Koyudo BP013 but still very nicely densely packed.

I have tried it with liquid foundation but I won’t use it for that, it’s too floppy for that usage in my opinion, for thicker creams I still prefer the density of the BP013.

For Mac Mineralize powder or mineral foundations, this is something I will very much enjoy using and probably it will make it into my HG, specially for summer when I will use more mineralize powder foundations.

The handle is really special, I love the look of it and the little gold/red cord. When you use it, afterwards you feel like you want to grab a razor and shave

Quite a similar shape than the Shu Uemura 18R so if you have the Shu Uemura, imagine a similar brush but denser, with slightly softer hair and with less spring.

Kihitsu Sakura SA-03 series (3150 yen), grey squirrel

A nice and cheaper alternative than the Z-5, it’s a base eyeshadow application brush, with blending capabilities. Soft, doesn’t feel scratchy at all and picks a great amount of pigment. It’s not as soft as the Z-5 but it’s softer than the M-4. Similar flexibility than the Z-5. The M-4 is much more flexible but the bristles are also longer so it’s normal.

I could have skipped it since I have better alternatives but if you are not spoiled like I am, this is a great little brush to have.

Kihitsu Sakura Series SA-04 (2’100 yen), grey squirrel

It’s firmer than the M-5, not as soft but also very delicate on the lids, picks also a nice amount of pigment. I did not picture it here but it’s the same length as the Mac 239, 1mm narrower at the base of the ferrule.

I could also have skipped it, I prefer the Chikuhodo M-5.

Kihutsu [SA-02] Sakura series Cheek (2’940 yen), goat

This is a little gem for me, very versatile, excellent for contour since you can use it sideways for a thinner application if necessary, it’s dense and firm but doesn’t feel scratchy at all.

The spring is similar to the Hakuhodo but has better blending capabilities, it feels like goat and squirrel although it doesn’t seem to be a blend of both.

The BillyB is more flexible, the Sakura 022 softer but the shape is round and pointy and not as dense. I don’t have any other brushes like this one, it’s going to be a favorite due to it’s density and efficiency with contour application. If you don’t enjoy goat brushes you can clearly skip this one, I think I might actually include it in my HG because I have been reaching for it every single day since I got it. It’s probably not an easy brush for beginners since it’s very precise and directional and can pack a lot of product, but I do find it an essential brush to have in a brush collection when you love precise application, it is definitely for me.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate, I hope this helps you discovering some more new Japanese brands.

Thanks again for sharing all your discoveries, it allowed me to get my hands on more wonderful brushes and I won’t stop there

This is probably one of the biggest brush temptations I could show you before my trip to Japan, I hope I will be able to find unique little brushes to bring with me !

Today my review will be brief and I am not going to talk for hours because the pictures speak for themselves, I just simply think that if you love beautiful make up brushes, you need this one.

This Koyudo Pink fan has been sitting in my shopping cart for ages, it was one of the first Koyudo brushes that captured my attention but for some silly reason I was always removing it from my cart before I placed my orders. This time I decided to order it together with the Fu-Pa14. This fan costs 4500 JPY, it is worth every penny, made with baby goat chest hair, yes it’s soft, not as soft as the Koyudo White Mushroom, but it comes very close to the Tom Ford brushes.

I can’t even believe that I was so excited to wake up this morning so that I could use it ! We need enthousiasm in our lives right ? Funny to believe that this brush helps me to get out of bed in the morning

That’s how crazy I am …

It is much wider than any other fan brush, which makes it a gorgeous multipurpose for bronzer, powder, blush, anything really, even contour when you are going for a more wider and seamless contour.

It will not get better than this, of course it depends what you are looking for, maybe you are not tempted at all by fan style brushes, but you will get something extremely beautiful and useful with this one, the whole package.

I have a few of them, the Louise Young is just for decoration purposes because it sheds too much and today it’s too rough for my delicate skin, it’s probably goat hair actually. I don’t use it anymore but I wish I could find a very similar one so I keep it for future investigation and research…

The Rae Morris is squirrel, it’s very thin so it’s ok for contour or highlighter or finishing but you are not getting the fluffyness that the Koyudo has, they are two completely different brushes. The Hakuhodo is made with blue squirrel hair and Sokoho goat (60$), it’s softer than the Koyudo but again, it’s a total different brush.

Since the Koyudo H013 is so wide, it applies powder very seamlessly, unlike many other fan brushes this one is flatter at the surface.

Similar size than the Hakuhodo :

Both brushes are very soft, the Hakuhodo feels softer and is more directional, firmer but I get more use with the Koyudo.

A big difference in the surface it covers :

You may already have the Rae Morris Radiance so I will show you a few pictures to compare the size of both together :

The Koyudo fan’s surface is rounded in the sides and in the corners, so the surface that will touch your skin is in fact not bigger than the Rae Morris but since it’s more spread out and flexible, once you put enough pressure on the skin to apply your product it will cover more surface than the Rae Morris and there will be no lines to the application. It’s too fluffly to use cream with it in my opinion but I will use any kind of powder with it.

It comes in a little cardboard box, with a little velvet pouch, it’s cute but I have problems taking it out so I won’t necessarily use it, I have other little pouches that close completely and that allow a more easy access.

I washed it, it did shed a few hairs but it stopped, absolutely no dye transfer.

I do recommend you this little gem, I am simply in love !!

Tempted anyone ?

Another gorgeous Koyudo temptation that I wasn’t sure I wanted to order at first, I read it wasn’t only grey squirrel but a blend with some soft goat hair, however, this brush doesn’t feel like goat hair at all.  I don’t often use powder foundation so I wasn’t sure this was an useful brush for me but at the end I still decided to get it…

It costs around 60$ and AGAIN, it’s totally worth every penny ! Such a lovely surprise !! The quality is absolutely outstanding, I am in awe and so will you…

It is as soft as the Chikuhodo Z-series (I can’t feel much difference to be honest), it’s densely packed, absolutely no flaws, it’s flat(ish) -very slightly rounded as you can see in the pic-  and covers a wide surface at the top, approx 4cm of diameter.  The handle is short, black and the ferrule golden, the black part has little green sparkles inside, I can’t stop contemplating and patting this work of art…

I thought it would be very similar to the Chikuhodo Z-1, it is in terms of softness and hair quality but it’s more dense and short, the goat hair must be so little quantity that it just feels like there isn’t at all. The application of powder foundation with this brush is out of this world, it does the work so softly and evenly, so far I think there is no other better powder foundation application than with this Fu-Pa14, efficiency and enjoyment guaranteed !

When I apply powder foundation, I don’t apply a heavy coverage, the finish I like is sheer to medium. I have tried this brush with the Mac Mineralize Skinfinish, it picks the product really well, one swirl is enough, you have to tap off the excess just a bit, you apply and then reapply if you want more coverage. I will try it also with mineral loose powders, for now I didn’t had the chance yet but it does a better job at covering than the Z-1, because it’s flatter and denser so the process will be faster too.

I also tried it with bronzer (TF Terra), I tap off the excess on the back of my hand and I apply in the forehead, cheeks, I cannot see any lines around the application and it doesn’t look muddy but I apply it softly anyway.

Something that I love to do in summer is apply a nude blush but with a very dense brush in order to give a polished dimensional effect to the skin and cover the pores but without any exfoliation or irritation in the process. This is probably the best option I own today for that purpose. It is big but when I apply blush with it, I am not aiming for a precise application but instead for a more dimensional blush/contouring purpose application, not with contour, just with a nude natural blush. Tried it with this Fu-Pa14, loved it.

The hair is really fine in both brushes, but the Fu-Pa14 is much more densely bundled and firm, yet supple enough to allow a very soft natural non-streaky application.

Compared to the Fu-Pa01 (baby goat chest hair), the Fu-pa14 is of course softer and has more flexibility.

The surface of the Fu-Pa14 is wider but the shape is similar -not that you can see much in the next picture anyway

The Houkodou is also very very soft, it’s goat hair but goat that resembles squirrel hair, it’s also more packed and directional than the Fu-Pa14, I use the Houkodou for liquid foundation and the Fu-Pa14 for powder foundation or blush. Again the Fu-pa14 is bigger, more supple. Big enough to achieve a fast and easy result and small enough to go around the nose and be able to cover the whole face.

I remembered I had bought the new Chanel Les Beiges Kabuki brush and I thought I would show you a pic close to this Koyudo Fu-pa14, so here it is :

I cannot believe the sales assistant told me the Chanel Kabuki was natural hair while she was patting it, it is clearly made of synthetic bristles but since I could not touch it, I just trusted her and bought it. It’s not the end of the world but that was the reason why I bought it, because I heard it was soft and because she mentioned it was natural. Don’t get me wrong, I love synthetic brushes but the idea initially was to compare it to the Houkodou or the Fu-pa family.

You can have an idea of their size here in the pics but the feeling of the hair is completely different. The Chanel Les Beiges Kabuki is extremely soft but it’s like a mass of synthetic bristles which don’t give such an airbrushed natural effect on my skin, I admit I still have to play with it and I may change my mind… I just wanted to show you some pics since I have it and I think there aren’t that many pics online yet.

The Hakuhodo J210 is also a nice dense brush but it’s nothing similar to the Fu-Pa14, I am showing you a picture because you may want to know how they compare together. It’s a similar shape, but the J210 (goat) is very firm, tightly packed. The Fu-pa14 is much more supple and soft but it’s is not the same material either so no surprise the Fu-Pa14 feels softer !

The four together :

I love dense brushes, but dense ones that can still pack product without delivering a muddy application, I prefer to build with a more forgiving brush than directly use a super dense and firm brush. I can go from sheer to heavy coverage with the Fu-Pa14, with this brush I will target a sheer to medium coverage with powder foundation and a heavy polished application with a nude blush.

It will not get better than this for a powder brush in my humble opinion, I don’t think it is LE but it’s certainly a must-have for me. My colleague saw the brushes when they arrived this week (this fu-pa14 and the pink fan), she patted them and she looked at me with her eyes wide open and said  ”is this for real ???”  :) Yep, welcome to my magic world MUAHAHAHAHAHA

@Fran, I think I may have created another monster