Love for Brushes

[AMK721]

I'm developing a love for brushes of all kinds.  I bought a few higher end brushes and they are amazing.  They are incredibly soft and my makeup glides on like a dream.  There are so many interesting shapes. I am really interested in creating a beautiful brush collection.  Show your brushes and share any cleaning and storage tips and let us know which ones are your favorites.

[Cahlee]

@etscore1

Spoiler

 I do not currently own duplicates of any brushes. At some point late last year I almost bought a second Marc Jacobs Face 2 brush, but that was before I fell down the rabbit hole. I have only had most of these brushes for about a year (up until probably September of 2015 my brush collection consisted of a small handful of brushes *side note* I started wearing makeup around September of 2014) I haven't had a need to replace any of my brushes yet as they're all relatively new and thankfully none have gone missing. However, I did almost replace a brush I thought I lost when I took my brushes out for their photo op for this thread. I was almost in tears because I could not find my Chikuhodo Z-3. It was later found under a brush box, but if I did not find it I was determined to replace it. I love all my brushes, I would have to say that for the most part they are all there because I love how they perform. If I had to single out a few I keep around just because I already have them they would be the Sephora blending brush, the Tarte foundation brush, the too faced powder brush, the real techniques brush and 3 of the it cosmetics brushes. I have small issues with each of these brushes either due to design or performance. There are also two brushes I have bought mainly just to complete a collection which include the TF paddle shaped foundation brush and the Chikuhodo gsn-6. Both brushes are beautiful and perform well but paddle brushes are not my preferred shape so I did originally pick them up to complete sets. My gateway brush, or well brushes would be the Wayne Goss brushes. Once I tried out his eyeshadow brushes I began to question what brushes could really offer me. Afterward I dove into Marc Jacobs, MUFE then Tom Ford. A month later I bought my first three brushes from CDJapan (Chikuhodo Makie-1, Makie-2 and Z-9) It's all a blurr after that 😄

[dziggi]

Wow! Beautiful. This makes me want to invest in some more brushes. 

[newandaddicted]

I'm trying to invest in some higher end brushes.  What would you recommend for eyes?  I have smaller hooded eyes, I need something small-ish.  I'm also interested in a good blush brush.

Thanx

[Cahlee]

Spoiler

Hello 🙂

For hooded eyes some brushes I would recommend are the:

Tom Ford eyeshadow contour brush #12
(Smaller than Mac 139, angled edge and densely packed bristles allows for precise work. All over brush)

Houkodou G-S2

(Soft, firm, brush. Packs product on well)

Chikuhodo Z-10

(Pencil brush, very soft. Great for sensitive eyes) 

Wayne Goss 05 

(Small than Chikuhodo Z-10, more precise product placement) 

Surratt Beauty Classique Petite Shadow Brush

or 

Surratt Beauty Classique Moyenne Shadow Brush 

(Depending how much lid space you have you may favor the medium or the small more) 

Chikuhodo Takumi Brush #7

(Small handle, easy to control. Soft goat) 

Koyomo Pink Pearl Shadow brush (both of them, one is flat, the other is more tapered) 

(Small handle, brush head is small and should be good for small eyelids) 

Chikuhodo GSN-9

(If small handles are not your thing, this brush has a long handle, small brush head. Grey squirrel hair.)

Koyudo BP036

(Beautiful precise blender brush or for getting into the crease) 

Chikuhodo R-S4

(Great for applying shadow to the outer corner of the eye) 

Houkodou W-S3

(Do not have this one, but I do plan to get it. Brush head is tapered which can help with crease work but it does fluff out on the side which can make it great for blending)

As for blush:

Houkodou G-C3

(Beautiful brush, very soft but more resilient than grey squirrel which makes it easier to pick up pressed product) 

Koyudo BP016 (Goat)

Or

Koyudo BP017 (Pine Squirrel)

Or

Koyudo BP018 (Gray Squirrel) 

(Same exact brush head with three different hair types. Something to take into consideration is whether or not you have sensitive skin. If you do I would recommend the 018 or 017. Another thing to consider is what kind of blushes you use often. If you use pressed blushes that are not very pigmented the 016 may be best for you. If you use very pigmented blushes and you want a brush that will pick up less product, the 018 will be perfect) 

Suqqu Cheek Brush

(More of a long, tapered, slightly domed brush. Small brush head means you can carefully place your product only where you want it to go) 

Chikuhodo Z-4

Or

Chikuhodo Z-8

(It's a personal choice between a smaller brush head (more precision) or a larger brush head (less precision but it covers more are quickly)

Surratt Beauty Cheek Brush

(Domed brush for people who prefer that shape to apply brushes. Great brush, very soft)

Chikuhodo Takumi Brush #4

(Another domed brush. Goat hair makes it easier to pick up product but that may not be what you want if you're working with a pigmented blush)

Chikuhodo GSN-4

(Long handled brush, grey squirrel/goat hair mix. It is recommended for another purpose but for quite a few of the GSN series brushes the brush heads are too large for their recommended usage. This is a good size for blush) 

[newandaddicted]

Thank you so much.  Trying to get started can be so overwhelming!  

[Cahlee]

So much minion love! So adorable 😄 

It was my pleasure to help. If you ever have any more questions feel free to ask. 

When I first started buying Japanese made brushes I was also overwhelmed. I'm glad I can use the bits of information I have gathered to help someone else.

[Sonny4President]

Ok, I have to ask... what is the brush you reach for most often?! Which one's are your fav, which ones the softest?! Amazing collection!

[Cahlee]

@Sonny4President 

Spoiler

I had to take some time to think about your questions when I first saw them so please excuse how long I took to reply. The brush I reach for most is the Wayne Goss brush 03. It is pure magic. No matter what eyeshadow look I am going for, it is always used.

My favorites would have to be the WG 03 brush, artis brush 7(amazing for liquid foundation), Marc Jacobs face 2 brush (another amazing brush for liquid foundation), Chikuhodo Makie-2 (The cherry blossom design is gorgeous), Surratt Sublime Powder brush (huge brush head, so soft), Chikuhodo G-16 (beautiful tapering, easy product placement), Houkodou G-C3 (perfect for applying blush), Koyudo BP017 (perfect median between the BP016 and BP018), Koyudo Saibikoho Yakasugi blush brush (beautiful brush, handle smells great, hair is very soft), Tom ford brush 04 (exact placement of highlight). These are what came first to my head but honestly any of the brushes from the first three photos could qualify. 

The softest are the Koyudo Saibikoho Yakasugi blush brush, Surratt Sublime powder brush, suqqu face brush, and any of the Chikuhodo grey squirrel powder brushes.

If you have any more questions feel free to ask. 

[Sonny4President]

@Cahlee How does the Wayne #3 compare to the Surrat one's that are similar shaped?

[Cahlee]

@Sonny4President The WG #3 brush's tip is thicker whereas the tip on the Surratt brushes come to a more pointy slim tip. For example the Surratt brushes have a triangular shape to it's tapering. Pointy tip, and gradually gets thicker. The WG brush has an almond shape with a thicker pointy tip and then the sides of the brush tapers out and rounds out on both sides of the tip like an almond. (Im sorry if I didn't word that well) I find that the Wayne Goss can be used for both applying color to the lid, outer V, crease and blending color. The Surratt brushes I find are better for blending as the tip of the brush is very slim and so it can give a little too much to apply for precise placement. 

[etscore1]

Can I come over and play @Cahlee?

I may have to ask you a couple of questions regarding an upcoming brush purchase I'm considering... I'm guessing you have each of the ones I'm considering. 🙂

[Cahlee]

@etscore1 Of course, fluffies are best enjoyed with others! 

If I can help in any way I would be overjoyed to. Therefore, if you see any of the brushes you are considering in the photos that you have questions about, ask away. I know that when I'm looking into buying a new brush I love seeing it from various angles, and reading about how it compares to other brushes but that isn't always easy to find. I'll be glad to help enable or disenable!

[etscore1]

@Cahlee 

Spoiler

In search of a new foundation brush, though I'm not 100% sold on buying one (current self-imposed spending embargo :)). I currently only use liquid foundations (GA Luminous/Lasting Silk, GA Luminessence CC Cream, Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua and and considering a couple of others), so for all intents and purposes, fingers are and have been entirely sufficient. But there are days where I just feel like a brush might offer a better finish and hopefully a longer lasting application. 

Rather than tell you what I am looking at (a couple of which I think I see in your amazeballs display!), I'm sure I would be better off asking for recommendations! 

Not particularly concerned about the price point as I'm really hoping to find a singular HG brush that fills this need, and thus assume I'll get my money's worth at whatever price point. My only stipulation is that I would prefer to be able to at least see it in person before purchasing, so for the time being I'd prefer to avoid the higher end Japanese brands. I have a few Wayne Goss and Sigma brushes, so those would probably be the only web-based exceptions because I feel like I would be confident enough in the quality if there happened to be a good fit in that line. 

Any thoughts/recommendations would be greatly appreciated! 🙂

[Cahlee]

@etscore1

Spoiler

Now that I remember, the Tarte buffer airbrush finish brush is pretty awesome! I keep forgetting about that brush. It was not until I went in to my room that I actually remembered it. That brush works wonderfully to blend out product. It has a nice density to it, it is soft enough to not irritate the skin. The bamboo handle is very comfortable. It's worth playing with in the store to see if you like it. 

[Cahlee]

@etscore1 

Spoiler

I'm so sorry for getting back to you so late! I checked yesterday but somehow I missed your reply. It also doesn't help that I don't get email notifications when I'm tagged. For foundation brushes I really enjoy using blushes with flatter tops. If you are looking for brushes you can see in person I would highly recommend either Marc Jacobs 2 or 3 face brush. They're synthetic brushes which makes them perfect for foundation as you will want to wash foundation brushes more often and natural hair brushes can suffer from being over washed. Synthetic hair typically wears better after being washed so many times. I really like the face 2 brush because it feels comfortable in my hand, it is sturdy and weighted nicely. The brush head is tapered on one side which allows for getting into the smaller areas of the face. The tapered side is still overall flat and allows for a great blend of product. It was the first Marc Jacobs brush I fell in love with. The Marc Jacobs 3 brush is perfect because it is great at blending in product with how densely packed in the bristles are, and it is also comfortable in the hand with the short handle. The short handle also allows for what feels like a better blend as you can control the pressure more. Most of the other foundations brushes in the photo are perfect for laying down the foundation but I tend to reach for another brush to finish the blending. A favorite of this category would be the tom ford cream blush. I use a thin liquid foundation, if I used a   more creamy brush I think this brush would be perfect. Unfortunately I don't but it is a nice size to get into the very small spaces of my face. I know you said you don't feel comfortable buying a brush you cannot see in person but if you are willing to take a risk, I love using the artis brush 7 (which can be found on Beautybar and there is typically is discount for 15 off of 60 which brings the brush down to $45). I keep one finger behind where the brush connects to the handle to keep it steady, and with light pressure or distributes product evenly throughout my face. The "toothbrush" style is very comfortable for the self user and doesn't interfere with my habit of being too close to the mirror. If you have any further questions please feel free to ask.

[etscore1]

@Cahlee

Spoiler

Thank you so much for the thoughtful response! The MJ Face 2 is what I had settled on.

I guess a follow up question would be: Is it actually worth buying for the foundations I use? Do you find a discernable difference in finish/longevity when using a brush vs. fingers for thinner liquid foundations? 

I realize you might be a bit biased given your love for all your fluffies. 😉

[Cahlee]

@etscore1

Spoiler

Unfortunately, I do not know how to answer this question for you. I have never applied my foundation with my fingers. If I get some extra time anytime soon I will be sure to try it out. I think it's definitely worth a shot to try a brush and see if it has any change on your final outcome. It's highly possible your foundation application with fingers is already perfect and cannot be improved by a brush. I think it is mainly the curiousity which is lingering in your head that is making you question what the difference may be. To get that curiosity out of your head it would be great to try out a brush and get the urge out of your system. 

[etscore1]

I hope you're in sales @Cahlee, because if not, you're missing out on a lot of commission opportunities. 🙂

Curious what you'll think about finger application if/when you decide to try it. As far as the MJ 2, do you find it best to dab foundation on your face directly with your fingers then blend with the brush, or do you prefer to dab the brush into the foundation directly (on the back of your hand, etc.)? I believe I've seen people use the MJ 2 in both a stippling motion as well as a swipe/circular blending motion... any thoughts on its use for either method? 

[Cahlee]

@etscore1 Oh my, and here I thought I would be no good for it. 

The way I use the brush is by dabbing the foundation straight onto my face and then moving the product with small swipes. Afterwards I will use circular motions to blend the product. This method seems to work well on me but I have never tried stippling with this brush. Now that you gave me the idea, I may have to try it out tomorrow. Now I have two different methods on my todo list. I will get back to you and let you know how big the difference is or is not. 

[etscore1]

@Cahlee This is so helpful! Whenever I do end up getting it, I know I won't be creative enough to think about all these methods, so thank you! 🙂 

[1tinybubble]

@Cahlee Yippee... blush p@rn! 🙂 Can I ask what you use to wash  your brushes. Do you deep condition them? With so much love for brushes I figured you would be a great person to ask! Thanks for sharing.