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.

[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.

[Cahlee]

Spoiler

@1tinybubble I am no expert but I am more than glad to share. First off, unless you are a MUA or you need to sanatize your brushes for whatever reason, avoid any soap which has alcohol or other harsh ingredients (can be harmful to your brushes). If the brush I am washing has grey squirrel or is a very soft goat then I will use baby soap. Personally I use Johnson and Johnson baby soap since it's fairly cheap, but I think most mild baby soaps will do. For most goat hair, synthetic, kolinsky, water badger etc. I use either the Beauty Blender Solid Cleanser, dr. Bronners Castile liquid soap, dr. Bronners baby Castile bar soap, or savon de Marseilles.
As far as conditioning I do not currently use any product specifically to condition my brushes. I am a bit apprehensive to condition the brushes as that is not currently recommended (although it is not currently advised against either) by various Japanese brands to care for your brushes. Also, the brush blogger who I trust (Sonia from sweetmakeuptemptations) does not currently list conditioning brushes in her regime (however again, I have not seen her say anything against it, nor have I asked her what she thinks of it). Therefore personally I will not do it, but only because people who I trust with brush care have not outwardly recommended it. If you are a MUA or need to sanatize your brushes I would recommend using the savon de Marseille to clean your brushes as it is made using olive oil which is moisturizing. Otherwise you could use extra virgin olive oil and work a small amount into your brushes if you feel them drying out. (I have personally never done this so please use caution, but I have read that people use this)
My next step is using the brush comb shown in the second photo, first row, very last item on the right. You comb the hair as you would your own hair beginning at the tip of the hair and the very top of the hair and gently working the brush through.
I hope I helped somehow. I apologize for being such a scaredy cat! ><

[darkiceis]

@Cahlee  Thanks for the information, you gave me something to think about in caring for my brushes. 

[maskedteagal]

Wow, I would like to shop this brush store, lol 😉

[Cahlee]

Come on in, we're open 😉

[spadersgirl]

This is so pleasing to my eyes!!!! I love your collection 😄

[Cahlee]

Thank you 🙂

[blackkitty2014]

I knew I want to avoid this thread. 😉 Beautiful collection. This reminds me I need to give all my babies a wash. How do you like those red handle Koyudo? 

[Cahlee]

Thank you! I swear this thread is a danger zone. So many pretties to obtain. The red handle koyudos are the Lohas series. I just got these in recently and have yet to give them a wash. From first feel while they are soft the bristles look almost oily and look similar to the MUFE brush hairs after being washed. Hopefully that will change with a wash but I guess I won't know until I do. Whenever I talk myself into having a washing day. Why must washing days be such a pain?!

[blackkitty2014]

Thx @Cahlee. What do you think about Koyomo set you got there? I have them in my cart (sigh) but can't decide if I should hoard. Too many pretties!

[Cahlee]

@blackkitty2014 I think the Koyomo set is a great set. Initially I got the set to get a feel for Koyomo itself before I decided to add any of the other brushes to my wishlist and I was delighted to find I really enjoy this set. The hairs are soft, but firm enough to easily pick up product and blend it. Hoard! Hoard them all 🙂

[JaneanBT]

Hi @Cahlee,

You have a beautiful collection of brushes! I love Marc Jacob's Brushes! I have not tried the Make Up Forever brushes, but would really like to see how the "paint brush" performs! 

Best Wishes,

Janean

[Cahlee]

Thank you! The paint brush is definitely interesting. I have yet to find a perfect use for it aside from contour, but I could not resist the handles shape and look. 

[infamousp]

Oh my!

Such a beautiful collection!!! What are your favorites?

I bought the Sephora x Hakuhodo collection to introduce myself to Japanese style brushes, but I've heard they weren't as impressive as the real thing 😞 What do you recommend for someone starting out? I'd love to start with face brushes and go from there-- possibly with sets so that they're more value worthy than buying them individually. 

[Cahlee]

I have two different kinds of favorites.

First is functional favorites.

Spoiler

Powder Brush: Chikuhodo Makie 1 or 2 or Z-9. The Makie 1 and 2 brushes are the exact same brush head. The sole difference is the design on the brush. If I had to pick my favorite is the Mk-2 solely for the cherry blossom design. The Z-9 is almost the same exact brush head. Any one of these three would suffice. They feel amazing when used to apply powder. The softness is out of this world. Japanese made brushes which follow traditional brush making are works of art. They are made from hand throughout almost the whole process. The hair is arranged to form the brush head by hand, and any hairs which are not fit for being in a brush are picked out by skilled hands. It's a hefty price tag but I think it's worth it. 

If you're in a tighter budget you could also look into the Chikuhodo GSN-3. I think this brush is said to be meant for cheeks but it's huge and can easily be used for all over powder. Another less expensive brush that I would recommend is the MUFE 128 powder brush. My only displeasure with the 128 brush is that it's a pain to wash. I still haven't found the perfect shampoo to get the MUFE bristles to dry correctly. Otherwise they feel almost not clean? I'm sure the right shampoo would solve the issue. 
For cheeks I highly recommend the koyudo BP 016, 017 or 018. The brush head is the same, the difference is the hair used. The 016 seems to be a favorite among people (goat hair) as goat hair is more resilient and therefore is easier to pick product up with. I think the 017 is a perfect balance of soft and firm. If you don't have sensitive skin the 016 would be perfect as it is the cheaper for the two. The Surratt beauty cheek brush is perfect for anyone who likes precise placement of blush. The Wayne Goss 12 or 13 are also great alternatives. If you contour the Z-3 is really nice. It will only work for powder products but once you get the hang of such a small brush it is great. As for foundation I adore the artis brush 7. It is perfect for quickly applying all over the face. The Marc Jacobs face 2 or 3 brushes are also perfect for foundation. I'm not an expert but since foundation brushes have to be washed more regularly a synthetic brush is recommended. (Side Note: Squirrel brushes should only be used for powder products, liquid and or cream products will be too rough for squirrel) For highlighting the ABH 23 brush is awesome. It's not a total stunner by looking at it but it will make you shine bright. For eyeshadow I highly recommend the traditional Mac 117, 119, and Wayne Goss brush 3, 4 and 6. They are my go to's. It can be tempting to buy brushes in a set but if you're looking to venture into Japanese brushes I would recommend against it. Many commonly sold brush brands in the US offer bundle pricing occasionally if they are selling a set. Every time that I see a set from a Japanese brand the price tends to be exactly the price of what all the brushes would be, or sometimes even a little more than all the brushes would cost combined. Sometimes that is due to the addition of a brush case (on Cdjapan buying the z series as a set with the case is over $100 extra than buying them separately. This is because the brush case itself has that price due to being made of leather. Personally, I chose to save the money and buy the brushes separately as the case was not important to me) or sometimes because of a storage box. Either way since the price is the same whether bought separately or together it is worth it to buy separately so you avoid getting a few brushes which may or may not be brush shapes you like for that brush type. However, this is only what I have noticed this far, there is a possibility there are savings in a bundle so it's always best to take the extra moment to add up all the individual brush prices and see if you are getting a deal. If you're going for brands more commonly found in North America I would say keep an eye out for MUFE. I picked up a set of MUFE brushes when they had the set in the sale section for their regular brushes at a huge savings because it was bundled. I have not tried the brand out personally although I hope to, Zoeva. It may not be very commonly found in North America but the prices are low per brush if you buy a set. If you have brushes currently try and see which brush shapes you are comfortable with. Some people like domed blush brushes, some like flat, longer brushes for blush. When you find a set determine how many of the brushes are shapes that you find tried and true. If the value is still there definitely buy it.

[Cahlee]

And my second kind is functional but too beautiful to use (so far)

Spoiler

Surratt Sublime Powder Brush - The bristles are so long and the brush itself is so soft

Suqqu Face Brush - The tapering on the bristles is gorgeous. I have a weak spot for tapered brushes so I just constantly take it out to look at it

Yakusugi Saibikoho Blush Brush - Saibikoho is the softest goat hair available and it is also rare. This is my first brush of that hair type as I have only ever found it sold in sets. I was excited when Cdjapan released this LE brush

All the brushes singled out in this post and the last post are just the star pupils of favorites. Overall each brush is a favorite in its own way.

[infamousp]

Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge!!! I definitely learned something new & valuable. 

Totally agree with you on waiting to use all the beautiful items. I like keeping things new & pristine lol

[angel7594]

I love your collection, so beautiful!!!😊

[AMK721]

@Cahlee Ahhhhh-maaazing.  Your collection is outstanding.  I definitely have brush envy lol.  Looking at all the pictures makes me want to get more brushes! 

[Cahlee]

Thank you! Can I be the little bad guy on your shoulder telling you to get more brushes (if that is what you desire)? You can never have too many! Who doesn't love having fluffies to come home to and touch. You already have a great collection, there is nothing to be envious about. Your collection has all the brush staples a girl could need. I am totally envious of the hakuhodo brushes. I have yet to get around to buying any brushes from hakuhodo, especially from the s series which you have. One day I will get over the $9 shipping charge! Haha