Category Archives: Tools

Fude Collection Part 5

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Welcome, lovers of Japanese brushes! If this is your first time visiting, I’d like you to know that I have a page that’s accessible on the left menu bar with every Fude post linked, as well as a description of the topics discussed in those posts and a list of which brushes are in which posts. For cell phone users, this page is visible by clicking on Navigation. If this is not your first time here, welcome back!

Regarding my measurements, “hair width” is measured from the widest part, regardless of the overall brush shape. I don’t measure thickness.
In some cases, I included widths in a range. This means I happened to measure it prior to washing the brush and the second number is what it bloomed to in size post-wash. Anything with an asterisk indicates that I had to measure that one myself as those numbers were not listed on the website. All figures listed in inches are converted estimates.

With costs of materials ever increasing and supply of certain hair types being harder to acquire, brush prices also increase. So, the prices I’ve listed might not reflect what is current, though I will do my best to keep them updated.

*DISCLAIMER: To those who have been using my affiliate link to shop from CDJapan, thank you so much! The commission from that was used to pay for one of the brushes in this post. Otherwise, all other brushes discussed today were purchased by me with my own money. Non-highlighted links in bold blue font (Example) are standard non-affiliate links. Links marked in bold black font with a light blue background (Example) are affiliate links. Affiliate links allow me to get a commission if purchases are made directly using my link. Whether you click to shop through them or not, I appreciate you visiting and I hope you find the information I’ve provided to be helpful!

MIZUHO

The Mizuho OEM been around since the 1970’s with its company located in the Kumano area. It was originally part of the calligraphy world, which is why they say they have “180 years of history and experience.” Their focus is on simple brush designs with high performance and functionality of their makeup brushes, cleansing brushes, water color paint brushes, nail brushes, and more. Besides their own line of brushes, like their flagship MB series and others, they are the manufacturers of Shaquda brushes. Additional information on the brand can be found here (including a fantastic video seeing the full brush making process) and here.

Mizuho MB114 Highlighter Brush

  • Full Length: 169mm / 6.65 in
  • Hair Length: 38mm / 1.5 in
  • Hair Width: *21mm / 0.83 in
  • Bristle Type: Pine Squirrel / Pony

I’m not the biggest fan of pony or horse hair in my brushes, but I was surprised that this combination of hair was softer than I expected. It’s good at picking up some harder pressed highlighters, such as baked gelee formulas, but I would caution against using it with loose highlighters or softer pressed ones because my issue with this brush is the size. Despite having angles and what seems like a thin section along the side, I very often apply too much highlighter in a wider stripe than I want. It’s not so bad with highlighters that blend out easily, but if I’m wearing the kind that wants to stick where it is placed, I have to switch to a stronger blending brush or apply blush back over the top of the section where it got too low onto my cheeks. This is because the more the brush is used between washes, the wider it fluffs out. I guess this could also be remedied if kept in a brush guard, but I generally don’t use those with non-round brushes. Perhaps I should eventually give it a try.

I tend to apply it along the edge horizontally and then turn the brush vertically to blend it out with that same edge (after wiping off the excess onto a microfiber towel). I do like this brush, and have been using it quite a bit, but only if it’s within reach and my favorites are elsewhere. Those with small faces or are heavy-handed might want to be careful about placement and which highlighters to use with this brush.

This brush is 4800 YEN and available here.

Mizuho MB123 Eye Shadow Brush

  • Full Length: 136mm / 5.35 in
  • Hair Length: 10.5mm / 0.41 in
  • Hair Width: *10mm / 0.39 in
  • Bristle Type: Pine Squirrel

I never expected to use this brush as much as I do, but it’s fantastic at picking up eyeshadows and packing them on, is tapered enough at the tips so that I can even use this to deposit and blend out color on my lower lash line, but I can also turn it on its side and blend out the edges of my shadows in the crease as well. I use it in the same way as the Sonia G Builder Three and Builder Pro, but the pine squirrel bristles give it a different feel. What I like about those Sonia G brushes is that they’re tightly packed, so I can have strong buff and blending power but with it still feeling soft on the skin. With this brush, it’s dense but still flexible. It doesn’t have the blending strength as the Sonia Brushes, but because of the way it picks up and disperses the shadows, it doesn’t require a heavy amount of blending to begin with. Of course, this is the case with good to high quality eyeshadows. If I’m using the type of shadow that sticks to the spot its applied on first, this brush applying things heavily but a little more dispersed isn’t going to matter with an eyeshadow that’s tougher to blend. The few times I was able to notice this was when using pressed pigments from brands that are inconsistent with their quality. So, it’s only because I’m always testing new palettes that I ran into a few eyeshadow duds with the brush. In my personal time, I only use eyeshadows I like, and most palettes I buy are good quality and higher. So, this is rarely an issue.
I really like this brush and it has become one of the four main packing eyeshadow brushes I use with every eye look. This has been the case for about ten months now!

This brush is 2500 YEN and available here.

Mizuho MB125 Blending Brush

  • Full Length: 130mm / 5.1 in
  • Hair Length: 13.5mm / 0.53 in
  • Hair Width: *9mm / 0.35 in
  • Bristle Type: Gray Squirrel

I bought this brush because I thought it was fully round and wondered if it would be comparable to the Chikuhodo Z-11. The only similarity is the hair type, which admittedly the Chikuhodo brush hair is slightly softer. However, I get a stronger blend with this brush than the Z-11, which is why I like this one much more. This is the most used squirrel eye brush in my collection (besides the MB123), even more than my Houkodou GS-1 and GS-2. It’s because the shape is a combination of a blending brush with the length of bristle and tapered tip, with the width of a packing brush like the Sonia G Builder Pro. However, this preference may change once I start using the Sonia G Keyaki Trio with the Canadian Squirrel hair. I still need to test those out after my long trip ends.

If I have an eyeshadow that I want to pack into my crease, but have it dispersed thinly (but also opaquely and more than a “wash of color”), this is the brush I like to use. I also tend to use it with my starting eyeshadow that transitions into the crease, in addition to highlighting under my eyebrow arch. So, even though I don’t consider this a workhorse brush, which tend to be my favorites, I get quite a bit of use out of this brush for other aspects of my eyeshadow looks. This brush works best with drier formulas like dry shimmers, satins, and mattes. I don’t recommend using it to try and pack on shimmers (the MB123 is better for that), especially these wetter dimethicone heavy shimmers that are growing even more popular these days.

And then just for size comparison, here is the brush next to the Houkodou GS-2. I personally have found this Mizuho brush to be more useful due to the shape and recommend this one over the GS-2.

This brush is 2800 YEN and available here.

Mizuho MB120 Large Eye Shadow Brush

  • Full Length: 146mm / 5.75 in
  • Hair Length: 20mm / 0.79 in
  • Hair Width: *15mm / 0.59 in
  • Bristle Type: Pine Squirrel

This is a last minute addition to the post in the sense that it’s on the relatively newer side, but I’m including it here since this is likely the last Mizuho brush I’ll be buying unless they release something new. I set out to try this brand, and I feel like I’ve gotten to do that with the eye brushes at least.

I’m not sure if it’s just that the hairs are longer, but the pine squirrel hair in this brush is the softest pine squirrel in my collection. The MB123 is surprisingly soft too, but as a packing brush that one is tighter packed and bound to effect how it feels. However, despite this one certainly not being floppy, I’m able to feel the quality of the hair and I’m very impressed. I recommend trying at least one pure pine squirrel brush from this brand.

Considering this is a gigantic eye brush, I’m surprised how much I like it. The shape of it aids in precise application despite its size. I can sweep on eyeshadow using the widest part and it picks up quite a bit of product, but I can also apply and blend shadows on the tips, moving the brush side to side. I usually only use large eyeshadow brushes with matte products, but considering the point the brush comes to, I’ve been able to apply shimmers to my lids without too much fallout.

In addition to using this with eyeshadows, it also doubles as a small highlighter brush! I’ve liked the results I got for that purpose with this brush.

Within my collection the closest similarity I can think to compare it to is the Houkodou GS-1. I really like that brush as well, but I prefer this shape and it deposits a little more eyeshadow. This may be a downside for those who like a wash of color, but with my skin tone, the more the better.

This brush is 3500 YEN and available here.

HAKUHODO

All of my limited edition handle Hakuhodo brushes were purchased from Fude Japan, the only place that I know that has them available. I’ve placed multiple orders from them by now with no issues in terms of products arriving to me. There have been a few instances where I didn’t realize a certain brush was on the website or a new one was added before my order shipped, and Toshiya of Fude Japan had been kind enough to make a separate invoice for me so I could combine the orders. The timing of when I order tends to take about two weeks to ship. He mentions on his blog, if I remember correctly, that he goes to the Hakuhodo shop on Saturday and what’s in the shop can be picked up but brushes that have to be sent over from the main factory can take a week or more. It can also take extra time if a lot of people are ordering at the same time. Right before the Hakuhodo price increase, I believe it took nearly a month to ship out. So, for those impatient, this is something to consider if you want a brush that’s available at multiple other websites. However, I’ve always felt it was worth getting these special ones I can’t get elsewhere, including having to absorb that shipping cost.

Hakuhodo S113 Highlighter Brush Round & Flat

  • Full Length: 174.5mm / 6.87 in
  • Hair Length: 31.5mm / 1.24 in
  • Hair Width: *25mm / 0.98 in
  • Bristle Type: Goat
  • Handle: Wood
  • Ferrule: 24-karat gold plated brass with clear coating

This is actually a momentous occasion because at the start of my dive into the fude world, it was my dream to one day own a Hakuhodo S100 flagship series brush. I’ve always credited Wayne Goss for starting my obsession with Japanese fude, because when he first mentioned the brushes he would be making, other people hinted at Hakuhodo being the actual brushmakers. When I browsed Hakuhodo’s US website and noticed they had some less expensive dupes in their own line (at the time), that is what sparked my interest in learning more about them. My first ever fude purchase was with Hakuhodo at the end of 2014, followed by some of Wayne’s brushes a few weeks later. However, my interest in Hakuhodo specifically and those vermilion handles can be attributed to Tati Westbrook who used and loved the S100 series. I could never justify spending more for the special handle, 24 karat gold plated ferrule, and blue squirrel hair when I could spend significantly less to keep the hair and ferrule but get the black handle S100Bk version instead. Even the S100Bk I couldn’t justify when I could lose the ferrule, switch to goat, and get an even more affordable B series version. There’s a synthetic i-series too, but I’d rather get a synthetic fiber brush elsewhere.

I just couldn’t wrap my head around paying face brush prices for eye brushes, and at the time I was definitely unwilling to spend so much on the S100 face brushes, so I thought, “Maybe one day.” As the years went on, the brushes only got more expensive and I didn’t think I would ever be able to justify having one until Fude Japan had this S100 brush listed at the S100bk price at $59! I figured this was my chance after nearly eight years of pining for at least one of these vermilion brushes! I’m glad I did because after the 2022 price increase, the brush is now $97 on the Hakuhodo USA website.

One thing I have heard about the downside to the vermilion handles and the slanted handle edge is that the paint chips easily. This is something I will have to keep my eye out for when using this brush. So far, I’ve been careful and haven’t noticed any issues since my purchase about a year ago. Admittedly, I don’t use this brush that often though because it’s precious to me. Also, I think keeping this brush in a cup with other brushes could increase the chance of it chipping. Most of the time, I keep it in the silicone makeup brush holder/stand like this for example.

I’ve used this brush for highlighter purposes, and it’s fine, but I have other shapes I like better. My preferred usage for this brush is either precision bronzing (especially with a bronzer that’s a bit dark for me, so I can apply it lightly and carefully) or for setting my under eyes with powder. It nicely fits the contours under my eyes. I still have a preferred brush for that purpose (the Real Techniques Setting Brush), but this is leaps and bounds softer. I’m not surprised that these are the two ways I like to use this brush considering it’s the same for the Wayne Goss Air Brush, which reminds me of this one. I took comparison photos below.

Hakuhodo S110 Blush Brush Round & Flat

  • Full Length: 175mm / 6.89 in
  • Hair Length: 38mm / 1.5 in
  • Hair Width: *36mm / 1.42 in
  • Bristle Type: Goat
  • Handle: Wood
  • Ferrule: 24-karat gold plated brass with clear coating

I was content to have my newly acquired S113 be my only flagship brush, however, seeing the S110 for sale on the private account fude_sale_page on Instagram changed my mind. As I started to watch more videos of fude lovers ranking the B110 as their favorite blush brush and it being a staple brush from the brand, I started to regret not buying it. Of course, it’s a bit of a risk to make a brush purchase outside of a retailer site or official selling app, but it worked out for me and I was able to get this beautiful S110 at nearly the same price as the B110BkSL was (in 2022).

Even after the price increase, I ended up ordering the Hakuhodo J110 September ’22 Limited Edition Red Handle Blush Brush from Fude Japan. Since the specs and performance are supposed to be the same, it isn’t necessary to give this version of the brush a separate review, but I thought I would at least include some photos of it.

Also, for size reference, the rephr 05 blush brush is similar in size and shape to the the Hakuhodo S110.

I also purchased the Hakuhodo J5523 September ’22 Limited Edition Blue Handle Eyeshadow Brush, which is another one I reviewed in my original Fude post, so I don’t think it’s necessary to review again. However, I thought I would include photos of this one also.

Back to the J110, I still use it and it’s a great shape, but because the one I specifically use is pre-owned, I think it’s just not bundled as tightly as it used to be when it was newer. I always keep my rephr brushes in brush guards or aloe sealed to keep them dense because that’s how I prefer to use brushes of this shape and they’d be perfect for me if they were easier to keep dense and not so airy. Even my Hakuhodo travel Hello Kitty brush gives me similar blush results as this one, so I definitely don’t need to buy any more of them.

Hakuhodo F6210 (April ’22 Limited Edition Mint Handle)

  • Full Length: 168mm / 6.6 in
  • Hair Length: 28mm / 1.1 in
  • Hair Width: *36-42mm / 1.41- 1.65 in
  • Bristle Type: Goat and Synthetic

Although I still prefer my Wayne Goss 15 (discontinued) fan brush because of the flat wedge formed via the tips, I’ve grown to really like this brush! I have several highlighter products now that include thin strips that are tough for any other of my highlighter brushes to pick up solo without mixing with the other shades next to it (like the Bobbi Brown Brightening Blush with the two shimmery strips and the Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Multi Glow Highlighter). So, this brush is quite convenient. Completely opposite to the Mizuho highlighter brush I mentioned earlier, this one gives me the upmost precision. I don’t use it to pick up hard pressed highlighters, but medium and lighter go great with this one. Even wetter highlighters like the Charlotte Tilbury Glow Glide Face Architect highlighter works well because this is combined with synthetic bristles, which I wasn’t happy about at first, but this brush works well with so many formulas, is a great shape, is soft, and easier to clean. So, I’ve come around on the synthetic and goat mix. I can blend in the highlighter pretty well with this brush and although I personally don’t use the baking technique, this would be a good one to dust away excess powder.

Hakuhodo S4001 (April ’22 Limited Edition Green Handle)

  • Full Length: 180mm / 7.09 in
  • Hair Length: 40mm / 1.57 in
  • Hair Width: *33mm / 1.3 in
  • Bristle Type: Goat and Synthetic

We can’t love everything we buy, and this happens to be one of those situations. I have tried to use this brush in so many ways with so many products and I haven’t found a single one that I like this for. The ends are pokey (though not sharp, just the bunches that are packed together are able to be felt when the tips bend from pressure onto the skin), which I don’t like. Using foundation with it is streaky. Cream bronzers don’t blend well enough. Powder bronzers work better, but don’t give me the airbrushed effect that I like. Cream and powder blushes look patchy. I lowkey hate this brush, but I’ve always strongly disliked duo fibre stippling brushes. I hoped this one being from Hakuhodo would change my mind, and I honestly bought it for the gorgeous handle. I wish it could have been more functional though.

This photo shows my other peeve with the brush. I use foundations that tend to be either thick liquids or runny ones. The amount of product “absorbed” by the brush with the runnier ones is excessive in my opinion. I don’t easily go through foundations, so product wasted in my makeup tools doesn’t bother me as much as the thought of how dirty this gets. A simple wiping of the brush onto a microfiber towel isn’t going to cut it. That much above from just one use is a lot.

Hakuhodo J6070 (Jan ’22 Limited Edition Pink Handle)

  • Full Length: 165mm / 6.5 in
  • Hair Length: 30mm / 1.18 in
  • Hair Width: *15-20mm / 0.59- 0.79 in
  • Bristle Type: Goat and Synthetic

I consider this a stippling highlighter brush because these hairs are not uniform and have that stippling feel to them, while still being soft. I actually love this one because of the slant. Any of my highlighters that need to be blended out to make them sheerer or subtler is great with this brush because of the way it hugs the curve of my cheekbones and have both firm and softer bristles (softer in the area of hair that splays outside the circumference of the ferrule) that buff out the highlighter without disturbing the makeup underneath. It’s also dispersed a little more widespread as well because of the spread out angled length, which I apply along my cheekbone with that angled side. When I’ve been in a hurry, I’ve also used this brush to set powder under my eyes. The thinner tips bend to fit in the corners, although it can feel a bit pokey due to this specific shape when used that way. For highlighter though, I’ve grown even more fascinated with the Kebi style, so when I see other limited edition handle brushes with this shape, I’m automatically tempted. I’m just not sure if I will like them as much as this when the ones I’ve seen are even longer and look either more dense or less dense. I would certainly be interested in this same brush in an even more dense version.

Hakuhodo B104 Powder Brush Round (L, Gold Handle)

  • Full Length: 190mm / 7.48 in
  • Hair Length: 50mm / 1.97 in
  • Hair Width: *40-50mm / 1.57 – 1.97 in
  • Bristle Type: Goat

This brush expands a ton after the first wash. When it’s that airy, it’s only really usable for me with loose powders or lightly pressed powders. Something like my Dior Powder no Powder, the one I use most, would be aggravating to try and pick up with a brush like this. It’s one of the largest in my collection, alongside the Chikuhodo FO-9, but even that one is a combination of both airiness and still picking up powders a little easier. Some powder brushes can also be used for blush, but this is much too large for that. Some people love this kind of brush for bronzer, and something lightly pressed could be quite nice for this too, but huge bronzer brushes aren’t what I typically reach for. So, I have very limited uses for this brush. I’m still glad I bought it though to be able to experience a Hakuhodo classic.

Hakuhodo Hello Kitty Slide Face Brush L Round & Flat (70’s) [XB007]

  • Full Length: 144mm / 5.67 in
  • Hair Length: 40mm / 1.57 in
  • Hair Width: *32mm / 1.26 in
  • Bristle Type: Goat and Synthetic
  • Handle: Synthetic Resin/Black

The slide reminded me of the size of the S110. The shapes aren’t quite the same, but it’s the closest comparison I could find.

I wish I could have gotten the Hello Kitty pink handle version, but I couldn’t find it available for purchase. In any case, I’m not usually interested in retractable brushes, but Jaybirdwalking was discussing it in one of her Hakuhodo on-site showroom videos and said the sliding mechanism was actually well made and the brush was versatile. I agree on both counts. When the brush is showing only a small amount of hair, it’s a nice shape for applying highlighter. The fully puffed out version does okay for all-over powdering (and nice with a loosely pressed bronzer), but I like dense brushes a lot, even for face powder. So, I prefer when the slider isn’t all the way down and the hair is compact and a semi-large size for blush purposes. I’ve taken this on trips with me because it’s a nice multi-purpose brush when one doesn’t want to bring many things, but I still have individual powder, blush, bronzer, and highlighter brushes I prefer to this one. This does many jobs adequately, but none that are a particular favorite. So, this brush doesn’t tend to get much use from me except on trips (though not my current one).

Hakuhodo J7012BkSL Fan Brush [H3926]

  • Full Length: 170mm / 6.69 in
  • Hair Length: 30mm / 1.18 in
  • Hair Width: *42mm / 1.65 in
  • Bristle Type: Hog
  • Handle: Wood
  • Ferrule: Nickel-plated brass

I love feeling and owning different types of animal hair brushes, which is why I bought this one from the Hakuhodo USA website. I actually got a phone call from them because of this brush and them wanting to verify that I understood hog hair is very wiry and hard. Some people in the past have been disappointed, expecting every brush to be soft, so they made it a common practice to check in with the customer before the order is fulfilled. I thought that was quite fantastic customer service. I explained that I expected it to be hard, but that I love collecting every type of hair for a brush I can find, but still asked what most people use these brushes for. The woman on the phone said heavy stage makeup (the thick type that gets painted in large areas and not just for the face but the body) as well as body glitter application.

For fun, I tried to use this on my cheeks as a traditional highlighting brush. I will not be doing that again because it really is scratchy. It’s like the world’s softest floor sweeping broom or soft fishing wire or a paintbrush with dried glue on it. It’s thick and coarse, but the scratchiness doesn’t come from sharp tips. The roughness is noticeable on the face, but not as much of an issue on the body.

What I’ve realistically used this brush for, since I don’t wear body makeup, is to take off the top layer of products that are hardpressed or hardpanned. It loosens things up enough that I can then pick up the kicked up product with another brush to apply the product to my face. So, I don’t need to use something like this very often, but it has come in handy several times. I wouldn’t recommend it to the average makeup wearer, just those who would very specifically need a brush like this for the purposes described above.

Comparison between the F6210 and J7012.

Hakuhodo Yachiyo (Traditional Powder Brush) Medium Round [H2384]

  • Full Length: 128mm / 5.04 in
  • Hair Length: 33mm / 1.3 in
  • Hair Width: *22mm / 0.87 in
  • Bristle Type: Goat
  • Handle: Covered with Cane

This is another purchase made for the style rather than function. I wanted something traditional, like the Yachiyo brush from Nars, but I heard that one has scratchy bristles. This Hakuhodo version is soft, though not as soft as the similar head shape of the Chikuhodo T-4.

With the handle being so short and thin, this brush feels so fragile in my hands despite it having taken no damage yet. It just feels like the wrapping could unravel if I grip it too tightly. For that reason, this brush is mainly decorative in my collection, now that I’ve used it enough times to know that I love the shape and construction of the brush head. It’s just a matter of having this same head with a different handle. That I can definitely recommend. And perhaps one that is slightly bigger because it’s quite small even as a cheek brush. For that reason, it’s even smaller than my usual small brushes for bronzer. I recommend it strictly as a blush brush.

I should also note that I purchased the medium handle size (for $39 at the time), but Hakuhodo sells a “large” size too.

KOYUDO

Koyudo Gray Squirrel Angled Powder Brush [OUTLET]

  • Full Length: 140mm / 5.51 in
  • Hair Length: 40-45mm / 1.57 – 1.77 in
  • Hair Width: *52mm / 2.05 in
  • Bristle Type: Gray Squirrel

Even though I definitely don’t need anymore powder brushes, I couldn’t resist the thick fluffy look to the brush from the website photo, especially for the price. There were only three or five available at the time that the Koyudo outlet brushes were released on the CDJapan website, so I had to act fast. Unfortunately, it was not as thick or fluffy as the photo example. This is one of the rare times that I received something from the outlet options that wasn’t better than I expected.

On the bright side, it’s quite soft. It’s a pretty looking brush and well constructed. The bristles are on the lighter end of medium density. I haven’t had any shedding from it. It picks up lightly pressed powders fairly well. I like how it evenly distributes product on my face. I’ve tried to use bronzer with it, but it was just okay. I prefer keeping it as a designated powder brush and to use it in a sweeping/dusting motion across the face to get a light even layer of powder foundation or setting powder. Because of the shape, I wouldn’t want to use it with a powder that I would typically buff out. It’s an interesting addition to my collection in terms of shapes, but I really didn’t need it and even though it was a good value for the hair type, I should have skipped it.

Koyudo OUT22-18 Heart Shaped Blush Brush [OUTLET]

  • Full Length: 125mm / 4.9 in
  • Hair Length: 35mm / 1.38 in
  • Hair Width: *40mm / 1.57 in
  • Bristle Type: Goat and PBT

I bought this brush on a whim because I always wanted to have a Koyudo heart shaped brush, which is what I first knew the brand for. I didn’t expect it to actually be functional, but I was even more shocked by the results! I absolutely love using this brush with bronzer! I dip it lightly into the product so that it picks up a little bit of bronzer on both curves of the heart. I then hold the brush against my skin and move the brush left and right with the curves also going in a side to side motion so that both parts are doing double the buffing work one after the other. It picks up the perfect amount of product and builds it up easily. I feel like products go on even smoother with the brush. It was quite the surprise!

This specific brush can be found HERE.

Koyudo Black Blush Brush

  • Full Length: 167mm / 6.57 in
  • Hair Length: 38mm / 1.49 in
  • Hair Width: 24mm / 1.1 in
  • Bristle Type: Goat Hair (Sokoho according to the product description section and not the usual spot on CDJapan’s website)

For one final time, Koyudo restocked the Black Handle series which was originally released in 2013 and then discontinued. I wanted one of the brushes in the collection purely for that reason and it was only natural that I chose a blush brush, which is my favorite fude type to purchase. It’s a decent brush, but nothing particularly special. I prefer round shapes, and this one is more ovular. It’s a bit thick to be using for sweeping, but the tapered tip doesn’t feel intuitive for circular buffing motions. I can still use it either way, but it’s not my favorite. Plus, I wish the hair quality was higher. It’s an okay experience on the cheek, but it’s not what I think to grab when there are plenty of softer ones in my collection that I’d prefer to use on my cheeks for that plush soft application experience.

In the off chance that this brush gets restocked once more, the link to it can be found HERE.

CB White Canadian Squirrel Blush Brush (Red Handle)

  • Full Length: 160mm / 6.3 in
  • Hair Length: 35mm / 1.38 in
  • Hair Width: *28mm / 1.1 in
  • Bristle Type: White Canadian Squirrel

While this is a CDJapan Beauty brand brush, Koyudo is the maker of this brush. I always wanted a White Canadian Squirrel type of brush out of curiosity to see if there really is much difference between this and regular Canadian Squirrel. I feel like this is slightly more resilient than the yellow kind (and more resilient than grey squirrel), but since I don’t have a ton of experience with WC, it’s possible that it’s not always the case and comes down to the batches and supplier.

I’ve used this a few times with blushes and bronzers, but this is honestly a brush I’m not going to get much use out of because the whole special part about it is the rarity of the white tips and I don’t always have the easiest time getting my white brushes back to their pristine color. So, if I use the wrong red blush that stains the hair pink/red or too pigmented of a bronzer for it to turn light brown…I lose the original color and that kind of defeats the purpose of having this hair specifically and I’d have been better off just getting the slightly less expensive Canadian Squirrel. So, my paranoia about it keeps me from using it anymore. This is also why I haven’t explored White Pine Squirrel hair either.

I can say this brush surprisingly worked nicely for blush and bronzer purposes considering this brush isn’t very full, even after being washed, and I prefer round face brushes over sweeping paddle shaped ones. I understand why this hair type is so coveted when it has the benefit of being as soft as grey squirrel while giving a stronger application of powder products. In the future, if I’m able to afford a thicker fluffier version as a face brush, I would probably get one. However, it would have to be in Canadian Squirrel and not White Canadian Squirrel so my fears wouldn’t hinder me from using it!

One other thing I’d like to mention is that at the time I bought it, the USD to YEN was far in favor of US currency, so I bought it for significantly less than it costs now. However, even at that price and with the additional promo coupon deals CDJapan offered, I don’t think this brush is worth the price in terms of function. For such a small amount of hair in the brush and what it can accomplish, there’s so much else out there that can do the same or better for less. In fact, I’d recommend the next brush I’m about to mention over this one. In terms of having something with hairs that are hard to acquire, a pretty handle, and is well constructed, then I can see why a Fude Collector would be drawn to this or other brushes of this type. Getting the CDJapan-Koyudo version is a more cost effective way to experience this than the more luxurious handle version from Koyudo.

Sonia G

Sonia G Lotus Detail Brush

  • Full Length: 173mm / 6.81 in
  • Hair Length: 28mm / 1.1 in
  • Hair Width: *28mm / 1.1 in
  • Bristle Type: Dyed and Undyed Saikoho Goat

Sonia G is one of my favorite brands for Fude, but I’ve been blunt about how the Lotus Collection didn’t work out for me as well as I wished. I might be missing out when it comes to the Lotus Base brush (but decided I didn’t need it since I very much love and am satisfied with the Patrick Ta fully synthetic Contour Brush), though I know I’m not missing out on the Worker and I was disappointed with the Builder and Cheek, and really don’t like the Soft Definer. I took a chance buying this one when it was available as an individual brush and I am so happy it was worth it!

The brush is listed as being great for blush, contour, and highlighter though I disagree with the highlighter part. Sure, it can be turned along the thinner portion along the angle, but I personally feel it deposits highlighter in too wide of an area. And one can apply it with the tips, but the amount that gets dispersed just isn’t worth the effort to build up and blend out, though I can understand it’s still possible and is just an extra benefit for this already multi-purpose brush. I love using this the most with blushes because the precision allows me to apply pigmented blushes precisely so that I don’t accidentally cover too much of my bronzer. Also the density from the shorter hairs to about the middle of the brush is enough to nicely buff out what I’ve applied, and the less dense middle to longer bristles that splay wider across the slant edge disperses the blush more lightly. This ensures that one has control of where the more concentrated amount of blush goes but it’s still buildable overall and gives a blended affect as the dispersal of product goes from concentrated to least concentrated. Of course, that’s if applying along the angle. Applying in a circular motion mainly applying pressure with that denser portion is better for blushes that are on the sheerer side to those who want maximum color payoff.
The special purpose that I have for this brush is due to the shape, overall size, and density which is that I love mixing two different blush shades with this brush. This brush is fantastic when I want a darker color towards the back and a lighter color on the apples. I can create a very easy gradient effect with this one.

As for contouring, this brush fits nicely in the hollows; so I do like it for that purpose. Bronzer wasn’t listed in the website description, but I tried it anyway, and because my forehead is so rounded and the brush is so small it was a little cumbersome trying to use an angled brush for that purpose. Round, round-flat, or flat-tops are my bronzer shape preferences. I haven’t reviewed the Sonia G Jumbo Bronzer Brush here yet, but spoiler alert, that one is amazing! I love it so much. It’s not one that I use all the time, but when I do, it’s such a pleasurable experience.

I initially felt $36 was a lot for such a small brush, but considering I can use it as a great contour brush and a special purpose blush brush, plus it being not much more expensive than Sonia’s eye brushes, I now think it’s a reasonable price.

Also, even though this isn’t one of the fusion brushes (saikoho+synthetics), in addition to powder, I’ve used this with MAC Glow Play blushes (cream/putty) and cream-to-powder formulas on occasion.

Eihodo

Eihodo NO.327 Blush Brush [Outlet]

  • Full Length: 128mm / 5.04 in
  • Hair Length: 35mm / 1.38 in
  • Hair Width: *27mm / 1.06 in
  • Bristle Type: Gray Squirrel and Sokoho Goat

6000 YEN to 3300 YEN ($24)

This is one of the more disappointing brushes from the Outlet, but not because of the handle or ferrule quality. This brush is visually stunning! It’s just on the smaller side. A 35mm head isn’t too bad in terms of length, but it’s not a very full brush. It’s for the best that it has a pinched ferrule, so it’s at least not as floppy as it could have been. I find this brush only really useful for sweeping blush and no extra benefits like being able to buff satisfactorily with it either. The shape reminds me of an even smaller version of the HS-2 Hana Sakura Blush Brush, but the HS-2 is a way more useful brush. These bristles are a little softer, even though it’s the same hair mix as the HS-2, but I recommend that HS-2 way more because of it being far more efficient and liking it with sweeping on both blush and bronzer.

In case someone still wants this brush and it gets restocked, it can be found HERE.

Eihodo NO.329 Powder Brush [Outlet]

  • Full Length: 145mm / 5.7 in
  • Hair Length: 50mm / 1.97 in
  • Hair Width: *40mm / 1.57 in
  • Bristle Type: Gray Squirrel and Sokoho Goat

This brush has a similar handle to the previous one, and similar gorgeous chocolate brown ferrule, but this ferrule is matte whereas the other is shiny. Because this brush has the proportional amount of hair I expect of a powder brush and for the size dimensions, I consider it a much more worthwhile purchase than the previous one. It’s about medium density and does a decent job sweeping on powder, though nothing extraordinary. The mix of hair leads to the brush being soft enough to be satisfying to use, but doesn’t pick up product as well as I wanted considering the amount of goat that is in it. I’m still happy with this brush though when I remember to just use it with loose and lightly pressed powders, and especially soft baked ones (not baked gelee). I don’t expect it to be very versatile, as I keep it to strictly powder use and not blush, bronzer, or contours.

At the time the price was listed as 10000 YEN that was reduced to 6000 YEN ($44).
On April 13th, 2023 this brush was restocked for the same 6000 YEN and is available HERE.

Eihodo Makie Blush Brush Kozakura [Outlet]

  • Full Length: 125mm / 4.92 in
  • Hair Length: 40mm / 1.57 in
  • Hair Width: *31mm / 1.22 in
  • Bristle Type: Pine Squirrel

I was so pleased with this brush that I bought two others to give as gifts! It’s Pine Squirrel, so it’s not the softest of the squirrels or even quite as soft as the Koyudo BP017, but it still feels quite lovely. Also, to have such a gorgeous Maki-e handle with it at this price was quite the bargain! Functionally, it’s a little flatter and not as packed with hairs as I’d hoped (altering those two things would have made it perfect), but it’s still workable for a light application of blush. It applies things on the more sheer side because of the smaller width, and it’s slightly airy, while the flexible bristles make it naturally buff better while applying. So, it’s the type that works well with products that one wants applied precisely, yet remain buildable. This is why even though I like it with blush, I enjoy it even more with bronzer applications. It’s not too bad with contours either, though I prefer an angled or even thinner brush for that purpose.

I usually prefer longer handles on my brushes, but the beauty of the handle makes up for it.

I thought it would be interesting to compare it to the Koyudo BP017 that also has pine hair, as well as the CDJapan/Koyudo White Canadian Squirrel Blush Brush.

This brush was priced at 8000 YEN, but I bought it for 4400 YEN ($32). It has been restocked several times, so those who want to save the product page to their bookmarks can find it HERE.

That’s everything I have for this post. I’m so sorry it took this long to finally do, but life throws a lot of unexpected things our way! I still have plenty more Fude updates coming, though per usual, it will be at least a few months for the next one. I have an ongoing directory list here of what’s coming next.

-Lili ❤

Part 2 of Melt’s Mystery Bundles and Holiday Sale

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A few things happened between working on Part 1 and Part 2. First, I decided to keep a few extra products from the Mystery Bundles instead of giving them away. Second, the only lip pencil I received that smelled relatively normal in the beginning ended up starting to smell very off like the others (still without me ever even using it), so I’m no longer going to review it. Third, Melt had a 50% off sale the day after I posted Part 1, so I bought the few remaining things I wanted from the brand. This means I’ll be reviewing a few extra things not pictured above.

Part 1 with reviews of all the eye products in the photo can be found HERE.

The Sculpt Stack

This stack is surprisingly handy! I love that it comes with a small mirror as the “cap” for the stack. The med/dark bronzer and contour both work for my skin tone, but even the light/med bronzer I’ve been able to use as a setting powder! It’s just the light/med contour that I have little use for. I prefer my contours to have slightly more grey than this one has, so I had the idea to mix some of the light/med contour shade with it, but I was unsuccessful in making those two properly blend together to turn into the perfect contour shade for my liking. Using the Med/Dark contour on its own looked better than the combination of the two.

These blend easily enough, though it can stick in place a little bit if my face is dewy, but that just requires a dense brush to buff out and then it looks fine again. The Chikuhodo FO-2 is a beloved buffer brush up to that task, for example.

These don’t fade. They are matte, but not drying. I love a slight sheen to my bronzers, which this doesn’t give, but it’s still quite nice. Overall, my impression of the stack is that it’s a useful product. It’s not in my very top favorites, but I do enjoy this product a lot and will continue using it. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if this turns out to be something I like even more over time.

Ultra Matte Bronzer in Malibu

Despite the “Ultra Matte” name, I don’t find this product to be drying on the skin or to look any more matte than the bronzer in the stack. The powder feels slightly silkier to the touch, but it’s actually less easy to use than the stack because of my preference for wearing slightly dewy foundations. If I’m wearing a drier foundation, the blend is at least equal to the bronzer in the stack. Overall, I prefer the stack’s color and blendability than Melt’s actual dedicated line of bronzers. Plus, whatever makes this formula different from the one in the stack also causes it to start forming a weird film on the top layer (presumably from double dipping between the compact and the moisture on my face from skincare, primer, and/or dewy foundation).

I find it interesting that the shade range seems to lean on the darker end of the spectrum. My shade is number 3 out of 4 and Malibu is even a bit darker than I tend to wear these days, though perhaps it’ll be perfect in the summertime. However, I will realistically not reach for this because I prefer the stack and plenty of other bronzers in my collection over this one. It’s not bad, but I just don’t think it’s worth full price. Even at half price, I’d choose a Mented Cosmetics bronzer, Nabla Skin Bronzing, or Covergirl Trublend So Flushed.

Cream Blushlight in Pinched and Lynx

I’ve reviewed this type of product before and it falls into the category of loving the shades and finishes, but not liking the fact that these don’t set down to a dry finish on the skin. Just like the Rose Inc blushes that I have the same issue with, I was unable to turn down the opportunity to buy something (like a mystery box) to essentially get the blushes for free. They’re so pretty! I just wish they could set without a strong powder (like a powder blush that fully removes the glow and warps the color which defeats the purpose of wearing them at all).

Pinched looks quite similar to Polished, but I wanted an option that didn’t have shimmer and was more pigmented on my cheeks and Lynx made for a gorgeous cream highlighter. I’m satisfied with these two shades, and will use them for photos, but the continued wet feeling on the cheeks is why I will never get much use out of them in public or private. For those who don’t mind a wet creamy cheek, these are beautiful. And I know there are some people who absolutely love this formula, like Amy Loves Makeup who owns them all.

Digital Dust Highlighter in Genesis

This highlighter was in the “last chance” section of the website, so it’s discontinued now, but something about pink and gold shimmery hues intrigue me. If they’re too pink, I tend to not like them, but if they are gold with a slight pink tinge, I tend to find them beautiful. Genesis is the kind I like. The shine can be built up to medium intensity in person, but it remains subtle on camera. I thought at first it just blended in very well on a day I wore my Rituel de Fille Thorn Oil (left photo), but when I made sure to take pictures again with a drier base, the shimmer particles were more obvious, but still didn’t look very reflective on camera (right photo). So, this is the type of highlighter I would wear in public, but not if I wanted my highlight to pop in pictures.

Sexfoil Liquid Highlight in Peaches & Cream

I reviewed these before and even mentioned that I think Peaches & Cream might show up more intensely on me. Ironically, it’s even more subtle than Gold Ore, but I think it’s a far better match for my skintone and even prettier. This product has a tendency to lift, depending on what other makeup I wear underneath it, but because the base color is about my skin tone, it covers up any patches while also having shimmer light enough to reflect and still work as a highlighter for my face.

Although I rarely use liquid highlighters, this might be the exception.

Gel Liner in Fortune

I have an example of this on the eyes in the Half Lashes section with the green eyeshadow look. Just like the other Melt liners, they dry quickly, don’t smudge, and last all day without the line cracking. I prefer eyeliner pens because of the convenience of not needing to use a second tool to apply it, but I find these gel ones to be great from Melt, especially in the waterproof formula that works for the waterline, though I only reach for them occasionally. If the brand ever releases felt tip eyeliner pens, I would definitely want to give one a try.

Johnny Half Lash

This was my first time ever buying Half Lashes and, just like most full strip lashes, these aren’t for me. The issue is that I have a very rounded curve to my eyes directly in the middle. This requires me to have strip lashes that are longer than usual. My eyes also have a steep downward curve at the outer edge, which I try to balance out with cat-eye wings. So, in order to have room to adjust to my eye shape, I would need a longer half lash (something like a 3/4 strip) and for the outer portion to have much longer lashes so that it can look like it’s curving upward at the ends. On my eyes, putting the half lash from the actual middle to end part looks strange because my inner lashes are super short, which doesn’t have a normal looking transition from shorter lashes to suddenly longer outer ones. This causes the outer part to look either downturned or just makes the eye look heavy. If I move the lash slightly more inwards from the top of my curve in the center to almost the end to keep it from looking downturned, it looks even more ridiculous because the lashes go from short to long to short again.

The best I could get it to look was in the purple look when I made sure to have a wing that made the outer edge appear to curve up higher than the actual lash was curving. It still looks quite heavy though, so this style of lash just isn’t for me. If I want half lashes, I think I would need to just slightly trim a full strip and ensure it has a very flared out end. But considering my sparse and shorter inner lashes, I’d just stick with House of Lashes Iconic Lites.

Amor y Mariposas Collection

Recuerdos Lipstick and Corazon Lip Pencil

As I mentioned in the beginning of the post, I didn’t end up wearing the lip pencil because of the smell. As for the lipstick, it’s certainly an interesting color. It still has a vanilla scent to it that is similar to the cream blushlights. The color isn’t very even and this formula is very drying and the bullet was stiff. I don’t know if this is the case with all of Melt’s lipsticks (I have heard they aren’t very comfortable) or if this is just performing this way because of how long ago the collection was released. The gold packaging is absolutely stunning though. I love the details, as well as the imprint on the lipstick bullet. I will never wear this lipstick again (and removed it after taking the photo so I have no idea how good the longevity is), but I want to save the packaging and maybe pour a homemade balm into it so I can reuse it for something because it’s so pretty, plus luxurious feeling from the metal with magnetic closure.

Mirror

I ended up with two of these when it was temporarily reduced to $5 with a purchase of an Amor y Mariposas item and then again when it was temporarily free with either a mystery box or certain spending minimum. It was never officially announced, but something I noticed in the website carts. So, I gave the spare one to my sister!

This mirror is beautiful. I love the gold writing on the back and the clear red color. It’s a thick plastic though, so it feels weighty but isn’t too heavy as to be uncomfortable for a handheld mirror. The only downside is that it’s quite small, around the size of Colourpop mirrors. The one I got from Gerard Cosmetics is the current one I use because it’s much bigger in size, which I compared in the photo below. I can be quite clumsy and have already broken five mirrors in my lifetime, so I don’t mind having backups. However, if my Gerard one breaks, I would probably repurchase it because I like how much larger of a mirror surface it has. I know I own plenty of palettes with mirrors, but those are heavier to lift up, or the lid doesn’t stay up in position, or the mirror is just too small for my liking. So, I continue to use hand mirrors and I like collecting pretty ones, even if I barely use the spare ones.

Brush Set

The brushes in the order pictured are Rubor 718, Pomulo Alto 779, Pincel Denso 23, Mini Difumadora 808, Sombra Angular 627, Sombra Plana 24, and Lapiz Fino 523.

Rubor makes for a decent sweeping blush and bronzer brush. I like the density level, but wish it was more of Pomulo’s shape. Pomulo is my kind of blush brush, but it’s not as dense as I like and makes for a sheerer blush application. If I want something this sheer, I’d just use one of my natural hair brushes, so it disappointed me a bit. Pincel is a bit large for my eyes, but I have used it as a highlighting brush. It’s okay for that purpose, but a little odd because of the pointed tip. I’ve also used it to spread out one of my more liquid eye primers and preferred it for that, though I spread the product a bit wider out than anticipated since it’s so big for my eye. Mini Difumadora I’ve also used for highlighter and do like it for that. Sombra Angular I’ve used for eye primer and liked it. Sombra Plana I’ve used as an eyeliner brush, though I would prefer if it came even thinner at the tips for even more precision. I think it’s technically a concealer brush as it’s similar in shape and size to my Smashbox concealer brush that I also don’t use for concealer. Sonia G’s Jumbo Concealer brush is much more my style in shape and thickness. Lapiz Fino is a strange one because it’s shaped like an eyeliner brush, but it’s so thick that I never want to use it for eyeliner and can’t think of any other purpose for that brush either. Maybe spot concealing, but I almost never do that.

Overall, I do think this brush set is worth the currently reduced $35 price. I got one set free in a mystery box, but I did buy another set for my sister who is always afraid to use pretty brushes for fear of messing them up. I got this set specifically for her to “mess up” as much as she wants but she still finds the gold metal outside (I’m guessing full aluminum) and lovely shade of red synthetic bristles to be too pretty.

I’ve only washed these brushes once, but I did not notice any dye seeping out. Just wanted to mention that. However, I wash my brushes with cold or lukewarm water at most.

Before we go, I should post this disclaimer…

*DISCLAIMER: Unhighlighted links in bold blue font (Example) are non-affiliate links that will not generate commission. The vast majority of links on this blog are traditional non-affiliate ones. Links marked in bold black font with a light blue background (Example) are affiliate links. Affiliate links allow me to get a commission if purchases are made directly using my links. The price of the product is not affected by these links, and anyone who uses them would be supporting this blog. Whether you click to shop through them or not, I appreciate you visiting and I hope you find the information I’ve provided helpful!

That’s everything for today. Thank you for reading!

-Lili ❤

One/Size Disney Fantasia Collection

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I thought this collection was cute, but I admittedly didn’t purchase it until it went on sale at the end of last year. Now, the products are being offered at an even greater discount at Sephora, so I wanted to post my review while there are still some items left to purchase for those who might be interested.

Disney Fantasia Face and Eye Palette

I hadn’t tried eyeshadows from One/Size prior to owning this palette, but I’m very interested in getting more if the brand comes out with palettes with my type of colors in them. The mattes are so soft and creamy, almost like a wet sensation on the fingers, despite being completely dry and a powder. The closest comparison I can think of is like Tarte Amazonian Clay matte eyeshadows, but even creamier. The matte eyeshadows in this palette are actually the most similar to the matte blushes from the Cheek Clapper trios that I love so much because of how pigmented they are while also being smoothing, blurring, and easy to blend. I’m no cosmetic chemist, but I’m guessing it’s the amount of silica and “cone” ingredients in the brand’s matte products that make them feel the way they do. It’s impressive that they managed to use dimethicone, for instance, in a matte without it sealing itself after being swatched a few times (as I noticed that pattern with certain matte powder products I own and back when I was attempting to make my own pressed eyeshadows), but I’ve observed that ingredient lists with dimethicone in a matte product tend to have kaolin clay, zea mays/corn starch, or some other oil-absorbing dry ingredient with it, so perhaps that’s why silica is paired with it. Perhaps there’s another contributing ingredient as well that I haven’t realized, but either way, I love the performance of these mattes. I have to say though that I noticed Broomstick darkens when wet. That’s why I have it swatched twice in the swatch photo above. With each swipe, to smooth out the swatch, it kept getting darker and darker in places. I don’t know if it was from oils on my finger or if my finger was slightly wet from a spot on my microfiber cloth I use to clean off my arm between swatches. So, I did the second swatch underneath when I knew for sure my finger was dry and after smoothing it just once, it still appeared like it wanted to darken on the edges. I have also observed Broomstick darken a little in my eye looks while on top of my creamier primers. I don’t mind this since it still works as a transition shade for me whether it stays true to color or deepens up, but this may be an issue for those wanting a light non-dramatic eyeshadow look. Then again, considering the intensity of the blushes and the inclusion of very sparkly transformer shadows, this palette isn’t for those wanting completely natural looks.

Ironically, the darkest matte called D Minor isn’t as deep on the eyes as it looks in swatches. It blends to a softer more subtle color (for me).

This collection going on sale at Sephora and the One/Size website since last December leads me to the conclusion that this hasn’t sold very well, and I can’t help but wonder if part of the issue is due to it trying to appeal to everyone. We have the very neutral eyeshadows that will give soft looks. Dream is a satin that looks like a pale iridescent pink at certain angles. We have pigmented but not intense mattes. Classical has small size shimmer for a refined look, while still being nice and shiny to the point where I don’t feel the need to dampen it on my lids, but the virtue of the color on my skin tone makes me want a little more impact when used in the inner corner. Anyway, the subtleties of those shades are countered by the highly reflective and glittery Oh Boy and Yensid shadows. Those are going to appeal to people like me who enjoy a more impactful look, but even Yensid could turn off some people due to the duochrome being like an iridescent pink with blue and purple shimmer. Those might be too wild of colors for a neutral wearer to ever want to use. I heard the transformer shades could be used as face highlighters as well, but that’s too outside of my comfort zone to try. Fun fact for those who don’t know: Yensid is Disney spelled backwards.
Then we have a matte blush called Symphony for those with light to tan skin tones that’s so pigmented it manages to still show up faintly on me. Then Orchestra is super dark and likely intended for medium to rich skin tones. Those that prefer matte blushes will likely not enjoy the intense shimmery golden orange, Intermission, with its metallic reflective shimmer that is not for the faint of heart. Lastly, we have the even more intense and deep blush, Finale. By having something for minimalist and bold makeup wearers, plus products for two very different skintone spectrums, there are going to be some products in this palette that people skip using altogether. Sure, the blushes can be built up or sheered out, and used on the eyes* like I did in the eye looks above, but not everyone wants to do that. I’d wager that the majority of makeup users don’t want a gigantic palette that they only use half the products and neglect the rest. Funny enough, this mixture of having a little bit of everything makes this palette actually work fairly well for me, but I’m certainly not in the majority.

*I don’t know if the blushes are deemed “safe to use in the immediate eye area” or not, so I’m not advising anyone to do what I did without conducting their own research and determining its safety for one’s self. I’m just posing a hypothetical. Blushes can generally be viewed as multi-purpose.

This palette has extra touches that could make it appealing, such as the beautiful Collector style book cover with actual Disney designs (and not just Disney-inspired drawings). The mirror lifts up to show a cute paper cut-out that reminds me of the Urban Decay Alice in Wonderland palette days. I love book style packaging, but we’re moving away from bulk these days as Pat Mcgrath Labs must have learned after the sales of the Bridgerton Blushing Delights Face Palette. Even if the size and shape makes sense for the collab, the majority prefers pretty yet sleek packaging.

I love using round cheek brushes, but in order to get Orchestra to apply sheer and even, I needed to switch to a sweeping style brush instead and apply it in one direction rather than circular buffing.

Going back to the blushes, Patrick Starrr mentions in the launch video that they are the Cheek Clapper formulas from the Trios, but the matte blushes don’t feel the same to me. They’re not as smooth and definitely feel more like a typical powder. They’re not bad, but they’re not something I’d grab to wear if they weren’t already in the palette when I want to use the eyeshadows.
The shimmery blushes I doubt I will use beyond this review. I forgot to powder my cheekbone after reapplying the Becca Under Eye Brightener (which is a sticky product) and Intermission immediately stuck to the spot, so I’d caution against wearing the shimmer ones on a dewy base. Making sure it goes on top of a powder layer first helped apply Finale more evenly, but the type of shimmer in these are not my style and are barely better than the blush shades within the Coloured Raine Glowlighters line that I despised. The color of Finale is too deep for my preference anyway. I can use Intermission as a highlighter if I’m feeling up for having it look quite apparently orange-gold. The base color is darker in Intermission than the one in the Freaky Peach Cheek Clapper Trio that I feel more comfortable using as a highlighter instead.

As seen in the photo, the shimmer formulas are very different. In the Cheek Clapper Trio, it’s a thinner sheerer powder with ultra fine shimmer that’s closer to a satin. The other one is chunky, wetter, and although it has pretty small shimmer particles as well, it’s more visible on top of the deeper orange base color. The one improvement in favor of Intermission is that the drier formula from Freaky Peach had a harder time sticking to my face and lasting on my cheekbones as a highlighter. Intermission having a wetter bind improved the longevity.

Disney Fantasia ​Bit of Magic Highlighter

If this isn’t the first review of mine you’re reading, then you know I typically prefer a subtle highlighter (or a beaming one that looks smooth and/or wet on the skin), so I’m going to just put it out there that I knew this was going to be glittery before I bought it and I still bought it anyway because of the sale and the cute gimmick of the highlighter having a different pattern depending on how it is held. That being said, Disney makes me think of sparkles and glitter, so it fitting the theme is something I’m happy about, even though that also means I’m not likely to reach for it. It’s a weird contradiction, I know.

This is semi-transparent, but there’s just enough pink-champagne hue (and mix of gold and pearl sparkles) that make it borderline able to work but also a bit on the light side for me. The depth of base color helps the situation for me, but that very thing could make it too dark for quite the range of people.

I noticed that it does blend better into the skin if it’s on top of something dewy. I’ve used three different brushes with this highlighter: the Chikuhodo Zen ZE-5, the Too Faced Diamond Light Highlighting Brush, and the Rephr 36. The Rephr brush is the most dense of the lot and worked the best for getting more than just a sparkle layer of highlighter.

There isn’t anything much else to add. Either the color will work or it won’t and either the potential buyer likes the glittery look or doesn’t. The packaging and trick with the imprint is about as special as it gets. Without that, I would say it’s a middle of the road highlighter.

Disney Fantasia Point Made Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner Pen

The Disney eyeliner is the same as the standard One/Size eyeliner in the color Bodacious Black, just with slight tweaks to the packaging. When the original was first released, I didn’t pay too much attention to the reviews, but I remembered hearing that it was easy to control, dispensed a nice rich black color, but it had some kind of packaging design flaw. At the time that I bought the Disney one, I completely forgot about the design issue and only remembered the positives. The photos above and below demonstrate my experience that I can get a really thin, controlled, crisp line or at times too much comes out at once and it gets very thick. Contrary to what I had heard, it’s not immediately easy. If I do shorter strokes, I can create the line how I want, but if I rush it or try to do too long of a line in one go, I end up making it too thick. Overall though, I think I’d have liked this even more than my holy grail Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner if it wasn’t for the leaking issue with the One/Size liner when too much product is at the tip and it doesn’t go back down in the tube so it gets all over the pen. I tried to resolve this by storing it tip side up, but I don’t know what the long term performance will be like, especially with the other issue of the cap. There’s no snap closure. A small touch can make the lid lift back up, which is highly likely going to make it dry up faster if I’m not careful. When I originally had it in my makeup bag, I saw a thin line where the lid hadn’t come off completely, but it was still not shut all the way. And there have also been times that after I used it, I put the cap back on and was about to put it to the side and realized it wasn’t closed all the way because just pressing it down instinctively isn’t enough. You have to look at it every single time you press down to make sure it’s actually closed because it isn’t going to make a snapping sound that a lot of pens and markers have to indicate that it’s closed. For that reason, I wouldn’t repurchase the original either unless it was put in a different component.

As I mentioned before, I can’t remember much about the original launch, but I’m not sure if the brand decided not to make the lids snap close in order to be easier for those with difficulties with their hands? The way that the pen also has a very smooth top and bottom but a rougher plastic portion where I would naturally grip the pen (and would be easier to avoid slipping) was intentional and called a “comfort grip handle,” so I’m not sure if the cap is for hand mobility too. In that case, I would understand this feature, but that would also make this not something intended for me.

I have photos wearing the eyeliner in the first two eye looks in the palette review section.

Disney Fantasia Ultimate Mickey Puff

I’ve never been the powder-puff using type, but I always said that if I were to buy one, I would prefer for it to be thick and feel puffy and soft, which the One/Size puffs in the standard and Disney shapes check off all those boxes. The original one is a bit more practical for those who like that thick edge to be able to create a sharp line for baking certain areas, like under the cheekbones, but the Disney one has the advantage of technically being three puffs in one. So, I’ve used the bigger one (bent to avoid having the sponge ears get in the way) for applying powder foundation and setting powder. I’ve used one ear for blush and one ear for attempting to dab away shine at the end of the day. Regarding the oil, it didn’t do very much because my dry skin usually just produces enough to mix with my foundation and appear glowy, but not actually seep onto anything or actually feel oily. It’s mostly the work of my dewy foundations and mica in them, so there isn’t much that can actually be absorbed in the puff. So, I’m not the best person to test out that aspect. As for applying powder foundation quickly, it was nice for that. For getting an even but light layer, I prefer my brushes (and paid good money to ensure that those are my best tools for powder), but if I want more coverage, this puff is certainly handy for that.

Another way I’ve noticed I can get use out of the puff is almost like an eraser. If I carry my contour or bronzer too low down, I just use part of the puff (folded again to create an edge) to go over the spot with the bare puff or powder foundation to make it a little more crisp and cover up the mistake.
Because I pretty much never use sponges or puffs that come with products, I have no idea how to treat them. Do I just toss them after they get too dirty? Do I wash them by hand with soap and water? If I do need to clean it, how frequently should I do that? Also, I don’t want this floating around my train case or makeup bag, so I’ve been putting it back in the plastic pouch after each use. Powder puffs for something like a translucent powder wouldn’t look too messy, but with my products, that’s another story!

As silly as it sounds because makeup puffs have been around for ages, I’ll have to do some research on them!

Other than the Cheek Clappers and travel size minis of the Ultimate Blurring Setting Powders, I hadn’t tried anything else from One/Size until now. My interest in the brand continues to grow, though my favorite thing is still those Cheek Clapper Blush Trios. I didn’t need this collection. I have friends that are true Disney fanatics, so I know my very general liking of Disney is super low in comparison. However, even someone like me can see how much thought went into the collection and I can respect the brand for attempting to combine high quality makeup with the collectible factor, even though it’s not the most practical of packaging. I liked my items enough to be happy with my purchases. I would just love it if One/Size changed their eyeliner components because that’s one factor that made what would have been a holy grail product become something I wouldn’t purchase again. For big time Disney fans and those who were interested in these items from the time they launched, I’d say it might be worth checking out while it’s on sale and still available.

Thank you for reading!

-Lili ❤

Benefit Cosmetics Wanderful World Blushes and Limited Edition Set

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Benefit’s new collection of blushes in the full-size and minis launched in May of 2022, and I bought them as soon as they were released on Benefit’s website, with the exception of Starlaa. Starlaa was the shade I wanted the most, so I planned to wait until it was available for purchase before posting this review. I figured it was delayed in shipping and would be ready in a few weeks, but rumor has it that Starlaa was pressed too softly and was shattering in transit, so Benefit had to remake them, which caused a four month delay! These powder blushes are on the softer side, so even my original mini of the Terra blush arrived broken. Granted, Benefit’s packaging of it was abysmal in the flimsiest recycled paper envelope in the world’s thinnest padding I’ve ever seen. It’s a miracle the other two didn’t break with it! The customer service exchange was tedious and required my email to be forwarded and to wait for the initial response back before trading multiple additional exchanges of information including photos, providing the lot number (only found by peeling back the sticker off the bottom), etc. The customer service rep(s) were polite, but the hassle of this instance and knowing what kind of horrible packaging such a delicate product was put in, makes me not want to order from Benefit’s website again. I opted for a replacement instead of a refund, and feel lucky that the second one made it safely.

In September, I saw Starlaa first available in the UK in one of Benefit’s holiday sets called the, “Blushin Benetint Bundle,” but in the mini size. I decided that since I waited so many months already, it couldn’t hurt to wait to get the full-size when it would eventually come to the US. I ended up buying it from QVC and got a discount with a promo code.

The holiday set called “Beauty Mail Blush n Brush gift set” (or “Blush ‘n Brush Delivery” later in the US), with the limited edition blush called Terra Spark, was also available in the UK first. I loved the original Terra blush, so I grew too impatient to wait for Terra Spark to come to the US and immediately ordered it from Selfridges. Imagine my surprise when I found out the shimmery red-gold blush I planned to use as a highlighter was basically Terra with a gold overspray!

The left swatch shows the first swipe with the gold overspray. The right swatch shows the second swipe from the same spot.

Terra is a “golden brick-red blush,” listed as having a shimmer finish, though the gold shimmer running through it isn’t nearly as obvious as other shimmer blushes I own. The only difference between Terra and Terra Spark (when the overspray is gone) is that Terra Spark has a stronger golden sheen, which alters the tone from brick-red to a slightly orange hue. They essentially look the same on my cheeks, though perhaps on someone with a lighter skin tone, the differences may be more significant. Those two blushes are so close that I had to double-check my files to make sure I didn’t get them confused in the cropping and labeling process because Terra can still look a bit terracotta if the light hits that shimmer a certain way too.

I put a photo with no blush next to Starlaa to emphasize how subtle the color is on me, but that it does show up.

Photos of Crystah, Terra, and Java (while I’m wearing a ponytail in the section further down) were taken on the same day in June. The photo of Starlaa in the grey shirt was from October. The photos in this section were taken in November. I had to resort to using my ring light to get consistency in showing the way the blushes look on me. Previous attempts to retake these photos without it resulted in vast differences due to foundation choices, problems with my camera, and lighting issues. The highlighter and bronzer I’m wearing in this batch of photos above is the R.E.M Beauty Interstellar Highlighter Topper in Miss Mars and Huda Glowish Lightweight Blurring Pressed Powder (as bronzer) in Deep Tan.

Though they are technically different, I feel that the promo images for Terra Spark are misleading in representing how much of an impact the gold shimmer will have on the look of the blush.

I bought this primarily for Terra Spark, though the set also came in a cute tin with a sheet of stickers and a retractable synthetic fiber blush brush. The tin can be reused for anything like storing pens, makeup brushes, liners, candy, holiday treats, and more. I haven’t decided yet how I will be repurposing mine.

I didn’t expect to get much use out of the Benefit Multitasking Brush, and most of its value to me was the fact that it’s a limited edition version (same brush with painted white dots). However, it’s quite a bit handier than I expected because of the adjustable aspect! When the bristles are fully out, it’s the most floppy and least dense. To me, it’s almost unusable with the blushes in that state, but it’s perfect for something like a face powder that I’d want applied in a sheer layer and to be able to blend without needing to buff. With the head retracted a little further (about a third down) is the sweet spot for using this brush with the blushes. I get the amount of density I like for buffing them in. With most of the bristles pushed below, the brush is at its densest and strongest buffing power, suitable for something I want extra blended like sculpting powder products.

I have also used this brush with the Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blushes, Glossier Solar Paint Bronzer, and the Nars Laguna Bronzing Cream in order to test out how this brush works with cream and liquid products. It works beautifully with them because of that ability to control how tightly or loosely the bristles are compacted, and therefore adjust to what each individual product requires. It stays in the position I set it, for the mostpart, but if I apply too much pressure it does start to slide down. However, I’m still very pleased with this brush and the fact that it came in this set for $30, which is the same price the non-limited edition brush retails for anyway.

I’ll get back to the blushes now.

There are three different finishes among the permanent blushes: Crystah and Terra are shimmers, Starlaa is a satin, and Java is a matte. The shimmery affect in Terra is on the subtle side, though the base color is pigmented. I only need one dip in the pan to get the amount of blush I would normally want; two dips makes the blush prominent, but not garish. I would not exceed two dips into the pan with the brush. With Crystah, the gold shimmer is more abundant and brighter. It’s like Benefit’s version of Nars Orgasm X, but better in my eyes. One layer of blush is all I need to give me a vibrant flush of pink. I can see it straight on, but when I turn my head to the side, the gold reflects brightly and literally makes the pink less visible wherever the light is hitting it. So, at certain angles, it looks like I just have a golden cheek with the barest amount of pink tinge underneath. A lot of coral blushes with gold shimmer that I’ve used in the past have ended up looking silly on me because of the way light reflects off the shimmer, but in the case of Crystah, Benefit made the base color so pigmented that it still ends up looking pretty to me, especially since the shimmer is so fine in size. If I add a second layer, I can definitely see more of the pink color even when light hits it, but that means it’s also very intense when looking at it head on. I prefer to just stick to a light layer when using it alone, or it looks fantastic on top of Benefit’s blushes and as a topper for other blushes in my collection.
When it comes to Terra Spark, just like Crystah, the base color also pulls a disappearing act wherever a certain intensity of light hits the shimmer, but because the surrounding blush area is a much darker color than Crystah, it makes those camouflaged sections look patchy or poorly blended. So, I prefer to now use Terra Spark as a blush topper instead. That isn’t to say the Benefit shimmer formula isn’t opaque enough to be standalone blushes, it’s just the reflection issue that makes me prefer to mix them with other blushes.

Starlaa, in my eyes, is like a sheerer and slightly lighter version of Terra. This “rosy bronze” satin blush is mattifying, but it does have a sheen to it that keeps it from looking flat and adds a pretty finish to the skin without detectable shimmer. I have to build up this color a lot as the brown in it blends in so much with my skin tone. However, I love the slightest whisper of rosy pink that’s visible on my cheeks in person. It’s especially great for no-makeup makeup days. For that reason, I get a fair amount of use out of Starlaa, which is my second most used blush, while Terra reigns as the favorite.

Lastly is Java, which is thankfully not the kind of matte that will look powdery or heavy on my dry skin. In fact, it doesn’t look like a flat matte to me, but I wear mostly natural/dewy/glowy foundations, so that could be a factor. Java is described as a “rosy mocha” and one layer is more than enough product for each cheek since it, like most of the others, is so pigmented.

All of these blushes, no matter the finish, are long lasting on the cheeks. I love the fact that there are options to buy a decent amount of these in mini sizes. It makes it easier to afford owning multiple shades and is less wasteful, since I would be surprised if I used up all of even the mini sizes. Although I’m over Benefit putting their pressed powder products in the box packaging, this launch is when they introduced the slimmed down packaging that no longer included those mini brushes that a lot of us never used anyway. Also, I was glad to see that although the mini size is quite small for the $17 retail price, the pans are wide enough that I don’t have an issue fitting the blush brushes I want to use with them into those boxes.

Those who don’t like fragrance may not like these as they have an orange blossom or some other kind of sweet floral scent. Because I like this formula so much, I overlook the fragrance, and thankfully I am able to stop smelling it on my face after a few minutes. I thought I would post some comparison swatches of these to other brands that don’t include fragrance in their blushes.

Starting with MAC, Ambering Rose is nearly identical to Terra, but with a little more gold shimmer. Ambering Rose is in my top three favorite blush shades from MAC, so I understand now why I love Terra so much. Unfortunately, Ambering Rose is discontinued, but at least Terra is a good alternative. Peachtwist from MAC is also still available. It’s not an exact dupe, as it leans more peachy-pink, but it’s quite close.

I’m sure I could find more dupes for Java, since I have quite a few pink and red leaning brown blushes now in my collection, but since MAC makes my favorite blushes, a dupe for it would be my top recommendation. MAC’s Format has the same base color as Java, but it’s like the shimmer version with fine golden specks. MAC’s Raizin is matte and quite similar, but with a stronger red tone to it. Raizin had too much red in it for my liking, and I always thought it would be perfect if the brown was stronger in that shade, so I’m happy to have gotten my wish in the form of Java.

The closest dupe I have for Starlaa is MAC’s Sunbasque. I never use it because it’s too light for me to work as a blush. Starlaa is just barely dark enough with just enough of a deeper pink for it to show on my skin.

Swatching Crystah and Nars’ Orgasm X side by side, I now see why Crystah is a better fit for me. It’s more coral leaning in the base color rather than pink. With my undertone, I find corals to be more flattering.

So, those are all the new Benefit Blushes in my collection! When I love a blush formula, I tend to want to buy all the shades that work for me (or appear as though they would work), so I’m still tempted by Butterfly and PomPom, but those are currently only available in the full-sizes, which is why I haven’t taken the plunge. And when it comes to which finish I prefer, I’m so thoroughly impressed by how smooth and blendable Java is and how natural it looks on my face, so the mattes are my favorite. Then, when it comes to the satins or shimmers, the satin is the safer bet, because it doesn’t have as reflective of shimmer in it, but at the same time I can’t help but wish it was either firmly in the matte or shimmer categories. The slight shimmer effect in the satin feels almost pointless. I prefer the look of the shimmers over the satin, but Terra Spark and Crystah had that reflective issue while Terra did not. So, it would be riskier for me to blindly purchase another shimmer blush in the hopes that it will perform more like Terra.

Also, regarding the formulas, Benefit Powder products tend to get hard-pan easily if swatched too much. I was surprised to see that I don’t have this issue with the matte and shimmer blushes, but for some reason Starlaa does have that problem. So, I scraped off the top layer lightly and began using brushes for the remainder of the swatches I needed to do.

Well, I believe that’s everything I have to say about the Wanderful World Blushes! I love them and recommend them (but I personally would wait for at least 20% off which is easy to find between all the retailers that carry Benefit products).
Thank you for reading!

-Lili ❤

One Size, Terra Moons, and Other April Purchases Reviewed

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Welcome to my fourth low-buy check-in! This month’s three biggest hauls were due to Sephora’s Spring Savings Sale, me redeeming my points at Ulta for $125 worth of products, and the weakening of the YEN compared to USD enticing me to make several purchases from CDJapan and and Fude Japan. Most of these products were reviewed in posts prior to this one, and will be linked to open in a new browser tab, but there are still plenty to review for the first time here today.

SEPHORA COLLECTION Microsmooth Multi-Tasking Baked Face Palette in Captivate

This is allowed in the Low-Buy under the face product category. I am so glad I finally bought this because it makes for a fantastic travel palette! There are two versions available from Sephora and I heard wonderful things about the deeper palette called Captivate, but baked products can sometimes look lighter than they would appear on the skin, so I wasn’t certain this would work for me until I had help on this topic from Beauty Blogger, Nikki.

The bronzer is a fantastic shade for me in terms of both depth and undertone! Despite being a matte product, it leaves a beautiful natural finish and is very quick and easy to blend. I’m really impressed with it! The matte blush is one of my favorite type of red tones that reminds me of MAC’s Mineralize Blush in the shade Flirting With Danger. It can be built up to look intense, but I prefer to wear a very light application of it on my cheeks.

The shimmer blush is on the subtle side, but I still get a noticeable flush of color. It’s like a slightly lighter shimmer version of the matte shade in the palette. If I had to choose my favorite, it would be the matte one, but I still wear both. As for the highlighter, it’s not the most finely milled, but it’s still very pretty and if I chose to use this palette for the blushes or bronzers, I wouldn’t feel the need to reach for a separate single highlighter. I would just use the one in here.

The longest wear test I’ve had with this face palette is ten or eleven hours and only the shimmer shade started to fade at the end of the day, but I consider that to be a good result. The others remain looking nice until I’m ready to remove them.

While I was on a trip in April, I actually forgot to bring an eyeshadow palette, so I relied on Shade 3 for depth in the crease and Shade 1 was my lid shade. Considering I got this already relatively affordable palette for 30% off, I am very impressed and happy with the quality and have no issues recommending this palette.

SEPHORA COLLECTION 2-in-1 Brush-on Lash Adhesive – This was definitely supposed to be a No-Buy, but it had been on my list for a long time and when all Sephora Collection products were 30% off during the Sephora Spring Sale, I chose to buy it anyway.

I’m sorry that I don’t have an actual review for this item. For all these months, I have tried to get myself to test this out, but I just don’t want to. I haven’t been feeling like wearing false lashes in a long time and I really don’t want to open this product and start that timer ticking on how long it will last unless I’m ready to start wearing false lashes regularly again, or else this truly will be a wasted purchase. This was holding up my ability to get this post out, so I decided to just explain why there’s no review for this one and to publish it. When I eventually do, I will edit this post.

Patrick Ta Major Sculpt Contour Brush

It’s a bit ironic that in my post about “Synthetic Brushes I Bought in 2021,” I mentioned that despite liking some of the ones I bought, I didn’t plan on getting any additional ones, yet for the Sephora Spring Sale, I couldn’t help myself and got it after enjoying the Patrick Ta Blush Brush so much. This one is the perfect softness, head shape, and the bristles are packed at the right density to accomplish a fantastic sculpt that isn’t too sheer or too sharp. It’s the right balance of showing the product while also being nicely blended.

I love this brush so much for use with both my powder and cream bronzers and contours, that I was able to skip getting the Sonia G Lotus Base brush when that one was no longer tied to the full set. Being satisfied with a brush so much that I feel I can skip getting a similar Japanese version is a huge deal and shows just how highly I value this one from Patrick Ta.

Even though the Sonia G Mini Base is still my preference for cream bronzing and contouring, if the cream product is too sheer or too close to my skin tone and needs to be applied at maximum pigmentation, the Patrick Ta brush is my top choice. It’s also my favorite for powder formulas that need building up.

One/Size Cheek Clapper 3D Blush Trio Palette in Freaky Peach

I love this product so much! This is an all blush trio palette in three different finishes, but even though I can only use the shimmer one as a highlighter, I’m not counting it as a face palette. As a blush product, I was supposed to be limited on how many I buy this year, and I was also not supposed to purchase anything from new brands. This is my first ever One/Size purchase and it’s so great that I can’t regret it.

The peachy-coral cream blush, Rump Shake, is a very interesting texture. The closest I can compare it to in terms of formula is the LYS cream blushes. This reminds me more of a silicone balm than a traditional creamy emollient formula. It’s is very pigmented, blends easily on the cheeks no matter what type of tool I used to apply it with, it leaves a healthy sheen but it’s not dewy or sticky on the skin. Freaky is the name of the matte blush and it looks far too light for me in the pan, but One/Size face color powders deepen on the skin. So, it’s actually a medium toned shade of peach that is pigmented, yet buildable. I only need one dip in the pan though if I want to layer it on top of Rump Shake. I should also mention that tougher bristles can lead to a lot of kickup in the pan, so I use my softer natural hair brushes with the powder blush, and that also helps me to not overapply. I can’t emphasize enough that the cream and powder are quite pigmented, and me being able to use them both individually despite there being just one trio lighter than this one is proof of that. Whiplash is the shimmery golden peach blush topper/highlighter in this trio. It’s too shimmery for my taste as a blush topper, so I use it exclusively on top of my cheekbones. It’s a beautiful color, but unlike the other two products which give me zero issues with longevity, this one doesn’t want to stick to my skin for more than four hours. It lasts a few hours longer if I use it with a dewier foundation or wetter type of cream product, but six hours is around the time that the shine of the shimmer particles dulls down. So, for days I need my highlighter to last, I reach for something else. Considering I still have two other faultless products in this trio and the third is still usable, I’m very happy with this purchase and I do recommend giving this a try. For a long time, I was really tempted to buy additional shades, but I like the fact that each of these colors are distinctly different. Most of the other Cheek Clapper options are intended for monochromatic looks, and while I can still see the value in that, I feel like I’m getting more bang for my buck if I have different colors over different formulas. The cream blush isn’t the type I’d be afraid to wear in summer because it’s a little stiffer (as opposed to being super emollient) and the effect on my cheek isn’t that far from a matte look, which makes it not that much different of an effect as the powder blush. So, if I had the Rich Betch trio where the cream and powder look nearly identical, I would feel like I got a duplicate product. This is the only reason, other than my low-buy, that I haven’t purchased the two other Cheek Clappers that held my interest.

Tarte Sea Power Flex Concealer (Mini) in 53S Deep Sand

I bought this when Tina (The Fancy Face) raved about it in several of her YouTube videos. Even though concealers are allowed to be purchased in my low-buy, I didn’t want to take the chance of wasting a product if I didn’t like it, so I just bought the mini. That turned out to be a good decision because I hate this product. The shape of my tear troughs is such that products that are too creamy don’t stay put in the lines of my under eyes, so the concealer moves, creases, or does both even when set into place with powder. Because I have almost the opposite issue with Tarte’s Shape Tape, I didn’t expect their Power Flex to be a creamy intensely creasing product on me. The finish of it at least looks pretty and hydrated, but the negatives outweigh the positives.

The biggest issue I have with this product is that it offers medium buildable coverage, but I cannot get the maximum full opacity I need. The shade match is perfect, but my dark circles are still visible underneath even when I use 3 times the amount of my normal concealers. The Power Sea Flex is marketed as being full coverage, but the fact that it isn’t is reason enough to be unwearable for me. Unfortunately, I can’t even use it in other areas of my face because it doesn’t do a good enough job concealing my hyperpigmentation and scars.

This situation is very specific to me because many people don’t have the intensity of skin discoloration as I do, nor the amount of lines. So, those who have youthful and moderately blemished skin could find themselves loving this product.

Ellis Brooklyn Scent Diary Fragrance Discovery Set – It has been ages since I purchased anything perfume related! I’m unofficially on a no-buy with fragrances, but I can’t regret getting this since I rarely buy full-sizes anymore. I also hadn’t done a perfume post since 2015, so I decided to make one dedicated to this and other perfume samples that can be found HERE.

Sol de Janeiro Beija Flor Elasti-Cream with Collagen and Squalane (Travel Size)

After experiencing the terribly smelling Bom Dia Bright cream that the brand previously released (mine smelled like potent olives instead of plums), I was too skeptical to purchase a full size of the Beija Flor even though the product claims sounded fantastic. The smell of this is at least pleasant, but a bit strong. It’s not surprising that parfum is listed as the third ingredient. I don’t know how to describe the scent, but it has been hyped up a lot by people on social media saying it smells like Baccarat Rouge 540. I’ve never smelled that fragrance myself, so I cannot confirm or deny if this is true.

The texture of this is very thick, yet it doesn’t feel as moisturizing as my other skincare products. It’s at least occlusive, so I like that it prevents my skin from drying out further. I haven’t noticed any other benefits when used on my body, like the advertised skin firming and cell turnover, but I still intend to use this up. I prefer the moisturization level of the brand’s Coco Cabana Cream, so perhaps I can apply that first and this new one after to seal it in. I believe I left my Coco Cabana in Germany, so unfortunately I cannot test out that combination anytime soon.

Farmacy 10% Waterless Vitamin C Serum

I was pretty shocked when I found this serum for such a low price on Mercari literally days after it launched at Sephora. Then again, this is one of those products that were sent to quite a lot of people in exchange for a review, so someone was bound to not want theirs.
I’m on a skincare low-buy, but I’ve been on the hunt for a good Vitamin C serum with a stable formula that will last longer than six months after opening. I believe that this has an airless pump mechanism and there are two holes under the bottle that support my theory. If it is indeed an airless pump, combined with the waterless formula, I anticipated that this could limit the issue I have of Vitamin C serums oxidizing and losing their efficacy before I can finish them.

The consistency of this is very runny and feels greasy initially, but this is also an oil-free formula. The brand says that propanediol ingredient is the reason it feels this way, but it does dry down on the skin after a few minutes and is no longer greasy, but I am left with a tiny bit of residue on the face. If my skin is especially dry, I don’t feel anything at all. Ultimately, this doesn’t matter since I put a moisturizer and other products on top afterwards anyway.

When I apply it to my skin, it instantly has a warming sensation. The first time I used it, my face was approaching almost burning level, but that only lasted a few minutes. It has never been hot like that again, and just continues to have a mild to moderate amount of warmth in the first minute that I apply it.
General skincare advice for Vitamin C usage and other acids is to start small, like around 5% depending on what the active ingredient is, and gradually increasing it over time as needed. I hadn’t used a potent version of Vitamin C in a while, but it was still in my routine enough that I didn’t expect to get a burning sensation from just 10% of L-ascorbic acid. So, just as a reminder, this could potentially be too strong for someone new to using Vitamin C or with sensitive skin, and consider how often you may be using other acids in your routine as well.

This serum with its additional ingredients are intended to brighten and even the skin, combat dark spots and hyperpigmentation, and keep it hydrated. I use this in cycles, so it’s hard to tell how much this serum alone is contributing. The two other products I rotate through have been giving me slight gradual improvements over time and adding this one to that cycle has not given a noticeable boost above the norm. So, there are three possibilities I can think of:

  • The serum is as effective as my current products, not better or worse.
  • The serum isn’t contributing at all and the benefits to my skin are from the other products I’m using.
  • The serum could be more effective, but I don’t use it consistently enough.

I’m going to play the long game on this one and just continue to use it the way I have been and if I run out of the product and I notice its absence, I will consider repurchasing it at that time. However, based on past experience, I just don’t think Vitamin C is that effective for me. I get better results from AHA’s like the Farmacy Honeymoon Glow AHA Resurfacing Night Serum. Even that hasn’t rid me completely of my hyperpigmentation, but it noticeably faded those areas and the smile line that gives me trouble isn’t quite as deep as before. I’ve been relying on AHAs and BHAs well over a year, and in a cycle, so it’s not a fast process. I had improvements right away within the first week, two weeks, and then month, but after that achieving anything further has been a very slow process as adhering to a consistent skincare routine has never been my strong suit.

Lastly, as shown in the photo at the top, this product “leaks” in the sense that it always has the tiniest of droplets around the pump when I open it, even if I wipe it down along with the cap after using it. The droplets are so minimal in size that it doesn’t bother me much and I don’t consider the amount enough to feel like I’m losing product. However, I’ve seen some photos online of other people having a more significant leaking problem than me. I always keep mine stored upright, so perhaps this is why I don’t have as much of an issue as others do. I recommend avoiding putting this in a bag, flat in a drawer, and don’t take this traveling.

Dior Backstage Glow Face Palette in 002 Glitz

I really should not have bought this, breaking my highlighter no-buy aside, because I heard these highlighters would be sparkly and I don’t like visible glitter specks in my highlighters. So, I can’t explain why I was so determined to buy it.

This was yet another Mercari purchase. I make it a point not to review products I’ve purchased from a third-party if I purchased them too long from the launch date to be assured of its authenticity, but I also wanted to show what I purchased in April for low-buy purposes. So, I guess take this particular section with a grain of salt. I do believe this is the real quad, especially with that typical Dior scent these have. Below is how the shades look on me.

The highlighter named Peach is the only one without glitter that I would call a true shimmer shade, but unfortunately it’s too light for me. Because Bronze is closest to my skin tone, the glitter isn’t as obvious as the others. I didn’t have any issues with wear time or fading, but this palette isn’t for me and I may eventually declutter it.

Florasis Floral Engraving Odey Makeup Palette (The Encounter)

I forgot this wasn’t even the Florasis palette I wanted (the Floral Engraving Phoenix). I was just so excited to be able to grab a completely unused and untouched one of their stunning looking palettes at a reduced cost off of Mercari. You know a brand is doing well when people want to make dupes, but I was still surprised to come across one such dupe on Amazon. In any case, I am happy with the results of this palette but I wish the blue shade wasn’t in this because it contains PET (plastic glitter) which isn’t safe to use in the eye area. I also don’t think anyone wants to see glass listed as an ingredient in their makeup.

The “glass” probably refers to “glass microspheres” which are apparently so tiny that they aren’t dangerous. However, there is still PET, so I have chosen not to use or even swatch that blue shade. Also, I can only guess that the numbers start from left to right and top to bottom. Not all countries have writing in that direction, but I assume this is the same as English.

Florasis is a Chinese brand, so I can’t help but compare them to Zeesea. This palette is made of cardboard, but Florasis typically has very luxurious packaging, similar to Zeesea. However, Zeesea doesn’t currently have eye shadow palettes with as intricate of pan embossings as the ones from Florasis. This price point of Florasis products are also much higher.

The website states that this palette is mutli-functional and the formula of the shadows certainly contributes to that. It’s listed as a powder formula, but they feel like a matte lipstick to the touch; like a stiff cream essentially. Applying with a brush was tricky because it wants to stick and dry to the bristles.

So far, I’ve stuck to my rate of two eyeshadow palettes per month so I adhered to my low-buy with this purchase (even though I said I wouldn’t buy from brands that are new to me this year). In addition, some of these eye shadows can be used for contouring, blush, and highlight, so it counts as a face palette too.

I haven’t touched this palette since I completed my initial wear tests. I could not even remember how I did the eye looks above because it was so long ago. Considering I never reach for this, the versatility aspect still didn’t make this a good purchase for me, but I just couldn’t let go of the idea of trying out at least one Florasis palette. My curiosity has been satisfied.

Terra Moons Cosmetics Chameleons in Terrestrial and Spring Equinox Multichromes in Galactic Blossom and Vela Supernova

If you’ve used Terra Moons chameleons and multichromes before, these work the way you’d expect. All three are super sparkly looking with large glitter particle size and the colors are intense. The formula is smooth to the touch, but when applied to the eye without a tacky base or being applied with a brush that has been sprayed to wet it, it can get messy. So, I do recommend something like the Nyx Glitter Primer to keep them applied precisely and minimize fall out.

Terrestrial was a pre-order item that didn’t begin shipping until May. I used my points saved from their reward program in order to essentially have the shipping paid and part of the item. BadtoTheBrow noticed it was similar to Bloodline, and I am obsessed with how Bloodline looks in photos and on everyone else, but the base color doesn’t show through on my eyes. So, rather than buying a second Bloodline to check if it was a fluke, I wanted to try the one from Terra Moons in the hopes it would be more of what I wanted from Clionadh’s multichrome.

Unfortunately, Bloodline and Terrestrial basically are the same shade. I can bring out a little more of a pink look if I pair it with another pink shadow around it and I can always pat a red multichrome on top to manually create the red-toned look I want, but I wish it was naturally the way it looks in swatches on me and didn’t require extra effort on my part. I didn’t bother to show comparison swatches between the two because the swatches looking slightly different on my arm doesn’t show the issue of them looking identical on my eyes. And for whatever reason, Terrestrial’s shifts are easier to detect on my camera than Bloodline, so comparing eye swatches wouldn’t be a fair representation for Bloodline either.

Galactic Blossom and Vela Supernova were pre-orders that were supposed to begin shipping in June, but I got lucky and had mine arrive in the middle of May. According to my Low-Buy rules, I’ve pledged to only purchase a few single indie eyeshadows per collection, so this was definitely allowed. My only regret is that I didn’t buy these two with my order of Terrestrial in order to save on shipping costs and time.

Photos showed Galactic Blossom as a strong pink-gold, and in some cases, shifting into literally a rainbow. I’d never seen a multichrome shift to so many colors, so I absolutely had to get it. Unfortunately, on my eyes it looks mainly yellow, and on camera it looks limey yellow-green with some pink. It’s not what I wanted, but I do like how it looks in person. On my arm, at sharp angles I can see that rainbow towards the edges, so it’s not false advertising. It really can shift that way, but it doesn’t look like that on my eyes and I want others to be aware of that possibility that it’s not going to look the same on everyone and how it looks depends largely on the curvature of the eyes and lighting.

As for Vela Supernova, the colors are what I expected, but ironically, I like it the least of the three. It’s not as unique of a purple shade as I anticipated. I admittedly can’t think of multichrome dupes myself (Temptalia says Roseline, Cerise, and Mosaic) but the shade of purple looks like what I have as some of my purple shadows without the shifting ability.

I don’t get fading, dullness, or any other longevity issues with these multichromes. Terra Moons really stepped up in their multichrome offerings to the point that I think they’ve tied with Devinah for the #2 spot of best indie multichromes (from North America at least). Clionadh is still holding that #1 spot in my eyes.

PAT McGRATH LABS x Bridgerton 2 Blushing Delights Blush + Highlighter Palette and PAT McGRATH LABS x Bridgerton 2 SatinAllure Lipstick in NÉGLIGÉE – The dedicated post to these products are HERE. Technically the Blushing Delights Palette is a face palette, and therefor allowed in my no-buy. The lipstick makes 5 out of 5 in my goal to end the year without purchasing anymore lip products.

Billie Eilish Eilish Eau de Parfum Travel Spray – The review for this is in the same post HERE as the Brooklyn Ellis perfumes. This was part of my Ulta points redemption, so I did not pay anything out of pocket.

MAC Wild Cherry Glow Play Blush Color Peaches ‘N’ Dreams and MAC Mini Macstack Mascara – These two were also part of my Ulta point redemption order and have already been reviewed HERE. I said I wasn’t going to get another Glow Play blush and I resisted for about a month or two, but my interest in peach blushes (especially in my favorite formula) got me again! As for the mascara, which I am on a year long no-buy for, I at least feel better that it wasn’t a full size purchase and that I’ve stuck to the mascara no-buy pretty well so far. However, I want to continue to stick to it and not purchase another in 2022.

Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Face Serum SPF 60+

Left are the active ingredients of the discontinued Neutrogena Ultra Sheer versus the active serum ingredients on the right.

This is the only Ulta point redemption item I have left to review! I did have one other purchase in my order, but they kept sending me the wrong shade so that product was returned. In any case, I was the biggest fan for 7-8 years of the Ultra Sheer Liquid SPF 70 Sunscreen until it was discontinued. The fact that this is supposed to have 60 SPF protection while also being in a thin formula intrigued me. I planned to either wear it alone or wear it to help boost the effectiveness of my current sunscreen, the Round Lab Moisturizing Sun Cream SPF 50++.
I don’t think double-sunning (I just made up that term…can we please make “double-sunning” a thing?) is that bad of an idea, because in one of Dr. Dray’s videos, she said the Round Lab is fantastic for a variety of reasons, but she views it more as a moisturizer that happens to have a very good sunscreen in it due to it not being waterproof (and therefore not as reliable in occasions where one will be sweaty). This serum isn’t waterproof either, but I feel like I’m doubling up, in theory, by having both this serum and moisturizer/sunscreen with high spf. This serum leaves no cast on me and although it’s slightly greasy looking as I start to apply it, that look doesn’t remain when it’s fully rubbed in. I do have dry skin though. This serum isn’t a fluid consistency like my previous holy grail sunscreen, but it’s very lightweight and easy to rub in, unlike the Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch that I despise. It’s like a good middle ground between the two.

I’m on a skincare low-buy, but sunscreen is an exception since it’s vital that I have a good one. The kind of acids I’ve been using make my skin more sensitive to the sun, in addition to living in Florida with an extremely high UV index the majority of the time. It’s imperative that I keep my skin protected.

I haven’t had any issues with pilling while wearing this serum, plus the Round Lab Sun Cream, plus makeup, so I’m happy with this product. I don’t know if it will be completely necessary for me to continue repurchasing it in the future if I find a waterproof sunscreen that I end up liking, but we will just have to see!

Nars High Profile Cheek Palette – This was a limited-edition holiday release in 2021 that I intended to purchase, but so many reviewers commented on how similar the blushes looked to each other. So, when I found one on Mercari that was barely more expensive than a single full size Nars blush, I decided it was worth getting at that point. By the time I bought it, I had already finished my Rediscovering Nars Blushes post, but I had to admit I was curious to try this gel powder formula to see if it would give me an additional finish from Nars that I could like besides their mattes. The review is HERE and as a palette with a highlighter along with the blushes, I think I’m going to allow myself to count this as being allowed in my low-buy.

SUQQU Melting Powder Blush in 07 YOIURUSHI – This and all my Suqqu purchases have been reviewed HERE. Suqqu was definitely not on my list of exemptions to the blush low-buy, but I was curious how this new formula stacked up to the usual powder formula.

MAC Surrounded by Stars Extra Dimension Skinfinish Palette – The review can be found HERE. MAC’s Magnificent Moon Collection is supposed to be in celebration of Ramadan and was released worldwide first before coming to the US. I purchased mine from Selfridges since it was there first, I was waiting for something to add to my cart to get the Suqqu blush, and I had free shipping via the annual global shipping program I signed up for with Selfridges. Since it’s a split highlighter and blush quad, it’s allowed in my low-buy.

CLIONADH HAUL – I decided that I would do a dedicated post to this haul, found HERE, but as a Thursday bonus instead of my usual Monday postings. I’ve mentioned endlessly how much I love Clionadh eye shadows and multichromes, so there isn’t much to say about the formulas and it’s just a matter of showing them off and possibly doing comparisons to other indie brand shadows.

FUDE JAPAN HAUL and CD JAPAN HAUL – I believe the brushes I purchased in April have already been reviewed HERE, with the exception of the Hakuhodo brushes which are still being tested.

That’s all for today! If you’d like to see previous posts in the low-buy series, as well as sneak peeks for the upcoming ones, I created a dedicated page to it HERE. If you’d like to see more content from me, be sure to click follow via email or to return back every Monday at 11:30 am EST! Thank you for reading!

-Lili ❤

Celebrity Makeup Reviewed: Rose Inc, Rare Beauty, Haus Labs, etc.

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I have no issues with influencer and makeup artist brands, but something about celebrity brands tend to be a turn off for me. With a makeup artist, the passion for makeup is obvious because they made it their career. With beauty influencers, they tend to have enough content on social media for people to be able to tell what their skill level/expertise is when it comes to beauty, as well as being able to see a pattern in their makeup preferences and whether or not it will align with the viewers. Regarding celebrities, I seldom know anything about why they decided to get into the makeup industry until they actually have their own collaborations or start their own brands. The situation with Iggy Azalea and Doja Cat who did hardly anything to promote their collabs with BH Cosmetics, despite Doja Cat at least being known for enjoying makeup, demonstrates how much of a cash grab celebrity involved makeup products can be. This doesn’t mean those brands will forever have mediocre products attributed to their names, like the case of Haus Labs with their terrible run on Amazon, but seemingly successful rebrand at Sephora. So, today I am analyzing a few products I got in 2021 and the first half of 2022 to see if my opinion on celebrity makeup brands and collabs will remain the same by the end of this review.

Rare Beauty

Rare Beauty Magnetic Spirit Eyeshadow Palette

I got this palette as a present from one of my friends. I was always drawn to the color story and had this on my list of things to eventually get, but after buying the MAC Tempting Fate Palette and Flower Beauty Jungle Lights palette, I felt those had too similar of shades for me to purchase this one. So, I skipped getting it, but I’m happy to have it now.

Because this and Jungle Lights are especially similar, I would recommend looking at that post for additional eye looks.

I really wish there were some mattes in this palette, but because the four center shades are satins, those can be used as mattes. The pink base in Ablaze doesn’t show as well on my skin tone, so I essentially use it as a topper shadow. The satins don’t crease, but Ablaze and Passion sometimes settle in the lines of my eyes. I personally prefer more sparkle in my lid shades, so as much as I like this palette and the colors within it, I actually recommend to those who have a similar eyeshadow style as me to get the Flower Beauty Jungle Lights Palette instead. Jungle Lights has less impressive packaging, but the tones in it are more flattering, give more pigment and sparkle intensity, and blend easier so that I can even custom mix shades. The formula of the Rare Beauty eye shadows are more traditional, so it’s not as versatile as the palette from Flower Beauty. It’s ironic that I recommend replacing one celeb item with another as Flower Beauty is also a celebrity brand, but founded by Drew Barrymore. Since Jungle Lights came out first, and several years ago, I wonder if Selena’s creative team was aware of that color story and chose to ignore the fact that they were creating something similar.

Overall, Rare Beauty is an exception to my viewpoint on celebrity makeup. I have enjoyed the liquid blushes in the past and have heard wonderful things about the other products in the line. I have no opinions about Selena Gomez personally, so that was never a selling point for me, and yet the brand’s marketing and product quality have left me with a very positive impression. Rare Beauty and Fenty Beauty have done things right and have set the bar for other celebrity brands.

Since I mentioned Flower Beauty already, I should probably explain that I like movies Drew Barrymore has been in, but that has never made me interested in her brand. The only products I own from the brand is the Jungle Lights palette, because it has been so hyped up, along with Blush Bomb Color Drops (aka the Glossier Cloud Paint dupes). I also bought one other item a long time ago, which I think was a powder blush. Whatever it was, I just remember that the powder quality was chalky and the shade was unflattering on my skin, so I returned it.

Rare Beauty Positive Light Liquid Luminizer Highlighters (Samples) in Transcend and Flaunt

As beautiful as liquid highlighters are, I rarely reach for them, which is why these were never on my list to try unless they got released in mini sets like Rare Beauty has done for the blushes and lip products in the past. I’m happy that I was able to try them because these have been hyped up a lot. What I really like about the formula is that these blend in nicely with my Smashbox Precise Highlighting Brush. I have time to blend it in before it dries fully. It captures that wet gleaming skin look that I love. It’s a bit more metallic than I usually go for, but it’s stunning to look at and I do occasionally like a blingy highlight.

I probably would not have chosen these two shades for myself, but they turned out to be great! Transcend is a rose gold shade, and I usually don’t like the look of pink toned highlighters on me, so I built up my blush in order to hopefully get the highlight to look more natural on me. I think that tactic worked! When it came time to try on Flaunt, I toned down the blush to the level I would normally wear it so I could see the true color of how this “bronze gold” shade would look on me. I think it also looks nice, though it would have been perfect if it was slightly darker. Also, I have to acknowledge that Flaunt doesn’t look quite as smooth because I applied too much and continued to try and blend it out after it had already started to dry. So it looks a little messier than when I tried on Transcend, but that’s user error and not a flaw of the highlighter.

As curious as I am to explore more of the highlighter shades, I’m sticking to my original resolve that I should not purchase makeup I’m not going to use up unless it’s for sale as a mini. It’s nice though!

For those interested in the blushes, I reviewed Joy and Love here.

Rose Inc

Rose Inc Blush Divine Cream Blush (Refill plus Samples) in Foxglove, Anemone, Azalea, and Dahlia

I initially wanted this as soon as it launched, but I saw reviews that this formula was a bit sticky, which is a feature of cream blushes I usually can’t stand. However, on Black Friday when Rose Inc had all products discounted on top of a $10 off promo code and free shipping, there was no way I could pass it up.

Had I known that I would actually like the formula and that this Foxglove shade would actually work on my skin tone, I would have purchased the version of it that came in an actual compact. I have empty magnetic palettes I could put it in, but for now, I’m content with the plastic clamshell and box to limit air exposure for the cream.

The other reviews I’ve seen were right about this having a sticky texture, but that issue is resolved with a little powder on top of it. In the powder set photo above, I used one that was too dark and covered up too much of the blush, but normally this does the trick. The only unfortunate aspect is that setting with powder loses the flattering dewy sheen that this blush naturally provides, so I would probably continue to wear it without being set for photos, but if I planned to be in public and concerned about accidentally touching my face, I would then set it with powder. It lasts all day and while I wouldn’t personally recommend it at full price considering the myriad of lower priced cream options, I do think this is nice and worth checking out on sale.

I should also note that between using a brush, sponge, and fingers, my preferred method is to use my fingers because I have a lot of control that way. Using a slightly damp sponge is also a great option for packing on the color and blending seamlessly. I don’t recommend using a brush though because that sticky texture coats the bristles and causes them to bunch up, which impedes on being able to get a nice blend on the skin.

This product can also be used on the lips, but I don’t like how it looks or feels on mine, so I use it exclusively on my cheeks. Foxglove is described as a warm terracotta, but it looks coral on my cheeks.

Since I’ve continued to be curious about the blushes, but they aren’t worth full price for me, I’m very happy to have this sample card to try. I’m particularly happy that I’ve been able to satisfy my curiosity about whether Anemone was the type of coral I could pull off or if it would be too light for me. It is indeed too light for me as I have to build it up to an unreasonable amount for it to show. I’m glad I chose Foxglove over Anemone when I was deciding which shade to get. I didn’t expect to like Azalea because it looked like a deep almost magenta pink and is described as a berry, but when used sparingly, Azalea just takes on a nice medium pink tone. It doesn’t look like the type of shade I identify as a berry color. As for Dahlia, which is described as a deep berry, it looks more like a deep red on my skin. If I use the same amount of Dahlia as I do of Azalea, it’s hard to tell a difference on camera, so I had to build up the color way past the amount I would normally use for the Dahlia photo below. I don’t like how Dahlia looks when built up, but I can attest to it being quite pretty when applied in a light layer.

Photo taken from Sephora’s website.

I find it fascinating that in the professional swatch photo, the biggest variation for how the shades look on the skin are on the deeper and paler arms. The swatches look so similar on the tan arm.
I believe the descriptions of the colors are represented most accurately on the darkest arm, so anyone lighter than that model should be prepared for the blushes to look a little different. Since I fall somewhere between the dark and medium/tan toned arm, I guess it makes sense that the blushes don’t quite match their descriptions on me. I ended up scraping out both sample cards of the blushes and putting the shades in small jars in order to continue using them!

I know Rosie Huntington-Whiteley is a model and I liked her in the Transformers movies, but that wasn’t enough to make me interested in her line. What caught my attention was the blush because I am a blush addict. I’ve heard nothing but great things about the other products she launched with, so I planned to continue to try more if there was anything that matched my makeup preferences and came in the kind of packaging that appealed to me. This post would have gone up in June, but then I surprised myself by purchasing the cream bronzer which I liked so much that I bought yet another item from the brand during their Friends and Family sale!

Rose Inc Solar Infusion Moisturizing Cream Bronzer in Seychelles (Returned) and Capri

I purchased Seychelles based on photos making it look far warmer and deeper than it actually is. Considering I had been successful with choosing the second to last shade of the Charlotte Tilbury Cream bronzers and Nars Laguna Cream bronzers, I thought maybe the third time would be the charm for the one from Rose Inc. That turned out to be a mistake. It’s too light for me, combined with being such a cool-tone leaning neutral, that it looks grey on me!
The same day that I purchased Seychelles, I saw the true color of the bronzer in this review and immediately realized that it was not going to work for me. I contacted Rose Inc to try and switch the shade in my order, but the customer service rep said it wasn’t possible to alter orders and that I could return it and get my correct shade instead. So, I did just that. The return process was easy and the two times I exchanged emails with customer service, I got responses back quickly and the reps were professional yet friendly. So, that’s another plus in my book for Rose Inc.

I never had Capri and Seychelles at the same time, so I don’t have photos of them next to each other, but I do have photos of them in comparison to those other cream bronzers I mentioned.

The photos of the Seychelles bronzer are worn on top of the Estee Lauder Hydra Futurist Foundation. The Capri bronzer demonstration photo on the left is on top of the Rose Inc Serum Foundation, and the one on the right is on top of the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Foundation (sample).

In three of the four different shade representations, Seychelles looked warm. It’s the main photo that shows how cool toned it is, but I thought maybe that was a difference in the lighting.

In any case, Capri was definitely the best color option for me. It has some reddish warmth to it that prevents it from looking like a contour. Although this is a good shade for me, it’s the darkest bronzer in their line, which I don’t think goes far enough on the spectrum. Charlotte and Nars have deeper options, and while Rose Inc is still “new,” I believe they should have an even darker option, especially since there are three shades darker than mine in the foundation, yet it’s doubtful Capri will work for those who wear those shades since I still have to build it up for it to work for me.

You can tell I really like a product when I’m extra passionate about the shade options because this is something I want everyone to be able to experience. The formula is very unique in that it looks emollient like a grease product in the container and doesn’t have the typical thick consistency of a cream, but it goes on the skin so smoothly like a medium coverage tint product. I expected a sticky feeling because of the consistency of the cream blush, but this bronzer actually dries down! It’s described as a cream to powder formula, but the finish doesn’t look powdery and still remains skin-like even when it’s fully dry. I like this so much! $36 is pricey, but I had a 15% off coupon and Rose Inc still periodically offers deals. Even if I paid full price, I think I would have felt this was still worth buying, so I do recommend it.

Rose Inc Skin Enhance Luminous Tinted Serum Foundation in 110

I made a spur of the moment decision to purchase the foundation for 25% off during the Friends and Family sale. I also added a free sample card of concealers to my order, which is how I was able to swatch and demonstrate what LX140, my closest match, looks like on me. I’m glad I was able to test it out because it’s thicker and tackier than I want in a concealer and the neutral shade looks off in the areas of my discoloration where I usually try to cover up. So, it would have been a bad purchase for me, despite the fact that I can build it up to full coverage, which is what I want most in a concealer. LX140 is described as a neutral, and as seen in the swatch next to my go-to KVD concealer in the swatches above, it’s the right depth, but I do need golden warmth for it to match the undertone of the rest of my face. LX130, which would be too light for my style, is a warm golden shade, but the next shade up with that undertone is LX170 which is definitely too dark for me. Also, it creases on me like crazy if I don’t set it with powder. Even still, the lines under my eyes get emphasized more than I’m comfortable with after about an hour or two of wear. So, the concealer really isn’t for me.

The serum foundation is a product that solidified for me that Rose Inc was a brand I should take seriously. I almost always avoid low coverage products because they are either the wrong depth or the wrong undertone, enough to look terrible on me despite the fact that lower coverage products are supposed to accommodate several different shades per color option. I also don’t like them because they don’t do enough to cover my hyperpigmentation, and I prefer buying a medium to full coverage foundation that I can choose to wear sparingly to easily achieve the same effect, whereas it’s harder to build up something sheer. So, what possessed me to spend the $40 discounted price on something I normally hate? My positive experiences with other Rose Inc products was a contributing factor, in addition to the hype of people raving about it and saying it’s a dupe to the $65 Chanel Les Beiges Water-Fresh Complexion Touch. Angelica Nyqvist might be the most responsible with her description of it as, “Your skin looks luminous and fresh like you just applied skincare and for some reason your skincare made you look flawless.”

Like the Chanel, it works best if it’s squirted out on the back of the hand or onto a mixing palette and “crush” the pigment into the rest of the serum to mix the two together. I’ve been using my Sonia G Fusion brushes with this to work the product into my skin by using one pump at a time for a total of 2-3 pumps for my entire face. The foundation feels cooling when I initially apply it and it feels as hydrating as it looks. I have worn it without primer and loved the results. I’ve also worn it with the Benefit Porefessional Lite primer and my sunscreen and those three products played well together. I was concerned that too many moisturizing products on my face might cause an issue with transfer or looking too dewy, but it still dried down. In the Capri bronzer section where I’m wearing the headband, there are visible sweat beads on my forehead because the air-conditioner broke that day and it was 85 F degrees in the house while I was taking photos. In that picture, plus the last three blush demonstration photos, I was not wearing any powder on my face. In the photo below, I barely set my forehead, but it’s a more accurate representation of what this foundation looks like in normal circumstances when I’m not boiling. Even while sweaty though, I was impressed with how long wearing it is and that there was low transfer. I have dry skin, so that could be a factor for how well the foundation holds up.

No-makeup makeup look using the Rose Inc Tinted Serum Foundation in 110, a sample of the Softlight Luminous Hydrating Concealer in LX140 under my eyes and on the discoloration on either side of my chin, Anemone and Dahlia blushes mixed on the cheeks, and the Solar Infusion Moisturizing Cream Bronzer in Capri. I applied the barest layer of powder to my forehead area.

It really does look like I’m just having the best skincare day. It’s as if my hyperpigmentation faded, or I got a facial and graduated to drinking eight glasses of spa water a day. Sometimes, when I don’t feel like putting on a full face, I’ve worn this foundation without even concealer, just to look slightly more put together while on video chat with my boyfriend. I’m so impressed with this and while I’ve rediscovered my love of no-makeup makeup looks, I will definitely be using this a lot in my down time. For blog purposes, however, I prefer to use my other foundations in order to not distract from the products I’m showing off if my discoloration is peeking through. I’m also working on using up my tube of Estee Lauder’s Futurist Hydra Foundation. In fact, I recently tried using 2 pumps of the Rose Inc Foundation as a primer underneath one pump of the EL Futurist Hydra for extra coverage. I immediately set it with powder since it was a hot day and I looked instantly too dewy for my liking, but that combination plus the powder was pretty!

Part of the Rose Inc identity is “Clean” beauty, and that’s a topic that isn’t important to me. I don’t mind if they want to advertise being clean as long as the formula is stable, effective, and won’t expire on me too quickly. They also care about sustainability with their packaging and like to include skincare positive ingredients. Those last two are a nice bonus for me, so I thought it was something I should mention.

Victoria Beckham Beauty

Victoria Beckham Beauty Cheeky Posh: Cream Blush Stick in Miniskirt

I really like the shade of this blush, but this purchase was also made for the gorgeous, weighty tortoiseshell packaging. Miniskirt is incredibly similar to Fenty Beauty’s Rose Latte, which is why I kept talking myself out of getting this since I already own several similar shades, but when I saw it available on Mercari for a great price and having only been swatched once, I bought it.

The best way to use this is to swipe the stick directly onto the cheeks and blend it out with the fingers. This formula looks pigmented, but when I start to work it into my cheeks it blends away to nothing and I have to use a ridiculous amount of product to build it back up when I use any other method. It blends away with a sponge if I try it on my cheeks. Getting the blush off the back of my hand and onto my face loses half the product. Trying to swipe it directly onto the sponge or the bristles of the brush also keeps half the product from going onto my cheeks. Sometimes swiping a cream stick product directly on the skin can remove the product underneath, but this one doesn’t do that, which is why using it that way ended up being the best application method for me.

This blush transfers, but it’s minimized if I set it with powder. I like this and will continue to use it, but the luxury packaging and experience is the biggest selling point. Prior to owning this, I really wanted the shade Rollerskate as well, but I’m content to just having one now. However, it did re-spark my interest in the brand’s Matte Bronzing Brick.

Victoria Beckham has cultivated her image for so long as a fashion, style, and classy icon that it seems perfectly natural that her brand took on that same image and became associated with quality and luxury. I was definitely sold on the packaging, but I was still skeptical on the quality front. I’m happy to know that at least this product is good, even though I prefer blushes with more pigmentation. It’s just a matter of whether that quality is worth the price, which I don’t think it is without also factoring in that luxury packaging.

Haus Labs (via Amazon and Sephora)

I was glad to hear that Haus Labs was rebranding through Sephora because I haven’t had the best experience with them while they were Amazon exclusives. I felt that the quality of the products that I reviewed here was nothing special, which was a let down considering the brand’s prices are on the high side of mid-tier. I have since learned that the final Amazon collection, Italian Glam/Casa Gaga, has better quality makeup and packaging than the previous ones. However, Haus Labs raised the prices to account for that improvement and Amazon’s handling of these items is atrocious. The highlighter was off the mesh when I opened the compact. The only surprising part was that it broke off in one solid piece considering the unicarton was dented inside the unpadded poly mailer it came in that’s supposed to be used to ship clothes, not a breakable item. Either the delivery driver dropped it or it was mishandled in the warehouse. It’s at least a good thing that all Haus Labs products come in a thin protective bubble pouch no matter if they end up being shipped in a cardboard box, bubble mailer, or poly mailer.

Weeks later, when I ordered the Spritz blush, they sent me one that someone else had returned to Amazon and already used! The sticker around the unicarton that has to be torn in order to lift the flap was already ripped open. There was a layer of product around the gold rim and the imprint was slightly worn down where it says “Gaga” on the blush compared to “Casa.” Even though I’ve purchased pre-owned makeup before, I think anyone would be displeased if they paid for a new item and received a used one instead. The upside to the mistakes is that they accidentally included the Bellini blush in my box (yes, the products smaller than the highlighter even came in a box). I would never have ordered Bellini because I didn’t think it would show up on me, but it does and it’s pretty.

The left photo shows the thin protective bubble pouch, along with the poly mailer bag they chose to deliver the highlighter in, rather than using a box, or at least a fully padded bubble mailer. The right photo shows the sticker that covers the unicarton flap and easily indicates whether or not the product has been opened. Perhaps these kind of mistakes are the result of Amazon overworking and underpaying their employees.

So, for anyone still ordering Haus Labs products through Amazon, be prepared for the possibility of there being issues. These items are eligible for being returned for a refund, but I hate returning things, and I felt bad already for having returned the newly relaunched highlighter to Sephora. I’ll discuss more on that later.

Haus Labs Casa Gaga Tutti Gel-Powder Blushes in Amarone, Spritz, and Bellini

I have three of the four blushes in the line. These are a baked gel-powder formula made in Italy. They are rich in color, but very thin, so they still need to be built up a bit on my cheeks. I also need to dip back in the compact repeatedly because the blush is not easy to pick up with a brush unless it’s made of sturdy bristles. I’ve used this with my Chikuhdo FO-2, which is dense with a wide surface area that allows me to get more product onto my face than a traditionally shaped blush brush. I also have used the Smashbox Precise Blush Brush because the medium-heavy packed synthetic bristles can easily get through that compressed layer. I certainly have had no success using my grey squirrel brushes with them, and am only successful with Saikoho if the brush is medium density and up. Sokoho and Sokoho-mix brushes work decently depending on how tightly it is bundled. So, I recommend using dense brushes in either synthetic or a durable type of natural bristles.

Amarone applied in 3-4 layers with the Sonia G Cheek Pro.

Spritz applied in three layers with the Hakuhodo x Hello Kitty Slide Face Brush L Round & Flat.

Bellini applied in five layers with the Smashbox Precise Blush Brush.

These blushes have a satin finish and a long wear time with or without foundation. I don’t usually have an issue though with powder blushes fading on me before I’m ready to remove my makeup. As for the shades, I like the tone of red in Amarone and the peachy brown of Bellini the most. Spritz, which I was initially attracted to the most, is quite bright on the skin if built up too much. It’s actually very close in color to Pat Mcgrath’s Electric Bloom.

These blushes are intended to be used on the lips as well, but it looks horrendous if you have any spots that need exfoliating. The fact that it’s a powder doesn’t help dry lips look any better. What I tried to do for the pictures below is to apply balm to my lips, pat the blush on the lips with my finger, wipe my finger on a towel, and then pat more blush on until I get the desired amount of color. I only attempted this for blog testing purposes and will not be bothering to use the Casa Gaga blushes in this way. It doesn’t have lasting power and was completely gone after a meal. Amarone is kind of pretty, but Bellini just reminded me of how the Rose Inc Foxglove blush looked on my lips. I did not try out Spritz because I will never put a stranger’s used product on my lips, no matter how much I spray it down with alcohol. That’s where I draw the line.

I like the blushes a lot, but because I’m so satisfied with these, I don’t think I’d be interested in buying the ones that are bound to be released in the future via Sephora.

Haus Labs By Lady Gaga Bio-Radiant Gel-Powder Highlighter in Fire Opal

This highlighter is the only product I bought from the brand’s relaunch collection at Sephora. Considering all the previous Haus Labs products I purchased were between 50-70% off, I can’t help but be a little turned off by their pricing. I understand that their high price could actually be worth it now, due to shelving space at Sephora, the “Clean Beauty” formulas (which is an aspect I honestly care nothing about), and the upgraded packaging. The latter is the one that I can get behind the most, but with a price point that is competing with the likes of Natasha Denona, Charlotte Tilbury, Hourglass, etc. my expectations were high.

Gel-powder formulas are my favorite and I absolutely loved the new Haus Labs packaging in its shiny shifting opalescent color. I also thought the tone of orange was stunning and out of all the swatches on the website, I thought that the Fire Opal shade was prettiest on every skin tone. So, I expected this shade to be a slam dunk, but it’s sparkly! Broken record here, but I hate sparkly highlighters. It has the wet effect look at certain angles that I love, but what’s the point of a highlighter looking like natural gleaming skin if it’s going to be paired with very obvious glittery looking particles? It also just looks yellow on me, like Fenty’s Trophy Wife, instead of golden orange. I barely get any base color and had to use my hog bristle brush to dig deeper into the powder to get a bit of that fiery coral orange, but it wasn’t strong enough to overpower the yellow shimmer. I even attempted to mix it with PML’s Electric Bloom to mimic the base color of Fire Opal, but it wasn’t successful.

I decided to return this because of how expensive it is for something I’d never use again, and I already own the very similar looking (on the skin) Clionadh Tropico highlighter. In addition, I was on a losing streak of every new product being wrong for me in some way. I couldn’t keep absorbing the cost, so Fire Opal not working out for me was the last straw.

I attempted two wear tests for the sake of the review, and both times I had issues with the highlighter staying on my face for longer than six hours. So, this product was a complete fail for me.

Haus Labs Casa Gaga Tutti Gel-Powder Highlighter in Luce Del Sol

After the disaster that was the newest range of highlighters from the brand at Sephora, I grew curious as to whether the one from Amazon would be better for me. I had originally heard rave reviews about Luce del Sol and couldn’t remember hearing anyone say it was glittery, but the price always stopped me from getting it. Once the price was dropped, my interest returned. I had tried and enjoyed the blushes by then and considering they shared the same formula, I was willing to give it a shot.

I certainly like this highlighter more than Fire Opal! It’s slightly lighter than I go for, but I just have to make sure I blend it in properly. It has that wet look when it hits the light that I like. It still has a slight sparkle to it, and emphasizes texture a little bit, but nowhere near as much as the other formula! Depending on the brush I use, this can sometimes look like the shimmer is spaced out too far apart for my liking, but then I just spray my face and apply another light layer of highlighter on top to meld it into my skin. Essentially, the dewier my skin is, the more I like it on me. The shine dulls a tiny bit towards the end of the night, but it’s still very present all day. I like it, but the listed price is still too high. Around $30 is more reasonable.

The blushes have a list price of $32 each at 3.5 grams and the highlighter is $42 for 12 grams of product.

As much as I like the blushes and don’t mind having small ones because I’ll never use up a typical full size blush, the price still needs to be adjusted if there’s that little product. $25 would still be pricey to me, but more reasonable for what the customer gets. To be fair, it’s about the equivalent ppg to the Huda Beauty GloWish blushes.

I’m happy that I didn’t pay full price for the Haus Labs at Amazon products. The Casa Gaga ones specifically helped improve my perception of the brand, but I cannot ignore the quality of their older launches. After my experience with the highlighter from the rebrand, I’ve lost interest in trying anything else from them.

BH Cosmetics

Iggy Azalea x BH Cosmetics Sponge

This purchase was discounted to $3 and I bought it purely to meet a free shipping minimum on BH Cosmetics’ website. This was before the announcement that the brand was filing for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy and that Revolution Beauty would be acquiring the brand. I like a few of Iggy Azaela’s songs but that wasn’t enough to make me interested in anything from this 90’s throwback collection (and apparently a ton of people felt the same way). This launch was a flop, but I can attest to the sponge actually being a great purchase. It’s super soft and works just as well as the original Beautyblender for a fraction of the cost. It’s also an incredible deal that this sponge also comes with a case, considering most cases cost more than what I paid for this duo. I’m glad that it has the flat side and pointy side like the Real Techniques Sponges (but less firm). The only downside is that I have a harder than usual time keeping this free of makeup stains, but considering the swirl pattern on this sponge, it looks naturally splotchy anyway.

Doja Cat x BH Cosmetics Flora Blush Trio in Rose

I believe this collection did slightly better than the Iggy Azealea one, and it had a round 2 release, although I’m not sure if that was already agreed upon contractually or if the first did well enough to create round 2 afterwards. I personally suspect it was in the contract. In any case, there were three blush trios in the launch. I bought two, but gave one away. I chose to keep this palette because of that reddish-brown blush with the golden shimmer, which is the type of color I love. The formula is extremely thin though on these blushes, so I have to build up this shade using a dense flat top brush or one of my goat hair workhorse brushes like the Sonia G Cheek Pro. It’s quite pretty though, despite being immensely subtle on me. The darker of the two pink blushes isn’t my favorite tone, but it at least shows on my skin and is slightly more opaque, though it still requires building. As for the lightest blush in the trio, I didn’t bother taking a photo wearing it considering it’s practically white in my arm swatch and definitely only suited for pale to light skin tones. It does have some shimmer to it, but it does not work as a highlighter for me. Overall, I’m not very impressed with the quality of these blushes. I have better from within BH’s own brand, not that they were ever my favorite to begin with, so I can’t recommend these, no matter how low the price is.

I thought that this post would help me decide whether I should be more open minded to makeup associated with celebrities, but even though I had a good experience with some of these, I can think of so many celebrity lines I happily skipped. If anything, I think I did a good job of picking and choosing which ones to try, which is more of a reflection on knowing my own tastes and less about the celebrity brands. So, in the end, not much changed my viewpoint except that I have a slightly higher opinion of Rare Beauty and Victoria Beckham Beauty. The biggest change was my opinion of Rose Inc earning my respect and successfully making me want to try a few more items from the brand if they expand their shade range of current and future products. If even one product I tried after the blush was a dud, I would have lost interest again in Rose Inc, so it’s only because they put so much thought and innovation into their products that I now see the brand in such a great light. I cannot say that this is the norm for celebrity involved makeup.

That’s everything for this post, but after I finished my final draft I came across a video on YouTube by Mina Le who discussed this topic of the over saturation of celebrity brands. I’m always getting recommended videos by Mina, but this is the first one I’ve watched. I find the sections on the environmental impact, power of celebrity, and downfall sections to be particularly interesting.

-Lili ❤

Fude Collection Part 4

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To make things easier to catalogue, I created a page that has every Fude post linked, as well as a description of the topics discussed in those posts and a list of which brushes are in which posts.

In this one today, I’ll be reviewing some of the newest additions to my collection. At the end, I will also include the two brushes I reviewed in other random parts of my blog in order to make things easier for everyone to find in the future. This post got incredibly long and almost overwhelming, so I actually have a Fude Collection Part 5 already in the works!

Regarding my measurements, “hair width” is measured from the widest part, regardless of the overall brush shape. I don’t measure thickness. Anything with an asterisk indicates that I had to measure that one myself as those numbers were not listed on the website. All figures listed in inches are converted estimates.

With costs of materials ever increasing and supply of certain hair types being harder to acquire, brush prices also increase. So, the prices I’ve listed might not reflect what is current, though I will do my best to keep them updated.

*DISCLAIMER: The links in bold blue font (Example) are standard non-affiliate links. Links marked in bold black font with a light blue background (Example) are affiliate links. Affiliate links allow me to get a commission if someone clicks them and then makes a purchase. Thank you so much to those who have already shopped through my links! Thank you to everyone who supports this blog, whether it’s through an affiliate link, visiting this blog regularly, commenting, following, and liking my posts! It’s very much appreciated!
All the brushes in this review were purchased by me with my own money. The brush I purchased using affiliate funds will be in the Fude Collection Part 5 post.

CHIKUHODO

Chikuhodo FO-9 Powder Brush

  • Full Length: 166mm / 6.54 in
  • Hair Length: 51mm / 2 in
  • Hair Width: *60mm / 2.36 in
  • Bristle Type: Silver Fox
  • Handle: Maple Wood
  • Ferrule: Aluminum

The FO series is one of my favorites from Chikuhodo, so even though I don’t set my face with powder very often anymore, I still couldn’t resist getting this FO-9. It’s packed with fox hair and looks marginally larger than the FO-1, but becomes so huge, fluffy, and airy after being washed! I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a drastic bloom for a brush before. It’s lovely!

When applying powder, it truly feels like I’m putting nothing on my face. Even if I hold the brush closer to the ferrule and try to apply pressure, the hair is so long and flexible that the added force disperses and still doesn’t feel any harder on the skin. It’s perfect for someone with skin that’s sensitive to touch, dry skin who wants to apply the barest whisper of powder to the face, and people who enjoy soft luxurious feeling brushes. This isn’t good for intense buffing because of that inability to add force to the tips. I also feel like it’s so large that I can’t really get this brush to apply enough powder in the crevices of my nostrils, so this is a brush I use specifically for setting or finishing everywhere else. I usually don’t have to set my nose, but occasionally the bulbous tip of my nose and nostrils get oily whereas I have dry skin everywhere else.

From left to right: FO-9, FO-1, FO-2, FO-3, FO-4, and FO-10

Post wash, the FO-9 is significantly larger than the rest of the line in every way. My FO-1 in the photo has been in a brush guard and hasn’t puffed back out yet (to where it would be wider than the FO-3), but it’s still smaller than the FO-9 in width and thickness, as well as 6mm shorter. The $22-$40 price difference (depending where it’s purchased) between those two is justified in my opinion.

This brush is 16000 YEN and can be purchased here.

Chikuhodo FO-10 Finger Eyeshadow Brush

  • Full Length: 125mm / 4.9 in
  • Hair Length: 15mm / 0.59 in
  • Hair Width: *12mm / 0.47 in
  • Bristle Type: Silver Fox
  • Handle: Maple Wood
  • Ferrule: Aluminum

I love the face brushes in the FO Series, but I haven’t been a fan of the eye brushes, so it says a lot that I really enjoy this FO-10! It’s perfect for one-and-done eyeshadow looks as it applies eyeshadow in a completely smooth and even layer. It picks up a light amount of product, but because of the amount of surface area on that flat angular side (the part that’s supposed to mimic a fingertip) a decent amount overall gets picked up with each tap. The angled edge also helps to be able to build up layers in a controlled way. I can hold the FO-10 like a liner brush to define the crease, as well as flip it 90 degrees to blend back and forth in the crease as well. The curves of the tip keeps it feeling soft and not pointy around my eyes, although that also makes it trickier for me to use for the inner corners if I’m doing more than just a basic eye look. Because of all the ways I can successfully use this brush, I am very pleased with it!

This brush is 3200 YEN and can be purchased here.

Chikuhodo T-13 Takumi Foundation Brush

  • Full Length: 145mm / 5.71 in
  • Hair Length: 30mm / 1.18 in
  • Hair Width: *40mm / 1.57 in
  • Bristle Type: Saikoho Goat

When I saw this brush, I was so excited because the mushroom head shape that it becomes post-wash is exactly what I’ve always wanted in a large bronzer brush! I usually don’t use big brushes for my bronzer because they tend to be shaped in a way that prevents me from being able to keep the product close to my hairline and in not so thick of a section under my cheekbones. This brush has a semi flat portion at the top that allows me to apply the product while simultaneously buffing everywhere else that the rounded edges touch my face. This brush is so poofy with cloud-like softness that blending bronzer with it is everything I hoped it would be. I love it! While I can use this brush for blush as well, it’s much bigger than I like or am used to for cheek application, so I prefer to use a different brush such as one of my holy grail blush brushes, the Chikuhodo T-4.

I don’t use powder foundations, but I have tried this out with my liquid foundations since this is actually intended to be a foundation brush. The T-13 works beautifully for that purpose and I can get a very quick and effortless blend onto my face. The only downside is that so much product remains in the bristles of this brush and the hair is too delicate for me to be able to wipe off every trace of foundation off the brush and then use it for bronzer, blush, setting or finishing powder, etc and needing to wipe it between each use. So, as excited as I was thinking about how versatile this brush was going to be because of the head shape, if I want to preserve the life of this brush, I need to choose one singular purpose. It’s not enough for me to decide to just stick to powders or just stick to liquid. The other complication with this brush is the shedding problem.

This photo was intended to show the width of product that gets picked up by the brush versus the surrounding area without product which helps to buff and blend. It inadvertently also shows a loose hair from simply swirling the brush in the compact before even being used.

Prior to purchasing my brush, I did see a few comments about how many hairs this brush sheds. I was convinced that those people happened to be unlucky in getting a bad brush because I’ve previously only ever had a true shedding issue with 2 out of probably 250 or more brushes I’ve owned in my lifetime. So, I bought the T-13 anyway and made sure to just be extra careful when I washed it for the first time (thinking that might possibly be the issue others had, if there even was a widespread issue at all). Upon taking it out of the package and feeling the brush with my fingertips, I was getting quite a few loose hairs with each pass. I was a bit alarmed, but thought about how packed with hairs this brush is and that perhaps it was overly filled as a precaution to ensure the brush will maintain its mushroom shape. I was extremely careful washing the brush and ensuring no water went into the ferrule, I gently squeezed the excess water onto my microfiber towel, and then I hung the brush upside down from my brush tree as usual. Now that I’ve been using this brush on and off for months, I can say that every time I use this, I lose anywhere from 2 to 6 hairs. This is highly unusual from my experience with my brush collection and this is the reason I don’t even like to swap between using this brush for various purposes if it requires me to do more than some light sweeping on a microfiber towel to clean off my brush. While I am concerned about the longevity of this brush over time, there is still so much hair that I’m not worried about it falling apart on me for at least a few years. It’s dense due to sheer volume, but it retains that airy feel due to the bundling. I currently am using this brush exclusively with powder bronzers and since I still love it so much, I considered whether I should get multiples to use for other purposes. That shedding issue is what stopped me. I’m happy to have this one, but I can’t justify buying more than one.
The T-13 was consistently on the list of CDJapan’s top selling brushes for months (having finally been dethroned off the main brush page in the last three weeks), so I’m guessing many other customers are still loving this brush and spreading the word about it.

This brush is 9000 YEN and can be purchased here.

Chikuhodo PS-2 Cheek Brush

  • Full Length: 145mm / 5.71 in
  • Hair Length: 35mm / 1.38 in
  • Hair Width: 17mm / 0.67 in
  • Bristle Type: Sokoho Goat

This brush is a classic! The Passion series has been around since before my Fude journey began, but I decided now was the time for me to see what Chikuhodo’s Sokoho hair feels like. The grades can vary between brands depending on their supplier, so I wanted to see how it compared. Their Sokoho is decent, but I wouldn’t want another full Sokoho brush from them again. In fact, from all brands, the lowest goat grade I will seek out is if the Sokoho is mixed with Grey Squirrel.

What this brush has going for it is the fact that the most dense spot is directly in the center, and the bristles are flexible, which gives me a nice bounce while I’m buffing product in circular motions. I use this brush almost exclusively for blush, though I can use it in the way I want with bronzer too because of the partly rounded top that performs like a flat top. This shape allows me to instinctively buff in circular motions and still feel natural switching to using sweeping motions.

It’s too large for highlighter. I also think it’s too small for all over face powder, though my opinion differs from what the brand says. Because the hair is Sokoho, it picks up a decent amount of product, but because of the density, it also buffs a lot out. This is especially the case if I keep the brush in a brush guard. So, I still consider this best for those that like to build up blush with multiple layers. Because I like bouncy buffing blush brushes, I will likely still continue to use this even though I have softer natural hair brushes I could choose instead.

This brush is 4000 YEN and can be purchased here.

KOYUDO

Koyudo y-8 Tapered Eyeshadow Brush S

  • Full Length: 138mm / 5.43 in
  • Hair Length: 13mm / 0.51 in
  • Hair Width: *5mm / 0.2 in
  • Bristle Type: Black (Tanuki) Raccoon

This brush is part of Koyudo’s Yoshiki Series, even though the main brushes in the series are supposed to be identifiable by the cherry birch wood (mizume-zakura) handles and saikoho goat bristles. I own the 05 Lip & Eyeliner Brush S, but I misplaced that tiny brush and hadn’t seen it for at least half a year. That’s why I figured it couldn’t hurt to buy another liner or pencil brush.


I have this strange fascination with hair and the biggest reason I wanted this brush was to be able to know what raccoon fur feels like. I expected it to be fluffy, but these hairs are a bit course like weasel. Apparently raccoons have underfur (which is soft) and guard hair (which is thick and course), so I’m guessing this brush is made from the guard hair. After washing the brush and using it a few times, it started to have a little more give to it and become a little more flexible without feeling rough or pokey. I have definitely grown to like and enjoy this brush. My favorite purpose for the y-8 is for my eye’s inner corner. It’s not the best with flakier eyeshadows like certain glitter, shimmer, and multichrome formulas, but I do enjoy this brush with my smoother eyeshadows. I even like it with my chunkier shadows as long as it’s still creamy enough to be spread, as opposed to a flakier one that would flick specks of eyeshadow messily around my inner corner. It can pick up a lot or a little product, depending on whether I dot just the tip into the eyeshadow or hold it at a 45 degree angle to pick it up along the side. I occasionally use this for deepening up the outer corner of my eyes if I want to create a sharper edge or line my upper lash line with an eyeshadow. If I want to use this on my lower lash line, I have to be a bit careful not to flick the particles up and into my eyeball, so I use short strokes for that task. While I admittedly still use my Smashbox Double Ended Smudger Brush (Discontinued) way more often, I have no regrets adding this one to my collection.

This brush is 2600 YEN and available here.

BISYODO

Bisyodo B-H-01 Highlight / Cheek Brush

  • Full Length: 168mm / 6.6 in
  • Hair Length: 40mm / 1.57 in
  • Hair Width: 19mm / 0.75 in
  • Bristle Type: Goat Saikoho
  • Handle: African Rose Wood
  • Ferrule: 24 KG plated Brass

Since the Bisyodo CH-HC is one of my holy grail highlighter brushes, I wanted to purchase the similar looking B-H-01 as my premium version. The head size and handle weight differences give it a much different feel than I expected and the end result is not alike at all. Since the B-H-01 ends at a wider taper than the CH-HC, the former gives a more diffused look whereas the latter is better for precision and a little more concentration of product.

I found it intriguing that this brush has such a thick handle, even larger of a handle size than the B-C-01 which has a larger brush head. I would have expected the larger brush to have the larger handle, or at the very least for the handles to be the same size considering Bisyodo describes them both as highlight/cheek brushes.

I was a little disappointed at first until I found the perfect purpose for this brush. If I want to only use one section of my Pat Mcgrath Duo Blushes, there are only a few blush brushes in my collection that picks up the amount of product I want, yet is small enough to select from one half without mixing into the shade of the other half. Considering Pat Mcgrath is a luxury brand, using a fancy brush like this with her products adds to the experience. This wasn’t a necessary purchase, but it’s a nice mini splurge.

This brush is 6400 YEN and available here.

Bisyodo B-ES-06 Eye Shadow Brush

  • Full Length: 143mm / 5.63 in
  • Hair Length: 13mm / 0.51 in
  • Hair Width: 10mm / 0.39 in
  • Bristle Type: Kolinsky
  • Handle: African Rose Wood
  • Ferrule: 24 KG plated Brass

I follow a lot of Fude-centric accounts on Instagram and I am frequently reminded about how much people seem to love Kolinsky brushes. Prior to this year, my only experience with Kolinsky has been the brushes from Koyudo I’ve reviewed before. Because brushes in the sable family aren’t that soft, comparatively speaking to high grade goat and squirrel, I did not understand the hype. I was using those Koyudo brushes for a while, but then gradually just went back to using goat hair brushes on my eyes.

In May, I decided I wanted to try and give Kolinsky another chance as I was starting to use my Nyx Glitter primer again, which can be harsh on soft natural hair brushes. I also planned to incorporate more gel liners and create some graphic liner looks and wanted to see how that would go using filbert shapes rather than my usual flat angle brushes. Jaybirdwalking on YouTube has a super in-depth video dedicated to the topic of Kolinsky and shows her large collection of brushes, which is how I decided which ones would be the best for me to order.

This brush is officially the softest Kolinsky brush I own! For context, I do only own four. It’s comfortable enough that I actually enjoy using it. I like the width of it, to get more product on my eyes at a time. I also like that the tips come almost to a point, which makes it fantastic for using with those gel liners I wanted to use this with. I can get a crisp even line each time and I have the control to make it thinner or thicker depending on the amount of pressure I use. I have no trouble using this for packing on shimmers to my lids, though it can be a little trickier in the folds of my inner corner. While I can use this with mattes too, using it with shimmers (and especially if I want to apply them damp to my eyes) is where this brush stands out. I still prefer my goat brushes with mattes. Also, despite the B-ES-06’s size, it performs very well on the lower lash line too. I know some people like to apply their concealer and/or eyeshadow primer with Kolinsky hair brushes, but the Sonia G Jumbo Concealer brush is way more comfortable and easier to use for my eye area because of the thickness and hair type.

Out of the four Kolinsky brushes I have, this is the one I recommend most.

This brush is 4800 YEN and available here.

HOUKODOU

Houkodou Brilliant Gold Series G-S5 Flat Eye Shadow Brush

  • Full Length: 140mm / 5.5 in
  • Hair Length: 11mm / 0.43 in
  • Hair Width: 7mm / 0.27 in
  • Bristle Type: Kolinsky

I couldn’t decide if I wanted the wider Bisyodo brush or this one, so I decided to get both. The bristles aren’t as soft as the Bisyodo brush I previously discussed, but it’s still softer than the Koyudo ones I’ve reviewed here before.

This brush is great for lining the eyes and applying shimmers, including getting into the crevices of my inner corner. Because it doesn’t have the same softness as the B-ES-06, I don’t enjoy using it on my more sensitive lower lash line, but it can be done. Also, the dome tapered tip of the GS-5 gives me a little thicker of a line than the Bisyodo brush. This is a good detail brush for adding definition to the outer corner, crease, and under the brow. I’ve also used it to clean up the edges of my eye look with concealer in either a harsh line or blending it a bit for an even line with a soft edge. The Houkodou and Bisyodo brushes are multi-purpose in that way. While I still recommend the Bisyodo one over this, the price difference might make the Houkodou Kolinsky brush more appealing. Also, the GS-3 brush that Jaybirdwalking featured in the video link I posted is larger than the GS-5 that I bought. I wanted a brush that wasn’t quite so similar to the Bisyodo, which I’m glad I did since the one edge that it has over the Bisyodo brush is that ability to get into the inner corners. And, of course, the price.

This brush is *4200 YEN and available here.

*Price increase updated 3/25/2023

KIHITSU

Kihitsu Purple GV Eyeshadow Brush

Full Length: *135mm / 5.31 in
Hair Length: *14mm / 0.55 in
Hair Width: *10mm / 0.39 in
Bristle Type: Prairie Dog

On FudeJapan’s website, there are two versions of this brush: Kolinsky and Prairie Dog. Even though Kolinsky is sought after and I certainly have room to expand that in my range of hair types, I leapt at the chance to feel a new animal hair type. The only hair I’ve seen in a brush that I’m not too keen to own is cat. I actually emailed CDJapan to verify that it wasn’t a “goat” misprint, but no, it’s not. The set has a cat hair brush.

Anyway, unlike the two previous brushes I discussed, this one can feel scratchy if I try to use it in the crease and flip it vertically to do windshield wiper motions across the eyes. If I’m just patting this brush on my lids in short strokes or lining my eyes by using the brush in a horizontal motion, it feels fine. This brush isn’t as soft as Kolinsky, but it picks up quite a bit more product and is also a little thicker in shape around the belly of the brush. For that reason, I will definitely continue to use this brush for its main purpose of applying shimmers wet or on a tacky base. Though this brush applies more product, I prefer Kolinsky over prairie dog.

TSUBOKAWA MOUHITSU

Koyomo nadeshiko Pearl Pink Blush Brush

  • Full Length: 116mm / 4.57 in
  • Hair Length: 39mm / 1.53 in
  • Hair Width: *30mm / 1.18 in
  • Bristle Type: Goat Haku-ototsuho Yomo

I enjoyed the eyeshadow Koyomo brush I purchased at the end of 2020, so I knew it was a matter of time before I eventually tried out this hair type again in a face brush. I’m still not a fan of the short handle, but it’s not something that impacts my ability to use this brush effectively. I hold it by the bottom end of the ferrule where some of the writing is, so that may be something that will get worn away if I use it consistently. It’s a dense brush with hair that shockingly feels borderline as soft as Saikoho. The main difference is that the hair strands in this brush are thicker, so it has a little more drag on the face than my other Saikoho brushes (even if I hold the brush further back), but the softness factor prevents that drag from feeling abrasive on my skin. My Koyomo eyeshadow brush feels like Sokoho, so I don’t know if I just got an exceptionally great version of that hair type in my blush brush, but it makes me want to purchase Tsubokawa Mouhitsu’s higher grade lines if only they made longer handle versions. If they do in the future, I would absolutely pick one up.

The way that is most comfortable for me to hold this brush lends perfectly for blush usage, but feels a bit awkward in the hand while I attempt to apply bronzer in my preferred (for bronzer) sweeping motion. I can still do this easily enough though.

The head circumference is fairly small, even after the post-wash bloom, so I believe this brush really is best to use solely for blush. It works beautifully for blush regardless of whether or not I want to pounce it on my cheeks or swirl and buff, so that’s good enough for me.

I decided to post the size comparisons of these two at the last minute. Please excuse the fact that the Koyomo brush isn’t washed. Because these brush posts take me months to complete, it can be difficult to juggle between wanting to use these brushes in my down time with wanting to keep them clean for blog purposes in case I need additional pictures.

This brush is 5000 YEN and available here.

MURAGISHI SANGYO

MS-2 Mai Sakura Blush Brush

  • Full Length: 159mm / 6.26 in
  • Hair Length: 36mm / 1.42 in
  • Hair Width: *32mm / 1.26 in
  • Bristle Type: Gray Squirrel and Goat Sokoho

The HS-2 Hana Sakura is one of my favorite brushes and it’s quite versatile. The MS-2 isn’t as versatile for me, but has proved to be an amazing dedicated blush brush. This shape is similar to the Chikuhodo T-4 and PS-2, so it performs similarly to them, but with a smaller brush head. I love the spring back when I pounce it on my face, but I can use it in any application method. It’s a medium density brush that’s packed tightest in the center and the flexibility of the hair allows it to curve enough to function like a sweeping brush if used in that way, but also stand firmly enough to be used in a buffing motion if so desired. The handle length is great for me and it looks so much prettier in person when I can see the sparkles in the black lacquer of the handle and that pretty flower pattern too. The head size is on the smaller side, but the splay from the outer ring keeps it from feeling too small when I use it.

As I’ve mentioned before, the way these kind of brush heads are constructed is holy grail for me for blush usage, and blushes alone. I don’t enjoy it nearly as much for any other purpose, though I could still get the job done realistically with bronzer.

Because of the addition of the Grey Squirrel hair, which adds extra softness, this brush is a bit more expensive than the similarly performing Chikuhodo PS-2. However, I personally think this brush is better and worth that extra expense because of the softness and the handle, but admittedly the handles of both brushes are pretty in their own ways.

There is only one negative to this brush and it’s that the pretty matte gold ferrule is very malleable and therefore easy to bend. Even though it doesn’t look like it’s any thinner than the ferrules of my other brushes, it feels like I could actually squeeze it out of shape with my fingers if I tried hard enough, unlike the others. There’s also a bit larger of a gap than I’ve seen before between the hair and the top of the ferrule when I push the hair to the side. I’ll include a comparison photo below between the MS-2 and PS-2 demonstrating this. It’s just something I’ve noticed, and so far it hasn’t made the brush shed, feel loosely packed, or problematic in any way.

I accidentally dropped this brush, and I believe that’s what caused the ferrule to bend and create a flat edge at two points, which made the hair shape go from being circular to a quarter section being flat. I have a tool from my crafting days that I used to get it back in shape. I would not have attempted to fix a more expensive brush, and a few times I did make it a little worse before making it better, so I only recommend those with experience to attempt the same as I did to fix things. I have dropped other brushes in the past, but this is the only one I’ve noticed that actually got damaged from that happening. Perhaps the others did too and I just didn’t notice it, but I figured it was something I should mention. Those who aren’t as clumsy as I am sometimes will likely not have to worry about it. I certainly still love this brush and recommend it.

This brush is *6500 YEN and available here.

*Price increase updated 3/25/2023

CDJapan Outlet Brushes

You’ll notice that all of the Eihodo brushes below are listed as “outlet” brushes. CDJapan sometimes acquires brushes with minor flaws from companies and sell them at a discount. They say officially that, “The shape and color of the tip might differ from the image provided. There will be no problem when using, but there might be damage to the brush shaft.” Sometimes outlet brushes have the brand logo still on them, but these from Eihodo do not. I personally have not been able to see where the flaws would be with the brushes I’ve bought, which is why I love these type of events because I can get brushes that I find to be great quality or higher but at significant savings. I don’t know if I’m just incredibly lucky that I’m usually happy with the outlet brushes I get, but if so, I know of other fude lovers who seem to share the same lucky streak. Lately, I’ve been seeing a lot of Eihodo outlet brushes available, but every so often they have Koyudo outlet events too. Occasionally, I see a random single outlet brush added to the new brushes section of the website, so I always keep my eye out for other great finds.

The brushes in the “Special Price Events” tend to sell out fast depending on the hair type and whether or not the brush is in a very popular style or an aesthetically pleasing handle. For instance, Canadian Squirrel tends to go the quickest. It could be within 5-30 minutes depending on how many CDJapan stocked and the price of them. From what I’ve seen, the pricier outlet brushes only have 5-15 available with five being the average. Gray Squirrel is usually gone in under an hour. Squirrel mixed with goat could sell out within minutes or weeks. There are a lot of variables.

Some tips that I have for those who are trying to get these brushes first before they sell out are as follows:

  • Ensure that you understand the launch time for your time zone. If you’re subscribed to emails, CDJapan will inform you of the day and time in advance, but from what I’ve seen it is usually at 11:59 AM (UTC+9). As an example, if the day and time is marked for June 16th at 11:59 AM (UTC+9), this would be for me in Florida 10:59 PM EST on June 15th. Japan is thirteen hours ahead of me. Don’t wait for an email reminder announcing the launch because I always get those the next day.
  • Keep a tab open for the new beauty releases page along with the special price page. Even though we have a specific launch time, the products usually don’t become visible immediately. It may take a few minutes or longer. I have observed that the new releases page typically gets updated before the special price page. Although the special price page is handy for someone like me that only wants specific hair types, if you’re more interested in the brush shapes and could therefore easily scroll through the 20+ newly released brushes to spot which ones look promising, then you get at least five minutes of a head start to view specific brush pages before those waiting only on the special price page get to see what’s available.
  • Pay attention to the quantity of brushes listed as available. Knowing how many are stocked gives a clue as to how much time you have to complete your order. If there are 5 or less available at the start, one could expect it to sell out on the first day and potentially even in the first ten minutes depending on those brush factors I mentioned earlier.
  • Know your favorite shapes, lengths, hair types, and handle styles in advance. This is one tip that took me far too long to plan out. For instance, one time I didn’t factor in how tiny a brush would be and how I would not be able to accomplish what I wanted from a brush of that size, even though it was the hair type I wanted. Another time I got my favorite size of brush in the hair type I wanted, but I didn’t think about how much more I prefer round brushes over round flat ones. I picked the right specs to get a nice brush, but it wasn’t something I would use a lot because of my preferences. Knowing what I want ahead of time allows me to make quick decisions when a brush that isn’t completely within my preferences ends up being available and I have to make a judgment call on whether to get it anyway or skip it. For me, I only want eye brushes above 125mm in full length with sizes starting at 130mm and up being the most ideal. I also only want squirrel, goat, or goat mix face brushes. Brushes made of pony/horse, weasel/sable, and synthetic hair are instant skips. For face brushes, I prefer them to be longer than 135mm at full length. 150mm is perfect. I prefer to not have a ferrule that is longer than the handle, but it’s not a deal breaker if it’s the right full total length. As mentioned before, I like round shapes over angled and oval shapes, medium density brushes and up, and dyed bristles over undyed depending on the brand. Also, as much as I like goat, I don’t tend to go for a Sokoho hair type unless it’s mixed with squirrel. Honing in on my preferences helps me turn away the ones that are tempting me with their discounted prices so I don’t overspend.

These are the things I wish I thought about, but have learned to be content with by the time I started working on my Fude Update #5 post, which will not be published for quite some time.

EIHODO

Eihodo is based in Osaka and their brushes are produced by Chikuhodo. Eihodo is technically an OEM as well when it comes to their oil-blotting papers, which the customers’ name can be printed on. I couldn’t find much more information other than that.

Eihodo NO277 Blush Brush [OUTLET]

  • Full Length: 128mm / 5.04 in
  • Hair Length: 35mm / 1.38 in
  • Hair Width: *30mm / 1.18 in
  • Bristle Type: Gray Squirrel and Goat Sokoho

This oval shaped brush is a squirrel goat mix that has the highest percentage of goat to squirrel ratio in this post. It’s soft enough, but the way the hair is packed means I can feel a distinct difference between this one and the other mixed brushes reviewed here today. I can feel a bit more friction on the skin when I use it. It feels dense, but it still splays quite a bit when pressed on the skin, making it not great to use with highlighter. I typically prefer round brushes over round-flat, but this brush is so packed with hair that despite the pinched ferrule maintaining the round-flat shape, this brush after being washed and left to air dry without aloe vera gel or a brush guard fluffs a little closer to a circular shape. So, it feels natural when using it to sweep on bronzer, but I intuitively switch to buffing when I use it on my cheek for blush. Because of this feature, I ended up liking this brush more than I expected. It picks up a decent amount of product with each tap in the pan. It’s not an essential brush in my collection, but a nice one to have. I would have liked it even more if the handle was longer, but this is one of the outlet brushes I bought before I finalized my stance on getting face brushes at a minimum of 135mm in full length. The original price of 4200 YEN would have been okay with me, but getting it for 2520 YEN makes me feel all the better about getting it.

Additional photos are at the end of the Eihodo section.

Eihodo NO278 Blush Brush [OUTLET]

  • Full Length: 160mm / 6.3 in
  • Hair Length: 37mm / 1.45 in
  • Hair Width: *30mm / 1.18 in
  • Bristle Type: Gray Squirrel and Goat Sokoho

This brush head is pretty much the same length and width as the MS-2, but the shape is similar to the PS-2 in the way that the tips form enough of a curve to barely avoid being considered a flat top. If these three brushes represented a family, they would be cousins. The MS-2 and PS-2 perform similarly because of the tightness of the bundling in the center, which is also the case with the 278, but because it has even more of the gray squirrel in it than the MS-2, the hair is so fine that it curves even more under pressure and doesn’t bounce on the skin as well as the others. The hair bends enough that I can actually use this for sweeping with bronzer without it feeling awkward; and because of that near-flat top and how dense it is, it still makes for a great buffing brush. So, for use with both blush and bronzer, I like to apply those products in a circular buffing motion. It surprisingly picks up a lot of product, so I have to just do a dab or two at a time in the makeup product and knock off the excess before using it on my face.

Considering the hair type and performance for price, this is one of my top two favorite outlet brushes from this bunch. Because the MS-2 is slightly fuller and denser, I still prefer that one to this. However, this exceeded my expectations and I’m glad I bought it. It would normally cost 5800 YEN, which is pretty fair, but I got it for 3190 YEN, which is a phenomenal price. In case it ever gets stocked again, the link can be found HERE.

Eihodo NO280 Powder Brush [OUTLET]

  • Full Length: 175mm / 6.9 in
  • Hair Length: 50mm / 1.97 in
  • Hair Width: *36mm / 1.42 in
  • Bristle Type: Gray Squirrel

This brush is the big winner! Considering how much hair is here, the type of hair, and the quality of this type, I can see why it would be 12,000 YEN. Getting it for 6600 YEN is practically a steal! This was the best outlet deal I’ve had so far, and still worth the added shipping cost since I hadn’t met the free shipping minimum. I initially reserved this brush for those rare occasions I set my face with powder, which has increased a little during the summer months. However, because it’s dense enough for buffing and doesn’t splay too widely, I’ve been able to use this brush for subtle bronzer and blush looks too!

Comparing other round brushes I own that are wider at the tips than they are at the base, the closest I have in size to the Eihodo 280 is my Koyudo Saikoho Powder Brush (another outlet brush) and Hakuhodo B104. The B104 is in the long handle version, which makes this brush a comparable length to the Eihodo, although the brush head is bigger. The Koyudo brush is a lot closer, but still bigger. I thought it might be a good comparison though because I suspect the Koyudo brush is similar to the rephr 30, (though I don’t have it to confirm it).

The original link can be found HERE.

Eihodo NO.282 Blush Brush [OUTLET]

  • Full Length: 153mm / 6.02 in
  • Hair Length: 36mm / 1.42 in
  • Hair Width: *33mm / 1.3 in
  • Bristle Type: Gray Squirrel

This 282 brush is like the longer handle full squirrel version of the 277. It’s of course softer than the 277, but this isn’t the softest gray squirrel hair I’ve ever felt. It’s closer to the feeling of the best Saikoho goat brushes I have, but with a more delicate hair structure. I appreciate though that they really packed this brush with a lot of hair, so it’s dense, but it still has a large splay when pressure is applied. It’s every bit the sweeping style brush that I expected. It doesn’t pick up a lot of product unless the makeup is loose or loosely pressed. This brush ranks slightly above the 277, and I like having it, but it still wasn’t a necessity. According to Fluffy Fude, this brush is very similar in shape to the Chikuhodo Z-4, which is a brush I’ve considered getting for years, so I feel like I definitely don’t need a Z-4 anymore.
The 282 was supposed to retail for 7000 YEN, but I got it for 4200 YEN. For the size of the brush, I still got a great deal, but considering the hair type and the amount of it in this fairly small brush, I really came out on top with this one!

Additional photos with comparisons are at the end of the Eihodo Outlet section.

Eihodo NO.297 Eyeshadow Brush S [OUTLET]

  • Full Length: 110mm / 4.3 in
  • Hair Length: 10mm / 0.4 in
  • Hair Width: *6mm / 0.24 in
  • Bristle Type: Canadian Squirrel

110mm is small, but I don’t think I truly processed how little a brush of that size would be. I finally learned my lesson about guessing at sizes rather than producing a ruler and judging dimensions off that instead. And here I thought keeping track of the Koyudo 05 Lip & Eyeliner Brush S was difficult, but this is even tinier! At least the handle is bright red, which helps me pinpoint it among the rest of my brushes if it’s in a box or cup.

This is the only outlet brush I regret getting because it’s just not functional for me. It’s exactly as soft as one would expect for a Canadian Squirrel brush, but because it comes to such a sharp point, it’s not as comfortable to use on my sensitive lower lash line. It’s not pokey during the entire use, but it is enough to be irritating. Also, because of this hair type, even if I swirl the product in eyeshadow enough to fully coat the hair, because it’s so delicate, it can only apply it to my skin in a gentle sheer amount. It basically touches the area to apply it but I can’t get enough force to actually press it in and build color. My only option if I want a built up look is to wet the brush, which this is not the kind of hair I want to apply damp. I don’t think it would damage it, but it’s just not something I usually do with squirrel. I might start to anyway, just so I can have another use for this brush. And when I use this and it makes my eyes water, the brush gets wet anyway. Something small like this should be good for lining the eyes, but again, because it applies such a light amount of product, that doesn’t make for a good liner unless someone wants a watercolor type of look on the eyes. I always want maximum pigmentation, so that’s not for me.

The one use I have for this brush is blending two lid shades together or adding sparkle to the center of the lid. Sometimes trying to blend two pigmented shimmers with my fingers leads to back and forth overpowering of one shade over the other rather than getting one to fade into the other. And applying a pigmented sparkle shade can also sometimes look too opaque and not give me the effect I want to just highlight/accent the center of the lid. So, a brush like this does help, even though it’s so tiny that it’s still tedious to use for that.

This brush is listed as 3000 YEN but was sold for 2100 YEN. Lowering the price any further would not have made buying this brush any better in my eyes. I should have skipped it entirely, but at least it wasn’t an expensive lesson. A month after purchasing this brush, they released NO.346, which is basically the same brush in a longer handle. That one would have been better for me, but the issues with the shape would have persisted anyway.

Eihodo NO.299 Powder Brush [OUTLET]

  • Full Length: 138mm / 5.4 in
  • Hair Length: 46mm / 1.8 in
  • Hair Width: *40mm / 1.57 in
  • Bristle Type: Gray Squirrel

This brush isn’t bundled tightly, so it looks fuller than it is. When I lightly push both ends of the hair together to see how much is actually there, it’s only 5mm thick. It’s very floppy and is difficult to pick up my pressed powder products, except the ones that are very loosely pressed. That lack of denseness also means I can only sweep the product on since the hair isn’t resilient enough for proper buffing.

Most of my blushes aren’t loose/powdery enough to fully coat the brush in one go. So, it takes a ridiculous amount of layers to build it up enough for my liking on my cheeks. I get better results using this brush with bronzer because my bronzers tend to be softer, but it’s still time consuming to use. Sure, I can get a nice subtle airbrushed look, but my bronzers are mostly all high quality and I can still get airbrushed results much quicker with most other of my brushes.

So, this is the kind of brush I only recommend to someone who uses loose powder products or wants a brush to sweep away setting powder that has been left on the face to bake. I never use the baking technique and I only use loose powder 2-3 times a year, unless I’m specifically testing a product. So, I truly don’t have much use for this brush. It has a short handle, which I generally don’t like, but it’s also a full grey squirrel brush with ferrule that’s a beautiful and uncommon shade of pink. That’s why I ended up purchasing it anyway. I don’t have the heart to part with it so soon, but this brush might not remain in my collection for long. For the amount of hair in this brush, the 12,000 YEN price is absolutely not worth it in my opinion. Even the 7800 YEN discounted price is difficult for me to justify.

Eihodo NO.312 Blush Brush [OUTLET]

  • Full Length: 190mm / 7.5 in
  • Hair Length: 40mm / 1.57 in
  • Hair Width: *32mm / 1.26 in
  • Bristle Type: Gray Squirrel and Sokoho Goat

This handle is super long! It’s among the longest in my collection, and because of that paddle head shape, it gives me paintbrush vibes. I rarely use brushes of this type, but it looked nice in photos, the hair type is what I like, and the handle length had me curious as to whether I would like it more than other paddle brushes I’ve used in the past since I would be able to hold it like I would an actual paint brush.

Considering this is an outlet brush that’s supposed to have flaws, I am so impressed with how perfectly shaped it is with not a hair out of place. It’s the widest paddle brush I have and it’s not as flat as I expected either. From the side view, at about 22mm up is it’s widest point that gradually tapers to a gentle point at the tips. The tip is thin enough that I can pick up product there to apply highlighter precisely, but I like to pick up product on the slightly angled side in the top third section of the brush and apply highlight in downward strokes across the top of the cheekbones. I use a traditional sweeping technique for use with bronzer on the forehead, but apply bronzer to the tips for use on the sides of my face to get a more sculpted look. As for use with blush, I don’t have a set preference between sweeping or using quick strokes across the cheeks. I guess it depends on how pigmented the blush is.

Despite the soft bristles, the tight bundling doesn’t allow for as much flexibility, so it feels a bit firm. The pointed tip also makes it feel a bit pokey at times, not from sharpness but purely due to the shape. So, despite the many benefits and how impressed I am with the beauty and construction, it’s not the best fit for my makeup style. Had I paid the full 6500 YEN price, I would not have been happy with this purchase. However, for 4550 YEN, that’s a fairer price. I understand that the squirrel element is what makes this such a good deal, but the shape of it and my preferences make this a little less valuable to me.

I wanted to compare the Muragishi Sangyo HS-2 with the Eihodo 277 and 282 because they are such similar shapes and considering the HS-2 is one of my holy grail brushes. The 277 doesn’t surpass the HS-2 because it’s not as soft. The 282 doesn’t surpass it because it splays more and therefore doesn’t give as much precision as the HS-2. I also like that the HS-2 is bundled tighter for blending purposes.

Sonia G

Sonia G Master Face Brush

  • Full Length: 178mm / 7 in
  • Hair Length: 38mm / 1.5 in
  • Hair Width: *35mm / 1.38 in
  • Bristle Type: Dyed & Undyed Saikoho Goat Hair
  • Handle: Maple Wood

Because Sonia G’s eye brushes have become my new holy grail over the last two years, I’ve been interested in exploring more of her face brushes, although they are a bit pricey even for Saikoho quality. I had $20 in credit from the previous Beautylish Gift Card Event, so I decided to use that on this brush.

What was the most enticing was the description of the “ball shape” which I interpreted to mean bouncy like my favorite blush brushes that I describe as pouncing my face with a rabbit tail. Unfortunately, I’m not a fan of the way the bristles are staggered to create that ball shape and it wasn’t until the third wash that it formed a shape I actually liked and was a little puffier. I like dense brushes, but in my opinion, it’s too dense for this shape. The bristles are of course soft, but this brush is for super buffing. I have to build up even my pigmented products because it buffs out the color so much. I appreciate the fact that I can use any blending technique with the brush and the bristles will move in the direction I want. If I want to apply bronzer to warm the perimeter rather than achieving a precise sculpt, this brush is great for that. It’s a bit too much brush for blush for my liking, and that’s unfortunately what I was excited to use with it the most. It also works well to blend and buff face powder all over the face, but the only time I usually powder my face anymore is to set a cream product that doesn’t set on its own or to tone down my extra pigmented products. So, I ended up not using this brush nearly as much as I thought I would. It’s a shame because I like the construction of the handle and the look of the hair. I want this to be a favorite, but it isn’t. According to Sonia G, this is foremost a powder foundation brush. Perhaps if I used powder foundation I would like this more. To be fair though, the Beautylish website description for the use of this brush makes it very clear that it’s a dense buffing and blending brush. I just underestimated how strong “lot’s of strength” actually meant.

PREVIOUSLY REVIEWED BRUSHES MOVED HERE

Sonia G Builder Pro Eye Shadow Brush

  • Full Length: 152mm / 5.98 in
  • Hair Length: 12mm / 0.47 in
  • Hair Width: *9mm / 0.35 in
  • Bristle Type: Dyed Saikoho Goat Hair

The Builder Pro and Builder Three are both brushes that lay product down well but can also be used for blending. I’ve discovered that the Builder Three leans better on the blending aspect because of the flatter top, so I prefer that one for crease work. The Builder Pro leans better on the lay down and building aspect because it’s perfect for applying shadows to the section of my eye between the eyelid and inner corner. I always struggled with that spot, but this brush gets in there easily. It’s also more precise for application to the outer V. I’ve actually been able to do entire eye looks using this brush alone. I’m very happy I decided to finally buy this!
The tapered tip that makes the Builder Pro so great for applying shadows also prevents it from blending large areas as quickly as the Builder Three, so I will probably use that one more often when I’m in a rush. However, for when I have more time and want to create a detailed and more skillfully done eyeshadow look, I will definitely grab the Builder Pro instead. They perform differently enough that I feel justified having them both in my collection.

Beautylish Presents

Beautylish Presents is the brand name of the Beautylish retailer’s line of brushes that one or more Fude companies produce for them. Their most popular brush series is the Lunar New Year Series, but they also have the Yano Series, 420 Brush Collection, and the Hachiko Kabuki brush. They also have two Faux Fur Brush Roll options.

Beautylish Presents the Year of the Tiger Lunar New Year Powder Brush

  • Full Length: *170mm / 6.69 in
  • Hair Length: 47.6mm / 1.87 in
  • Hair Width: *40mm / 1.57 in
  • Bristle Type: Blue Squirrel

I succumbed to the temptation and finally bought one of Beautylish’s collaborative Lunar New Year brushes. They did not announce which brush-maker created this year’s brush, but in the past is was Chikuhodo. Even if another Fude company created this brush, I’m still happy that it has the Chikuhodo aesthetic with the large round shiny handle similar to the Z-series. As long as the brush is high quality, which it is, it doesn’t matter to me which Japanese company created it. This brush is still hand bundled with an exquisitely detailed lacquered handle using the maki-e process.

At launch, Beautylish also restocked the previous Lunar New Year brushes as well: Pig, Rat, and Ox. As cute as those designs are, those three have nearly identical brush heads which is already practically the same as the Tiger brush. It’s also comparable to the Chikuhodo MK-KO, as they’re both “round-flat” brushes, but the tip shape is different.

This brush is unbelievably silky soft and of course perfect for those who want a very sheer application of powder. I can use this for highlighter (when applied just on the very tips), blush (when I use sweeping motions across the cheek), and bronzer, but in my eyes this is a dedicated all over face powder brush. Although it picks up a small amount of product, when that product is very pigmented it takes more effort than I like to buff it out because it’s not dense enough for that. If I use a squirrel hair brush for blush, I prefer one that’s thicker and more round like the Z-1. Anything looser packed than that, I consider to be more ideal for setting/finishing powders. Honestly, this is more of a collector item for me and not one I intend to use a lot. When I do use it, it’s heaven though. It’s so soft and light that I barely feel any pressure on my skin. This is a beautiful powder brush, but if you already own one with grey/blue/ash squirrel hair, you’re not missing out by not having it. For those who don’t and would like a light/medium density powder brush, this might be a good place to start since comparable brushes to this would be a little more expensive. I still recommend this for collectors, but for someone looking for a more functional or versatile brush, I would direct them to Chikuhodo’s Z series and FO series.

Thank you for joining me today! I hope this has been helpful! Fude Part 5 already has as many brushes as this post, so it may be several months before that one is published.

-Lili ❤

*Also, I apologize if there are any serious spelling or grammatical errors. I was not able to proofread this post as many times as I normally would due to unstable/barely usable internet over the weekend.

Testing Out More From Tarte Cosmetics

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The Shape Tape Concealer has been the only makeup product from Tarte that I have loved and recommended, but it’s not the only Tarte Product in my collection. For example, I had the Tarte Tarteist PRO Remix Amazonian Clay Palette for well over a year as a gift from a friend, yet I hadn’t even swatched it since getting it even though I’ve always been curious about Tarte’s eyeshadow formula. So, today, I’ll be reviewing several products I acquired last year from Tarte that I haven’t spoken about or even used until now. The Amazonian Best of Cheek Set from last year’s holiday release was supposed to be on this list, but I reviewed that in May, so the Amazonian Clay Blushes finally join Shape Tape as another recommended favorite.

Tarte Tarteist PRO Remix Amazonian Clay Palette

I noticed a chocolate scent as soon as I opened the palette, which surprised me because I wasn’t aware that it’s a common feature of Tarte eyeshadows. It’s apparently supposed to be a vanilla smell, but it smells exactly like Too Faced Chocolate Bar palettes to me.

Another thing that shocked me is the quality of these eyeshadows! I know Tarte has a very dedicated fan base (how else would they be able to sell the same palette slightly tweaked over and over again), but I thought they just loved the neutral aspect. I didn’t realize the shadows were genuinely good! The shimmers don’t have that high intense sparkle to them that I’ve come to enjoy, but they are still shimmery enough, pigmented, smooth, and easy to apply. The mattes are soft and two are blendable. I wish I had more of them in this palette because there are only three: Mixed Media which I can only use to brighten the look or blend out edges, Wall Art which barely shows on my skin and also only works to soften the edges of shades, and Ink which is a stubborn to blend black shadow that requires using the tiniest amount, blending, then slowly continue to build and blend. Working with Ink is too tedious for me. So, I sorely miss having some mattes to use in my crease that will actually show.

I enjoyed this palette so much that I instantly wanted to buy more. However, I remembered that Tarte stepped out of their metaphorical box with this palette and have barely made anymore like it. The most colorful palette they’ve made since that time which almost had my interest is the Tartelette Juicy Amazonian Clay Palette, but Tarte caught me at a time when I’m still sick of pinks, despite how beautiful the shades look. When or if they make a palette that suits my tastes, I won’t hesitate to purchase it.

tarte SEA Breezy Cream Bronzer in Grace Bay and Sunset Beach

I purchased these from Tarte’s website during two different sales. There are three shades in total and they got very little hype, which surprises me because I think this is a solid cream bronzer formula. There’s nothing extraordinary about them, but they do get the job done. They last on me all day and are easy to blend if I use the right brush and don’t spread out the product too far. They’re not transfer-proof, but they set nicely with powder on top and aren’t sticky to the touch.

I typically apply a minute amount of Sunset Beach first, the darkest shade that did not make it to Sephora’s site, to chisel my face because it’s deep enough to have a major contouring effect on me. Then I apply Grace Bay on top to warm it up. Grace Bay is essentially a warmer version of my skintone, so it barely adds any depth. Between the two shades, I can bronze, contour, and brontour. As much as I like them, they take a backseat to the Danessa Myricks cream bronzer and the cream sculpting shade in the Kaja Play Bento trios, so it wasn’t the best decision ordering both even at the reduced price. I managed to get Sunset Beach for 50% off, and at that price I’d recommend these.

Tarte Blush Authority Amazonian Clay Cheek Wardrobe (Holiday 2020)

Rumor has it that Tarte’s holiday blushes aren’t good unless they are the Amazonian Clay formula. This was the main reason, aside from the shade options, that I avoided getting Tarte’s blush/highlighter/bronzer sets despite their great value for the price. This ongoing reputation probably contributed to Tarte’s inability to sell them all at the end of 2020, and even when I bought this in September of 2021 for 50% off, it didn’t sell out until sometime between May and June of 2022.

The shades in the gold compact seemed the least likely to work for me, so I decided to give that one to a friend and just try out the rose gold and purple compacts. Frosted Frappe is a beautiful pink-gold shade that I can only pull off if I use the tiniest amount. I didn’t expect to like it, but it’s a very interesting tone and surprisingly better than the highlighter in the 2021 Holiday Set. The only downside is that it’s not the most flattering on texture and I don’t consider myself as having that big of an issue with texture on my skin, so noticing it says a lot.

Photo showing many different Tarte products applied to my face.

I didn’t bother showing what Sweet Cheeks looks like on the skin because it doesn’t show on me at all. Sugar & Spice gives a faint flush if I build up the hell out of it. I do like it though.

Please ignore the mask indent on my cheek. This is the Sugar & Spice Blush built up heavily.

Into You doesn’t show on my cheeks. Yours Truly is a slightly darker duper for Nars Orgasm and I would use it as a highlighter if the shimmer was more finely milled. The metallic nature of it isn’t flattering on texture. Lastly, Playtime is my favorite of the bunch because it actually shows on me the most and isn’t as bright as I expected from the way it looks in the pan.

I have some longevity issues with these blushes and they are a bit dusty, so I don’t believe they are as good of quality as the Amazonian Clay ones. I might still reach for these every so often, but I did learn that I should probably not get Tarte’s basic blush formula again, nor their highlighters.

Tarte Merry Metals Brush Set

This set was a gift from my friend in 2020 that I only started to test out at the end of March because the bristle splay of those head shapes looked less functional than I like. I really hope she doesn’t see this post because I appreciate the gift, and the handles are all durable and high quality, but the brush heads are flawed.

I remember being so impressed with Tarte brushes up until 2017. They were all the right densities, soft but still with some resilience, and not scratchy. I never had issues with shedding. They actually gave natural hair brushes a run for their money. Where I started to see a decline was the Unicorn horn-handle set of brushes that had inconsistencies of the dye, spots I could see glue, and other minor flaws. However, even those brushes I thought were still pretty good and I still continued to recommend Tarte brushes as synthetic options. So, I was quite shocked with this new experience of bristles that feel barely above old school cheap synthetic fibers before advancements were made.

This brush blends decently, but the trade off is the scratchiness! I don’t consider myself as having sensitive skin around my eyes, but this is too much for me. While it’s true that I’ve gotten used to doing my eyeshadow with high grade goat hair brushes with uncut tips, I still use one or two synthetic eye brushes on a weekly basis and none of them feel like this on my skin. If I was younger, I’d probably use it anyway, but with the collection that I have, there’s no reason for me to subject myself to skin irritation unnecessarily.

This is the best brush in the set, and it’s just okay. It’s bundled to medium density, which makes it the thickest and second most dense one out of the set. This characteristic compensates for the fact that these bristles don’t pick up powder that well, so I can at least get a medium amount of product onto my face per dip into the pan. I can get a little more buffing action out of this brush than the others. The tighter bundle also keeps the brush from splaying as much as the others, so I can have a bit more control and precision for blush, bronzer, and all-over powdering of the face. It feels softer than the others purely because I don’t have to use as much pressure to blend, which means I can hold the brush further back when I use it, which also means there isn’t enough pressure for the bristles to scratch my face. With more pressure, this brush still feels soft at first, but by the time I’m finished buffing, it feels like I just dry-brushed/physically exfoliated my face. Even though this is the most useful of the five, I’d reach for my Real Techniques brushes over this one every time.

Despite the pinched ferrule, this brush is way too loosely packed to be used for anything but a super blendable bronzer or face powder. The bristles being so long, combined with the loose bundling, makes it too floppy and flimsy that I can’t even properly clean the tips onto my microfiber towel between uses. I can only effectively clean off the very tips and not slightly higher, which causes color to be re-deposited onto my face since the wide splay causes so much of the fibers past the tips to be exposed to my face. I tend to use brushes for multiple purposes, so this is a nightmare to try and switch between using it for bronzer then blush without muddying up the cheek and then switching to face powder without getting the pink blush remnants all over the face. In order to try and get a better clean, I’ve tried grabbing the base of the bristles myself and squeezing them together to get the bristles to stand upright without flopping around while I rubbed them on the cloth. This still didn’t feel satisfactory, so I held the brush and put the cloth over the tips and tried to gently squeeze and rub the ends with the cloth like I would if I was getting excess water out of the bristles of a freshly washed brush, but when I did that, it felt like I almost yanked the whole thing out of the ferrule. It’s just an absolutely poorly bundled and constructed brush head.

The state of the Large Powder Brush after two uses.

The reason I don’t recommend this with blush is because of the huge splay and inability to blend properly, so if I were to keep using this brush I would make a decision on whether to use it exclusively for bronzer or exclusively for powder so that I wouldn’t be mixing shades and need to clean off the color in-between uses.

With only light pressure, the splay becomes too wide for me to enjoy this with blush.

The one thing this brush has going for it is the fact that it’s impossible to be scratchy when using because applying pressure makes the bristles practically go flat, so I have no choice but to hold the brush further back on the handle in order to use it. For this reason, I find the best use for this brush would be all over face powder where blending isn’t needed as much and low product pick up is generally a good thing. This brush is recommended by Tarte to be used with loose powder anyway.
I think no one would be shocked to learn I have no intention of using this brush again.

We’re back to another scratchy brush. I guess it’s fitting since it’s basically just a larger version of the blending brush.

I like to apply highlighter as lightly as possible, so at least in this instance, I can use it in a way that keeps things soft. Because this doesn’t pick up much product, and I wouldn’t want to do much blending with it, it’s best with lightly pressed and more powdery highlighters. With thicker formulas or ones harder to pick up, I don’t feel like I get an even coating on my brush which makes for inconsistent application sometimes. The imprecision is a big issue for me since it makes the fact that I have highlighter on even more obvious and goes against the more natural look I try to create, so I will also not be using this brush again.

This is the only truly dense brush in the set and comically one of the most dense shader brushes I have in my collection, next to my other Tarte flat shader brush from the Make Believe In Yourself Magic Wands Brush Set (unicorn handles). It’s also not a bad brush. It picks up a decent amount of product that I’m able to not only pack on shadows with, but also line my eyes and add definition to the crease. If I clean off the brush and turn it on it’s side, I can also use windshield wiper motions to blend with it as well. It’s minimally scratchy (or at least the area I use this brush on isn’t as sensitive) so this is actually a brush I could see myself continuing to use. The only reason I likely won’t is because I still have my natural hair brushes I prefer. This brush would be perfect for spreading on cream shadows and on top of eyes that were prepped with glitter primer that I shouldn’t use with my natural hair brushes. The density makes it great for spreading on an even amount of eye shadow, but that density does prohibit building them up in a thicker layer.

This brush set is no longer for sale, but I went into this much detail because I want to express caution when it comes to Tarte brushes. They apparently are not all the same good quality that they used to be, so one has to be careful when choosing which to purchase.

Despite a few letdowns (mainly the brushes), I think my overall opinion of Tarte has risen. Most of the products are decent quality or better, so this is one of those brands I’ll keep my eye on, but only if the products are on sale. Speaking of sales, I believe Tarte’s Friends and Family sale is still going on at the time that I’m posting this. Shipping is free and code FAM30 will give a 30% off discount. I believe the code even applies to new releases and stacks on top of items already on sale.

That’s all I have for today. Thank you for reading!

-Lili ❤

Real Techniques Brushes: Original vs New

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I purchased the Real Techniques Everyday Essentials Kit at Ulta last November, which included all the new brushes I’m reviewing today, as well as RT’s classic shaped original Miracle Complexion Sponge. After the sale price and additional promo code discount, this $19.99 set went down to $9.64. I couldn’t pass that up! All of the handles of the original brushes have a soft touch rubbery portion that after many years eventually became sticky and impossible to fully clean off that stickiness. I welcomed the solid new handles of the current RT brushes, but I did not realize that the head shapes were all slightly different to their original counterparts. This set includes one brush I don’t have a match for, and I don’t have the new version to compare to some of my other old real techniques brushes, but I have tested these thoroughly to determine whether or not I can still consider Real Techniques a good drugstore option for brushes.

EXPERT FACE BRUSH

This brush is intended for foundation, but I’ve also used it for blushes and bronzers. When it comes to foundation, I haven’t noticed any differences between the performance of the two. Where they start to diverge is that the original brush offers more precision because the fibers are more compact. With powder products, this is perfectly fine, but liquids and creams are by nature easier to spread too high or low already, so with the new brush I tend to accidentally place blush too far down because of its larger circumference. Typically, blushes are less opaque than bronzers, so I load up my brush in an effort to not spend ages building up a cream/liquid blush. That’s how it’s so easy for this issue to occur for blush, but not bronzer. Since I just need a tap or two into the pan of my cream bronzer, there’s less product to spread out. With less product, I’m actually able to take advantage of the fluffier head of the current brush and really work it into the contours of my cheek to get an almost airbrushed blend. The bristles of the new brush are also noticeably softer, which makes it more enjoyable to use.

So, while the old brush does have a leg up in one aspect, my holy grail cream blush brush is the Sonia G Mini Base. This removes the only reason I’d keep the old brush over the new one, so the new one is staying in my collection!

BLUSH BRUSH

Early in my makeup journey, the original blush brush used to be my favorite. It was especially great for carefully building up pigmented blushes, since it was packed at a medium density but with such long bristles that the pressure was far lighter at the tips. As my collection grew and I was purchasing more fude that could accomplish similar or better results with the softer bristles, I stopped using it.

The original brush has wavier bristles and is narrower than the new version of the blush brush. I expected to find major differences in the performances of these brushes, but the end result of each brush looks exactly the same. The only difference is the new one is softer, so the new blush brush also wins.

SETTING BRUSH

The older brush isn’t as thick and the tips come more to a point, making the original shape better at getting into the inner corners, crevices, and fitting under the eye. This brush has been the only one I’ve used to set powder under my eyes ever since I bought it. I even have an original backup brush, so I am the most particular about not wanting this brush to change. I will say that the new brush being more round and fluffy does make me have to work harder to avoid getting powder accidentally swept too high and into my eyes. I also have to angle the brush a bit awkwardly to get into certain crevices of my eye area. Other than that, the new brush is okay. It’s 85% as good, but the older one was perfection with my eye shape. For that reason, I don’t think I’ll be able to let go of my original ones just yet.

CONCEALER BRUSH (Original) vs (New) CREASE BRUSH

These are two completely different brushes, but they can accomplish similar tasks. The concealer brush has rough plastic bristles to start with, but it at least is better about not holding as much concealer within the fibers. It’s also good at getting into the contours of my eye area. The crease brush excels at getting a smooth even application, so that makes it quicker to blend out liquid products. I prefer to use the new brush with eye primer and neither brush comes anywhere near topping my Sonia G Jumbo Concealer brush for concealer application. So, I could easily get rid of the old concealer brush and still keep the new one for priming my eyes.

Although, I was intially nervous to see the changes between the shapes of the old and new brushes from Real Techniques, the new ones still get the job done well. I’m happy to be able to still recommend them as affordable synthetic brush options.

That’s all for today! Thank you for reading! And speaking of synthetic brush options, I’m not sure how long it will last, but Smashbox Brushes are 50% off today and possibly stacks with an extra 15% off with promo code SPCSMASHBOX. Big thanks to TheBeautySteal who posted it in their IG stories.

-Lili ❤

March Purchases Reviewed: Dior, Colourpop, Vieve, Etc.

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This experiment examining my monthly purchases has been fascinating for me to see all grouped together. January was indie and high end. February was indie and drugstore. March has shaped up to be a little of everything! There’s no consistent pattern and that makes me wonder how the rest of the year will be. Will I purchase more things or less things? Will I have an entire month of products solidly within one price range? Is it possible for me to go an entire month without buying a single thing? We will see!

Makeup Geek Empty Magnetic Mega Palettes

It’s quite unfortunate that Makeup Geek Cosmetics is no more. I didn’t add this to my Beauty Resolutions post, but I’m unofficially on an empty magnetic palette no-buy, and have been for years. I have so many unused small ones (25-30 pan ones), or what I refer to as small compared to the Coloured Raine 96 pan palettes. They don’t resell well either, so I try to avoid getting them, but these plastic Mega Vault Palettes from Makeup Geek are such a better and sturdier quality than even Z-palettes (which are already better than other more affordable cardboard packaging alternatives). For this reason, I bought two additional ones at 40% off on Makeup Geek’s website. I suspected prices would be further reduced in April, but I didn’t want to take the chance of these selling out. It’s a good thing I did because they were out of stock within a few weeks.

Wayne Goss The Luxury Eye Palette in Imperial Topaz

Between the Beautylish Lucky Bags and Wayne Goss Lucky Bags, I knew there would be plenty of untouched or only swatched palettes available on Mercari. I’ve wanted to try Wayne Goss’ eye shadows since the beginning, but I couldn’t bring myself to pay full price for six neutral shadows. So, for almost half off, I was finally able to see if playing the long game was worth it.

I didn’t have faith that these shadows would be worth full price, and it’s still not unless at least 4 of the 6 colors are someone’s style, but this really is a high quality formula! Well, the black shade is an exception but the rest are fantastic. Shades #1, #2, and #4 are satins, #6 is a topper type of glittery shimmer, shade #5 is a texturally soft matte, #3 is a very dry and stiff matte. What makes the difference between the mattes is the lack of stearates (which can account for the softness of the texture) and zea mays (oil absorbing but silky feel) missing from the black shadow that were included in the medium matte brown.

The satin shades can be used in the crease in place of a matte, but I have to be careful using #1 anywhere beyond highlighting spots because it’s so light and #2 is practically my skin tone, so it doesn’t show very much beyond adding a sheen to the area. I also wish #5 was a little deeper. I thought I would be able to mix #5 and #3, but #3 is so stiff that it doesn’t mix well with others. It reminds me of the black shade in the Hindash Beautopsy palette in the sense that it looks like it’s going to give a lot of pigment when it first touches the skin, but it’s a buildable formula that requires multiple layers to get something dark and dramatic. I appreciate that this type of shadow is perfect for smokey eye looks, but I’m able to get that effect from Hindash’s palette twice as fast and I consider that a little slow to use!

These shadows have fantastic longevity with very minimal creasing. I was impressed to discover #1 can cling to my inner corner when a lot of other shadows don’t by the end of the day from all the times my eyes get watery or I rub them. #6 also impressed me because I don’t get glitter specks on my cheeks either throughout the day. The glitter is spaced out when applied to the eye, but I can make it look less like a topper if I apply it wet.

Imperial Topaz is supposed to be that go-to palette for everyday quick and easy looks. However, they aren’t the perfect tones and depths for me, the scattered glitter effect from the nicknamed “celestial” shade isn’t my preference, soft satins are generally not my preference anymore either, and the black shadow takes effort to use. So, it’s not possible for this to be an effortless essential palette for me. I can still make nice looks with it, but it wouldn’t be worth me paying $55 for it, and I say that as someone who is willing to spend more than that on a palette if it’s nearly perfect for me. In my opinion, this palette should be $45.

As for those who love satins, celestial shades, creating soft looks and/or glam looks, is of a different skin tone in which #2 could work as a transition shade and #5 could add dimension, I can completely see how this would be an ideal neutral palette for someone. The perfect palette even. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case for me, but I am still going to continue to stalk Wayne Goss launches in the hopes that one day he’ll release my ideal eyeshadow palette! The Tourmaline palette almost got me, but not quite!
This palette takes the third spot in my 24 max goal.

I realize I’ve forgotten to mention something that will only be important to some people, but I will include this note now. Whenever I purchase the first product from someone who is a celebrity, influencer, or public figure, I always disclose my thoughts on them for those who may be worried about whether my review is clouded by personal feelings positively or negatively. When it comes to Wayne Goss, even though I am subscribed to him on YouTube, I only watch 5% of his videos, so I sometimes forget he is technically an influencer. I’ve always put him in the box of Makeup Artist/Industry Professional, which most people typically don’t have parasocial ties to, and therefore wouldn’t need disclosing. So, for full disclosure now, I used to be a big fan of his and that is what got me to first start buying his brushes in 2015. His products were the reason I placed my first Beautylish order. At some point I lost interest in his videos because the reviews are always glowing since he almost never reviews products he doesn’t like, so at that point I stopped thinking of him as an influencer and instead as a brand owner and professional. Certainly, by this point, my opinion of him is neutral.

Dior Forever Couture Luminizer in Golden Glow 04

Well, I said I would eventually get a Dior highlighter in my Beauty Resolutions and here it is! All the luxury beauty channels I watch say that Dior makes the best highlighters, so I’ve wanted this since it launched. I was planning to buy it during any retailer’s 20% off sale, but I happened to find an untouched one on Mercari at a significant discount, so I snapped it up! I just did not want to pay full price for a formula I’ve never tried before and that I honestly didn’t think would live up to the hype.

I didn’t think of the implications when Angela van Rose mentioned that the base color doesn’t show very much in this highlighter. There wouldn’t have been an issue for me if the color in the pan was the tone of the shimmer, but since the base is almost transparent on the skin, I’m left with the actual color of the shimmer which is a bit too light for me. I love how the highlighter melts into the skin. I love how fine the shimmer particles are and how it gives a glassy wet-skin glow to my face. However, I can only get away with wearing it if I take my time to really blend it onto my cheekbones and even then, I’m not sure how successfully I pull it off. The best results I can get (pictured above) is with the Smashbox Precise Highlighting Brush which somehow picks up more of the powder and deposits less of the shimmer onto my cheekbones. If I want to continue using this, I could try to pair it with one of my darker highlighters.

In terms of longevity, this lasts all day without the shine dulling down. It’s absolutely beautiful. I just wish it was a little darker. There are six different colors in the range, but I’m not convinced 05 Rosewood would be any better on me and 06 Coral Glow is supposed to be similar to Pat Mcgrath’s Divine Rose, which I already own. So, I don’t plan on purchasing another one. As for the full retail price, I would say it’s not quite worth $48, but I bought PML’s Lunar Nude at the reduced price of $45, and this highlighter is better than that one. So, if Dior did release a similar formula of highlighter with a gold shade that would work better for me (something like Becca’s Topaz), there’s a good chance I would buy it and possibly at full price.

Also, I didn’t realize this had a scent until I was watching other videos to compare the different shades and someone mentioned it. I checked and can confirm mine does have it too, but I had to put it right up to my nose to detect it. It’s the same fragrance as my Dior Powder No Powder, so I guess it’s the brand’s signature scent for powder products.

Colourpop Super Shock Blushes in Chamomile and Sounds Grape

These purchases, combined with last month’s heart shaped blush, put a big dent in my goal of ending the year with under 15 blushes. Plus, Colourpop is not even on my blush exceptions list! The review for the Super Shock formula of blushes (with some highlighters snuck in) can be found here.

Chamomile is as pretty of a color in person as it looks online, but Sounds Grape is so much darker than I expected!

If I use a heavy amount, it looks similar to the shade Cheerio, so I have to be careful with this one and apply lightly. If I only use a little bit, the look I get is exactly as I hoped and is beautiful. I have no regrets buying these two blushes!

Colourpop Super Shock Highlighters in Flute Punch and Got Glow

Flute Punch was part of my official Colourpop order in March. I bought it so I could have a lighter version of Champagne BB that I enjoyed in February. Both were from the Feelin’ Bubbly Collection, but for some reason, I got Flute Punch in the basic permanent Super Shock packaging and not the special edition one. Colourpop Super Shock Cheeks in the highlighter formula weren’t on my exceptions list because as much as I love them, I wanted to not purchase anymore so I could use up what I have. I caved when I bought these and that was very naughty of me. As for Got Glow, the Colourpop x Avatar the Last Airbender collab, I purchased it from Ulta. I thought the color was beautiful and I wanted to try the tie-dye formula. When the Avatar Collection was released a week after my order, I regretted not waiting for something else I wanted, as this could have been the last item in my official Colourpop order instead of needing a “filler” item. The fact that it was available at Ulta, so I could add it to my order without needing to pay for shipping or meeting the price minimum was why I happily broke my rules and bought it.

The line on my cheek near my ear in the Flute Punch photo is from wearing a mask, not the cheek products.

Colourpop Pretty Fresh Face Powder in Dark 18

Because I had a 25% off coupon that would mean the difference between saving a few bucks after having to pay for shipping or spending a few extra dollars after hitting the free shipping minimum, I decided to add this as a “filler” for my order. The only other items that interested me at the time was a hair accessory or additional blushes and highlighters, which I did not want to add to my yearly tally. So, even though I’m on a definite powder no-buy, I decided to try this one as my first complexion product from Colourpop.

According to the website, this powder can be used on its own as a foundation or as a setting powder. I accidentally chose a shade slightly lighter than my skintone, but when I used this with my natural hair brushes, I get such a thin layer of product that it just blends in and may as well be translucent. As to be expected, I get a lot more coverage if I use the extremely thin powder puff that came with it. The slightly off shade still isn’t noticeable with the puff anywhere except the areas of my face where I have darker discoloration. So, this is only a problem if I’m trying to wear this product on a bare face. There are no issues when I’ve used concealer over my hyperpigmentation and then applied the powder afterwards. After looking at a few videos and seeing shades 19 and 20, I don’t believe there is a shade in the line that would suit me for foundation purposes. So, I will not be trying to get an additional shade.

I like the softness of the powder’s texture, how it helps to even out my skin tone, and it sets my makeup in place. It even works as a setting powder for my under eyes and adds a little extra coverage and brightening if I apply it towards the end of the day if my concealer is starting to fade. I’m pretty happy with this product! The result I get with this is like a less expensive version of MAC’s Mineralize Skinfinish Natural.

Tarte Shape Tape (Original) in Deep Golden

In my Beauty Resolutions, I mentioned that this was one of the rare times I would allow myself to have a backup product. I got it for 50% off during Ulta’s 21 Days of Beauty. I’ve discussed this concealer in so many different posts on this blog. The only thing special about this one is that it’s yet another shade in the same Deep 53 range, but in a different undertone that looks like it will be better for me than Deep. As I’m trying to use up my other concealers, I don’t plan on opening this one anytime soon in order to keep it fresh until I’m ready for it.

Also, I just wanted to show Tarte’s packaging change between the purple box to a clear plastic one.

Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner in Intense Black

This was another Ulta 21 Days of Beauty purchase. It’s a backup item, but I mentioned this was a possible purchase in my Beauty Resolutions and Hyped Drugstore Products posts. This is a long time holy grail eyeliner, so I’ve discussed it plenty of times on my blog.

Covergirl TruBlend So Flushed High Pigment Bronzer in Ebony

Since I got free shipping from buying a Beauty Steal (Shape Tape), and I had some funds left on my gift card, I added this to my order. In my post about Drugstore Items Worth The Hype, I discussed how much I enjoyed the Sweet Seductions blush from this range and wanted to try the bronzer. This is still a breach of my beauty resolutions because Covergirl is not on my list of no-buy exceptions, but I have no regrets because this is such a great bronzer! The way that it is similar to the blush is that it’s very blendable, but rather than shimmery, it adds a pretty sheen to the skin.

If I use a dense brush, I don’t have to build it up as much. The Ebony shade is perfect for my skintone as a true bronzer, rather than all the brontours I’ve been using lately. It’s only a few shades darker, so I don’t get a ton of sculpting with it unless I really build it up, but it matches my undertone so well in providing a very natural looking warmth. I highly recommend it and can easily say it’s my favorite bronzer available at the drugstore as it truly rivals some high end formulas.

The partial indent on my cheek is from wearing a mask.

Olivia Palermo Beauty Eyeshadow Palette in Regalia