Welcome, lovers of Japanese makeup 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. 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.

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EIHODO

Eihodo NO.324 Eyeshadow Brush L [Outlet]

• Full Length: 135mm / 5.35 in
• Hair Length: 10mm / 0.4 in
• Hair Width: *9mm / 0.35 in
• Bristle Type: Saikoho Goat

I don’t own the Chikuhodo T-12, but this brush reminded me of that one based on the T-12 photos. I purchased this mainly for the great price, the sleek look to it, and to see how it compares to my favorite packing brushes.

It’s great for picking up eyeshadow and packing it on, but the bristles come to a thin taper towards the tips and the longest hairs bend quite a bit while I’m applying the product onto my eye area. So, it’s not as comfortable on my eyes when I use this brush because I can feel the dragging of it across my lids. It still gets the job done, but I’ve come to realize I prefer thicker brushes of this type.

This brush cost 1560 YEN and is available HERE.

Eihodo NO.390 P0wder Brush [Outlet]

• Full Length: 160mm / 6.3 in
• Hair Length: 47mm / 1.85 in
• Hair Width: *36mm / 1.42 in
• Bristle Type: Gray Squirrel

I wanted this brush badly because of how much it reminded me of the Chikuhodo Z-1, which costs practically 10,000 YEN more than what I paid for this outlet brush! Based on the website photo, I expected them to look a bit more different, but they’re not! What a happy surprise! The hair feels the same. They’re practically the same lengths for the heads, ferrule, and handles. The only difference I can detect is that there’s more hair bundled in my Z-1. The Z-1 is slightly more dense and the No.390 bends a little more while using it and covers a slightly smaller surface area. I feel perfectly content with that!

The soft silky bristles, gentle pickup of product, and wispy nature of this brush makes it great for applying a thin layer of face powder and a sheer application of bronzer. Sweeping gestures and circular buffing motions both feel natural with this brush. Because of the generally large size and wide splay area, if someone wants to use this brush with blush, I recommend holding the brush further back on the handles in order to apply less pressure. Doing that allows one to maintain a bit more precision for blush application, but this one is best suited for light applications of face powder and bronzer.

I paid 9900 YEN for this brush, so I don’t know when there will be another deal quite like it. However, the link for it can be found HERE.

Eihodo NO.400 Powder Brush [Outlet]

• Full Length: 150mm / 5.9 in
• Hair Length: 50mm / 1.97 in
• Hair Width: *40mm / 1.57 in
• Bristle Type: Saikoho Goat

This brush is so unexpectedly soft and plush feeling! I love the ferrule color chosen for this, which reminds me of the Chikuhodo MK-KO. Per usual with the outlet brushes from CDJapan, I can’t find any flaws.

The brush is ovular shaped, not perfectly round. The head tapers to a smaller point so that I can apply bronzer to the perimeter of my face with the tips using short sweeping strokes. However, when I’m using it to apply face powder, I press it down parallel to the pan so that product gets covered on one side, and then I use sweeping motions across the face. This brush has such a wide splay that I lose a bit of control of the placement if I try circular buffing around smaller areas. That’s why I still end up using sweeping or pouncing motions so that the hair moves in the same direction and it gives that soft cushioned feel while I’m applying product. Because I have my favorite powder bronzer brushes already, I use it as intended as an all-over face powder brush. It feels very airy, but it can pick up a sizeable amount of product, so I wouldn’t say this is for someone who wants the barest veil of powder (like someone could get from a squirrel brush). This gives medium pressure buffing and the amount of hair in this brush makes it feel a little more dense and tighter packed than it feels on the skin in practice.

This brush was absolutely worth the 6600 YEN I paid and was available HERE. Sometimes they restock sold out outlet brushes. Sometimes Eihodo puts the same brush heads on a different color ferrule and/or handle, so I hope anyone interested in this brush will still be able to get their hands on it somehow. It’s very nice!

Eihodo NO.446 Blush Brush [Outlet]

• Full Length: 143mm / 5.63 in
• Hair Length: 40mm / 1.47 in
• Hair Width: *30mm / 1.18 in
• Bristle Type: Gray Squirrel / Goat Sokoho

I actually forgot this brush had mixed hair because mine feels fully squirrel-filled.
This brush is lightly packed and that aspect, combined with the chosen hair length and low to medium amount of pickup, aids in giving sheer washes of product. It’s useful to ensure that pigmented powders won’t be overapplied and can be built up slowly. It’s also best to use it with loose powders or ones that aren’t hard pressed. For my preferences, I only find this brush convenient to use with blush since it’s too small to satisfy me as a powder brush and gives too light of an application with my most used bronzers.

I paid 3700 YEN for this brush and it was available HERE.

Eihodo No. 844 Powder Brush [Outlet]

• Full Length: 140mm / 5.5 in
• Hair Length: 53mm / 2.09 in
• Hair Width: *38mm / 1.5 in
• Bristle Type: Gray Squirrel / Goat Sokoho

This has one of the most uniquely shaped brush heads in my collection. From the base to the tip, the widest part is about three quarts of the way up, on one side, before forming a rounded top. The other side is widest at around the halfway point and then angles gently, getting smaller toward the top. When I pick up product along the angled side, the majority of product collects lower down and has less product in the tip area. In the demonstration photo below, I purposely rubbed my brush vigorously into the powder in order to show how heavily it can get coated in one particular spot, whereas there’s a light application’s worth on the longest section.

I make sure to start wherever I want powder to be applied most concentrated and press that part of the brush to my skin and then drag the brush along that angle in long sweeps. Because this brush is not dense, I get an airy looking application. I can use this with pigmented bronzers to apply product lightly. I can use this to build up blush. However, I’ve been using it mostly to apply face powder for products that need to be set down. The sokoho hair within this brush is good for that, though it might be tough on the grey squirrel strands long term. It’s a risk I’m willing to take since it wasn’t expensive and I enjoy the softness of this brush.

I paid 4,620 YEN and purchased it HERE.

CHIKUHODO

Chikuhodo T-6 Eye Shadow L

• Full Length: 138mm / 5.43 in
• Hair Length: 23mm / 0.9 in
• Hair Width: 9mm / 0.35 in
• Bristle Type: Saikoho

This brush is huge for eyeshadow use! The bristles are longer than most brushes I see in this shape (as long or even longer than many fluffy crease blending brushes). It’s also wider too, making it too imprecise for my liking. Someone can use it to quickly cover the eye area for a one-and-done eyeshadow look. However, I actually bought it to use with highlighters! I wanted a brush that could pick up even hard pressed powder highlighters, and small enough to fit into products with multiple colors next to each other without mixing into other shades (such as the Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Multi-glow highlighter). Even though it’s a bit imprecise for my eye area, it’s small enough that I can control highlighter placement. So, I’ve been enjoying this brush for that purpose. I still don’t use it more than my holy grail Bisyodo CH-HC brush, but it’s still useful for the second purpose: nose contour. It works perfectly for the sides of my nose, though it’s a bit wide for the bulbous part of my nose (the tip). I just have to put more effort to use the brush carefully there, so it gets the job done. Essentially, this brush is a temporary replacement when my favorites for highlighter or nose contour need to be cleaned. So, it gets a decent amount of use in my collection, just in shorter stints.

I paid 3800 YEN for it, and it’s available HERE.

KOYUDO

Koyudo Makie Gray Squirrel Powder Cherry Blossom Red

• Full Length: 140mm / 5.5 in
• Hair Length: 50mm / 1.97 in
• Hair Width: *47mm / 1.85 in
• Bristle Type: Gray Squirrel

I have only ever used this brush for face powder purposes because it’s the most expensive (at full retail price) brush I own and I don’t want to risk damaging it from rough usage. This is a brush I coveted for so long because it was always out of my price range, so I immediately jumped when it became available during CDJapan’s brush sale at the end of 2022. I didn’t even want to use it to set wet products, so it became a finishing brush for me just long enough to test out, and then it returned to being just a collector’s piece.

The hair feels super silky. There’s enough hair to understand it being expensive (though I believe the majority of that is for the maki-e handle), but it’s not as full as I expected or hoped. It’s not dense. It has a light airy feeling to it and is luxurious when used across the skin. In my opinion, this is an “experience” and “for show” brush more than an everyday one for practical usage. That’s just my opinion considering how delicate the hairs are and my makeup needs. I’m absolutely happy to own it, but I could never recommend it, except to those for whom price is no issue.

I paid 18,000 YEN for this brush that was regularly sold at 30,000 YEN and was available HERE. On rare occasions, this brush comes back in stock in limited quantities, so I don’t know when or if it will return.

Koyudo Saikoho 3D Powder Brush Black Gradation Ver. Black [No Logo]

• Full Length: 130-136mm / 5.12-5.35 in
• Hair Length: 45-51mm / 1.77-2 in
• Hair Width: *43mm / 1.69 in
• Bristle Type: Saikoho Goat

I “blame” Tina for wanting this brush. I prefer long handles, so this hadn’t appealed to me prior to seeing her video. When the brand released the gorgeous dyed tips versions, I had to get it! The hair on this brush is so soft. It’s a huge version of cat-paw shaped brushes, which I tend to like. I love the way the contours of this brush hugs my face when applying powder. It can be used to set the face, but I typically use it as a finishing powder brush to smooth everything out.

As a 3D brush, there are zones A, B, and C that they say this brush can be utilized (photos are on the website). I can use smaller 3D brushes to apply highlighter from zone C and bronzer or contour with zone A and blush along the unmarked slanted edge between A and C. For a brush this large though, I agree with being able to use zone A for bronzer and contour but I personally have not tried it. Also, I haven’t ever used zone B no matter what size the brush was. It just doesn’t come naturally to me to think to use that section.

Because this brush is considered precious to me, and I did not want to travel with all my most precious brushes at one time in case my luggage got lost, I left this one behind. I was more prone to leaving powder brushes behind since I use them less often than other styles since I have dry skin and don’t always powder my face. However, I can attest to missing it sorely! If it ever comes back in stock, I recommend getting it!

I paid 5950 YEN for it. The link for it was HERE. The non-outlet version for 8000 YEN was HERE.

Koyudo Blush Brush [No Logo]

• Full Length: 155mm / 6.1 in
• Hair Length: 40mm / 1.57 in
• Hair Width: *30mm / 1.18 in
• Bristle Type: Gray Squirrel and Goat

The hair blend reminded me instantly of Koyudo’s discontinued Premium Series, which I was unable to ever purchase, so that prompted me to want to buy this one. It is such a beautiful brush with the shiny lacquer black handles. I believe the labeled version of this brush is called the Koyudo Monochrome Cheek Brush and came in black and white handle versions via the Fude Beauty website. I’m not sure why CDJapan only had unlabeled ones (that still came in a black Koyudo box), especially for the same price as the ones from Fude Beauty. In any case, I still preferred being able to buy this beauty from CDJapan because of points I had accumulated there.

When I posted this brush on Instagram, I was asked how it compares to Hakuhodo’s mix of Gray Squirrel and Goat. Hakuhodo’s mix feels softer because I believe the quality of their goat hair is higher than what Koyudo used. However, I am still very happy with this brush’s softness level. It can be used for bronzer around the perimeters of the face, but I prefer using this mostly for applying and buffing blush. If I need to buff a less blendable bronzer (ones that aren’t within my top 20), then this brush is extra useful for that as well. It has strength from the goat and picks up a nice amount of product, but diffuses beautifully. That’s why I like it with blush as well, for managing to produce a semi-airy effect considering it’s not bundled in an airy fashion. It starts off with a medium application of product rather than light or sheer, while maintaining the look of being well blended. This also makes a fantastic finishing powder buffer brush for someone who prefers a large (but not jumbo), controlled shape.

Owning this brush is like having a backup Sonia G Master Face brush, only softer with slightly longer hair, a wider splay, and a little less dense.

I love ball/pom shaped brushes. These two are a few of the larger sized ones in my collection. I grew to like the Master Face over time, but I like this one from Koyudo even more. Besides the aspects that I like more, factoring in the increased price for the Master Face, it makes it easier to recommend this one over Sonia’s (which is a rare thing for me to say).

This brush restocked a few times, so it’s possible it could come back. I paid 13,300 YEN for it from HERE. At the time that I’m posting this, it’s out of stock at other retailers too.

Koyudo Blush Brush Black Flat Handle [Outlet, No Logo]

• Full Length: 165mm / 6.5 in
• Hair Length: 50mm / 2 in
• Hair Width: *44mm / 1.73 in
• Bristle Type: Gray Squirrel/Goat

This brush is so fantastic and I loved it so much that I ended up purchasing two more to gift to loved ones. It feels wonderful to the touch and across the skin. The goat gives the brush a little resistance, making it great to pick up some firmer pressed products. It’s a medium density brush that despite having such long hairs isn’t floppy. It’s not a workhorse brush, but it blends very well during the application process. It’s a good middle ground between softness of squirrel, with only slightly less silky feeling hair and pickup power capabilities of goat. I love that they added these angled tips on both sides for a more pigmented approach to a powder brush.

It’s great for powder foundation (not that I use powder foundation very often), setting and especially finishing powder, bronzer/contour, and blush. With blush application, I use it a little more carefully due to the width since the angled edge prevents me from needing to worry about it getting dragged down too far. I can sweep on the perfect amount of blush I want. For bronzer, I mentioned in the Sonia G section that I have my top two favorites. This is another brush I love for bronzing purposes, but I do admittedly own some that I like for that better. This is beloved as a finishing powder brush and one that I also wish I had taken with me. Even though I prefer it to some of my more expensive finishing powder brushes, I simply couldn’t take everything with me when I moved. So, I will be happy to be reunited with this brush when I return to the US for a visit.

I paid 6400 YEN, which was absolutely well worth the price, and I’d have been willing to pay the full 8000 YEN for it HERE.

Koyudo BP019 Blush Brush [Outlet]

• Full Length: 162mm / 6.4 in
• Hair Length: 37mm / 1.46 in
• Hair Width: *34mm / 1.34 in
• Bristle Type: Sokoho

This is a classic brush from Koyudo’s discontinued line that I was shocked to see return to the website, even as an outlet brush. I felt compelled to get it because of the unique head shape. It doesn’t say it on the outlet page, but this is one of Koyudo’s “3D series” brushes. It’s listed as being intended for blush, which it’s absolutely well suited for, but it can apply highlighter using the tips. It also makes an interesting bronzer and contour brush when product is picked up along that angled slant. Shape-wise, this brush is fantastic. The only downside is that it’s made with Sokoho hair. Brands like Eihodo and Bisyodo have much softer Sokoho that I can tolerate, but Koyudo’s is too scratchy for me on the face, even though it doesn’t feel like it would be by just touching the tips of the brush.

I don’t know how often I will use this brush, now that the review is completed. I paid 4104 YEN for it from CDJapan. If this ever returns with saikoho hair though, I will absolutely buy one. Anything with the 3D description from Koyudo has my interest, especially if it’s made with a soft hair type like the Saikoho 3D Powder Brush Black Gradation brush.

BISYODO

Bisyodo B-ES-08 Eye Shadow Brush

• Full Length: 133mm / 5.24 in
• Hair Length: 4mm / 0.16 in
• Hair Width: *3mm / 0.12 in
• Bristle Type: Tamage
• Handle: African Rose Wood
• Ferrule: 24KG

This is more of a liner brush, than for eyeshadow, because it’s so tiny! While it gets the job done, I discovered that I prefer more traditionally shaped liner brushes that are thin (and especially if they have an angled edge). Because this is roundly shaped, I end up stamping and slightly dragging the product in short strokes rather than using longer strokes that I can get from a thin flat brush. The hair feels soft to the touch, but it’s firmly bundled with not much movement. The website states that one could use this to darken the outer V, but it’s too small and too firm for my liking. I don’t like how it feels while trying to apply it that way.

What I found this brush to be most useful for is applying shimmers to my inner corner, highlighting under my brow arch, and stamping on color to a specific spot. When I was considering spicing up my wedding makeup look with the tiniest dot of a multichrome eyeshadow in the center of my upper and lower lash lines, this was the smallest size of brush I could use. So, even though I rarely need a brush like this, it can do what no other brush can. That makes it still worth having in my collection.

I paid 3300 YEN for this and it’s available HERE.

B-ES-10 Eyeshadow brush (multi)

• Full Length: 140mm / 5.5 in
• Hair Length: 10mm / 0.39 in
• Hair Width x Thickness: 8.2 x 4.5mm/ 0.32 x 0.18 in
• Bristle Type: Pine Squirrel, Raccoon
• Handle: African Rose Wood (Bubinga)
• Ferrule: 24KG Plated Brass

This brush is an interesting combination of softness from the pine squirrel and added springiness from the raccoon. The hair is firmest in the center and fluffier around the shorter edges where the tips only reach the middle.

This looks like a standard shaped packing brush, just small in size and slightly fluffy. However, when turned to the side, one can see that the middle is the widest part before the hairs taper to a point. This means it doesn’t pick up as much product as I expected, just on the tips which isn’t that much surface area. It’s good for lightly picking up and blending eyeshadow in one spot, but it’s too small to work across larger zones, like the crease for instance. So, instead, it’s nice to use for deepening and blending out shadows in the outer corner. It’s also good for blending different shades next to each other for a seamless ombre look.

I paid 4000 YEN for this brush and it’s available HERE.

Bisyodo B-ES-11 Eyeshadow Brush (Triangle)

• Full Length: 149mm / 5.87 in
• Hair Length: 18mm / 0.71 in
• Hair Width x Thickness: 12.3 x 6mm/ 0.48 x 0.24 in
• Bristle Type: Fox, Raccoon
• Handle: African Rose Wood (Bubinga)
• Ferrule: 24KG Plated Brass

This brush is good for laying down both mattes and shimmers since it has a nice grip on product. It blends out color well for those with larger eye space, is good for applying crease eyeshadow from the tips or when the brush is used turned on its side. It can also be used for targeted highlighting and nose contouring. The point formed by the tips and firmness of the bristles allow me to apply shimmer to my inner corners without needing to switch to a smaller brush. It’s a soft brush, but the tanuki hair might be too abrasive for people with super sensitive eyes. However, it’s still softer Kolinsky, so I don’t think most people will have issues. My brushes closest to this shape are better for building up color gradually, so it’s nice to have an option that’ll pick up firmer pressed products and deposit it more heavily if I want to build eyeshadow quicker.

Because of the pointed tip, it reminds me of the Mizuho MB120, but this brush is much firmer and applies product more precisely and more concentrated.

I paid 6500 YEN for it at the time (the prices will increase in October 2024) and it’s available HERE.

MIZUHO

Mizuho MB120 Large Eye Shadow Brush

• Full Length: 146mm / 5.75 in
• Hair Length: 20mm / 0.79 in
• Hair Width: 6mm / 0.24 in
• Bristle Type: Pine Squirrel

This is another one-eyeshadow style brush, but even with the pointy tip, I can’t easily get into my inner corners precisely enough. It’s great for picking up matte eyeshadow, but picking up shimmers applies too little to my eye at a time for my taste. It’s better suited for someone who likes a thin veil of shimmer or using topper shimmer eyeshadows. I’ve used this for nose contour and like that I can turn it on the side for creating a little sharpness in terms of applying a thin more concentrated line (medium application) than applying with the flat of the brush that gives a light-medium layer of product. It’s the right amount for blended contour and not an actual opaque line.

This brush reminded me of the Houkodou GS-1 for its size, but it’s not as soft and the GS-1 is better at both applying and blending eyeshadow.

I paid 3500 YEN for this brush and it’s available HERE.

SONIA G

A video of the bristles’ thickness, shape, and so on of the Jumbo Bronzer brush first and then the Smooth Buffer brush after can be found on my Instagram page HERE.

Sonia G Jumbo Bronzer

• Full Length: *185mm / 7.3 in
• Hair Length: 47mm / 1.85 in
• Hair Width: *58mm / 2.3 in
• Bristle Type: Dyed Saikoho Goat

I very much appreciate the fact that Sonia was transparent about the bristles of this brush being very soft, but a little less silky than her other saikoho brushes. She cited, “The softness of this saikoho is not going to be super silky because the quality of saikoho with that specific length of bristles has decreased since 10 years ago, while the cost has very much skyrocketed.” To me, this brush is just as good anyway. In fact, from September 2022 until October 2023, it became my favorite brush to use with powder bronzers. After that point, a new brush came into the picture, but they’re tied for first place. I love them both.

This brush is stellar because it’s soft on the skin and holds firm while working in the product, but it has such a gentle splay that it makes things look airbrushed. For such a big brush, the shape of it allows me to get around the edges of my face with more precision than one would expect. It’s a brush for someone who wants to build up bronzer and not have a concentrated application, but wants it applied to a large area so it won’t take as long to do the full face. Basically, it’s perfect for someone like me who doesn’t want a sharp edge (no detectable lines or stripes) without putting in that much time or effort into blending.

Although I only ever use this brush with bronzer, the softness on the skin and overall shape makes this a great finishing face powder brush as well, to blend everything together.

The comparison photo on the left is of the Chikuhodo FO-9, one of my biggest face brushes. These are similar in size, but the Jumbo Bronzer brush is denser and therefore feels firmer as it glides across the skin. The FO-9 is my main finishing powder brush of choice (when not using the Dior Powder No-Powder), so that’s why the Jumbo Bronzer is one of my two main powder bronzer brushes.
The photo on the right is a comparison of this brush with the Sonia G Cheek Pro. That is one of my favorite brushes, so it makes even more sense why I love this brush too, considering it’s basically a gigantic version of that one. Although I use the Cheek Pro exclusively for blushes, there have been a few times I’ve used it with bronzer when the others needed to be cleaned.

Sonia G Smooth Buffer

• Full Length: 166mm / 6.53 in
• Hair Length: 26mm / 1.02 in
• Hair Width: *38mm / 1.5 in
• Bristle Type: Dyed Saikoho Goat

As much as I love the Jumbo Bronzer brush, it’s too big for some of my products. For instance, I can’t use that brush with my Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Palettes that have highlighters and blushes next to the bronzers. That’s where this brush comes into the picture. The surface area of this brush is still big, to the point where I still have to be careful how I angle it when I use it with the Hourglass palettes, but at least it works. It picks up a good amount of product and buffs well. The outer edge of hair within the brush isn’t as tightly packed as the core, so that can help with achieving a dispersed airier finish despite there not being as much bending or splaying while being buffed in. So, it has the buffing power of a firm brush while giving close to airbrushed results on the face, and packing on quite a bit of pigment at the same time. This cuts down the time I have to spend building up sheer or lightly pigmented products. For that reason, I like using this brush with blushes just as much as bronzer. For bronzer, I tend to use long swiping/sweeping motions around the perimeter, but with blushes I pounce it on or buff in circular motions. Both techniques work just as well.

For comparison purposes, the Chikuhodo FO-2 is denser, has shorter hair, and a smaller surface area. For quite a while now, I started using that brush exclusively for the Dior Powder No-Powder. So, the Smooth Buffer has become my flat-top brush of choice instead. I could use it to buff face powder as well, but my preference for face setting powder is a large airy brush since my dry skin doesn’t need more than a thin layer of product, if at all. With finishing powders, I can apply them a little heavier, but I still don’t prefer to use this brush for that.

I have to add that if you have sensitive skin, even though this brush has saikoho hair, it can feel a little more abrasive than other Sonia G face brushes. Perhaps it’s due to the “newer” long hair quality or the general nature of flat-top brushes with added pressure. Maybe it’s even a combination of both. I bought my brush in October 2022, so it didn’t come from the original stock that was launched in 2020. That being said, I started to notice the occasional poking feeling (it’s not every time, mostly just when I’m in a rush and buffing roughly) around four months ago. So, it’s also possible a few tips on my brush have snapped from admittedly hard use over time. I can’t feel anything but softness when I rub my fingers across the surface of the tips. It’s only when it’s on my actual cheek that I can feel it sometimes.

Sonia G Fusion Eye Jumbo Worker

• Full Length: 155mm / 6.1 in
• Hair Length: 20mm / 0.79 in
• Hair Width: *20mm / 0.79 in
• Bristle Type: goat and synthetic

I’ve used this for concealer, but it’s a bit large for that and looser than my beloved Sonia G Jumbo Concealer brush. More specifically, it’s dense due to how many bristles are bundled together, but it splays a lot more around the outsides. This brush will not be replacing it.

I’ve used this to set powder under my eyes. The Real Techniques Setting Brush has been my ultimate choice for that purpose for so many years now. This might be my next favorite (after the Real Techniques Brightening Concealer/Kitten Paw Brush), as it feels super soft and plush under the eyes, but the extra density (medium versus light) helps to further press the powder into the skin.

I’ve used it to blend out the Charlotte Tilbury Unreal Skin Tint that I use as if it’s a cream highlighter. It works, but I prefer other brushes because this one takes longer to blend the edges. It’s much easier using this brush with powder highlighter, such as the Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Multi-Glow Highlighter.

When it comes to cream bronzer use, I prefer the Sonia G Mini Base over this one because the Jumbo Worker doesn’t pick up nor deposit as much to the face. Considering it’s smaller than my holy grail cream bronzer brush (Patrick Ta’s Contour 1 Brush), it takes too much time to build up what I can get from the PT brush in the first pass around the face. With the Mini Base, it’s useful for when I’m looking for a pigmented yet softer looking application instead of a sharper one, whereas the Jumbo Worker is too gentle.

Where the Jumbo Worker has the advantage is with blushes. I didn’t think it could top the Mini Base, which I have loved for cream and liquid blushes since early 2021. However, I think the Jumbo Worker might be doing that! The Mini Base gives maximum color payoff that can be smoothed and blended out to a sheerer more natural look. The Jumbo Worker gives less color, but still a good amount, that allows for more control in actually building it up. The finished result is a smooth seamless blend onto the cheeks, and quite fast considering it’s tiny for a blush brush! For lighter colors, I would still reach for the Mini Base, but with darker or more pigmented liquid and cream blushes, I would use the Jumbo Worker. Another example is that when I’ve used the limited edition shade Rust from Glossier’s Cloud Paints, the mini tube squeezes out too much product and I end up having to wipe some away or I end up with a heavier application of it with the Mini Base. With the Jumbo Worker though, it’s perfect. It took some of the excess away and left me with a look that was so natural, exactly as I wanted! This brush also has the advantage of applying powder blush beautifully as well, but I don’t like using the Mini Base with powder. I think it’s due to the Jumbo Worker’s shape having more of a splay with diffuses the powder a lot better.

I admittedly have not tried to use this brush with foundation, even though Sonia G has mentioned that it’s a possibility with this brush. I’m too impatient and prefer large base brushes. And even though I knew I wouldn’t like it, I had to test this with liquid eyeshadow, since this is technically an eyeshadow brush. As predicted, it’s just too huge for my eye area. It brings eyeshadow too high up to look flattering for my eye shape. It fits into the socket well, but some of the shadow gets on the inner lower lash line too because of its size. It also diffuses the eyeshadow too much for my liking, leaving me with a non-opaque application. Someone who wants to have a big wash of color on the eyes would enjoy this brush though.

So overall, this brush is super versatile and would be fantastic to take traveling. I didn’t like it in the beginning, but after figuring out so many great ways to use it, especially with blush, I love it now.

Sonia G Fusion Eye Builder

• Full Length: 150mm / 5.9 in
• Hair Length: 10mm / 0.39 in
• Hair Width: *11mm / 0.43 in
• Bristle Type: goat and synthetic

Since the Builder Three (which this brush is intended to be similar to) and Builder Pro are among my all time favorite eye brushes, it made sense that I would be interested in trying a version intended for creams and liquids. The few liquid eyeshadow formulas I have are fantastic, so it’s not a surprise to say that my eyeshadow looked nicely smoothed out after being applied with the Fusion Builder. In addition, this brush got into the inner corners easily, which is definitely impressive, and the edges were blended super well without harsh lines either. I’ve been using the Singe Beauty brushes for this purpose, but this brush does the job better and faster, all while feeling gentler on the eyes.

When it comes to using this brush with powder products, I definitely prefer the Builder Three because it’s the tiniest bit fuller and the way it moves in the crease feels nicer. The Fusion Builder is a bit stiffer, so it doesn’t glide around the contours of the eye with as much ease. One of the benefits of this though is that it picks up harder pressed products better. The black shade in one of my Guerlain quads is notoriously difficult to pick up on a brush and is still not great even with a finger. However, I could get more of it into my brush and onto my outer corners better with this than any other natural hair brush (which I assume is thanks to the synthetic bristles within it).

I prefer to use a smaller brush for my lower lash line, but if I wanted to, I have even more control applying eyeshadow there with the Fusion Builder over the Builder Three. I still don’t think I’ll use this with powder eyeshadows, but this will be my go-to brush for liquid and cream eyeshadows instead.

Sonia G The Traditions Holiday Trio

Traditions S1

• Full Length: 148mm / 5.83 in
• Hair Length: 8mm / 0.3 in
• Hair Width: *6mm / 0.24 in
• Bristle Type: Yellow Canadian Squirrel

Considering this is a squirrel brush, I was impressed by how much eyeshadow can be picked up and deposited with this brush. It even worked well when I used it with Natasha Denona’s cream-to-powder eyeshadows. I gather up the product and deposit it precisely where I want it to be before switching to larger brush to blend the powder in. Due to its flat shape, it works well for precision application of eyeshadow to my lower lash line. The softness of the hair guarantees a pleasant experience for that delicate area.

When I’m doing an eye look with multiple shimmer shades on the lid and want to blend them into each other to create a fake multi-chrome type of look, it’s particularly good for that. Blending the shimmers into each other nearer to the inner corner and not getting the outer corner messy is harder to do with the fingers, so this brush has a leg up in that regard.

Traditions S2

• Full Length: 154mm / 6.06 in
• Hair Length: 14mm / 0.55 in
• Hair Width: *10mm / 0.39 in
• Bristle Type: Yellow Canadian Squirrel

This is suited for building up gradual intensity of eyeshadow, but to larger areas at once. It’s relatively thin, whereas I prefer thicker packing brushes. Sonia G already has brushes suited to my style in the form of the Builder Three and Builder Pro, so this still fills a void in her line. Because of its medium size, it can be a one-and-done eyeshadow brush for someone with smaller eyes.

Traditions 3

• Full Length: 155mm / 6.1 in
• Hair Length: 15mm / 0.59 in
• Hair Width: *8mm / 0.3 in
• Bristle Type: White Canadian Squirrel

The way this is tapered, plus the hair type, gives a diffused application to a smaller area than a more traditionally shaped fluffy blender brush would. This makes it handy in the crease for more intricate looks layering multiple eyeshadows while keeping them distinguishable in the gradient, though the amount that gets picked up on the hair and the spring of the bristles won’t apply things completely opaquely on the first attempt. That might be a good thing for those preferring to build up eyeshadow. In my case, I like it more for use in the outer corner since that’s a spot I would use a darker eyeshadow and want to be more careful about how heavy the pigmentation is. Even though it’s useful there, my preference is still a smaller brush such as my holy grail Sonia G Mini Booster.

So, overall, this collection has its uses. It’s less functional for my particular style of makeup application, but I still wanted this as a Fude collector. The handles are beautiful and the hairs are not easily sourced. So, these are more for my enjoyment of just owning them.

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That’s all for now! I’m so sorry it took a year to post between Fude 5 and Fude 6. I tried to make it quicker to get out Fude 7, but it still took a long time. Fude 8 is in the works, and I do believe I can get it posted sooner, though it will likely be several more months again. Please consider following this blog so you can be notified as soon as it comes out. I do also post photos on Instagram of new brushes, and sometimes give a first impression. More thorough reviews are exclusive to this blog though.

I hope you have a great day! Thank you for your continued patience.

-Lili ❤