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.

*DISCLOSURE: 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 ❤