I have my fude manufacturer favorites, so it’s rare that I feel compelled to give another brand a try. The hair types used in these brushes and the more affordable price were some of my biggest motivators for wanting to try Number Eight brushes.
Other than the brand’s Instagram, which links to their official Japanese website, the only place I could find information about Number Eight was from the FudeBobo website. What is written there can be summarized as this: Number Eight belongs to a well-known fude manufacturing company (nicknamed Brand H) and their many characteristics are visible in these products, including the signature scent of goat hair.
Some OEM companies proudly list on their websites who their top clients are. When it comes to “H,” the Number Eight brand is now the third unannounced brand I know they’ve made brushes for. It remains a badly kept secret, but because they wish for it to be kept that way, I won’t explicitly list the name of the company here.
The reason I personally like knowing the manufacturer is because it helps me gauge whether or not I will be happy with the brushes I’m purchasing online that I’m unable to see and handle in person. For instance, I don’t like Sokoho goat hair from Koyudo, but I don’t mind Sokoho if it’s from Bisyodo. I know that Koyudo’s Silver Fox hair is similar in feel to Chikuhodo’s version of Premium Silver Fox versus their regular Silver Fox brushes. When I don’t know who the brush maker is, I’m taking an expensive gamble in the hopes that I won’t be disappointed with the products. For brands like rephr or Sonia G, they have hype from thousands of customers and plenty of influencers to vouch for the products. However, Number Eight is relatively new with extremely limited availability online. If I was unable to figure out the manufacturer, I would not have taken the chance on these brushes, and I would have definitely been missing out, because they are lovely!
The major companies usually have a “more affordable” line on offer. For example, it’s the Cheri line for Bisyodo, the Regular Series for Chikuhodo, the Koyudo BP Collection while it was around, and the J series from Hakuhodo. Those that like Hakuhodo’s J series will likely be pleased with the brushes in this post today.
*DISCLOSURE: 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. All of my officially labeled Number Eight brushes were purchased with my own money from the Fude Bobo website, which I am not affiliated with.
Number Eight Face 07 Cheek
Full Length: 192 mm / 7.56 in
Hair Length: 32 mm / 1.26 in
Hair Width: 13 mm / 0.51 in
Bristle Type: Dyed Saikoho
The reason I wanted this brush is because of how much it reminded me of Bisyodo’s CH-HC brush, which has been my holy grail highlighter brush for years. I have a backup brush that I once painted in order to make the handle look prettier, but I wanted to get the one from Number Eight in the hopes that it would perform similarly while having a thicker sturdier handle. It’s also the case that when I bought my first CH-HC it was listed as Saikoho hair, but CDJapan eventually changed the listing to Sokoho. My backup CH-HC felt different and could be Sokoho (albeit the softest Sokoho ever), but I still don’t know if my original is Saikoho or not. This was another reason I didn’t mind getting the 07 brush, so that I could have a Saikoho backup. As it turns out, they are shaped differently. Bisyodo’s brush head comes to a longer pointier tapered tip. It’s much more of a candle shape. The 07 reminds me of the shape of my Hakuhodo 5521, but in a dyed saikoho version instead of my original blue squirrel goat mix. The brush had also grown wider over time and was never as pointed as it looks in website photos.
Even though the head shape is rounder, the hair staggers up towards the tip, so it functions as if it’s at an angle from the way product gets picked up. For that reason, this still allows me to precisely apply highlighter. It admittedly gets dispersed in a slightly wider area than the Bisyodo brush, and my original Bisyodo brush hairs feel a little softer. For that reason, I started using the 07 to apply bronzer around the perimeter in a smaller than usual area, contour in a softer diffused fashion, and when mixing blushes if I want another color just on the apples of my cheeks.
I’m pretty set in my ways, so even though I found multiple uses for this brush, I just go right back to using my favorites. This is a decent brush, but if someone has a similar brush already, getting this one isn’t necessary.
Number Eight Face 08 Fan
Full Length: 193 mm / 7.6 in
Hair Length: 28 mm / 1.1 in
Hair Width: 18mm x 12mm / 0.71-0.47 in
Bristle Type: Dyed Saikoho
The reason I wanted this brush is because the Wayne Goss original Fan 15 is the best fan brush in my collection, but I don’t have a backup of that one. It was a happy mistake that this brush turned out to be way thicker. This is packed with a lot of hair, but I consider it to be a medium density and flexible bristle brush the splays widely enough to diffuse nicely without losing too much precision or applying too lightly. The Number Eight 01 Highlight Fan brush is probably more similar to Wayne’s Fan 15, though I don’t have it in person to know for sure. This 08 brush is like having a smaller, airier, and natural hair version of the Patrick Ta Contour Brush (another holy grail). I am absolutely thrilled to have this! I can pick up bronzer with one side for more precision in a smaller area, like going around the sides of my face and under the cheeks, or turn the brush sideways to apply to a wider zone. I can apply contour in a small, but partly diffused way. This also works for applying highlighter to a wider than usual, yet diffused, area.
Even though this has the same hair type as the 07, I wonder if the hair in this one came from another batch or supplier, because it’s significantly softer. For anyone who likes thick fan brushes, I recommend giving this one a try.
Number Eight Face 10 Contour Angled
Full Length: 201 mm / 7.91 in
Hair Length: 35mm-20mm / 1.38-0.79 in
Hair Width: 18mm – 22mm/ 0.71-0.87 in
Bristle Type: Squirrel mix Saikoho goat
The Face 11 is what set things in motion regarding me wanting to try this brand. I love the hair mixture so much that I wanted to give the Face 10 a try, even though I’m very picky when it comes to angled brushes.
My favorite uses for this brush are for blush and bronzer. I can technically use this with highlighter as well, but this splays even more than the Face 08, so I don’t bother. This is also why I don’t contour with it either, but that splay diffuses products so beautifully! It’s like having a bigger and softer version of the Sonia G Lotus Detail Brush! It makes applying blush easy to keep contained to the area I want by sweeping it along the cheekbones. It’s on the lighter end of medium density with enough squirrel hair (I believe pine) to feel pillowy soft, but with enough goat to add shape and structure that’s capable of quickly blending and buffing. It picks up a nice amount of product and disperses it so evenly on the cheeks, which also adds to the swiftness in which I can finish applying blush or bronzer. The only reason I end up using this brush proportionally far more times with blush than bronzer is because the Bisyodo B-F-05 Perfect Fit Brush is still my holy grail bronzer brush.
For anyone who loves the Sonia G Lotus Detail Brush or angled brushes, I recommend trying this one!
Number Eight Face 11 Cheek/Highlight
Full Length: 201 mm / 7.91 in
Hair Length: 35 mm / 1.38 in
Hair Width: 16 mm / 0.63 in
Bristle Type: Squirrel mix Saikoho goat
In my Fude Collection Part 8 post, I mentioned that I had a brush called the Eihodo No.153 Highlighting/Blush Brush. It was listed as an outlet brush from Eihodo, but it had the same hair type and labels (Face 11) as the Number Eight Face 11, including an identical looking ferrule and handle. The reason I was incredibly confused was because it was under the Eihodo name on the CDJapan website instead of Number Eight or even “Brand H” whose brushes they only sell via proxy. Then, I thought about the fact that Eihodo is a producer and not manufacturer, so any company’s brush could be listed under them as long as they were the ones who procured them.
The bottom line is that I loved this brush so much and wished for CDJapan to release more. I vaguely remember seeing other brushes of this hair type being released in the outlet, but I didn’t buy them because I wanted larger face brushes instead. I waited for the brush to restock, but it never did. I still held onto hope that more would come, but CDJapan actually deleted the product pages for all of brushes that look like they came from Number Eight. So, I lost hope. However, when I realized these brushes were available through the Fude Bobo website, I had to try more, including buying a backup!
In the photo below, my official Face 11 is on the left and is much pointier in shape. My unofficial Face 11 is on the right. I am assuming the reason the unofficial one ended up being sold as an outlet brush is because of the fact that it’s not as candle-shaped as it was supposed to be.
In terms of performance, I do notice a difference. At first I preferred my outlet version because the more evenly shaped tips form a more even distribution of pressure on the face. The size is perfect for small pans like in the Hourglass Ambient Edit Palettes. However, I’ve gotten some new makeup that have even smaller sections of product, such as the Givenchy 4-Color Pressed Bronzing and Sculpting Powder. The non-outlet brush’s pointier tip makes it easier to dip into such small blocks, so I can apply the contour shade more precisely. It still has the benefits of dispersing product in a way that isn’t too harsh, nor too soft, and is still gentle on the skin.
The Face 11, in the way it was intended, is technically a more useful brush, so I’m glad I bought it too.
Number Eight Eye 17
Full Length: 173 mm / 6.8 in
Hair Length: 18 mm / 0.71 in
Hair Width: 5.5 mm / 0.21 in
Bristle Type: Squirrel mix Saikoho goat
Sonia G makes my favorite eye shadow brushes, but considering the maker of these and the hair type, I thought chances were high that I’d like the ones from Number Eight.
Through prolonged use, this brush is a little fluffier in width, so the point doesn’t look as pronounced. However, I’m still just not a fan of this brush purely due to the shape. I like my tapered blending brushes to be rounder for a wider area of blending pressure. When it’s pointed like this, the strongest pressure is mainly at the highest point in the center, which means it takes longer for me to blend with that smaller surface area. I see how it’s supposed to be useful for getting in the crease for hooded eyes, but then I prefer to just use a smaller brush in the shape I like, such as the Sonia G Mini Booster. I find myself repeatedly squashing the Eye 17 into my skin to try and increase the pressure to increase the blending power. Every time I’ve used this brush, I wished to swap it with something else.
I apologize, but my preferences are too strong to be objective on this one. I only own a few of these type of brushes in my collection because I always end up casting them aside in favor of a different shape. I’m sure there are people that will use and love this brush. It feels soft and non-irritating on the skin. I just don’t like it for myself.
Number Eight Eye 18
Full Length: 166.5 mm / 6.55 in
Hair Length: 11.5 mm / 0.43 in
Hair Width: 10mm-3mm / 0.39-0.12 in
Bristle Type: Squirrel mix Saikoho goat
I have a ton of flat shader brushes, so I don’t feel I’m being biased when I say I dislike this brush too. I can name at least four that I like better, including the Sonia G Builder Pro that comes to a taper too. This brush head is too stiff for me. It applies product to the lids well, but it’s uncomfortable if I try to use it to apply eyeshadows to the crease, the way I have been doing a lot lately with my Muragishi Sangyo MS-4 Mai Sakura Brush, Sonia G Builder Three, Mizuho MB123 Eye Shadow Brush, etc. So, I can accomplish my tasks with it, but it’s never an enjoyable experience. Because of the discomfort from the stiffness, I like the Eye 18 even less than the Eye 17. Something like the Eye 8 would probably be more to my preference, but it’s not available in this squirrel-goat mix, so I didn’t buy it.
This concludes my venture into the world of Number Eight brushes! I hope this has been helpful!
Welcome, lovers of Japanese makeup brushes! If this is your first time visiting, I’d like you to know that I have a page 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. I recently changed the format to make it easier to type and find specific brushes. 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.
*DISCLOSURE: 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!
BISYODO
Bisyodo B-F-05 Perfect Fit Brush
Full Length: 168mm / 6.6 in
Hair Length: 40mm / 1.57 in
Hair Width: *56mm / 2.2 in
Bristle Type: Fox and Saikoho Goat
Handle: African Rose Wood (Bubinga)
Ferrule: 24KG Plated Brass
In my Fude Part 7 post, I talked about my number one favorite powder bronzer brush being tied between the Sonia G Jumbo Bronzer and something else. This brush is that “something else.”
The mix of fox and saikoho goat hair makes it feel ultra soft, plush on the skin, and it has a bit of bounce/spring to it. Product gets picked up along the longest hairs in the center while the rest of the hair acts to simultaneously buff product while it’s being applied. The same things I love about Sonia’s brush holds true to this one: the large surface area covers the face in bronzer quickly, but also semi-precisely due to the shape. It tucks into hollows well and glides smoothly around the perimeter. This brush feels firmer and denser than Sonia’s, which is why it’s fantastic when I want to use a bronzer that’s on the sheerer side and don’t want to spend as much time building it up. It still applies in a slightly dispersed way so that I don’t get any harsh lines. By the same token, if my bronzer is highly pigmented, I switch to the Sonia brush instead. Most of the time I want a diffused natural looking bronze to my face. In the uncommon times when I want a more chiseled look, I can sharpen the edge with concealer or use a different bronzer/contour brush entirely. So, even though this Bisyodo brush is very similar to Sonia’s, it can’t replace it. I have need for both in my collection.
Sonia G’s brush is beautiful and I like the blue lacquer. For my preferences, the Bisyodo brush is even more beautiful with the color of the bristles, the gold ferrule, and the beautiful lacquer covered wood. Plus, as soft as the Jumbo Bronzer brush is, the Perfect Fit brush is without a doubt softer. The brushes were the same price until Bisyodo raised theirs a few weeks ago. Sonia has mentioned price increases for her line coming soon, so they might become closer in price again sometime in the future. Having this Bisyodo brush is why I’m content to skip getting the Sonia G Niji Pro. I highly recommend trying this one! If I lost this brush, I would replace it without hesitation. My wish is that Bisyodo will one day make a fully round and dense blush brush using this same hair combination. If they did, I would buy it too!
I bought my brush for 14091 YEN, but it’s 18500 YEN now, and available HERE.
Bisyodo B-FD-01 Foundation Brush
Full Length: 155mm / 6.1 in
Hair Length: 28mm / 1.1 in
Hair Width: 38mm / 1.5 in
Bristle Type: Saikoho Goat
Handle: African Rose Wood (Bubinga)
Ferrule: 24KG Plated Brass
This brush is super soft and very dense. It’s a Fu-Pa style brush intended for foundation use, but shapes like these can be nice with contour or brontour too. For foundation, it soaks a lot of product, but the smooth even blend on the face is very nice. I never use up foundation entirely before it goes bad, so I don’t mind wasted product. However, the bristles start to gunk up at least twice as fast as other natural hair foundation brushes, which isn’t good because of needing to wash it more frequently. The brush is more prone to losing hair or snapping tips when it’s too coated in product. So, longevity long term may be an issue with continued liquid and cream use. I didn’t start using this brush until early 2024, so I’m not in a position to say how it will fare after a year or two, but so far so good for me. I try not to use this brush with liquids more than five times between washes. The photo below shows the brush after a single use.
I mentioned contour or using bronzer-as-contour as possible uses because the shape lends itself to that kind of task, but the density of the brush is going to give a more concentrated application. Someone that likes a diffused and airbrushed look would be better off using a brush with a bit more splay and airiness. This brush doesn’t have much bend or movement, which is why it’s so effective for foundation. I’ve used this brush with blush a couple of times, and while it applies the product well, it requires more buffing than I want to bother with when I could have just switched to a less dense brush. Even though it’s not my main foundation brush, I still like it and am glad I added it to my arsenal.
I paid 11,000 YEN for this brush, it’s currently 14300 YEN and available HERE.
Bisyodo G-P-01 Powder Brush
Full Length: 180mm / 7.1 in
Hair Length: 48mm / 1.89 in
Hair Width: *30mm (prewash) / 1.18 in
Bristle Type: Gray Squirrel
Handle: Ebony
Ferrule: 24k gold-plated
This brush is super airy. It’s intuitively better for powder, but can also be used with blush and bronzer. It’s best used for loose or lightly pressed products because these hairs are even more delicate and soft among gray squirrels, so it doesn’t have the best pickup. The long hairs give an interesting feel on the skin between the pressure and movement, especially when trying to apply blush. It’s definitely not intended as a workhorse type of brush. I can buff very lightly with it, but it’s more for building up of light washes of color and producing an airbrush affect rather than creating a full on pigmented look. I would say this is ideal for natural and simplistic makeup lovers. Those with sensitive skin and/or dry skin that want the minimum amount of powder needed for their face will very likely love this brush too.
This is part of Bisyodo’s Grand Series, which I think can be considered the crème de la crème of their lines the way the Homare Series was supposed to be for Chikuhodo or the Vermillion series is for Hakuhodo. Taking into account what Bisyodo considers is the use of premium quality gray squirrel, the weighty ebony handle, and the ferrule plating, the price is a little more justified than I originally gave credit for prior to holding it in my hands. I’ve come to realize that I consider a lacquer handle more luxurious than matte ebony (though I like Eihodo’s ebony handle brush), so I still prefer the handles of Bisyodo’s Long Series. However, it all comes down to tastes and I’m sure there are plenty of people who love the aesthetic of the Grand Series.
I reviewed these together with Wayne’s Non-Fude brushes HERE. I decided to keep the photos for the Fundamentals in this post anyway, for those expecting natural hair brushes to only be within this Fude Collection Series.
In the post that’s linked, I also mentioned that I have a hunch that WG brushes have a new producer. The batch of hairs in his relaunch feel softer than the older goat hair brushes. A certain OEM has bumped up their prices so dramatically and are mixing most of their goat brushes with synthetic fibers, so I’m not sure how likely it would be for the WG line to have these brushes at these prices if they we made by who I assume they were made by. Regardless, whoever makes them are doing a good job (mostly).
Wayne Goss F2
Full Length: *165mm / 6.5 in
Hair Length: 30mm / 1.18 in
Hair Width: *22mm / 0.86 in
Bristle Type: Saikoho
TLDR: Super soft. Common Shape. Sheds like crazy, just like the previous #13 Brush.
Wayne Goss F3
Full Length: *172mm / 6.77 in
Hair Length: 40mm / 1.57 in
Hair Width: *30mm / 1.18 in
Bristle Type: Saikoho
TLDR: Even softer than previous Wayne Goss goat brushes. Good for building up products. Airy, yet precise.
I would love to be able to review the whole set, but I don’t have access to the other two brushes anymore.
I find this combination of hair extremely visually appealing , and thought the set was well priced, so I bought it from Fude Japan. The blush brush is similar to the J5545 that I reviewed in Fude Collection Part 6. The main difference is that the pink handle version is a bit fuller with a more defined angle. This makes it even better suited for fitting in the hollows and angles of the face for bronzing and contouring, so long as it’s not a hard pressed product.
This brush is somewhere between light and medium denseness. I can pick up a decent amount of product by pressing the whole angled side into the makeup pan and sliding it, but it’s not intended for heavy makeup applications. I mostly use this to sweep on blush and apply the angled section precisely where I want more concentrated color, then pounce what’s left on the brush around the edges for a diffused look that doesn’t require much more blending than that. There’s enough goat in this mix to allow minor buffing only, but buffing doesn’t seem necessary to me when I’m able to get the results I want super easily just by using the patting/pressing technique.
KOYUDO
Koyudo Yoshiki Silver fox Cheek Brush Y-SFC
Full Length: 163mm / 6.41 in
Hair Length: 38mm / 1.5 in
Hair Width: *28mm / 1.1 in
Bristle Type: Silver Fox
What a beauty! I always wanted one of the silver handle Yoshiki brushes, and fox is my favorite hair type, so this was a bucket list purchase. It’s also described on CDJapan’s website as having a 3D shape, and I mentioned in Fude 7 that Koyudo’s 3D brushes always entice me.
The hair feels super silky like premium silver fox. I really like salt-and-pepper brushes (mix of grey squirrel and high grade goat hair), but this brush feels even better than those! This gives a soft application of bronzer and blush, and serves to help one build up the color if desired or keep it looking sheer. The brush head puffs a little more after being washed, and feels even nicer as it bends in and around the curves of the face while it diffuses product. The tips fit nicely into highlighter pans and can apply a beautiful thin layer with no harsh edges.
When a brush is this expensive, I expect it to be large so that I feel like I’m getting my money’s worth. This has a long handle, but the head is medium sized for a cheek brush. However, this size is perfect to handle my face features, so it’s for the best that it isn’t bigger.
This brush costs 21000 YEN and was available HERE. I imagine part of that cost takes into account that it comes in a shredded paper-filled paulownia box that is lightweight yet beautiful. Plus, the handle is stunning!
Koyudo Blush Brush round flat Black
Full Length: 132mm / 5.2 in
Hair Length: 38mm / 1.5 in
Hair Width: *33mm / 1.3 in
Bristle Type: Gray Squirrel and Goat
I included a photo of this next to the Koyudo Blush Brush [No Logo] because I expected them to be similarly sized and was disappointed that they were not. They were listed at the same price, had similar looking ferrules and handles without a logo, and have the same hair type. I thought this would be the same brush with a different head shape, but I should have paid attention to the size dimensions. That’s my own mistake.
This reminds me of the Hakuhodo G110A Blush Brush, reviewed higher up, because it has the same hair type and similar shape, but it’s larger and fuller. Plus, this brush feels like it has a greater ratio of gray squirrel compared to goat. At the very least, it’s bundled in a way that the squirrel hair is longer/higher than the goat, which accounts for it feeling softer.
Just like the Hakuhodo brush, it’s easier to use with products that aren’t that hard pressed. I has light-medium denseness and picks up an average amount of product along the angles towards the tips. I mostly use this to sweep on blush, but one could use it with bronzer as well. The reason I don’t is just because I have my bronzer favorites already. This one does the job perfectly fine though. Besides the hair composition, this brush gives a somewhat gentle application because of the length of the hairs and shape of the head in the way that it bends when pressure is applied.
This brush costs 13300 YEN and was available HERE.
Koyudo Pine Squirrel Eyeshadow Brush 17mm Black and Red
Full Length: 142mm / 5.6 in
Hair Length: 17mm / 0.67 in
Hair Width: *15mm / 0.6 in
Bristle Type: Pine Squirrel
Koyudo may change the hair type or handles, but they often sell this shape of brush head (and the 11mm version). I can’t blame them for wanting to keep this style around because it’s a nice classic brush. I consider this in-between a medium and large sized packing brush. I can cover my eye space with one eyeshadow quickly and easily. It picks up the right amount of powder and gently deposits it, whether it’s a matte or shimmer. It bends well into corners and, when turned on its side, can be used for more detailed work. I use it most to lay down shades and crease work with eyeshadows that don’t need much blending.
If you’re a fan of brushes in this shape, size, and hair type, you’ll like this brush.
Full price for these brushes is 4000 YEN. The red handle version is available HERE and the black version is HERE.
Koyudo Pine Squirrel Eyeshadow Brush 11mm Black
Full Length: 135mm / 5.3 in
Hair Length: 11mm / 0.43 in
Hair Width: *9mm / 0.35 in
Bristle Type: Pine Squirrel
This is a small sized packing brush that I use in smaller corners of my eyes and for more detailed work. It picks up the right amount of mattes and shimmer eyeshadows, though I tend to not use this brush with shimmers if it’s in a formula that requires I wear a glitter primer with it or to dampen my brush. This also makes a fantastic liner brush.
The handle looks solid black in photos, but it actually has dark green sparkles too! It’s so beautiful!
The photo below shows the size difference between the 11mm and 17mm brushes from Koyudo.
I paid 3500 YEN for this brush and it’s available HERE.
TANSEIDO
Tanseido Bamboo Series AQ17TAKE Small Cheek Brush
Full Length: 205mm / 8.07 in
Hair Length: 35mm / 1.38 in
Hair Width: *27mm / 1.06 in
Bristle Type: Red Squirrel
This is my first ever Tanseido brush. The length is huge!
The main appeal for me looking into the brand, besides positive reviews, is that they offer more red squirrel brushes than any other Japanese Fude maker, as far as I am aware. Whenever other companies produce a red squirrel brush, they increase the special factor by adding maki-e handles or some other touches that make them even more costly. I wanted a brush that would have enough enough hair to feel and experience what red squirrel is like, considering it’s supposed to be one of the rarest squirrel types to procure, but would also not break the bank. I also wanted a different handle than the classic Tanseido red or blue. Then, Fude Beauty released this brush, a different handle version of Tanseido’s YAQ17! On their website, there are two different options to choose from, but I didn’t notice the drop down menu above the wishlist and cart buttons. So, I ended up with Style: Japaneses Bamboo by default. The spotted version is called Shina-take and would have been the version I picked if I’d seen that’s where the option to choose was.
This brush can be used to diffuse highly pigmented products to targeted areas. It’s extremely soft, delicate, and not for the heavy-handed (though I put myself in that category). It’s ideal for someone that doesn’t want heavy makeup. This means that the only realistic use I have for it is for highlighting. Brushes of this size and shape are commonly used to set specific areas with powder. I personally wouldn’t want to set my wet concealers with it, so I have only tried using this brush this way twice. Not every brush needs to be a jack-of-all-trades, and so I am content to use this to get a thin layer of highlighter on my face. A whisper of product! I think anyone that prefers a sheer application of highlighter will really like this brush.
The closest size comparison I have for this brush is to the Wayne Goss Air Brush.
In terms of construction, the handle is super lightweight! I wasn’t expecting it to feel like a hollow jumbo pencil. I didn’t like this fact initially, but I realized that being surprised by its lightness every time I picked it up was a reminder that I needed to handle the brush with care. I was using it more carefully and gently than my other brushes. Since the hair is delicate, this is a good thing. My hope is that by the time I stop being surprised, I will continue to use it gently automatically.
As a side note, I just wanted to say that there are a few red squirrels I see regularly in the yard. Their fur is so beautiful to look at! Is it strange to say that seeing them makes me wish to have another, thicker, red squirrel brush? Maybe that’s weird.
MURAGISHI SANGYO
MS-3 Mai Sakura Liquid Foundation Brush
Full Length: 150mm / 5.9 in
Hair Length: 25mm / 0.98 in
Hair Width: *26mm / 1.02 in
Bristle Type: Sokoho Goat
I wouldn’t recommend buying this brush with the intent to apply foundation all over the face. I think it was made for people that only want to apply foundation to areas that it’s needed most. The ones who use the technique of starting at the center of the face and working outwards. This brush would also work well for someone who likes to use concealer as foundation, and only cover specific spots. The downside to using it with liquid foundation is that a lot of product gets trapped between the hair, so it will need to be washed more frequently. I also recommend washing it in advance before using it for the first time. It had a major shedding problem, as seen in the photo below, until after the first wash. It still loses more hair, when I use it with liquids or creams, than when I use this very dense cute brush with powder products.
I don’t prefer using this with cream products, because I don’t think it smooths products well enough. However, it’s lovely with liquid blush. I also like it with powder bronzers because it applies product precisely and in just the right amount I want, but it’s not always airy enough for my desired powder blush application. With most of my blushes, it’s fine, but I would definitely not use it with my very pigmented ones. Essentially, the thinner the product, the better the results will be with this brush.
I bought it for 3900 YEN, it’s 4100 YEN now, and it’s available HERE.
CHIKUHODO
Chikuhodo x BoBo Cheek Brush
Post-wash photos above.
Full Length: *160mm / 6.3 in
Hair Length: *41mm / 1.61 in
Hair Width: *30mm / 1.18 in
Bristle Type: Grey Squirrel and Saikoho Goat Mix
This was my first ever purchase from the Fude BoBo (BoBo Do) website! I was a bit hesitant at first, seeing as how it was a website I hadn’t heard of before, but the ordering experience was very similar to Fude Japan. It came with a small free extra. The way that Toshiya is the face of Fude Japan, so is BoBo (aka baiyutang11 on Instagram). Just like Toshiya has a collaboration brush line, BoBo has also created brushes with various brushmakers alongside running a retail website. Considering she’s started working with influencers, like Alicia Archer, I foresee the site growing even more in popularity as time goes on. Personally, I’m more interested in the site for the exclusive brushes rather than buying the other brushes I can get elsewhere.
I don’t know if this particular brush will return, but I believe the Chikuhodo/BoBo Nebulae Collection CH-1 brush has a nearly identical brush head. The handles in the Nebulae collection remind me of Sonia G brush handles (which is mentioned on the website that she is an inspiration for the brand owner in trying to learn more about brushes and travel to Kumano personally to meet with the artisans there). The similarity is why I’m happier to have the gorgeous Moon and Rabbit handle instead. Between the holographic moon, shimmering particles on the deep blue background for the gold and silver bunnies, pale gold ferrule, and beautiful salt and pepper color brush head, I am in love!
The performance is extremely similar to the Koyudo Yoshiki Silver brush mentioned here today. This brush just has a longer slant and wider splay. It puffs out a bit more after being washed, which increases the airiness. This gives a sheer application of bronzer and blush, which is why I use it mostly for blush since I prefer a brush to pick up a bit more product with bronzer than this is capable of doing at one time. This is certainly not a brush for heavy-makeup wearers. I can turn the brush onto the tips and pick up highlighter with it to get a lovely sheer wash along the high points of my face. It works well with up to medium-firm pressed products. I wouldn’t bother trying to use it with hard pressed makeup.
I admittedly struggle between wanting to use this brush, because it’s so pretty and I enjoy the feel of pouncing it on my face, but also not wanting to damage or ruin it in any way. So, sometimes it gets put in rotation, but not for long periods of time.
I did buy one more exclusive brush, but it will discussed in Fude 9 because it was delivered to the US. I haven’t seen it in person yet!
EIHODO
On my Fude Collection index page, I wrote that I have a question about Eihodo handles. That’s in the Eihodo No.142 section, for those specifically wanting to read about that.
Eihodo Cheek Brush + Cap
Full Length: 155mm / 6.1 in
Hair Length: 37mm / 1.46 in
Hair Width: *27mm / 1.06 in
Bristle Type: Gray Squirrel
This brush was 7200 Yen at Fude Beauty and came with a SWS-2 brush cap to be stored in. As far as I am aware, CDJapan hasn’t released this brush (as of the time I’m working on this post). The most similar one I could find on the website is the Eihodo No. 170 Outlet Blush Brush with the same listed specifications and both the shape of the head and handle look quite similar. It’s listed at 7500 but was sold at the reduced price of 4125. The most similar one I can think of to compare is a brush I bought far more recently, the Eihodo No.399 Blush Brush. The main difference is the handle being round and matte black instead of pointed and shiny red. The outlet brush is also slightly bigger because it has some sokoho goat used to fill it in. It’s not a pure gray squirrel brush, even though it still feels very soft. On my face, I can feel the tiniest bit more friction, but that’s it. I wouldn’t classify it as rougher, but I also don’t have sensitive skin.
This brush feels extra silky, even for gray squirrel. The middle section is semi-dense, but the tips splay quite a bit wider around the edges while the center has less movement while being swirled on the face, giving it an airy quality. This brush is good for diffusing highly pigmented products for a softer look. It can be for used for blush, targeted powdering, and bronzing. Since round brushes in this size are my preference for blush, I only use it for that.
The brush cap is fine. I keep this brush stored in it, but I have another one from Eihodo. These are better at not squishing the bristles of non-symmetrical shaped brush heads than a standard brush guard. However, I don’t use guards or caps all that often, so I stopped buying them.
There isn’t much else to say about this brush. It isn’t a unique shape. It performs exactly as one would expect of a gray squirrel blush brush. Considering the prices of brushes these days, I’m surprised it wasn’t above 8000 YEN!
Ever since my Blendiful ripped towards the beginning of the year, I have been mainly using this brush for foundation (alongside other foundation brushes that needed to be tested or my Smashbox Full Coverage Foundation brush). I still used it throughout 2023, but I’ve had it in rotation consistently in 2024. My foundation goes on so smoothly with this brush! I get an occasional loose hair, but even less frequently than other large fully round brushes that I own. I’d also like to note that this is the only fully natural hair brush I’ve ever loved using with foundation. Some I have liked, but none enough to use regularly, other than this one. I should note that this has dyed bristles and brands don’t recommend using dyed goat hair with creams and liquids. However, I continue to do so with no issues that I can see. For anyone wanting to use white undyed hair, that version can be found HERE.
I am so impressed that this is a Sokoho brush because there’s no scratchiness on the skin. It is an absolute joy to buff or glide it across my face. Purely because of its large surface area, I don’t use it for bronzing or blush application. It is fantastic at picking up stiff pressed powders and depositing a nice even layer, regardless of it being a powder foundation, setting or finishing powder. The Chikuhodo FO-2 is a holy grail brush that I use with another holy grail product, the Dior Powder No-Powder. This would be an easy replacement brush if the FO-2 needed washing, especially since this puff brush is bigger and covers my face even more quickly. However, since I’m always using it with foundation, it needs washing more frequently than the Chikuhodo brush. So, it’s always occupied. I’m tempted to make a switch though!
*In the last two months I did make the switch and I’m just as happy!
I paid 9000 YEN for it, it’s 10000 YEN now, and it’s available HERE.
This is essentially the same brush I just reviewed above. The differences are the handle designs and dyed versus undyed goat hair. The only relevant new information to provide is that the white hair is silkier feeling because it hasn’t been put through the dye process. I am keeping this for collector purposes and will continue to use the black hair version, though perhaps I should consider using the black one with finishing powder and reserve this one for foundation.
This brush is currently 10000 YEN and it’s available HERE.
Eihodo No.49 Blush Brush [Outlet]
Full Length: 148mm / 5.8 in
Hair Length: 38mm / 1.5 in
Hair Width: *28mm / 1.1 in
Bristle Type: Gray Squirrel and Sokoho Goat
I find it super interesting how similar the Eihodo 49 looks compared to the Houkodou Nagi Series N-F1. The handles and ferrule are practically identical, minus the symbol. I wonder if the handles are made by a different company other than Eihodo/Chikuhodo or Houkodou? I never really thought about who makes Fude handles before, and just assumed all the OEMs make their own. In any case, the hair is the same mix too (though I think my Eihodo one has slightly more goat, but I can’t tell a difference on my cheeks). Anyway, I’m thrilled to basically have an accidental backup of the N-F1!
Now that I’m more used to how soft Eihodo’s sokoho feels, I can tell this brush has a mix of hairs, but they did an amazing job blending them together so that one could almost forget it doesn’t solely contain gray squirrel hair. This brush is slightly less soft than that one due to the suspected increase in the Sokoho part of the mixture, but it feels like full squirrel hair to the touch. It looks nice and full for a medium-sized blush brush and has a substantial amount of hair, but it’s bundled in a way that it doesn’t seem very dense. It has about medium firmness with a wispy feel at the tips. I like to swirl and buff it on the cheek in a circular motion. Just like many other cheek brushes, it can be used for other purposes, but I prefer to stick to blush.
How fortuitous! I found myself another brush that’s similar to the Houkodou N-F1! Good thing I enjoy it so much!
The way this differs from the other two is that it has gray squirrel hair exclusively. It’s smaller than the others in a way that I consider would be the equivalent of just removing the sokoho hair from the other two. The handle the makers chose is also significantly shorter. The hair type makes it feel like the airiest of all three and also the least dense, though it’s not a floppy brush by any means. It performs similarly to the others and has the same usages, though I’m even more inclined to only use it with blush due to the size and light application.
This had the reduced cost of 3850 YEN and was available HERE. I hope it’ll one day return in stock because that was quite the deal regarding the price!
Eihodo No.82 Powder Brush [Outlet]
Full Length: 160mm / 6.3 in
Hair Length: 45mm / 1.77 in
Hair Width: *36mm / 1.41 in
Bristle Type: Goat
I’m not sure if it’s just the shape of this brush that makes it feel a little less soft than Sokoho from Eihodo usually feels. It’s not prickly. The hairs just feel a little drier and less smooth.
Picking up product from the tips doesn’t coat the brush as evenly as I like. I lay it along the length into powder compacts to pick up product from the wider side. This works for sweeping on a nice application of blush and face powder. I can’t lay the brush the same way when applying bronzer, so I have to use the tips, and never like the finished outcome.
For these reasons, I can’t recommend this one. However, if someone is curious to try it anyway, it cost me 2200 YEN and was available HERE.
Eihodo No.88 Blush/Powder Brush [Outlet]
Full Length: 155mm / 6.1 in
Hair Length: 40mm / 1.57 in
Hair Width: *34mm / 1.33 in
Bristle Type: Sokoho Goat
This brush looks quite different after being washed. I thought it had the tiniest slant of an angle, but it does not. It’s like a chubby fan shaped brush from the front, but is rounded enough at the top to be swirled around.
It can be used with blush, bronzer, and contour. It has a lot of hair in the bundle, but the way it’s puffed out leads to gentler applications than I’d expect from a sokoho hair brush. The lower half of the head has average firmness, but from the middle where it begins to taper up, it’s airier. It doesn’t pick up as much product as I expected either.
I have other brushes similar to this in my collection that are made from a higher grade of goat hair, so I’m less likely to keep using this one when I have those to choose from. I admittedly bought this for the handle anyway. It looked so intriguing!
This is made with a soft hair type, but it’s bundled so firmly that it can still feel stiff when used in sensitive spots like the inner corner and lower lash line. There is not much bristle movement, except around the very tips in the upper third of the brush head. This allows one to steadily line the eyes, but get a light amount of pigment or pass over the spot a few times for a medium application. This doesn’t pick up a lot of product, even if the brush is swirled several times in the pan in the attempt to coat it. So, it’s better suited for someone who likes soft eye looks. With mattes and loosely packed shimmers, the look can be built up to a certain extent. However, trying to build up a thicker shimmer is time consuming.
This brush can be used for soft liner and highlighting spots around the eyes.
I’ll include a comparison photo between this brush (post wash) and the next one.
Eihodo No.141 Shadow Liner Brush [Outlet]
Full Length: 180mm / 7.1 in
Hair Length: 7mm / 0.27 in
Hair Width: *4mm / 0.16 in
Bristle Type: Weasel
I only need a few angled eye brushes in my collection, and I misplaced the one I brought with me, so I decided to get this brush. Since it was technically a purchase I shouldn’t have had to make, I didn’t want to spend much for it. I was considering getting the Chikuhodo GSN-11 that this resembles a lot: the gold colored ferrule crimped the same way, similar size overall brush dimensions, weasel hair, pearly white pointed tip handle.
Despite this hair type, it doesn’t feel pokey when lining the eyes. It gives decent color payoff with eyeshadows and feels semi-firm, but not too stiff, around the inner corners, lower lash line, under the brow arch, nor the brows when used to fill them in. I’ve used this with powders, cream, and liquid products, and it does a good job. It’s great for precision detail eye work, cleaning up the outer corner of the eye with concealer, and spot concealing on the face. I haven’t tried it with lip products, but it theoretically should make for a good lip brush pencil as well. I consider this a solid purchase!
This brush I bought before the Chikuhodo x BoBo brush, but I didn’t start using them until around the same time. That’s when I realized they were practically the same brush! This is the kind of thing that confuses me because Chikuhodo lists on their website (or at least used to) that they produce brushes for Eihodo, and Eihodo is listed under label/distributor for this brush. Since this is an “outlet” brush that’s supposed to have some sort of technical flaw, I’ve always been confused as to how or why these are listed for Eihodo instead of Chikuhodo outlet. Perhaps it’s to avoid possible brand devaluation.
I am also unaware of a line/series from Chikuhodo or Eihodo that has this type of brush head beyond the BoBo collab. It makes me wonder if this outlet brush came about while trying to produce the collab version. In any case, I consider this a backup!
Pre-wash comparisons are seen above.
Everything I said about the Chikuhodo x Bobo brush holds true here. It gives a sheer application of blush, bronzer, contour, and highlighter. It’s an airy brush that’s not dense. Pouncing or swiping styles of application is more intuitive for the shaping of this brush. I decided to leave it in the US so I can keep using it there whenever I visit. I kept the collaboration brush with me instead.
I bought this because the shape reminded me of my holy grail Bisyodo brush. I had no idea this would become another of my favorite brushes in my collection! It is perfect to use with the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit palettes because of the size, softness, and amount of product that gets picked up on the brush. It’s small enough for strategic placement, but the widest portion gives a slight airiness to the application when moved in circular motions or swiped back and forth. It is easy to use in any direction.
It’s uncommon to have such long handles on brushes, but I really like this. It feels substantial in the hand, but not too heavy on the wrist. I have enjoyed it equally with bronzer, contour, blush, and highlighter. I usually have a preference for usage with multi-purpose brushes, but the outcomes are all so good that I like this in every way! I’ve taken this brush traveling, along with a microfiber cloth, and only felt the need to bring extra eye brushes and a face powder brush, since this one could do so much. I think it’s also extremely well priced. I highly recommend giving this a try, particularly if you have small face product pans and struggle to put a brush in it.
This is supposed to be an Eihodo outlet brush, but I was very confused when I saw an extremely similar brush on the Fude Bobo (Bobo Do) website that even had the number 11 printed on it, but is from “Number Eight produced by H.” The handles remind me of Hakuhodo G series brushes, but why would this be called an Eihodo brush? This has remained a mystery since my purchase of it in September 2023.
In any case, it cost 4400 YEN and I purchased mine from CDJapan.
Eihodo No.161 Highlighting Brush [Outlet]
Full Length: 145mm / 5.7 in
Hair Length: 30mm / 1.18 in
Hair Width: *19mm / 0.75 in
Bristle Type: Sokoho Goat
This brush looked like (and had similar specifications to) the Chikuhodo Passion Series PS-3, including having a similar ferrule color. They’re listed for the same retail price too, which felt like I could save 45% on the brush by getting this outlet one. I also think the grain on the wood is stunning, so I wasn’t about to pass it up! I have no idea what type it is, but in the photo below, it’s next to two granadillo handles (Chikuhodo ZEN series and Kazan Homare series).
This brush can be used for powdering under the eyes, nose contour, and technically as a huge eyeshadow brush. The Sokoho hair is soft enough to not feel prickly around sensitive areas like around the eyes, but due to its large shape I prefer to use it as a highlighter brush only. A small amount gets picked up with just one swipe into a highlighter pan, so I can get a sheer even application if desired or build up the concentration.
Honestly though, I just wanted this brush for the handle and ferrule. It makes me happy to look at it and have it. It’s perfectly functional, but I already have my highlighter brush favorites.
At the time, I paid 1760 YEN for this brush that is now listed as 3200 YEN, and it was available HERE.
Eihodo No.165 Blush Brush [Outlet]
Full Length: 150mm / 5.9 in
Hair Length: 40mm / 1.57 in
Hair Width: *30mm / 1.18 in
Bristle Type: Pine Squirrel and Horse
What appealed to me about this brush is that it looked so similar to another outlet brush, the Eihodo Makie Blush Brush Kozakura listed at the reduced price HERE of 4400. They are nearly the same length, but the makie brush was made of all pine squirrel and that keeps it looking puffier post-wash. I was also intrigued by this brush because of the unique shade of slate-blue ferrule I’ve never seen before, plus the pointed handle.
This brush is softer than if it had horse hair alone, with the advantage of having more blending strength than if this was made solely with pine squirrel hair. That being said, this is by no means a buff brush. It’s got a nice range of movement, and applies a medium amount of product to the face. I would still consider it a brush for someone who wants to build up makeup, but there’s not enough buffing power if the powders are overapplied and need to be blended out. I treat this as the sweeping brush that it is.
I like this with blush the most. It’s okay with bronzer and can be used with highlighter if applied via the tips. This brush has a ton of competition as a blush brush, so I don’t know if I’ll use this brush that much. I’m still glad to have it though.
After washing this brush, it gets puffier, but goes flatter with a wider splay when pressure is applied. It performs sufficiently for foundation, but I don’t like that the application is uneven where the outer parts of the brush are less dense and would normally diffuse while the center part gives a strong application. That’s why I like flat top brushes in the first place in order to get mostly the same coverage across the whole surface area. I feel the same way when using face powder because even though diffusing is good, I don’t want a combination of sheer and light layers that I would have to spend more time buffing parts out.
This works the best with bronzer, though the splay makes it apply product to a wide area, so it’s less precise. Using it with blush does an adequate job as well. This isn’t my favorite brush, in part because I prefer the Eihodo puff shape. I also like it less than the Sonia G Smooth Buffer and Chikuhodo FO-2, although those are way more expensive.
In fact, I don’t think I have an inexpensive flat top in my collection, so that might be a good alternative option for someone, plus the ferrule and handle look beautiful and this is an Eihodo brush, who have some of the softest Sokoho around.
I left the 177 behind because I knew I was going to get a super similar looking brush in the 226. However, it’s possible they are slightly different because I remember liking the 177 a lot more. Then again, I wasn’t using the puff brush at such a steadfast frequency, so it’s possible my enjoyment for the puff brush made me like this one a little less. It’s still a decent brush though, just not over-the-top stellar.
There is the 177 and the 226 that I bought, plus the 212 option for 2520 YEN. For the same price, there is also the 104 that looks to have a similar head as the others, but is listed at 27mm hair length instead of 25mm.
That’s everything!
If this is your first time visiting my blog, thank you for reading! If you’re one of the awesome people that visit regularly, thank you for your patience with how long it took to get this post completed. I am finally nearing the point of completing all pending brush reviews and finally having shown my entire Fude Collection! It might take until the middle of 2025 to complete, due to me rescheduling my return visit to the US. As I mentioned at the beginning, I also reformatted the Fude list so it’s easier for everyone to use CTRL + f keys on the computer to type and search for specific brushes.
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