Reading about Malaysia's political drama everyday can be a little bit depressing... So I guess it's about time for me to fix that and write about things that makes me happy for a change. I'm obsess with anything related to beauty; cosmetic, skincare and yes, beauty tools too! My collection may not be as big these days, I've learned the hard way to be a minimalist in this pandemic and keep only things that I can't live without.
Speaking of beauty tools, I normally stay away from natural hair bristles. Not because I'm a pets advocate, it's actually due to the lack of information about the origins of each brushes. Brands like Morphe, Sigma or Zoeva rarely disclose the type of animal hair they used for their range. I don't want to wake up one day and realize the brushes that I used religiously were made from boars! So I kind of stick with synthetic brushes and beauty blenders instead.
Another reason why I never really purchase natural hair brushes is because they're quite expensive and delicate. You need to properly use, store and clean each of them to make sure they will last for years. I do feel tempted everytime I watch Alicia @ Kinkysweat talk about her makeup brush collection but it always dies down whenever I take a look at the price... Unbeknown to me, my sister already bought me the Koyudo Kakishibuzome makeup brush set for my birthday last year and to say I'm excited is definitely understatement, I finally get my first taste of Fude!
If you're not familiar with Fude, it's a term used by makeup enthusiast for Japanese makeup brushes; the home to traditionally handmade, high quality brushes. Based in Kumano, the city produces highly sought after brushes in the world with over 1000 artisans who used techniques refined over centuries. Everything from how to make ergonomic handles, leaving bristles uncut for a natural application, tightly applied ferrules for the perfectly formed unit to the brush practicality and appearance were created with great precision in 30 steps, mostly by hands.
There are 3 main elements of Fude; the bristles, handle and ferrule. Makeup brushes produced in Kumano normally used goat, squirrel or horse hair because of their ability to hold powder and color pigment for a more natural application. Besides that, it's also very soft and blending out beautifully compared to synthetic brushes. Natural hair bristles can be divided in 2 different categories; dyed and undyed hair.
It's all comes down to your preference and the type of products you regularly used; dyed hair for example suits powder products better meanwhile undyed hair work nicely with liquid, cream, satin and shimmer products. Moving on to the handle, it's typically made from Japanese wood and finally the ferrule; the part that attached the bristles and handle were usually made from metals such as brass, copper or aluminum.
Koyudo Kakishibuzome Makeup Brush Set - 6 pieces
[USD304.00]
★★★★☆
Let's talk about the star of the show, shall we? According to Fude Beauty website; the Koyudo Kakishibuzome series are made with high quality Saikoho goat hair bristles. The tips are dyed with persimmon, a traditional dyeing technique in Japan passed down since the Heian period (794 – 1185). Known as Kakishibu, this method of dyeing imbues the bristles with a dusky hue as well as antibacterial properties. The handles are made from Mizume Zakura (cherry blossom wood), revered for its natural elegance and warmth. This set consists of 3 face brushes, 3 eyeshadow brushes, a pouch and a box to keep your brushes in good condition.
Since I'm practically a virgin when it comes to Fude, I'm not going to go in-depth in terms of the brush performance or quality but focusing more into the presentation and experience instead. First thing first, the packaging. The Paulownia box certainly gives this set a luxurious, vintage mood that matched the brushes perfectly. You can tell how beautiful the craftmanship of the brushes going to be from the moment you unbox this set. It's definitely consistent with the Koyudo Kakishibuzome marketing narrative; classic, intricate and exquisite.
The brush itself on the other hand is truly a work of art. The Kakishibu dying technique on the bristles really elevate the whole look and with the handcrafted wooden handle that compliments it, I have nothing but love for the makeup brush set. Not only aesthetically pleasing, the Saikoho goat hair bristles is also very soft on the skin and a delight to use. The only downside of this Koyudo Kakishibuzome set that I could think of is probably the price but if you take into account the quality and workmanship that you're getting, I would say it's worth every penny!
Koyudo Kakishibuzome Powder Brush 01 (Round-Flat)
[USD86.00]
★★★★★
This is obviously the largest brush in this collection and quickly becomes my favorite. I love using it to apply loose powder to set my makeup and adding finishing touches to my look with Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder. The hair is extremely soft and fluffy, very airy and feathery; perfect to softly buff the powder all over your face without moving the foundation underneath. I won't recommend this brush for bronzer and blusher application though due to it's size but if you prefer a more disperse approach, this could work for that as well.
Koyudo Kakishibuzome Powder Brush 02 (Round)
[USD86.00]
★★★★★
The Powder Brush 02 on the other hand is slightly smaller, a little bit denser and easier to maneuvered compared to Powder Brush 01. I usually pick this brush to use with my bronzer or blusher because it gives a beautiful smooth and diffuse look. It's pretty versatile too, you can use it to work with powder foundation, translucent powder or even highlighter. If directional movement application is what you're aiming for, you'll definitely fall for this brush. In fact, if I have to choose a brush in this range, I'll go for this one in a heartbeat!
Koyudo Kakishibuzome Cheek Brush 03
[USD50.00]
★★★★★
Unlike those two earlier brushes, the Cheek Brush 03 is significantly compact and travel friendly. This brush can fit comfortably in any regular makeup pouch and will work wonderfully for targeted and precise powder application. The bristles size fit the apple of my cheeks perfectly, making it so much effortless to apply blushers and highlighters. It's small enough to set your under eyes with and of course, you can even using it for contouring. What can I say; all the face brushes in this collection are flexible, you can always find new ways to play with it!
Koyudo Kakishibuzome Eyeshadow Brush 04 (Large)
[USD24.00]
★★★☆☆
Moving on to the Eyeshadow Brush 04 which is the biggest eye brush in this line. It's slightly stiffer but still a versatile brush nevertheless. It works best for one and done kind of eye look; you can use packing motion and softly blend the shade afterward. You can also use it for applying concealer or primer all over your lids and even use it for nose shading. The end result might not be as seamless as blending brush but with time and practice, you can achieve your desired eye look with this eyeshadow brush.
Koyudo Kakishibuzome Eyeshadow Brush 05 (Small)
[USD20.00]
★★★☆☆
Just like the Eyeshadow Brush 04, this brush is a little difficult to maneuver. The hair is quite rigid and didn't have much give so it took me multiple attempt to get the color look diffused. Despite all that, one of the great thing about this brush, it's really good at picking up shimmer shades and applying it on the lids. You can use patting motion to pack the color and get maximum payoff. The smaller size also allowed it to be a nice brush for browbone application. In another word, if you're looking for a classic eye brush, this one is definitely made for you.
Koyudo Kakishibuzome Eyeliner Brush 06
[USD18.00]
★★★★★
Last but not the least is the Eyeliner Brush 06. It's pretty unique in my opinion. Not thin enough to be an eyeliner brush but work wonders to smoke out or smudge the upper and bottom lashline area. I also use it to intensify the shade on my outer V, highlighting the inner V and when I need a precise application on the lids. Small yet mighty, this brush really delivered in terms of giving my delicate eyes the attention it needs in a soft and smooth way. This might sounds weird though, I think this brush can be re-purpose as a lip brush too since it's quite firm and sturdy.
Before I forget, the caring instruction leaflet provided in this set strongly suggest you to clean the brushes every two months to maintain the integrity of the natural hair bristles. For someone who enjoy playing with colors, I religiously wash my brush every week so I can keep changing my looks every time the mood hits me. In order to do that with Fude, I'm using a microfiber towel to spot cleaning my brush. I find that it's gentle enough, extremely fast and highly effective to exchange shade in between usage rather than washing it.
If you're thinking of indulging yourself with Fude, Koyudo Kakishibuzome series is a great way to start. Since the brushes are multifaceted and can be purchase separately, you have the option to only get the brushes that you can fully utilize instead of the whole set. I heard that Koyudo will increase their price very soon so if you're still debating whether to buy it or not before, now is the perfect time to do so! For more details, make your way to Fude Beauty official sites listed below. Until then, take care and stay safe lovelies, adieu~
Website www.fudebeauty.com | Facebook www.facebook.com/fudebeauty
Instagram www.instagram.com/fudebeauty
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