Best Things in Beauty : Hakuhodo Brushes VI.

even though i haven't written about Hakuhodo brushes for a while it doesn't mean that i didn't buy them - so i want to start catching up with you today.
if you're interested, here are all my Hakuhodo posts so far:

Hakuhodo
Hakuhodo Brushes II
Hakuhodo Brushes III
Hakuhodo Brushes IV
Hakuhodo Brushes V

this order only consisted of 3 brushes for my personal use:

__________K005 Eye Shadow Brush round and flat__________

the K005 is a flat and firm brush made of weasel hair. it washes easily and keeps the shape perfectly, the build quality is superb as i'm used to with Hakuhodo.
sometimes i use it to apply my eyeliner or even brow colour, but it excels any of my other brushes in applying cream eyeliner to my upper waterline (aka "the invisible eyeliner" to thicken your lashes without an obvious line). the shape, size and resilience of this brush are just perfect for that task, the flat shape is perfect for precise work, it's firm enough for an even and smooth application of colour but at the same time flexible, smooth and rounded to not irritate your sensitive waterline (unlike the MAC 231, which is a very similarly shaped synthetic brush but a bit too firm for this delicate area). it's one of my favourite brushes by Hakuhodo, i use it everytime i do my makeup.
at 18$ a real steal - you must have it.

pre-wash

post-wash

comparison

MAC 231 - Hakuhodo K005 - MakeUpShow H07 Small Shader Brush

__________S146 Eye Shadow Brush round__________

the S146 is a small round, tapered eyeshadow brush. it's one of Hakuhodo's flagship S 100 Series brushes made with a vermillion lacquered wooden handle and 24k gold/brass ferrule. blue squirrel hair was used for this brush, so it's incredibly soft and smooth but still not floppy.
i don't use it often enough because i'm so lazy and simple with my eye makeup looks, but its distinct resilience point makes this brush great in applying dark colours precisely onto the crease/outer corner. i use a small brush like this for dramatic looks additionally to a bigger crease brush to get the perfect gradation of depth - the combination of 2 brushes makes this super easy. on the pictures below you can also see it compared to the very similar, but bigger S142 and the even smaller G5529BkSL which i use for Aegyo Sal contouring exclusively. at 38$ this is an expensive little brush, i don't think it's a must.

pre-wash

post-wash

comparison

MAC 224 - Hakuhodo S142 - Hakuhodo S146 - Hakuhodo G5529BkSL

__________B505BkSL Blush Brush M round and flat__________

the B505BkSL is an oval shaped, very tapered blush brush made with a blend of blue squirrel and Sokoho goat hair. although it's not blue squirrel alone, the two hair types are composed together with such high craftsmanship that you only feel the softness of squirrel hair touching your face. the goat hair adds body and volume to the super dense brush, makes it slightly bouncier than my quite similar G5519BkSL which is made with pure squirrel hair.
this brush washes nicely without bleeding dye, it becomes a bit fluffier after drying but i usually put it into one of my cheapo brush guard thingies to get it back in shape. it only sheds a hair once in a while. the handle lays nicely in my hand and the shape leads me to use the brush rather in feathering strokes. it handles all kinds of blushes really well, regardless of pigmentation and how firm (or not) it's pressed. i even tried it with cream blush once, and was pleasantly surprised by how nicely it applies.
for Hakuhodo, this would be the blush brush that i would recommend if someone asks me for a suggestion - it's a luxurious investment at 84$, but it's an allrounder which performs like one that costs much more (LOL i don't love it to tell innocent people to get a 130$ brush, so 80ish seems more moderate XD) - i think Irit at Fab Forties loves hers a lot ;)