Hakuhodo was always whispered amongst professional makeup artists. They are known to have the best makeup brushes in the world due to their craftsmanship and culture surrounding the making of brushes. Made in Kumano (the brush capital of Japan), these are expertly handcrafted and made with the finest materials - even down to the handle. Naturally, I decided to purchase a few while I was overseas in Japan. I think i visited them 3 times because of how obsessed I was with their texture and shape. My very first brushes I bought at IMATS and they were merely aesthetic and fluffy. It was only when I started freelancing where I saw the potential of these brushes, and they are absolutely phenomenal. I tried to narrow it down to 5 but, let's be honest, there will be a part 2 some time later. For now, I hope you guys enjoy this review and appreciate the quality of hand made brushes.
B142 (Fluffy Blending Brush)
Bristle: White goat hair
Blendability: Concentrated blending. This is the perfect brush for precision blending. It looks like a normal fluffy blending brush with a few more bristles in the ferrule. This makes it stiffer which is great for blending out dense colours in the crease, for buffing concealers, diffusing harsh edges and blending in general. I prefer this type of blending brush for precise smoky eyes compared to fluffier ones as it doesn't blend the colour too high.
Washability: Easy. With how little hairs you have compared to the bigger brushes, these are fairly easy to use. As per instructions, using alcohol-free soaps with no fragrance is best. My go-to soap is SARD Wonder Soap.
Best used for: Blending eyeshadows, blending edges of cream products, powders.
B5507 (Flat Domed Eyeshadow Brush)
Bristle: Horse hair
Blendability: Low blendability due to it's stiff shape and bristle. This is a great brush for applying eyeshadow. Because of the nature of horse hair, the brush easily picks up pigments and powder and can directly apply it onto the eyes. There's no fallout and it applies so precisely on the lid. I usually opt for this brush when I want a pigmented colour to pop on the eyes,
Washability: Easy. These bristles don't stain easily, so you can apply your highly pigmented colours without worrying about staining the brush.
Best used for: High pigment shadows, precise placement of eyeshadows, glitter.
J5523 (Eyeshadow Blending Brush)
Bristle: White goat hair
Blendability: High. This is your holy grail eyeshadow brush. It's fluffy and dense, making it the perfect one for applying eyeshadow and blending it. This is a staple in my kit because I can use it for cream eyeshadows, powders, concealers, etc. It has the same density as the much-loved MAC 217, but I prefer the Hakuhodo ones purely because they stay fluffy. They retain their shape a lot longer than the 217's and remain soft for the eyelids. This is literally all I used for a smokey eye and it came out beautifully.
Washabilty: Fairly easy. If using cream products or highly pigmented shades, definitely keep the soap soaking in the brush for a minute or 2 so the colour can lift easily. Because it's white, I tend to use my trusty SARD soap. Gets the job done.
Best used for: Powder eyeshadow, cream eyeshaow, concealer.
G5537 (Cheek/Highlight Brush)- they call it an eyeshadow brush, don't ask me why)
Blendabilty: Very high. The hairs are super flexible and are fairly sparse. It blends complexion products like a dream! I love that these bristles are longer than your average brush because it creates the softest, diffused look. Great for creating hints of colour on the cheek and it's ultra foolproof. I've even used it to blend out harsh contours and colours - works really well.
Washabiltiy: Very easy. The longer bristles make it easy to lather up the soap and it washes out fine.
Best used for: Blush, highlight.
J210 (Cheek/Powder Brush)
Bristle: White goat hair
Blendability: Moderate. It's a densly packed brush with the softest hairs ever. I usually use this for cream blushes and cream contours because of it's dense nature. It feels extremely soft on the skin and doesn't drag the makeup. The blending is precise and it easily diffuses harsh lines, making it a staple kit addition to my brush collection.
Washability: Moderate-difficult. Because of my use, the bristles get stained fairly quickly, but I usually lather it up with SARD soap and then leave it to soak for a minute or 2. Then I wash it out with warm water and it's generally good to go. Sometimes I use this to buff out foundation. A spot cleaner usually works fine for those quick rinses.
Best used for: Buffing out foundation, cream/liquid blushes, cream contour.