delicate hummingbird.: July 2011

Jul 31, 2011

brush weekend II: Lunasol brushes.

i've saved the best for last: my precious brushes by Lunasol.
Lunasol is a japanese high end brand by Kanebo and actually caught my attention through a blog comment to one of my previous brush reviews. after browsing a bit i was really intrigued but could not find an online source for them. luckily the customer service of bonboncosmetics.com could help me once more, although they usually don't stock on these they managed to offer the Lunasol brush range within only few days for me to order.
at first i wanted to try the face brushes so i ordered the Powder and the Cheek brush. the budget didn't allow me to try more eye brushes hahaha ;)
i'm kind of in love with these brushes right now, at the moment i don't even feel the need of purchasing SUQQU brushes anymore when i already have these... (but, well, of course i'll still get the SUQQUs! it's just a matter of time. i'm still brush crazy, don't worry!)
Kanebo brushes are made by Chikuhodo just like SUQQU (and RMK).
the brushes come in normal foil packaging, i would have wanted a pouch or something to keep them for travelling etc.

Powder Brush N

the Powder Brush N is a classic powder brush and made with uber soft blue squirrel hair - i can't stop touching it! it's probably my most luxurious and beautiful (large) powder brush of the moment with a conical handle and ferrule in rich maroon brown. the ultra fine and soft brush hairs are really densely packed into a perfect shape, they are smooth and have a healthy shine. because it's so dense, the brush still has a good fluffiness and resistance. surely the delicate hair is not meant to buff in your powder but you would want to pamper yourself with this brush and a fine setting/finishing powder instead of working any product into your skin. it glides like a breeze of air over your skin, dusting on the finest veil of powder and doesn't interfere with your foundation underneath. the hair tips are so fine that you won't even notice it touching your face but the brush is so lush that it will create the smoothest finish.
the Lunasol Powder Brush was my saviour in the last week when my skin was so sensitive and inflamed that it couldn't stand any "spiky" goat hair brushes touching it. another character of squirrel hair that i truly appreciate is it being so fine that it doesn't get spiky when it's used and has powder residues on it, unlike goat hair that feels really uncomfortable then.
this brush is similar to my A'Squirrel Pure Squirrel Powder Brush, but some quality issues of the A'Squirrel brush always bugged me. the hair seems less healthy and the Lunasol brush is just fuller and feels more pleasantly to use.
it washes very well and doesn't shed. it also keeps the shape perfectly without any stray hairs.
at 81.99$ it's definitely an investment, but one that i will never regret.

pre-wash

post-wash

Paula Dorf Powder Brush - Lunasol Powder Brush - RMK Face Powder Brush - A'Squirrel Powder Brush

Lunasol Cheek Brush N

the Cheek Brush N is a classic blush brush, round and flat. it's a smaller version of the Powder Brush N and from thickness inbetween the RMK Cheek Brush and the IPSA Brush Squirrel L. it's a tad bit bigger than those and comparable to the MAC 129 in size. it's made with the same fine and unbelievably soft blue squirrel hair like the Powder Brush N and i use it in alternation with the above mentioned RMK and IPSA squirrel brushes for very pigmented blushes or when i want a really soft and natural result.
i love how the brush glides over my skin so effortlessly which feels incomparable and is fantastic for those times when i suffer from really sensitive skin. also the fine brush hair grabs the perfect amount of pigment when i just tap it once into a blush pan, lets say NARS Desire or Gilda for example, and never scratches on the blush surface making it dusty and messy. using squirrel hair brushes i have never experienced any problems with dusty blushes anymore.
this brush has a certain fluffiness like the RMK Cheek brush and is not as compact and sleek as Hakuhodo blue squirrel (i'm referring to the Hakuhodo S111 or Kokutan Eye Shadow Brush L). it applies the blushes evenly and smooth. being able to blend in the blusher as much as i want to since the brush glides so easily without messing up my foundation, it makes the most intense or frosty blush completely fool-proof.
like the powder brush, this one also washes nicely and keeps the shape well.
if you love brushes, i find you should seriously consider to either get this or the RMK Cheek brush to try a high quality squirrel brush for blush application at a relatively reasonable price (this one costs 58.99$).

pre-wash

post-wash

comparison

MAC 116 - MAC129 - Lunasol Cheek Brush - RMK Cheek Brush

so this will be the last post of this brush weekend, of all brushes i showed you i think the Lunasol brushes and the Le Métier de Beauté Crease Brush are most worth checking out and have quickly become indispensable for my collection.
look forward to more brush weekends in the future :)

brush weekend II: RMK Eyeshadow Brushes M+L

my two remaining brushes by RMK are eye brushes.
both are ordered from bonboncosmetics.com.
RMK brushes are made with excellent quality but some may find the short handles hard to get used to.

Eyeshadow Brush M

the Eyeshadow Brush M is actually bigger than the the "L". it's made with horse hair which is soft and thick. it has a good snap/flexibility and the hairs are sleek, so they won't grab much product. the shape and material reminds me of the IPSA Brush 3, but just as a smaller version. i find this chisel type brush to be too big and the hairs too long for targeted blending work, therefor i'd prefer other brushes. it's ok to blend a sheer wash of color all over your lids but i really like it to apply my Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder on the undereye area, it has the perfect size and texture for that function.

the brush washed nicely and keeps the shape well. admittedly at 34.99$ i find it too expensive for its use and would not really recommend this to test the brushes by RMK.

pre-wash

post-wash

comparison

MAC 224 - A'Squirrel Blending Brush - RMK Eyeshadow Brush M - Paula Dorf Eyeshadow Brush - MAC 217

Eyeshadow Brush L

the Eyeshadow Brush L is a chubby application brush. it's dense and thick and reminds me of my Rouge Bunny Rouge Large Shader or the MAC 227, just smaller. like the other eye brushes by RMK this one is also made with horse hair. although it's densely packed the horse hair is soft and with little firmness. plus, it's quite thick and the brush hair very sleek, so it's not suited for intense application since the hair doesn't grab much product and the size also doesn't allow to work precisely. it's rather made for all over colour application or also intense and precise blending with the tip. all in all i don't like horse hair as a material for eyeshadow brushes, i'd prefer goat or even better, weasel/sable hair.
this brush also washed well and didn't loose the shape. and again, 34.99$ seems too much to me for this brush.

pre-wash

post-wash

comparison

Rouge Bunny Rouge Large Shader - RMK Eyeshadow Brush L - MAC 227 - MAC 239 (for size comparison)

brush weekend II: IPSA Brush 3.

this is the IPSA Brush 3, it's a small face brush with a paddle shape. unlike my other brushes by IPSA this one is made with horse hair instead of squirrel, so it's more on the affordable side with 29.99$. i ordered it on bonboncosmetics.com together with the other brushes by this brand.
the horse hair is thick and sleek and has a high flexibility (or "snap") but it's also quite soft.
the shape and size makes it suitable for precise application or spot-application, for example of setting powder for your undereye concealer. it's nice to apply powder on your cheek (to catch eyeshadow fall out) or to flick away excess powder/eyeshadow fall out. i like it most as a highlighting brush to apply the highlighter in feathering strokes on a C area around your eyes/cheek bone. it's also great to use with cream blush since it fits nicely into the smaller pots (YSL Crème de Blush, Maybelline etc.) and the sleek bristles don't tend to absorb the product.
this brush washes well and holds the shape. although i don't think that it's a must have at all, i quite like it as an alternative to my small skunk brushes when it comes to cream blush. these days i'm especially liking the small face brushes anyway ;)

pre-wash

post-wash

comparison

Paula Dorf Eye Blender Brush - Hakuhodo Kokutan Eyeshadow Brush L - IPSA Brush 3 - MAC 239 (for size comparison)

Jul 30, 2011

brush weekend II: Smashbox Face & Body Brush #19.

this time it's about the Smashbox #19 brush. i bought it on ebay as a BCA (Breast Cancer Awareness) - set together with the Fusion Soft Lights in Blushing Pink (that will be the matter of another post ;) ).
the brush is also available in the regular design with deep red handle in the permanent range of Smashbox and retails for 52$; i paid 67$ plus 14$ shipping for the set. a portion of the profit was initially donated to the National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund of the US, i think this is a good cause.
the #19 Face and Body Brush is a huge kabuki type brush with a thick and long handle (which is pink in the BCA set ^^), it's very dense and fluffy.
the thick handle makes it a standing brush, but i find the base to be not totally even so it still jiggles around.
the brush is sturdy and washed well but needed 3-4 washes before it stopped bleeding dark dye. it only had minor shedding and doesn't shed while usage. since it's so big and dense, it needs over a day to be completely dry.
it's made with rather soft natural hair, the official site says that they used a squirrel substitute, which i think is just fine goat hair.
i've heard a lot of great reviews for this brush, how soft it was etc., but i admit that i'm not wowed by it's actual softness. it's about the same softness like my MAC 182 kabuki (maybe even a bit less), and not as soft as the MAC 181 for example. btw, the feeling is far away from real squirrel.
although it's sold together with the Blushing Pink Fusion Soft Lights, i don't find it suitable for blush or highlight application at all (--> too huge), what i would assume the Blushing Pink to be.
it could be a nice mineral foundation brush, even though i find it to be a bit weak at the center, it kind of splays out. but i'm not a mineral foundation user, so i can't really evaluate this.
to benefit from its size, it's best used as a body bronzer/highlighter brush. while i still don't have a serious function for this brush, it just stands there and is nice to look at. maybe i will try it to apply my self tanner with, i've seen an interesting video about that on youtube by MakeupByAlli.