The Beautylish x Chikuhodo 2018 brush set is not my first set of natural bristle brushes. I have been loving my Louise Young brushes for quite a while now, but that range has moved to synthetic bristles and I’m not ready to give up natural bristles yet.
Chikuhodo
As a makeup enthusiast Chikuhodo is one of the Japanese fude brands that I heard of first. Established nearly 70 years ago in Kumano Japan, the brand has placed itself at the forefront with a strong range of brush sets created by highly esteemed artisans. One of the easiest ways to differentiate between Chikuhodo and the equally well known Hakuhodo is that the later brand tends feature fan brushes and Chikuhodo do not. Beautylish as a long established relationship with the Chikuhodo and produces annual Christmas brush collections in collaboration with the brand. This collection utilises saikoho grade goat hairs which are extremely soft and came with a pleather brush holder which to be frank is no where near the quality of the brush set.
Makie-e
Maki-e is a form or Japanese lacquer work which dates back to the 700s. Makie-e translates as ‘sprayed picture’ and is created by spraying or sprinkling lacquer which contains a metallic powder onto a surface. On the Beautylish x Chikuhodo Fuji Maki-e brush set, the Maki-e design represents Mount Fuji which is culturally spiritually and artistically significant for the Japanese.
Beautylish x Chikuhodo Fuji Maki-e Powder Brush
I have a large face, so I like a large brush. The powder is not the largest in my collection but it works. It is domed which makes is great for buffing and finishing the face. There are plenty of bristles but is not overly dense so you can lay down powder and whip it away.
Beautylish x Chikuhodo Fuji Maki-e Cheek Brush
I love tapered brushes. This cheek brush has that shape which means that it can be used equally for highlighter, blusher and bronzer equally. It picks up hard pressed powders beautifully and if you are not carefully you can overload your brush with products that are pressed softly. It is a great workhorse brush.
Beautylish x Chikuhodo Fuji Maki-e Foundation Brush
This is a great brush. I love the way it applies liquid and cream foundation, blends out cream colour corrector and concealer on my skin. I don’t find that it streaks at all. However, I am a brown skinned woman and my foundation shades are always at the deepest end of the spectrum. Put this into an equation with a white, natural bristle makeup brush and staining is going to be an issue. The reality is that I don’t wash my brush straight after use. Natural bristles are more delicate than synthetic so I don’t use this brush for liquid and cream products. I do use it with powder foundation and pressed bronzer / contour products. This way I can keep using the brush regularly whilst minimising the risk of staining.
Beautylish x Chikuhodo Fuji Maki-e Eyeshadow Brush
The best way to describe this is that is it the first cousin of the MAC 217 (the original version – not the synthetic). This means that I can use one brush to apply colour and blend it. It picks up matte satin metallic and shimmer products beautifully. It is a fabulous brush.
Final Thoughts
The Beautylish x Chikuhodo 2018 set is beautiful. The handles are an amazing cobalt blue colour that would make a delicious nail varnish colour. The pictures do not do the handles justice. They are amazing in real life. One of the reason that I was drawn to the set is due the lack of an eyebrow or lip pencil in the set. Many fude sets that I have seen feature them but happily this set did not so pulled the trigger on it. The brushes function beautifully, both individually and as a set. I know that many would choose to save these brushes for best but I choose to use them regularly. I am not a brush collector but I enjoy using well-made beautiful things and this set is a real beauty.