Hakuhodo Order : Pictures and a Review So Long, It Is Practically an Essay

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

I recently made a Hakuhodo order. I had saved about 90% of my tax return but had wanted to treat myself with the rest. A little sumpin' sumpin', if you will. I had agonized over which brushes that I wanted to buy first, and I kid you not, it took me about four weeks to decide what to get. I won't lie to you, this review is long but hey, I like being thorough.

The brushes come packaged very beautifully and well protected with plastic sheaths and tissue inside a lavender gift box. Accompanying the box are cards explaining how to care for you brushes. I appreciated the quality and care that went into packaging these brushes, after all if it was a present to myself- shouldn't it feel like one?

All the following pictures are taken of the brushes after they were washed and dried the first time, they looked slightly flattened straight out of the box from the plastic wrapping. The brushes are really well made, sturdy wooden handles with nickle plated brass ferrules. The one and only downfall I have noticed is that the silver holographic logo has started to wear off after about a month's time (and only one washing actually).

J214 Eye Shadow Brush Round, white goat hair, $35. Trust me, this brush is not just an expensive, awkwardly large eye brush. The white haired, domed brush is very dense and wonderfully soft. The size makes it perfect for contouring my nose, the inner part of my eye closest to the inner brow and under my lip. It's also fantastic (clean, of course) for applying concealer under the eye, on those dark circles. Another great use is for applying a base color all over the eye. It is incredibly versatile and I think worth every penny. There is a cheaper version, the 214 ($27) with black hair but I opted for the white hair because I find it really helpful to have a white haired brush when contouring; white bristles really keep me from going overboard when you can see how much product is on the hairs. I don't have any other brush with which I can compare it. I am honestly considering ordering another.

210 Blush Brush Round, black goat hair, $36. I love blush brushes, but this one takes the cake. The domed shape offers great control and the size is perfect for applying blush exactly where you want it to go. The hairs are resilient, not super soft but not rough by any means. It is so good at what it does, I want to buy another (or even a third!) to use for bronzer.

J5521 Highlighter Brush Tapered, white goat hair, $36. Though it is a highlighter brush, I also use it for contouring my cheeks. I like this brush quite a bit. Though it's still not quite as dense as I would have liked, it is SO much better than my Sigma F35 which is scratchy and wimpy in comparison. Very soft bristles, a few hairs have shed here and there (about 5 total, mostly during washing).

J163H Eyebrow Brush Angled, horse, $18. This is the only brush out of the ones that I ordered that I didn't care for. I was hoping to find a replacement brow brush. I currently use the Smashbox #12 Angle Brow Brush which I have had for a few years now and while it is still in great condition, the hairs are now a bit more pliable and not as compact as when it was newer. Anyways, the description says that it can "draw thin lines" and also described the hairs as "resilient", the latter which I would have to disagree with. As far as a brow brush goes, the hairs are really rather soft and for the lack of a better word, wiggly. This brush is great for filling in large areas of the brow, but is too soft for my liking, it does not offer the user much precision because the hairs are not firm at all. I think I should have gotten the stiffer looking B163Bk, which is made from water badger.

B533BkSL Eye Shadow Brush Pointed, black goat hair, $18. I adore this brush so, so much. Within a few uses it has quickly become one of my favorite eye brushes. It is a round pencil brush that tapers to a finer point than most other pencil brushes. It's another multi use brush. It is great for putting colors in the crease, for placing and blending colors in the outer V of the eye and the tip is fine enough to use it as a smudge brush along the lash line. I can't gush about the tip enough. It allows me a fantastic degree of precision.

G5515BkSL Eye Shadow Brush Point, white goat hair, $15.This brush is nice as well. Great for detailed work and for use along the lash line but I can't say that it has become a staple. I think that it's because the B533BkSL is so versatile and useful to me, that this brush has taken a backseat.

I think that overall, these brushes are really incredible. The quality is definitely there. I won't insist that these brushes are an absolute must, I know that isn't practical for every budget. I would like to point out that Hakuhodo brushes aren't necessarily as expensive as their reputation might suggest. Yes, there are brushes that are in the $50-90+ range. However, there are also cheaper lines of brushes in the $18-40 range where the prices are on point or lower than MAC, Smashbox, etc but the quality definitely exceeds that of those more easily accessible brands. I was thrilled with my order, I find myself reaching for most of the brushes that I ordered on a daily basis and will definitely be buying more Hakuhodo brushes in the future.

One last tidbit, Hakuhodo USA's service was really prompt. Less than an hour after I made my order, I already received two emails. One confirmed my order and a second email alerted me that my order was already dispatched, crazy right? If USPS hadn't bounced my order around (definitely not Hakuhodo's fault) three sorting facilities (it ended up taking six business days), I think I would have received my order within two days. Shipping is also flat rate, $9 for US orders.

Other blogs that have really helpful reviews of Hakuhodo brushes include: The Non-Blonde, Delicate Hummingbird and Project Swatch.

Have you tried any Hakuhodo brushes? What brand is currently your favorite?

Products featured were purchased by me, for my own use. For additional information, please refer to my Disclosure Policy.