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Favorite Eye Makeup Brushes and Tools

July 19, 2017

Best Eye Makeup Brushes | The Beauty Look Book

By popular request I have an updated roundup of my beauty tools. So many of you have asked me what the best tools are for eye makeup and I’ve often referenced older posts. I was going through some recently and it’s hard to believe the last round up posts were done three years ago! Time literally flies! I’ve been building my brush collection for many years (for over a decade) and yet I feel like I’ve only scratched the surface of the tools out there. When it comes to makeup brushes and tools I’m a creature of habit. For the longest time I’ve stuck with tried and true staples from MAC because they’re consistent in quality, they have kept the same designs for years and they get the job done. I have explored a lot of other brands over the years and today I have an updated roundup of the best eye makeup tools I own.

If I could just stick with one collection/brand I would – unfortunately no single brand has everything I want. I’ve split these into categories by shape/function. Also note that I don’t have a crease on my lids so I don’t use a crease brush like most would. I do a lot of blending to get a gradient or wash with neutral colors and then I also have a lot of detail brushes I use. I do realize this is a bit of a long list – I’ve included different options from a small handful of brands I really love as some of you may have different preferences for shape, brush size, handle size/width etc.  I’ll round up my top picks at the end of the post as well.

Up first are the basic shadow/lid brushes. I like ones that are soft but somewhat dense so I can pick up powders. A lot of these I use for creams as well even though synthetic brushes often work better – I like the soft texture and feel. Shown below from left to right:

  • Hakuhodo J242G ($18) is a hybrid goat and synthetic fibers making it versatile for all products. It’s a smaller size making it easy to pack on color on the lids.
  • Hakuhodo B J004G ($20) is my favorite one for the lids, it’s made of goat hair and extremely soft. This is the best lid color brush I have – it picks up the perfect amount of color and blends powders seamlessly.
  • MAC 239SH ($25) is also another favorite, it’s one of my most-used brushes, the SH version is exclusive to MAC stores and online. It’s soft and dense and perfect for packing product on the lids. It’s not as soft as the Hakuhodo but still very good.
  • MAC 239 ($25) is the full size version, I like that both the full and short handle have the same size bristles.
  • Chanel Blender/Shader ($42) is a new double ended brush that’s super soft with a nice fluffy feel. The small end is also dense but fluffy, the larger side is perfect for blending.
  • Wayne Goss 18 (old, discontinued) is unfortunately discontinued but was the best option that was slightly larger than the MAC 239.
  • Chanel Large Eye Shadow Brush #25 ($38) is another great option that’s larger than the MAC 239, it’s not as dense and slightly more loose in how its packed, note that all the Chanel brushes with the silver handles (ones in the current collection) are going to be discontinued. New ones will be introduced around the 24th so if you have any current options on your wishlist you should buy them soon.
  • Marc Jacobs Beauty The Conceal ($30) is actually a concealer brush (which it’s great for) but I really love this one for cream shadows. It has a beveled/angled tip so it makes the creams apply easily to the lids.

Eye Makeup Brushes Lids and Wash | The Beauty Look Book

Out of all of these my top two are the MAC 239 and Hakuhodo B J004G. I have multiples of both kinds and they’re probably the most versatile brushes I own.

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Next are the blending brushes good for a light sweep of color, for blending or a nice wash. With some of these you will probably be able to use as a crease brushes too. I prefer the ones with white hair as they’re usually soft and super fluffy. They’re small enough so there’s some density to them. Often times I find the darker ones are a bit too loose in the way they are designed. Shown below from left to right:

  • Edward Bess Luxury Eye Brush ($40) is my favorite large domed fluffy brush because of the density. It’s perfect for sweeping color on the lids for a nice wash and it’s also a great blending brush.
  • MAC 217 (also available in 217SH) ($25) is another great basic blending brush because of the softness. It’s perfect for blending out colors. For the longest time this was my favorite until I tried Tom Ford, Hakuhodo and Wayne Goss.
  • Wayne Goss 18 (from the Eye Set $130, individual $27) in terms of quality, I feel Wayne Goss has among the best brushes. They’re right up there with Tom Ford. #18 is the closest option to MAC 217.
  • Hakuhodo J5523 ($19) is made of goat hair and the equivalent of MAC 217. This one is far better in terms of how it picks up color and blends it out.
  • Wayne Goss 17 (from the Eye Set $130, individual $28) is a smaller sized fluffy brush, good for detail blending or crease blending.
  • Wayne Goss 16 (from the Eye Set $130, individual $30) is a bit longer and bigger than #18. This is a good all around blending brush.
  • Tom Ford 13 ($57) is a fluffy blending brush good for blending things up on the lid for a nice gradient. In my opinion Tom Ford brushes are the best brushes I own.
  • Tom Ford 11 ($57) is the ultimate wash brush. It applies the perfect amount of color to the lids and is super soft in feel. They’re really well made. The ones I have are made with natural bristles – at an event in the spring I was told Tom Ford was moving towards making brushes with synthetic materials but I haven’t received confirmation of when or if it has happened yet.
  • Hakuhodo J220G ($24) is a larger fluffy flat brush made of goat and synthetic fiber. I like this one and use it a lot but it’s not as dense as other ones so I prefer the other ones for density and this one for it’s size on some occasions.
  • Bobbi Brown Eye Sweep ($37) is a classic large dense fluffy round brush.
  • MAC 227SH (discontinued, $32) has been discontinued unfortunately, it’s more dense than the Bobbi Brown, but for now the BB is the next best option.

Best Blending Brushes MAC, Hakuhodo, Bobbi Brown | The Beauty Look Book

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For detail brushes my long-time go to has been the MAC 219 Pencil Brush which I’ve had for years. Unfortunately I lost mine either in the move or while traveling (but sometime in the past few months) and never got around to replacing it. It’s the best all around smudge or lining brush I’ve had but there are still quite a few others that are really good. Shown below from left to right:

  • Wayne Goss 08 (from the Anniversary Set $225, individual $17) is the tiniest detail brush I own. It’s perfect for getting into the tiny corners of the line or right along the lashes. It’s stiff but not harsh on the eyes.
  • Bobbi Brown Eye Definer (one shown is a special-edition one from a holiday set, but same as regular one) ($34) is a classic angled brush you can use for powder or gel liners. It’s also a good one for brows.
  • Wayne Goss 07 (from the Anniversary Set $225, individual $17) is the softest mini smudge brush, perfect for a smokey eye or blending out colors along the lash line.
  • Tom Ford 15 (discontinued) is the best smudge brush I have, unfortunately it’s discontinued.
  • Wayne Goss 05 (from the Anniversary Set $225, individual $20) is a super soft pencil brush, it picks up color a lot better than the MAC Pencil, but it’s smaller in size so not quite the same.
  • Laura Mercier Corner Eye Brush ($26) has been discontinued in most places, you can still find it online at a few stores right now like Bluemercury. It’s a good corner eye brush that gets color in tiny spaces with precise application but it’s large enough you can blend it out a little.
  • Hakuhodo G5514 ($17) is another great detail pencil brush to get that soft smokey eye.

Best Detail Brushes | The Beauty Look Book

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Misc brushes and tools shown below:

  • Chanel Large Tapered Blending Brush 19 ($38) this originally came in the brown natural hair, then was released in a white version, but not it appears it’s back to the brown. I have both and they both perform the same. This is a good detail blending brush – I use it for under the eye when I want a very soft diffused line or to blend out shadows along the upper lash line. It’s soft and blends colors perfectly. The shape is perfect. At this time I don’t have the full list of what brushes will be coming out around the 24th, but if this is on your list I recommend you get it soon as Chanel will be phasing out their current brushes and replacing them with a new line.
  • MAC 226 (discontinued) is the best small to medium blending brush, why they discontinued it is a mystery to me because there’s none other like it! For now one of the Wayne Goss brushes from The Eye Set (scroll up) will perform the same way, if not better because of the material it’s made of. However this one is still a really good one.
  • Wayne Goss 21 (from The Brow Set, $55) is the best brow brush for powders for me. I love that it’s wider than most and it’s super dense making it easier for me to get even application for both sides.
  • Surratt Eyelash Curler ($30) is one of the best curlers I own. It took me some time to learn to use because it’s so much wider than other brands. It performs really well.
  • MAC Eyelash Curler ($22) is my most-used lash curler. It always curls perfectly and I really like the shape.
  • Charlotte Tilbury Eyelash Curler ($22) is another good one that gets the job done without any pinching.

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That wraps up my favorite eye makeup brushes and tools post! I hope you found this helpful in case you’re looking for new tools. If I had to pick just one brand it would be nearly impossible to do – but at the moment it would probably be Wayne Goss but I’d have to add a couple from MAC. Overall great basics can be found from MAC – it’s easiest to find at stores and counters which means you can actually see and feel the brushes. For the longest time I didn’t buy brushes unless I could try them in person, but even when I lived in San Diego, I couldn’t find them all so finally had to order some sight unseen. There are a lot of great brush blogs out there so if you need more reference or comparison a google search will bring up some amazing reviews. Best quality and performance goes to Tom Ford, Wayne Goss and Hakuhodo. If I had to pick only 10 brushes to use for the rest of my life, it would be: MAC 239, MAC 217, Hakuhodo B J004, Hakuhodo J552, Edward Bess Luxury, Wayne Goss 07, Wayne Goss 08 and Wayne Goss 18.

What are your favorite tools?

Press samples include the Charlotte Tilbury Eye Lash Curler, Wayne Goss Eye Set and Anniversary Set brushes.

On My Radar

On My Radar / New In Beauty

July 29, 2015

Happy Wednesday everyone! I have a roundup of new beauty releases on my radar. I was planning to share this tomorrow but there’s a super special amazing deal that can’t wait. Fall collections are trickling in and the new releases look amazing. My first post will be on NARS fall (which is incredible) and I’m currently swatching my picks from Chanel. Several have asked for the post on my travel carry-on contents – I promise to have it up as soon as I can! I’m editing the photos today and tomorrow. Here’s what’s on my radar from the top left then clockwise:

Sephora Pro has launched a collection of 5 brushes in the hakuho-do + SEPHORA PRO Brush Collection. Each brush comes encased in a beautiful rich red box. The brush tips are a pale white and grey color. Handles are lacquered in a shiny red with silver embossed labels. The presentation is just phenomenal. I’m testing the brushes this week and hope to have a review with first impressions soon.

Tom Ford Beauty has some amazing things coming out this fall. I’m most excited about the Skin Illuminating Powder Duo (currently available for pre-order, I’ve ordered it). I’m also intrigued by the Skin Primers that come in a Pink and Peach version.

One of my BFFs shared her love about Korean Skincare Peach and Lily over the weekend. She ordered some of the Cremorlab Sheet Masks and said “you need to try them.” She has super sensitive skin and also knows her ingredients as she works in product development and closely with chemists. If she says something is good I trust her 100% – I’m ordering a few over the weekend. If you have any recommendations I’m all ears!

For Chanel fall I’m obsessed with the new Le Vernis shades in Vert Obscur, Ecorce Sanguine and Chataigne. Two are very very dark but they are perfect for fall. The new Les 5 Ombres de Chanel is to die for. My personal favorites are the four new Stylo Yeux Eyeliners.

Fresh has a new Limited-Edition Rose Face Mask launched to celebrate their 15th Anniversary. They’ve teamed up with London-based artist Jo Ratcliffe to create a beautiful special-edition floral design for the packaging. It’s gorgeous.

Guerlain Fall isn’t expected to arrive until next month but there is a new Terracotta Bayadère Face & Eyes Contour Palette that has caught my eye. I need to check it out immediately.

Marc Jacobs Beauty has three new face products that just launched. I need the Under(cover) Perfecting Coconut Face Primer for sure. It wasn’t on display at my Sephora last week but I hope to check it out soon. There is also a new Re(marc)able Full Cover Foundation Concentrate and a a new brush to go with it called The Face III Buffing Foundation Brush.

Armani has a new Luminous Silk Powder Foundation. I’m a 6.5 in the Luminous Silk and was matched to shade 4 at the counter. I’m not entirely sure it’s the right match but I’m giving it a go anyways. The other colors in the 5, 5.5 and 6.5 range looked very pink to me. I’ll report once I’ve given it a proper test.

Tatcha just launched a new Pore Perfecting Suncreen with SPF 35 (also available in a travel size). I’m really anxious to try this as I’ve been testing sunscreens all summer long. I have high hopes for this one.

Last but not least, many thanks to a couple of my readers who let me know Diptyque is on Hautelook for a limited time. There are a few select pieces available – but the deals are really good and it’s worth a look. I bought two of the Lilac pillars although now I need a photophore to store it. This is my first time ordering from Hautelook.

What’s on your beauty radar this week?

Uncategorized

New Face and Cheek Brush Acquisitions: Chikuhodo, Hakuhodo and Hourglass

April 22, 2015
I have a handful of new-to-me cheek and face brushes that I’ve been playing with for the past few weeks. When it comes to trying or purchasing new beauty products I’m usually pretty open to buying things sight unseen except for makeup brushes. There have been a few exceptions, but for the most part I primarily buy the mainstream brands that I can see or test in person. Roundup of my staples here and here. After testing just a few brushes from Chikuhodo, Hakuhodo and Hourglass, I can say that these are truly incredible tools worthy of their higher price tags. The materials used and the way they are cut are phenomenal making a huge difference in makeup application and feel on the skin.
I have five brushes I’m reviewing today, left to right: Chikuhodo MK-2, Hakuhodo J501, Hakuhodo J505, Hakhuhodo Fan Brush White and Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder Brush.
The Chikuhodo MK-2 Brush ($178) is one of three new brushes in the Makie Series. These are brushes that come with a beautiful print on the handles. These are made of grey squirrel hair and are incredibly soft and plush – it’s the softest brush I have ever felt. It’s semi-loose/semi-dense making it really good for all over powder or a soft wash of bronzer. It has a round shape but is semi-flattened which I like in a powder brush. This is the first Chikuhodo brush I’ve tried since they’ve been hard to find. Beautylish now carries the brushes and I’ve been thrilled with their quick shipping and awesome customer service so I’ve been doing some research to plot a sizable purchase. If you have any recommendations I would love them. The MK-2 along with all of the Chikuhodo brushes are a luxurious splurge but they are incredibly well made and soft. 

Front view versus side view:

Hakuhodo has been on my radar for ages. I saw the line for the first time at The Makeup Show LA this year. The website is a bit overwhelming with all the options for those new to the line. I should have done more research ahead of time, but picked out a few to buy based on density and shape. I picked out white brushes because they felt ultra soft. The three face brushes I picked out include the Fan Brush White ($45), J 501 ($100) and J 505 ($72). 

The Fan Brush White is made of 100% goat hair. it’s a wide and fluffy but dense kind of brush. This one is ideal for powder and finishing. It’s ultra soft but still medium-to-full in density so it will provide medium coverage if you layer on powders. I’ve used this to dust powder all over the face and also to blend powders along the sides of my face whether it’s a soft bronzer or to blend in blush. The compact shape and size is designed for it to be purse-friendly, but you do need a case for it to keep the bristles in tact. There is a small black case you can buy from Hakuhodo for it that retails for $10. It’s something I should have picked up but did not.

Next up are two synthetic fiber / goat hair blended brushes in J 501 ($100) and J 505 ($72). Both are ultra soft and plush. They remind me of the Tom Ford Brushes but are more tapered at the ends. They do fluff up a bit after washing but for the most part still keep their shape. J 501 is larger option, it was recommended to me for pressed powder because it’s a dense brush. J 505 is smaller and ideal for blushes. To me they feel identical in density and softness compared to the Tom Ford. The only difference is the shape.

Front vs side view:

Below the 2 Hakuhodo brushes compared to the Tom Ford Cream Foundation Brush ($72) for size and the Cheek Brush ($78). I have a slight preference for the more tapered shape of the Hakuhodo just for looks, but they perform the same and I’ve been such a huge fan of my Tom Ford Brushes I don’t know that I can pick one over the other.

Last but not least is the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder Brush ($35). This has been on my radar for forever but it’s something that has always escaped my shopping cart. It’s a densely packed brush made of high-grade Taklon bristles (synthetic fibers) and comes with its own pouch to store. This one is designed to be used with the Ambient Lighting Powders to dust all over the face or the angled portion to apply contour/highlighting products but it’s quite versatile. I also like to use it with the Ambient Lighting Bronzers because you can control the intensity of product easily with this brush.
Quick peek at more Hourglass brushes from the Abbot Kinney Boutique in Venice Beach:

Do you have any favorites from any of these lines? I have enough brushes to last multiple lifetimes but if I could start my brush collection all over again I would certainly choose to invest in ones from niche brands. They come at a steep price but the design, quality and way they apply product is truly phenomenal.

The Hourglass and Chikuhodo brushes were provided courtesy without charge for review consideration. All other items purchased by me.

Uncategorized

The Makeup Show LA – March 2015

April 13, 2015

A few weekends ago I attended The Makeup Show in Los Angeles for the first time. The Makeup Show is series of events held for beauty professionals and students. Earlier last month, the team kindly sent over a preview package mid-March to showcase some new items and brands that would be making their debut at the show. I was glad to be able to attend the show in person to experience the event first hand. There will be events held throughout the US this year, check out the details for tickets and exhibits at The Makeup Show and follow them on Instagram @themakeupshow or The Makeup Show Blog to stay up to date with the latest and get sneak peeks of what is to come.

Quick overview of dates for upcoming shows:

  • May 3-4, 2015 NYC
  • June 13-14, 2015 Dallas
  • August 29-30, 2015 Pop-Up Shop in San Francisco (new!)
  • January 30-31, 2016 Orlando
There were over sixty beauty brands that with booths from the show. At the top of my list to visit were the Beautylish and Hakuhodo. The Beautylish booth was setup like a mini pharmacy with shelves of their Bioderma Sensibio and Bioderma Sébium – both of which are currently sold out, but be sure to put yourself on the wait list online. I was beyond excited to see the Hakuhodo brushes in person for the first time ever and limited myself to purchase 4 although I have a very long wish list now. A new discovery for me was the Korean brand MustaeV. The Makeup Show Press package included the Bloom Pouch (also shown here) which is perfect for travel. I picked up some items from the line and will have a review soon. Additional stops included the booths for Make Up For Ever, Nigel’s Beauty Emporium, Kevyn Aucoin, and NARS.

A few quick snapshots from the show that I was able to get in between the crowds of attendees:

Beautylish

MustaeV

Make Up For Ever

NARS

Ellis Faas Gallery

Inglot

Most of the lines offered their items at discounted prices from retail listed prices for those who attended the show. Here is my extensive (and rather expensive) haul. I left with four different kinds of brush cleaner that I’ve been putting to the test. I am eager to see if there is really a difference between the brands or if they all perform the same.

The Make Up For Ever items can be found at Sephora. The only thing exclusive to the show (and perhaps the pro line) was the mini Step 1 Primer Set. There were four small primers in a clear zip bag, but each item was rung up at the register separately. The OCC Creme Color Concentrate in Discipline can be found at Nordstrom

The Hakuhodo brushes I bought include the ones with white goat hair. I purchased J501 and J505 (both cheek/powder), G5514 (for eyes), the Fan Brush White H2369 and the Brush Cleaner. Hakuhodo did not have any discounts on their brushes at the show but it was nice to be able to see and touch them in person. Other items I picked up were some Kevyn Aucoin items like the Matte Lip Color in Enduring, The Celestial Skin Liquid Lighting in Candlelight and Lip Gloss in Neottiana. After falling in love with the Large Bloom Pouch from MustaeV, I knew I had to stop by the booth at the show. They have an extensive line of brushes but the ones that stood out to me were the travel-sized EasyGo Line. The Blush Brush is the perfect size and shape for travel. They were kind enough to gift a few items to test out. I’ve already put the brush cleaner to use and the Spray is perfect for when I’m swatching a large number of items. It cleans the brushes effectively and but doesn’t make the brushes too wet so they dry quickly.
Last but not least includes the Bioderma Makeup Removers from Beautylish. I already purchased the smaller 250ml size of the Sensibio right when it launched in February thinking the small size would be sufficient. I also prefer smaller sized items so they don’t take up a lot of counter space. However, both of these are so good, I’ve already used up 1/2 of the Sensibio H20. If these are something you think you’ll use daily, I highly recommend that you opt for the larger 500 ml size. You also get the travel sized mini as a bonus when you buy the larger ones. I ordered 1 back up of each of the large sizes online because they keep selling out and this is something I don’t want to be without when I run through the bottles. They’ve sold out online yet again so I highly recommend you add yourself to the wait list. They will shoot you an e-mail once it is back in stock.
One last shot of the Make Up For Ever booth, I didn’t pick up any of the shadows because there were too many people crowded around the items:

Hope you enjoyed this brief recap of The Makeup Show LA! I wish I had gotten more photos of the booths but I got lost in all the makeup goodness. Plus there were so many people in attendance it was difficult to get photos of the booths like Stila, Smashbox, Sephora and OCC. Have you ever been to one of the events before? If so which city?
Be sure to check out the details of upcoming events, ticket information, exhibits and schedules online  at their website The Makeup Show. You can also follow them via social channels for more photos of the events on Instagram @themakeupshow, Twitter @themakeupshow and Facebook.
Many thanks to The Makeup Show for inviting me to the event! The MustaeV and Beautylish items were gifted courtesy for review consideration. All other items purchased by me.