that was mean kakee... why are you so mu phat most of the time in most of your posts? you dont know half the ppl here. get aquainted and then pass out judgements :)
M: do they kill the squirrel bfore getting its hair? :( i hope not :( sniff sniff
I'm a mean person thats why I can pass judgement. I don't think I'm always mean in my posts though :P
but what I said was out of line and I'm sorry.
and I'm still surprised that there are desis in Japan. Why is it that the only desis I see are either in China town, Harajyuku, Akihabara or Indian restaurants D:!
I'm a mean person thats why I can pass judgement. I don't think I'm always mean in my posts though :P
but what I said was out of line and I'm sorry.
and I'm still surprised that there are desis in Japan. Why is it that the only desis I see are either in China town, Harajyuku, Akihabara or Indian restaurants D:!
It could possibly be because you are not hanging out at places other than these :P
@M_was_here: When you are at it, would you mind sharing with us all what difference does the type of hair in a make up brush make in terms of efficacy and efficiency? I've seen several YT videos where people their massive collection of make up brushes and it's never ceased to make me wonder what is in a super high-end make up brush that makes it superior than the more affordable and approachable brands.
It could possibly be because you are not hanging out at places other than these :P
lol what I meant is that the only desis I see are tourists :P and pretty hard not to hang out in these places since I live in the Kanto region..
In Japan its more common to see a Caucasian than a South Asian although a few years ago it wasn't common to see either.
Unlike Toronto where you might see a sea of Asians Japan is quite xenophobic and its quite hard for people who don't know Japanese to work here unless they want to work as an English teacher. (and they don't really accept anybody whos not from an English country)
Basically, there are two types of hair: synthetic and natural. But then there are also categories of quality. Brands like Sigma, Coastal Scents, and even MAC don’t use the best quality of hair available. Natural hair in brushes from these brands is either goat, horse/pony or pig. The hair is NOT the finest grade hence they are able to offer brushes for much cheaper. Of course, that is why the brushes tend to deteriorate a lot faster as well. Another thing about these brushes is that they are cut by machine. So if they want to create an angled brush, they’ll put the hair in the ferrule and have it cut to shape it. Synthetic is usually taklon and I would never pay insane amounts for synthetic bristles because they are inexpensive and easy to make.
In the higher-end brands for brushes like Hakuhodo, Chikuhodo, Shu Uemura, Sue Devitt, Suqqu, Edward Bess etc, the hair is the finest grade. Take Hakuhodo for example. They offer around 3 different types of goat hair (all superior in quality than the goat used in other brands) but not only that, these brands (usually Japanese) tend to use exotic hair like squirrel, Kolinksy (very expensive, very rare and usually in smaller brushes) and also a variety of different kinds of natural hair. Even the synthetic fibers are excellent quality. But the reason they are so expensive aside from the grade of hair is that these brushes have a lot of craftsmanship that goes into making them since they are all shaped by hand. For example, an angled brush is going to be shaped at an angle and placed in the ferrule that way. They also don’t cut the hair so the natural end of the hair is the actual end on the brush. This allows the brush to deposit pigment evenly, smoothly and of course in the rigorous process of making these brushes, all the bad hair is taken out so you are left w/ a brush made using the finest hair plus no shedding. And of course the softness that these brushes have is unreal. UNREAL.
Goat hair is the most versatile since it’s not too soft nor too hard and can be used for creams and powders. It’s also excellent for blending and can handle lots of pigmented products that require lots of blending. So if you have products that don’t show up well or require heavy hand, then goat hair is perfect for that. Again, not all goat hair is the kind you get in MAC/Sigma brushes. High quality goat is EXTREMELY soft but still picks up a lot of product.
Squirrel is the most luxurious and hence expensive. The Hakuhodo face brushes and this Chikuhodo brush I got are made using squirrel which is they are priced what they are. Blue Squirrel is the most softest hair I have ever felt. I can’t describe how soft it is but it’s the softest thing I have ever felt. That being said, it is EXCELLENT for blushes like NARS or Sleek which tend to be very pigmented and require a very light hand. So it’s excellent for sheer blush application or powders and even high lighters. Grey Squirrel is also very luxurious but picks up more pigment than blue squirrel while still being equally soft. Also, since the hair is so delicate and soft, it picks up product very softly and literally blends itself. :k:
Kolinksy and sable/weasel are firmer than goat but have the movement of synthetic so it works beautifully for picking up pigment but also working w/ creams or liquids. Again, this is very expensive is usually left for lip or eye brushes. The one Hakuhodo brush I got for eyeliner is made using weasel and it is EXCELLENT.
So you see, higher end brands offer quality, finer hair and variety of hairs for all aspects of makeup. That being said, unless you’re a makeup artist or are quality-conscious, you wont need any of these brushes. Makeup artists prefer to invest in better quality because it will last them years from job to job and people like me just look at makeup as a passion and would rather just get something of the highest quality once and never worry about it for life. It’s not necessary because you can generally get even the most inexpensive brushes to work for you but with the higher end brands, you also get excellent craftsmanship, better application, you use less product and the brushes rarely shed, break or fall apart.
I know it’s getting long but I started w/ Sigma face brushes and they worked great for what they did but I decided it was time for an upgrade so I took every face brush I had out except for my one MAC (the 109 is the best MAC brush ever) and bought 2 Hakuhodos and 1 Chikuhodo brush (I saved for a few months and survived only using the MAC 109 :D) and I cannot tell you the difference between application and quality amongst the brushes. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea but if you start slow and aim to have a small collection of necessary brushes (a blush, powder, bronzer and highlighter) you may even save money in the long run.
I understand the value of money...which is why I'd rather buy one high quality product than ten low quality. My money is hard earned and I want it spent the best way possible.
I think the issue is more that people are not placing value in quality anymore.
Generics are useful and a great substitute but they are never the real thing and only someone who understands quality would know that.
This exactly. Of course there is a fine line between uber-luxurious and good quality. If you can get both, then I’m there.
$101 if you count shipping.
And I’m not sure, exactly. I am assuming it’s via the hair shed from these animals? And I did confirm to make sure they are cruelty-free. I’ll find out and get back because I wonder the same thing.
wonder no more. i have contacted a master brushmaker from okinawa, dishku san. he’s been making blue squirrel brushes for 45 years now. the way he does it is, he takes the hair off the squirrels’ combs every evening.
Hahahaha! Squirrels' combs! I just had a visual of a blue squirrel sitting down at his little vanity, picking up his comb, carefully brushing his fur, and going to bed. lol, adorable.
Speaking of uber high-end brushes, I wonder if you can tell the difference between a smokey eye done by squirrels vs. goats vs. taklon. I bet Dishku San has the answer.
Queer don't forget all those generous minks who provide their hair from their brushes and their shower drains to make all those lovely coats :)
I wonder if you get mink hair brushes too :/
Hahahaha! Squirrels' combs! I just had a visual of a blue squirrel sitting down at his little vanity, picking up his comb, carefully brushing his fur, and going to bed. lol, adorable.
Speaking of uber high-end brushes,** I wonder if you can tell the difference between a smokey eye done by squirrels vs. goats vs. taklon.** I bet Dishku San has the answer.
LOL! Probably not, it's all about knowing how to apply makeup. However, having the right brushes can make it easier and even faster. Of course, artists in the late 20s-30s use to use their fingers and cotton swabs all the time and makeup back then was excellent.
And Maddy, mink hair is VERY rare and exotic, I highly doubt they could even make brushes with that. Also, it would be too soft to handle any pigment anyway.
M, the closest I’ll ever get to a $100 squirrel brush is creeping up on a squirrel while he’s sleeping and using his tail to buff my foundation. That’s if he doesn’t wake up midway and b-slaps me.
Speaking of soft brushes, the animal-free Ecotools blush brush feels like cloud.
And the Ecotools brushes are indeed very soft. I used to use them before I got the Sigma ones and they are very good quality for being synthetic brushes.
…Thank you so much! I will def. be posting some eye looks here and perhaps some FOTDs on the blog sometime in the future. 