Chikuhodo x Beautylish Sakura Brush Set Photos & Comparisons (Plus, First Impressions)
Chikuhodo x Beautylish Sakura Brush Set
Chikuhodo x Beautylish Sakura Brush Set ($215.00) is a five-piece brush set created as a collaboration between retailer Beautylish and Japanese brush maker Chikuhodo (see reviews here). I haven’t had much time to use the brush set, so these are first impressions (and may be the only “review” I’ll write-up, as these are almost sold out). All five brushes appeared very even across the edges upon arrival, and the brushes are incredibly soft, with the exception of the Detail brush, which isn’t scratchy but comes to such a fine point that it is a firmer brush so you’ll want to use light pressure when working with it. The price point is higher than your average brush set but seems in line with the pricing of most handmade, Japanese brushes, if not a little cheaper. The handles have cherry blossoms cascading vertically, and I tried scratching at them with my nails, and none of the sheen or color flaked off. Three of the brushes (Powder, Crease, Detail) are shapes that I don’t find my collection, so that was a nice touch. I’m not sure about the usefulness of the crease brush, but I’m certainly game to give it a try. I think the best brush in the collection is the Cheek brush, with the Powder and Shade brushes right behind it.
Chikuhodo x Beautylish Powder Brush is a large powder brush with a very rounded, angled edge that is flatter than your typical, round powder brush. The angle almost made me think it wasn’t cut right, but the angle is deliberate (described as “allows you to emphasize your most flattering features”). The angled edge is new to me, but it fits well when you brush across the cheek bones, going from the nose to the outer edge of the cheeks. It is incredibly soft and airy, and you don’t feel any of the individual bristles when using it. It is made out of a mix of grey squirrel and goat hair. The brush head is 54mm in length, 42mm in width, and 23mm in thickness. It had a total length of 6.5 inches / 17 centimeters with a lightly pinched ferrule. I compared it to Chikuhodo’s GSN-03 Cheek Brush ($127), which is made out of the same type of hairs, but the Sakura Powder brush is noticeably softer with finer bristles; they are similar in general size and shape, except the Sakura Powder brush has the angled edge and is flatter overall.
Chikuhodo x Beautylish Cheek Brushis a small-to-medium-sized cheek brush with a rounded dome shape that is flatter than some blush brushes (it isn’t rounded as a whole). The shape is perfect for patting on blush and then sweeping to blend and diffuse the edges. It will pick-up less powder than a goat-haired brush will, so the effect is subtler from the get-go and often makes applying blush more foolproof. It is very soft and smooth, and no matter the direction, it never irritates the skin. It is made out of grey squirrel hair. The brush head is 37mm in length, 28mm in width, and 16mm in thickness. It had a total length of 6 inches / 15 centimeters. I compared it to Chikuhodo’s Z-4 Cheek/Highlight Brush ($73), which is wider and fluffier; and SUQQU Cheek (£80.00), which is smaller, flares from the base more, and is more rounded with an airier feel overall, while the softness of the Sakura Cheek is very comparable to both.
Chikuhodo x Beautylish Crease Brush is a very long, tapered, and pointed crease brush that has hairs that start short on the exterior and get longer and longer as they taper. While it comes to a more distinct point, it doesn’t feel sharp (likely because the bristles taper, so there are only a few that reach the very tip) and is feathery (not very dense). This one is going to take some practice to work with, and it has such a light touch that it sometimes tickles to use (for me). It is made out of grey squirrel hair. The brush head is 20mm in length, 6mm in width and thickness (at its widest). It had a total length of 5.25 inches / 13.5 centimeters. I compared to Wayne Goss #04 Crease Brush ($28), mostly for size, as the way they’re designed is quite different.
Chikuhodo x Beautylish Shader Brush is a medium-sized, flat dome-shaped eye brush. This type of brush is similar to more well-known brushes like MAC’s 239, and it is good for depositing powder product on the eyelid. The flatter shape makes it ideal for patting and packing on eyeshadow, but the domed edge and ultra-soft bristles allow maneuverability along the lid as well as into the crease and for light blending. It is made out of grey squirrel hair. The brush head was 12mm in length, 11mm in width, and 5.4mm in thickness. It had a total length of 5 inches / 12.5 centimeters. The brush is wider and flatter compared to Chikuhodo’s GSN-09 ($25), which is also made out of grey squirrel (and one of my favorite brushes).
Chikuhodo x Beautylish Detail Brush is a very tiny brush that is flat and tapers to a rounded tip–it looks almost like a triangle. It is made out of fitch and horse hairs. The brush head is 7mm in length, 4.3mm in width, and 2.2mm in thickness. It had a total length of 4.75 inches / 12 centimeters. It is a very small brush and best used with light pressure, as it is rather pointed, and so it will feel almost sharp if you use too much pressure. I could see it being useful for applying eyeshadow on the lower lash line, inner corner, pin point concealing, or concealing underneath the brow bone or along the lips. More for reference, I showed it next to Chikuhodo’s Z-10 ($45), which is a more pointed crease brush, but it is quite a bit larger.
Chikuhodo x Beautylish Sakura Brush Set
Chikuhodo x Beautylish Sakura Brush Set
Chikuhodo x Beautylish Sakura Brush Set
Chikuhodo x Beautylish Sakura Brush Set
Chikuhodo x Beautylish Sakura Brush Set
Chikuhodo x Beautylish Sakura Brush Set
Chikuhodo x Beautylish Sakura Brush Set
Chikuhodo x Beautylish Powder Brush
Chikuhodo x Beautylish Powder Brush
Chikuhodo x Beautylish Powder Brush
Chikuhodo x Beautylish Powder Brush
Chikuhodo x Beautylish Powder Brush
Chikuhodo x Beautylish Powder Brush
Chikuhodo x Beautylish Powder vs. Chikuhodo GSN-03 Cheek
Chikuhodo x Beautylish Powder vs. Chikuhodo GSN-03 Cheek
Chikuhodo x Beautylish Cheek Brush
Chikuhodo x Beautylish Cheek Brush
Chikuhodo x Beautylish Cheek Brush
Chikuhodo x Beautylish Cheek Brush
Chikuhodo x Beautylish Cheek Brush
Chikuhodo x Beautylish Cheek Brush
Chikuhodo x Beautylish Cheek vs. Chikuhodo Z-4 Cheek/Highlight vs. SUQQU Cheek
Chikuhodo x Beautylish Shader Brush
Chikuhodo x Beautylish Shader Brush
Chikuhodo x Beautylish Shader Brush
Chikuhodo x Beautylish Shader Brush
Chikuhodo x Beautylish Shader Brush
Chikuhodo x Beautylish Shader Brush
Chikuhodo x Beautylish Shader Brush
Chikuhodo x Beautylish Shader vs. Chikuhodo GSN-09
Chikuhodo x Beautylish Crease Brush
Chikuhodo x Beautylish Crease Brush
Chikuhodo x Beautylish Crease Brush
Chikuhodo x Beautylish Crease Brush
Chikuhodo x Beautylish Crease Brush
Chikuhodo x Beautylish Crease Brush
Chikuhodo x Beautylish Crease vs. Wayne Goss #04
Chikuhodo x Beautylish Detail Brush
Chikuhodo x Beautylish Detail Brush
Chikuhodo x Beautylish Detail Brush
Chikuhodo x Beautylish Detail Brush
Chikuhodo x Beautylish Detail Brush
Chikuhodo x Beautylish Detail vs. Chikuhodo Z-10 Eye Shadow
So gorgeous!!! But the instruction says just wipe daily and don’t wash more than once a month–do you wash your Chikuhodo brushes more often and has that affected the quality? I like to wash my powder/blush brushes 2x a week and my shadow brushes daily.
I wash mine more frequently, though I don’t use many daily so I’d say on average, I wash every week. With a powder brush (like for loose powder), it’s easy to go a week. I haven’t noticed any issues on my other Chikuhodos/SUQQUs from doing so, but I told myself I’d rather wash more frequently and replace at some point. Just avoid any harsh cleansers (no alcohol-based ones, for example), as I have noticed those can dry out natural hair brushes over years of use. I know some use a hair donut to brush their brushes against to remove more powder than a tissue, though I’m not 100% certain if that has any impact on this type of hair fiber!
That being said, I try to avoid using liquids with these types of brushes as a result!
Thanks for the info!! Hmm, this set is tempting…..
I couldn’t resist any longer! I have it on my bucket list to own some outrageously expensive, high quality Japanese brushes, and since one of the powder brushes can cost +$200 alone, I figure this set was a good deal, and the cherry blossom design is so pretty. The next shipment will be 8/30, and it should come in time for my birthday in Sept. If don’t like it, Beautylish allows 30 days to return, but something tells me that won’t be happening…….
Perfect birthday gift 🙂
Wow these brushes are gorgeous. Do you know if Beautylish will sell the brushes individually?
As far as I know, only as a set!
Ah, that’s too bad 🙁 I really wanted the shader brush but maybe I’ll just settle for the GSN-09 instead
Yay! Great minds think alike 😉 I got mine yesterday. The packaging is beautiful and I’m impressed with Beautylish of how they try to make the whole experience so nice 🙂 I bought the set for collection purpose but I can see myself using the cheek and shader brush quite often since I love both Z4 and GSN-9 I just wish they make the cease brush the same shade if GSN-10.
The crease brush is very interesting. I’m excited to work with it more, lol!
I actually ended up ordering this set. They’ll be my first Chikhodo brushes, and with your first impressions, I’m glad I splurged! I’m particularly looking forward to the blush brush and powder brush, since those are ones I use daily anyway.
I think you will really like it. If you’ve lusted after the Chikuhodo Zs or SUQQU Cheek, you will be happy with these. The Cheek and Powder brush would make the set worth it (to me)!
That’s great! I have been lusting after the SUQQU Cheek for years, it seems! The Chikuhodo Z’s too, I’m glad I was able to take advantage of getting the set 🙂
I think you and I have talked about this before – the problem I have with so many of these Japanese luxury brushes (including the Wayne Goss ones) is that the handles are just SO short! Drives me nuts because it makes them difficult to use for any length of time without my “guy sized” hands cramping up. Otherwise I love them!
LOL! And these are a little shorter than Goss, I do believe! That’s what you need to do, Dusty — create Japanese-style, artisan brushes with LONG handles.
Haha true that! In my experience a handle needs to rest in he space between the thumb and index finger to be comfortable. It should also give the brush just a little bit of weight so that it feels balanced. ESPECIALLY eye brushes! The heads are too small and you hold them for too long for the handles to be THIS short.
Dusty, it sounds like you need to get your hands on some of those Tanseido brushes that Sonia likes so much 😀 or maybe even make your own like with them!
Such a beautiful set and the quality sounds superb too. I’ve been wanting to try some Japanese brushes for the longest as they seem to be the best on the market. I’ve gotta save up my pennies for them though because some are crazy expensive lol
They are! My best advice is only get the ones you REALLY need/would use AND that you feel like you’re unhappy with whatever brushes you have. Like I’d go for a blush brush over a liquid foundation brush since liquid foundation is better with synthetics so you can wash often with no fear!
Gosh, they are goooorgeous :-O
They are!
Isn’t it such a lovely set? I got mine yesterday and am very happy with the way it looks and feels. My favorite so far based on shape are the same as yours. I’m also quite pleased with the way Beautylish handled the release as well. Kudos to their team!
Have you tried the Crease brush yet? That one is interesting!
I had to pass on this set. I just couldn’t spend the $ right now when I have a huge brush stash and none of them are needs. I hope they bring it back. It would be really nice around the holidays. This would be a great gift!
It would be nice if they brought it back!
Hi Christine! I ordered this for pre-order yesterday so it’ll be a while before I receive. What are your thoughts of Chikuhodo x Beautylish Detail vs. Chikuhodo Z-10 Eye Shadow? Do you think the Chikuhodo x Beautylish Crease is somewhat a mix of Z-10 and shader. I’m debating whether I want to get z-10 as well. Would you recommend the Chikuhodo Z brushes versus this new collection? Hard for me to decide sight unseen. From your review and comments, I believe that the new collection is pretty solid. I’m debating whether I want to get the Z3 contour and z2 highlight. Would you recommend those versus any of the brushes in the new collection? Thanks for advance and happy 4th!
They’re totally different brushes, IMO. Like the Z-10 looks monstrous next to the teeny, tiny Detail brush. They’re also made out of very different hairs, so their uses will ultimately be different. Z-10 is a lot fluffier, not as firm so it has more spring and give — better for blending and diffusing color as well as placing it, and it’ll cover a greater surface area. The Detail brush is just that, for really fine detail-oriented work.
The Crease brush is a lot longer and has a lot more give than the Z-10 or the Shader; it is a bit unlike anything I’ve come across myself, as it is so thin, feathery, and tapered. That is the one I’m not sure about, but we shall see on that one!
I’m partial to the Z2 Highlight, but admittedly, I don’t contour that much so I don’t end up using the Z3 as much. 🙂 I think the Z3 might complement the set more, since you could feasibly highlight with the Cheek brush in the set.
I was originally so excited about this, but more and more I began to dislike the flower design – I wish they had used traditional pink Sakura flowers only.
That is too bad!
Too rich for my blood!
Totally understand!
I ended up ordering this set even though I totally did not expect to. I don’t own any Chikuhodo brushes (through I do own the SUUQU blush brush which I’ve heard is made by them) so this will be a first for me. I’m glad your review is very good! These look like the perfect size for travelling except that if you lost them it would be tragic based on the price!
I hope you love ’em, Jill! 🙂
This is much more affordable than I thought it would be! And I’m glad you found the quality comparable with the regular Chikuhodo brushes. I’m actually really looking forward to using the crease brush; my eyes are deep-set, but I don’t have a lot of space between my crease & my brow. I usually end up with 80’s style eye shadow if I’m not careful.
Pre-order placed & thank you for your review!
I actually think it is a compelling price point for what you’re getting – I think you’d be looking at $250+ for comparable brushes (same type of materials/process to create) – and that’s without the handles!
Thank you so much for reviewing these, and quite quickly at that! I am taken by all of them, except that, just my dumb “luck”, one of them does have goat hair in it. Pity, because otherwise I would have been tempted beyond belief. So, that being the case, I will instead look to adding Chikuhodo brushes on a more individualized basis so as to not get ANY with goat hair.
My pleasure, Nancy!
I am very excited to have bought and receive these! They look so beautiful and glad that they perform well. I am most excited to use the crease brush because it reminds me of a skinny MAC 226 or Hakuhodo S142 🙂
I was supposed to get these today but of course Fedex loves to not want to call you/ring your doorbell when they deliver your packages that need a signature -_-
Aww! Enjoy yours when you do get ’em, Elle!
These brushes aren’t cut so it might be better to say that they are well bundled instead of well cut.
Thanks! I don’t think that gets across what I meant, so I’ll clarify.
Beautiful design on these brushes. Very tempting but out of my price range currently. I also have too many brushes already. They are so so beautiful.
They are beautiful!
I don’t know how functional it would be, but that crease brush looks amazing! The entire set is really beautiful but… they are so short. The eye brushes would be difficult to locate in my brush holder. I have a Sigma eyeliner brush that is 5″ and I don’t even notice it when I’m reaching for brushes. I’m rarely away from home so a set solely for travel purposes wouldn’t make sense for me. I also like to have my regular-sized brushes to work with no matter where I am as I’m used to how they fit in my hand.
In summary: What is this? A brush set made for ants?! 😉
lol! You know, I have big hands, and I’m okay with these, but I tend to shove my face in the mirror so longer handles will tap against the mirror.
That being said, maybe look into the Chikuhodo GSN series — very long handles 🙂
The longer handles will give me a great excuse to get a new mirror with higher magnification. I’ve got this figured out! 😉
Now, for the really important question! How does the GSN series compare to the Wayne Goss brushes as far as softness and performance?
I think they’re very comparable! Wayne Goss brushes are shorter than MAC, longer than Chikuhodo Zs, but they run short. I think Goss is a lil’ cheaper for some, though. Chikuhodo’s powder brushes aren’t my favorite – for the price I’d go somewhere else, I think. I really like the eye brushes I’ve tried so far!
Thank you! I love my Goss eye brushes and can’t imagine what could be better. However, I’m hesitant when it comes to his face brushes.
***Bear with me. I haven’t slept and I have a a moderate amount of caffeine in my system.***
I’m used to brushes shaped like his #11 and #12 that, for the most part, apply products the way you described #14 (“if you like to dust and gently sweep your cheek products on”), but #14 looks completely foreign to me. It kind of looks like a miniature witch’s broom, and I really don’t want to spend $50+ on a brush only to mount a small crone on it for display during the month of October. :-/
Wait. A comparison. Would you say the #14 brush is a much larger, less tapered version of #4? Like, #14 is to the cheeks what #4 is to the lids? (Does that make any sense?) If so, maybe #12 for granite-like products, such as Tarte’s blushes, and #14 for… pretty much every other blush I own?
A good way to think about it is that it is very much in the shape of a traditional crease brush (like the #04). I do find it is better at applying subtler color compared to #12, which is a denser and has a greater surface area, so it can really pack on blush if desired!
#14 gives you a more feathery, naturally diffused, sheerer coverage that you could get with a fan brush but with greater precision!
After I got the pre-sale emails, I went back and forth a lot, but finally decided to order. Like others, this is also my first experience with Japanese brushes. I spotted some other Chikuhodo brushes on Beautylish with similar floral designs, but then saw they were selling for $170+ for a single brush. That made me worry how much they would offer this set for. I was surprised it was $215 for the five. That’s still more than I’ve spent on brushes, but given the details, I think it’s reasonable. Thank you for giving your thoughts on them, this makes me feel I made a good purchase. I read that the smallest detail brush was ok to use with liquid product, however the rest of them are recommended for use with powder products only. I’m interested to see how the crease brush will function too.
It is a good deal for Japanese brushes, I think 🙂 Not cheap relative to brushes in general, but it seemed like a fair (even lower than I anticipated) price all in all.
Based on the types of hairs, the detail one will be most amenable to liquids since you should be able to watch it more frequently!
I am SOOO GLAD I jumped on this when I was texted by a beautylish MUA/SA with the chance to preorder!! I just got my package in the mail and I can’t wait to open it, even more so now that I’ve seen your review/first impressions!! Before this, Dior and Chanel brushes were the most expensive “nicest” brushes I owned (the “nicest” part being highly debatable as my IT cosmetics brushes and even my Real Techniques are softer and shed less than those high-end dept store brands!) So these were a big step up for me, and now I feel very confident in the purchase! Thanks Christine!
Let us know how you like ’em once you get to try!
I absolutely love sakura blossom laqueres so seeing this brush set is super exciting. I’m just not sure the price is worth it. I don’t usually buy brushes at all.
If you’re not into brushes, I don’t know that you should spend $200+ then 🙁
Can you post a link to purchase them? I can’t seem to find them.
It’s the first words of the post – the product name is a link out to where you can purchase them!
i have these!! i went to the launch party in SF and did a pre order and since i live three blocks from beautylish i got mine wednesday 07/01 – THEYRE REALY NICE
i bought them knowing i wouldn’t use the face brushes though so im going to sell those
i do wish i bought two sets because the eye brushes are fantastic
they come packaged beautifully
I’m glad you were able to get one!
These are sold out now of course! Which is a shame as I would have definitely bought them if they were still available (I’m just waiting on my tax return!!)
Awwww!
You might probably get an email already for this if you had waitlisted for it but it’s up now. 😀
IT IS BACK. IT IS BACK. If you guys still want this set, it looks like it’s back for a limited time as well. 😀
I missed out the first time after debating back and forth but I am very glad they decided to bring it back! Aha this time I jumped on it and I looked forward to it. I’m beginning to develop a dangerous taste for Japanese brushes but based on experience so far, well worth the investment to me. 🙂
Hi Christine- just wanted to do a follow up and let you know these brushes are SUPER soft and I love each one (although I haven’t tried the detail one yet). Great review (very consistent with how each one performs/feels, etc).
I did end up getting Z-3 (the contouring brush) and also great quality!
Great reviews as always!
Woohoo!! So glad you are loving your set, Jennifer!