Hakuhodo x Sephora PRO Brush Collection Photos & First Impressions
Hakuhodo x Sephora PRO Brush Collection
Hakuhodo x Sephora PRO Brush Collection consists of five face brushes that are made out of synthetic fibers. All five are on the larger side and dense with a lot of spring/give (particularly the Large Teardrop brush, which seems almost floppy as the brush tapers). The edges of all five brushes was very even, and I didn’t have any issues with scratchiness or feeling an odd bristle while trying the brushes in multiple directions. The fibers don’t seem as fine as they could be–IT’s Velvet Luxe line is softer and smoother in feel against the skin. I’m uncertain about some of the shapes and how versatile/useful they will be, but that is a personal call based on my own preferences, but you may want to see them in-store if you can.
It was apt that all but one brush was specifically named as a “Powder Brush,” because these seemed to be best with powders. Their density, though, made then prone to picking up and applying quite a bit of product, so you’ll want to use a light hand or use this with your sheerer to medium coverage products. I do not recommend using this with a bright candy apple red blush, for example, which is my personal test for seeing how much powder is deposited in a pick-up as well as how well the brush blends the color out (red blush is unforgiving, it gets splotchy quite easily without good application). As a side note, all of that intense red blusher washed right off with no staining (which is as expected).
Despite being a synthetic material, which often lends itself to liquid application, the Kusabi (Wedge Sloping Powder Brush) worked poorly with liquid/cream foundation as is very streaky, while the Kusuriyubi (Angled Concealer Brush) must be used to pat concealer into place rather than any sweeping or blending motions as it will leave slight lines. I think the Kusuriyubi is rather large, so it only worked okay underneath the eye (larger area), but it doesn’t fit as well into the grooves of the nose, around the mouth, under the brow, or for concealing acne or spots.
See more photos!
Hakuhodo x Sephora PRO Large Teardrop Pointed Powder Brush (Otsubu)
Hakuhodo x Sephora PRO Large Teardrop Pointed Powder Brush (Otsubu)
Hakuhodo x Sephora PRO Large Teardrop Pointed Powder Brush (Otsubu)
Hakuhodo x Sephora PRO Large Teardrop Pointed Powder Brush (Otsubu)
Hakuhodo x Sephora PRO Large Teardrop Pointed Powder Brush (Otsubu)
Hakuhodo x Sephora PRO Large Teardrop Pointed Powder Brush (Otsubu)
Hakuhodo x Sephora PRO Large Teardrop Pointed Powder Brush (Otsubu)
Hakuhodo x Sephora PRO Large Teardrop Pointed Powder Brush (Otsubu)
Hakuhodo x Sephora PRO Large Teardrop Pointed Powder Brush (Otsubu)
Hakuhodo x Sephora PRO Large Teardrop Pointed Powder Brush (Otsubu)
Hakuhodo x Sephora PRO Large Teardrop Pointed Powder Brush (Otsubu)
Hakuhodo x Sephora PRO Small Teardrop Pointed Powder Brush (Kotsubu)
Hakuhodo x Sephora PRO Small Teardrop Pointed Powder Brush (Kotsubu)
Hakuhodo x Sephora PRO Small Teardrop Pointed Powder Brush (Kotsubu)
Hakuhodo x Sephora PRO Small Teardrop Pointed Powder Brush (Kotsubu)
Hakuhodo x Sephora PRO Small Teardrop Pointed Powder Brush (Kotsubu)
Hakuhodo x Sephora PRO Small Teardrop Pointed Powder Brush (Kotsubu)
Hakuhodo x Sephora PRO Small Teardrop Pointed Powder Brush (Kotsubu)
Hakuhodo x Sephora PRO Small Teardrop Pointed Powder Brush (Kotsubu)
Hakuhodo x Sephora PRO Small Teardrop Pointed Powder Brush (Kotsubu)
Hakuhodo x Sephora PRO Small Teardrop Pointed Powder Brush (Kotsubu)
Hakuhodo x Sephora PRO Fan Cheek Brush (Ougi)
Hakuhodo x Sephora PRO Fan Cheek Brush (Ougi)
Hakuhodo x Sephora PRO Fan Cheek Brush (Ougi)
Hakuhodo x Sephora PRO Fan Cheek Brush (Ougi)
Hakuhodo x Sephora PRO Fan Cheek Brush (Ougi)
Hakuhodo x Sephora PRO Fan Cheek Brush (Ougi)
Hakuhodo x Sephora PRO Fan Cheek Brush (Ougi)
Hakuhodo x Sephora PRO Fan Cheek Brush (Ougi)
Hakuhodo x Sephora PRO Fan Cheek Brush (Ougi)
Hakuhodo x Sephora PRO Fan Cheek Brush (Ougi)
Hakuhodo x Sephora PRO Wedge Sloping Powder Brush (Kusabi)
Hakuhodo x Sephora PRO Wedge Sloping Powder Brush (Kusabi)
Hakuhodo x Sephora PRO Wedge Sloping Powder Brush (Kusabi)
Hakuhodo x Sephora PRO Wedge Sloping Powder Brush (Kusabi)
Hakuhodo x Sephora PRO Wedge Sloping Powder Brush (Kusabi)
Hakuhodo x Sephora PRO Wedge Sloping Powder Brush (Kusabi)
Hakuhodo x Sephora PRO Wedge Sloping Powder Brush (Kusabi)
Hakuhodo x Sephora PRO Wedge Sloping Powder Brush (Kusabi)
Hakuhodo x Sephora PRO Wedge Sloping Powder Brush (Kusabi)
Hakuhodo x Sephora PRO Wedge Sloping Powder Brush (Kusabi)
Hakuhodo x Sephora PRO Wedge Sloping Powder Brush (Kusabi)
Hakuhodo x Sephora PRO Angled Concealer Brush (Kusuriyubi)
Hakuhodo x Sephora PRO Angled Concealer Brush (Kusuriyubi)
Hakuhodo x Sephora PRO Angled Concealer Brush (Kusuriyubi)
Hakuhodo x Sephora PRO Angled Concealer Brush (Kusuriyubi)
Hakuhodo x Sephora PRO Angled Concealer Brush (Kusuriyubi)
Hakuhodo x Sephora PRO Angled Concealer Brush (Kusuriyubi)
Hakuhodo x Sephora PRO Angled Concealer Brush (Kusuriyubi)
Hakuhodo x Sephora PRO Angled Concealer Brush (Kusuriyubi)
Hakuhodo x Sephora PRO Angled Concealer Brush (Kusuriyubi)
Hakuhodo x Sephora PRO Angled Concealer Brush (Kusuriyubi)
How much are these brushes going to be?
I posted earlier this week here: http://www.temptalia.com/hakuhodo-x-sephora-pro-brush-collection-for-july-2015
or you can click the link in the post, which will take you to Sephora!
I like the handle, the shape of some of the brushes, and I really like the naming (kusabi means wedge, for instance, and kusuriyubi means ring finger) — But I’ve sworn off white/light-bristled brushes, as they trigger my OCD really easily. Too bad that they don’t perform as well with creams and liquids, though!
I was surprised that they weren’t working for me with liquids!
daaaahhh I knew I should have waited for your first impression 🙁 but I wasn’t sure you’d get them
I’m really sorry, Erica!
Thank you for the detailed review and photos! Now that I have a good look at them I definitely won’t be purchasing any.
No problem, Ferm!
These just seem way too expensive to put the Sephora label on. I think that’s been the popular opinion I’ve heard about them.
I think Sephora is trying to change the perception about their brand. I think the general perception is that sephora’s own brand products are less quality than the high end brands they carry so my guess is they’re trying to joint with a really high quality/uber(?) expensive brand to change that perception… of course I’m only guessing here.
Ah…the bristles seem too long, I don’t think I’d be able to work with most of these..
Thanks Christine!
No problem, Eri!
I’m really genuinely happy with these! They completely cover all of my powder needs very gently without kicking up much product and work well at dab/roll application as well as a finishing brush off to set everything after the liquids are all done! Based on how I hold them thy are able to get into tiny areas well though some areas I’ll always prefer my finger! Blending is supreme, they feel luxurious, it was part of a big splurge I planned and I love them! They wash easily & I honestly wasn’t expecting more than I got so I’m thoroughly happy! 🙂
That’s great, Lotus!
Phew. My fast fingers hit “buy” on a few of them.
The shapes are so unique for me because I only use synthetic brushes and any similar shapes have not been gathered together as well.
Glad you’re liking them!
Maybe they didn’t work well with liquids and creams because they were trying to make the synthetic bristles as close to natural hair as possible for people who are looking for vegan options but still want a luxury product….. just a random thought I had. 🙂
Thanks for the review…they still look beautiful!
Hey Grace,
Sephora called them out as Powder Brushes, so that is how I played with them first! 🙂 However, they did mention cream products for the concealer brush (and as far as I could tell, all five brushes use the same type of material), and since they’re synthetic (usually synthetic is the go-to bristle type for creams/liquids), I wanted to try with liquids as well – so it was more a heads up that they don’t work with liquids than a criticism of the brand/collab for not working with liquids since they didn’t specify that they did (except the concealer brush). I know I use natural brushes with liquids and creams, depending on the brush, and do the same with synthetic, so I like to try a variety of methods, techniques, and products when I work with brushes (which is why it can take six months or longer for me to review them) in order to see what works and what doesn’t. I assumed that readers would want to have a big picture overview, so I tried to experiment. I’m sorry if that wasn’t the right way to go about it!
OMG Christine I’m so sorry… never did I mean to sound like you weren’t doing an amazing job. I sometimes dislike writing comments as the tone of the messages can be misconstrued. My message was never to sound negative or to put down your review tactics. It was just a thought that I was like “hmm…could that be the reason?” My apologies if I made it at all sound a certain way. I’ve been following your blog for years and I never meant to offend you.
No worries — I wasn’t offended, but I was worry I upset you and wanted to explain my reasoning behind trying the brushes that way and writing my thoughts 🙂
Bummer! I don’t see why Hakuhodu just doesn’t launch actual stores in the US or partner with Sephora to carry their line or some of it. They have some outstanding brushes already. Why are they trying to make new ones?! I just don’t get this whole thing. The problem with Hakuhodo is the obvious-that the are available online only to most people and the no-return policy burns. A brick and mortar in the US, OMG their sales – I honestly don’t thin they could handle the production. But , the think of all the jobs it would bring. This is just a labelling thing. It’s frustrating. For synthetics, It and Hourglass make beautiful brushes from my experience.
Hopefully this is the start of a beautiful relationship between Hakuhodo and Sephora 🙂 I’d love Hakuhodo to be more accessible!
For Hakuhodo brand brushes specifically, production and stocking are the problems. Because the hairs they use are gathered, not made by machine, there’s a limited supply. There are only so many batches of natural hairs to go around not to mention, distribute among the other rbush companies. It the demand for hair grew, the supplier’s price would rise too resulting in higher prices.
There is also the issue of the very lenient return policy. The company has to absorb the costs or compensate by raising prices to lessen the loss endured through returned stock.
I agree with you that this Hakuhodo x Sephora is just branding/labelling only. Sephora probably wants to raise the apparent prestiege of their own brand with Hakuhodo’s established name. Hakuhodo is a known original equipment manufacturer. They have been producing brushes for makeup companies in addition to their own but normally, they don’t release that information.
I actually like their controlled limited supply as it is but i may be biased becuase i can hop on over to their Torrance showroom 😛
I get your points Yelena. It may be better if they could just place more showrooms.:)
They have a showroom in SoCal where you can purchase their brushes if you make an appointment. That’s where I bought all my Hakuhodo brushes:)
I’m aware of that and what a lucky duck you are! 🙂 Unfortunately, I live in Ohio and just going to SoCal to buy brushes is not feasible as I wish it was. That is why I was saying placing more showrooms may be beneficial to Hakuhodu and the consumers.
Thank you for the review. I wasn’t tempted by these then and I definitely not pick these up now. Too bad they don’t work well with liquid. 🙁 I have a Koyudo foundation brush which is also synthetic and a giant version of Shiseido foundation brush and it is a dream.
I’ll have to look into the Koyudo brush!
Well, I can skip these. I already have IT Velvet Luxe brushes for creams/liquids/powders, and ordered the Chikuhodo Sakura Brush Set with natural hairs. I also prefer black brush hairs, never have to worry about staining and they just look better
IT’s Velvet Luxe line is currently my gold standard for synthetics!
I have yet to see these brushes in person, but from your photos they sure look beautiful. And the presentation is really nice as well. I think I will stick with my natural bristle Hakuhodos though. These look quite large and dense. I always use a super light hand with powder products because I have mature skin and don’t want that powdery look. Cream products are my best friend now. The price point is a bit high but then the natural bristle Hakuhodos are very very expensive. By the way, there is a retail store in Southern California. It is in the south bay area. You can check it out on their website. Worth a visit if you are in the area. I am sure that these particular brushes are a Sephora exclusive so you would not find them at the retail store. I am still curious to read your follow up reviews on the specific brushes….there may be one that would work for me. They are so gorgeous…I would love to find one that I couldn’t live without. 🙂
Thanks for the tips, Patsyann! I haven’t looked at the pricing yet (I know Hakuhodo does have some synthetic blends at least through their regular line, so I was going to compare). I do like how well the Hakuhodo x Sephora ones blend powders, though, and if you need to pack on the pigment for a cheek/face product, these certainly seem promising for that!
Aaaah I was really wondering about these! But judging from what you said I probably won’t be as wowed by them as I was hoping/expecting.
A lot of it will come down to the shapes — I think these are brushes to check out in person 😀
What are your thoughts on the Kotsubu? I’m still waiting for my order but the only reason I picked it up is for liquid/cream highlighter.
Hi Lee,
I haven’t tried these for long, but I didn’t like any of them for liquid or cream as they leave streaks.
Thanks for the reply! I should have waited to see them in store before ordering but I guess the hype got to me 😛
Well, now that you have ’em, might as well try them 🙂 Return if you don’t like, keep what you do! In general, I think unless brushes are closer to your typical shapes, it’s hard to know either way just by a photo online! The fibers worked well to blend out very pigmented blush without a lot of effort, so that was impressive 🙂
Happy Independence Day, Christine!
You did a wonderful job with these brushes and each review!
I’m getting a bit frustrated with the “brush situation” – I bought Hakuhodo online about 4 years ago – I think directly from Japan. The shipping was too high and the brushes were good, some very good, but then the company raised the prices and I moved on to Sephora. Their Pro brushes are really good. So now Hakuhodo buddies up with Sephora!
I guess you have no way of knowing how these brushes compare with their earlier offerings?!
These brushes don’t look like the best of either brand!
Who’s earlier offerings? Sorry, you mention both Sephora and Hakuhodo, so I am not sure which you mean! These brushes blend out powder well and pick it up well, too, which is often an issue for synthetic brushes, but they are very dense so I think it is easy to over-apply powder products (but it’ll depend on what you’re using it with). The shapes are more unique, so they are ones that I’d look at in-store to see if the shapes will work for your purposes.
Sorry to confuse you! I’m sure it’s the heat!
I meant the early Hakuhodo brushes, mostly eye brushes because the larger ones were so expensive. I moved on to buy Sephora Pro in the larger brushes – like blush and powder – and like them a lot – even more than Bobbi Brown and Chanel.
I have a “relatively” small face so some of the face brushes from the “major” companies are just way too big (ergo expensive).
But I will mosey on down to Sephora and check out these brushes. I like angled face brushes with less “dome” because a rounded brush just kinda plops the product on the face!
I believe that the majority of Hakuhodos I’ve tried are natural hair, and probably only in the last two years? I think. I think the quality is here, but I’m just not certain about the shapes/usage as much – like they’re designed for powders yet they pick up a lot, so when they talk about a natural blush finish… not so much, lol!
You may find they are too large, though, if most brushes are too big for you 🙁
They’re definitely better than BB & Chanel!
Glad I didn’t jump the gun and order these right away. I’m not hearing a “WOW!” first impression, so I definitely want to see them in store. Maybe I’ll find one or two that I like the shape of, but it sounds like there’s no reason to rush to buy. 🙂
The shapes/sizes are interesting for sure, so I think when possible, it is better to go see them in person!
How does Hakuhodo x Sephora PRO Large Teardrop Pointed Powder Brush (Otsubu) compare to Wayne Goss Holiday Brush? I picked up the black one because I missed out on the white one (which I heard was softer) and the shape of the Hakuhodo x Sephora brush seems to be similar in shape.
They’re very different densities, and I believe the Large Teardrop is also larger, but I haven’t taken dimensions at this time.
I’d really considered these but now I think I’ll pass. Thanks for the review, Christine!
No problem, Kimmy!
Thank you for your review! I just saw them on Sephora website and was surprised with lack of pictures. I immediately went to your site to see (WAY) better pictures and check out your opinion … Really enjoy how thorough you are 🙂
No problem, Jeniya! 🙂 Glad I could help!
Tarababyz made an interesting point of her review of the concealer brush on YouTube, that the concealer brush says it works best with powder products, but how often do you see a powder concealer vs. liquid? Mineral products of course, but kind of bizarre right???
It is strange!
I am surprised nobody has mentioned the Chikuhodo/Beautylish brushes released around the same time as these. I think Beautylish did it better. While I understand there are being looking for quality vegan-friendly brushes, it seems like both of these brush makers excel in natural lines.
I already gave first impressions for those, so that might be why! 🙂
I purchased 2 of these brushes (both sloping/angled ones, the ones photographed on the ends in the main photo.) The larger one is definitely a powder/finishing brush and has soft bristles. I can use it for blush if I very lightly just tap the center in the powder compact.
The very smallest one I purchased for cream shadows, and for contouring my nose. Still working out the details of it. This brush is a little stiffer, but my no means scratchy.
Keep me posted on how you end up using these, Shannon!