Z-2 Highlight Brush

Chikuhodo Z-2 Highlight Brush ($92.00) is a thinner, tapered brush. It is made out of gray squirrel hair. The brush head is 1.5 inches or 3.5 centimeters in length, 0.75 inches or 2 centimeters in width and thickness (it is rounded). It has an open, rounded ferrule with a total length of 6 inches or 15 centimeters.

The really tapered tip allows for highlighting with precision along the bridge of the nose particularly well, but it can easily deposit highlight onto cheek bones, forehead, or even all over (this is actually how I've often used it: to dust on a finishing powder like Guerlain's Meteorites). As it is a smaller brush, it may take a few more strokes for all-over application, but it seems like the ideal size for applying a highlight to cheek bones. It's not so large that it will overlap heavily with your blush application, but it still has a soft, feathery feel so that the highlight applies evenly, smoothly, and is diffused on the skin. The most similar brush I have to this is the Hakuhodo J5521, which is shorter and is less tapered/narrow (and it is not quite as soft, but it's a very soft and well-made brush as well). MAC 165 is also similar, though a lot less soft and not quite as pointed at the edge. MAC's 138 has a similar shape but is two and a half times the size.