With a good makeup brush, any woman can be an artist!

When it comes to handcrafted luxury makeup brushes, Japan tops the list. No wonder J-beauty is all the rage in beautyville! (Ahem... move over, K-beauty!)

Did you know that makeup brushes have been manufactured in a city in Hiroshima for more than 180 years now? Kumano produces 80 percent of the makeup brushes made in Japan. And these brushes are all made from specific animal hair depending on what they will be used for.

When it comes to makeup brushes, J-beauty places a lot of importance on the brush hairs and where they come from. That’s why you can actually pick one of these brushes depending on your skin type—dry, oily or sensitive. For example, a goat hair brush is ideal if you have oily skin because it is more durable and can be washed more often. Whereas, for girls with dry skin, a blue squirrel hair brush is ideal as it is more delicate and does not need to be washed as often, as it won’t have much oil accumulation. 

japanese makeup brushes hype

Pros

  • Allows precision

What makes a makeup brush oh-so desirable is the balance it provides while applying products on your face. If a makeup brush balances perfectly in your hands, it assures you precision. And Japanese makeup brushes are made keeping this objective in mind. Whether you pick the most basic brushes or opt for a fancy range, the balance and heft of each brush allows precision; just what you need!

  • Extremely soft

No one likes to use makeup brushes that feel hard or rough on the skin. Unlike other synthetic brushes, the hairs used in making Japanese makeup brushes are arranged carefully so as to keep the thinner hairs on top. This is what makes the brushes super soft to use. The shaping of each brush is extremely time-consuming, hence, the cost.

  • A brush for every purpose

There aren’t just different brushes for different types of application (such as face and eyes). Japanese makeup brushes stand out from the rest mainly because there is a variety of brushes for various textures (such as cream, powder, liquid). And that’s not all! Like we discussed earlier, there are brushes apt for your skin type (dry, oily, sensitive) as well as for the kind of finish (airbrushed, soft, dramatic) you want to achieve. How cool is that?

Cons

Japanese makeup brushes are delicate, fragile and require extra care. Some of the brushes are made of delicate hairs like squirrel, and such brushes are not ideal for frequent washes. So, if you have oily, acne-prone skin that requires you to wash your makeup brushes too often, then this may not be the best option for you.