Hakuhodo B214BkSL Highlighter Brush

For a long time the Hakuhodo B214BkSL has sat neglected in my brush roll because, in all honesty, I wasn't sure what to use it for. I know many use it to apply undereye concealer but I always forget to use it for this purpose. I tend to use my fingers or the LMdB concealer brush for this job.

So, I recently decided to give it a try with a highlighter, specifically the Laura Mercier Shimmer Bloc. Ordinarily, I apply this with a fluffy brush which creates a sheer veil of highlighter but the way the B214BkSL picks up the powder produces a much more intense and precise application. I suspect this brush would be great for use with any powders that you feel are too sheer or take a lot of effort to pack on. I wish I'd had this brush when I still owned MAC Belightful pressed powder as I might have had more success with it.

Although I haven't tried it on my eyes, I am tempted to test it out with some of my more tightly packed eyeshadows. I did experiment with a couple of different brushes using the same eyeshadow on a piece of tissue (you can blame the dull weather today for the lack of accompanying image) and this definitely picks up more powder that my paddle shaped lid brushes. I was a little worried that it might feel stratchy on the eye area but it does suggests that it can be used for eyeshadow application on the Hakuhodo website. I will let you know how I get on if I give it a try.

I bought my Hakuhodo B214BkSL before the price increases at the beginning of this year. The B214BkSL costs $26 from the Hakuhodo website and although they do offer international shipping, the value (based on the current exchange rate) is just a shade over the UK VAT waiver so you could incur customs charges to receive it at this end. Boooooo!

My Everyday Face

I feel like I need to start with a confession. This post is missing a vital ingredient, a picture of the products on my face. Things are dire at home at the moment, so faced with the choice of posting an incomplete piece or nothing at all, I went with the former and frankly writing about makeup is a welcome break from creating five point behaviour scales and reading social stories.

Although I was really worried about restricting my selection of products for a month, it's turned out to be very useful. Getting everyone ready and out to school is even more frantic than it was last year and fortuitously the products that I picked out for Operation Use it Up (plus a couple of additions) combine to make a quick and easy face.

I use a mix of Max Factor Second Skin and Bourjois Healthy Mix as a base and usually apply with a flat topped kabuki for speed. On the eyes I apply the Rouge Bunny Rouge Atlas Swallowtail cream eyeshadow from lashline to crease, line with BECCA automatic liner in Goa (sometimes taking it under the eye) and add a generous coat of mascara. The beauty of using Atlas Swallowtail is that it looks good on it's own but I can also add eyeshadow when I return home, if the mood takes me.

I use BECCA creme blush in Turkish Rose on my cheeks using my Hakuhodo G5552 brush. It has a slightly dewy finish so I can dispense with adding a separate highlighter if I haven't got time. Although I mostly favour Rouge Bunny Rouge Murmurings lipstick to complete this look, I have worn it with Chanel Bonheur, Hourglass Fresco and even Rouge Bunny Rouge Coy lipgloss.

I'm surprised how much I've enjoyed wearing the same thing pretty much everyday. It's quite nice to have a no-brainer look to reach for when I'm pushed for time and I fear it may have compounded my guilt at having so much makeup!

Smoky Green FOTD

Yes, it's another green eye look. I had to look at last weeks FOTD to check that I hadn't accidentally recreated the same look with different eyeshadows. It is similar but fortunately not identical. You will probably spot several favourite products that used in both looks, such as the Perricone concealer, Shu brow pencil and the Kevyn Aucoin eye pencil.

The new item I used here is the Laura Mercier Shimmer Bloc in Pink Tourmaline Mosaic*. This was a limited edition item released with the Summer Jewels collection, but unfortunately I can't it anywhere online to provide a link. It is possible you can still find it in Selfridges. I used the Shimmer Bloc as a highlighter on the tops of my cheeks and didn't apply any blush as my natural colour seemed to provide enough flush. I really liked how this looked in the mirror but it was interesting to see how it photographed. In the photos it definitely looked like I needed more colour on my cheeks and the highlighter seemed to accentuate my crinkles. Maybe this accounts for my moody face below!!

Here's a complete breakdown of the items I used:

Face
Perricone MD No Concealer Concealer*
W3LL People Narcissist Foundation and Concealer Stick (01) blended on cheeks, around nose and chin
Laura Mercier Pink Tourmaline Mosaic Shimmer Bloc* applied with Hakuhodo medium pointed Yachiyo
Shu Uemura brow pencil

Lips
Lancome Rouge in Love in Rose Boudoir* blotted on as a stain. I still don't think this is a great colour for me but I fancied experimenting with application techniques.

Eyes
Too Face Shadow Insurance - not pictured
MAC Brule all over the lid
Edward Bess eyeshadow in Dusk applied from lash to crease
MAC Club eyeshadow on the outer corner
MAC Vex pressed onto the centre of the lid
(Brule, Club and Vex all feature in my favourite MAC eyeshadow post)
Kevyn Aucoin Eye Pencil in Basic Black* on the outer corner and on the upper waterline
Clinique High Impact Extreme Volume mascara*
I used a MAC 239 brush to apply the colours and the 224 to blend.

I was really happy with the eyes but I'm not sure that the lipstick worked to compliment the look. I'd probably go for a more peachy colour next time. What makeup have you been wearing this weekend? Do you ever find that your makeup looks different in person to how it photographs?

* PR Sample

Updated Brush Collection

I rearranged my brush collection over the weekend and as most of the brushes were clean, I thought it would be a good moment to do an updated collection post. The number of brushes I have seems to have grown again since this post. Judging by my original brush collection post, this urge to talk about my brushes seems to be an annual event!

Rather than make the post overwhelming by commenting on each brush, I will simply name the brushes pictured and provide links to previous reviews where possible. Hopefully it will help me identify any brushes that I haven't reviewed yet. Also, if there are any which you would like me to discuss in more detail or compare you can put a request in the comments.

Previously I had my brushes split between the handmade brush roll I bought from asoftblackstar's Etsy Store and a glass vase. The brushes in the vase were often neglected and I was fed up of having to clean them because they had collected dust. I bought this Stilazzi mesh bag from Cocktail Cosmetics (as modelled by my furry helper) to store the brushes from the vase in order to keep them clean and tidy, and also to allow me to store them in the plastic drawer unit I keep my makeup in. I have the STZ-027M mesh bag and it fits my brushes perfectly but the bags are available in a variety of sizes.

The brushes in the picture above all fit in the Stilazzi bag. The Rouge Bunny Rouge Contour and Blusher brushes don't normally live in there as I keep these loose in my drawers with my face products. I managed to miss a couple of other brushes as they are also slotted into my storage drawers or hidden in makeup bags such as my Le Metier Concealer Brush and my short handled MAC 213 Fluffy Brush. Otherwise this is better much a complete collection.

FACE BRUSHES

Left to right: Essence Blusher brush, Sigma F25, MAC 187 duo fibre, MAC 188 small duo fibre, Hakuhodo B214BkSL Highlighter and The London Brush Co. #12 brush.

Left to right: 2 x MAC 168 Contour brush, MAC 129 SH, discontinued Ruby + Millie Blusher brush, Rouge Bunny Rouge Blusher brush 012 Face Contour brush, Rouge Bunny Rouge Blusher brush, Illamasqua Blusher brush1, MAC 109 Contour brush, MAC 165, RMK Cheek brush and Hakuhodo Medium Pointed Yachiyo.

Left to right: adesign Angled Concealer Brush, GOSH Professional Face Brush, Hakuhodo G5552 4mm Powder & Liquid round/angled brush, adesign Flat Topped Foundation Brush, Le Metier Angled Foundation, Max Factor Foundation Brush, adesign Cream Cheek Brush and MAC 242 SE brush.

EYE BRUSHES

Left to right: The Body Shop Shadow brush, 2 x MAC 239, Hakuhodo Kokutan ML, Hakuhodo K024, Rouge Bunny Rouge Blusher brush Large Shader 003, The London Brush Co. Shadow Blender, Japoneque Fluff Brush, The London Brush Co. #14 and Cozzette D225.

Left to right: GOSH Smudger brush, MAC 266 Angled Brush (brow), The Body Shop Angled Eyeshadow Brush, KIM E131 Angled Eyeliner, MAC 210 Eyeliner Brush, Louise Young Eyeliner Brush, The London Brush Co. #18 Small Blender, MAC 219 Pencil Brush, The London Brush Co. #17 Blender Brush and the Smashbox Definer.

Left to right: Hourglass Crease 04, MAC 217, Sigma E35, Rouge Bunny Rouge Blusher brush Crease 011, MAC 224, Japonesque Angled Eyeshadow and Sigma E40.

Top to bottom: MAC 226 Crease Brush, Louise Young LY38, Cozzette S175 and Cozzette D330.

LIP AND OTHER MISCELLANEOUS BRUSHES

Left to right: MAC 316 Lip Brush, KIM L311 Narrow Lip Brush, discontinued Ruby + Millie Angled Liner Brush, MAC 204 Lash Brush and adesign Short Handled Foundation Brush.


Listing everything and looking for links highlights the fact that I have a few reviews outstanding. I was certain that I had reviewing the Rouge Bunny Rouge Blusher brush before but it seems I was mistaken. Both the Hakuhodo B214BkSL and G5552 also warrant further mention.

I shall leave you will a picture of my furry friend enjoying the brushes (just before he started to eat them). Do let me know if there are any brushes which you would like to know more about.

Disclosure: The brushes shown here are a mixture of those bought by me and sent for review.

Hakuhodo K024 and Kokutan ML Eye Brushes

I was finally prompted to write a post about these two brushes after using the Hakuhodo K024 the other day and feeling rather disappointed. Being disappointed by a Hakuhodo brush is such a rarity that I thought it was is definitely worthy of discussion.

These eyeshadow brushes are at the opposite end of the price spectrum. The Kokutan ML eye brush is a blend of blue squirrel hair and synthetic fibre and costs $48. The K024 is a horse hair brush and currently costs $17 (I paid $12 as I purchased before the January price rises).  It is probably unsurprising that a brush that retails for under £10 has some imperfections but I suspect that it's the type of hair that I don't get on with in this case.

K024

Looking back at the pictures of the K024 when it first arrived, it is clear to see that it has lost its shape through washing. It has altered further since I took these pictures. The oval paddle shape has gone and instead it is wide and splayed out just before the tip. The hairs no longer feel smooth at the end, some have taken on a kink and the brush feels quite bulky at the tip. The hairs no longer feel as soft on the skin: they have blunt tips and feel more like cut ends rather than the usual natural tapered tip of the hair. I'm not sure which, if any, of my other brushes are horse hair to compare with but it is possible the slightly rough texture is typical for this type of hair.

I particularly noticed how scratchy the brush felt after washing. I wondered if it might benefit from being washed with moisturising shampoo rather than my preferred BECCA brush soap. It did indeed feel a little softer after washing with the shampoo so I will have to remember this in future (or more likely skip using this brush).

The K024 still picks up product with no issue but I feel it doesn't apply colour on the lids as well as some of my other brushes. I actually did one eye using the Kokutan and one with the K024 yesterday, so I know I'm not just imagining the difference in performance.

Kokutan ML

The Kokutan ML eye brush is a completely different story. I love this brush and it was worth every penny for its luxurious feel. It feels silky soft to the touch and maintains its lovely oval paddle shape after washing. I wouldn't have realised that it was a blend of hair and synthetic fibre had I not checked on the Hakuhodo website as it looks and feels like 100% hair. It also has that faint animalic whiff when it is washed.

The Kokutan ML applies colour on the lid beautifully: it doesn't pack it on like the MAC 239, instead it is perfect for adding colour in layers and because of this I don't end up with a blunt line that I need to blend. It holds on to shimmery eyeshadows well, applying without fallout. It has a shorter handle than many brush makes but as I've mentioned before, I rather like that.

Top to bottom: MAC 239, Kokutan ML and K024

Top to bottom: RBR Large Shader, MAC 239, Kokutan ML and K024

I have included pictures of both of the brushes next to the MAC 239 and Rouge Bunny Rouge Large Shader 003 for size and shape comparison. As you can see, both are quite large lid brushes and closer in size to the RBR brush than the 239. The Kokutan ML is also much flatter in profile than any of my other brushes.

So there we have it, one love and one 'meh'. I can't say I hate the K024, it is serviceable enough and cheaper than many other lid brushes but I think there are better alternatives available and this is probably one to skip.

Hakuhodo brushes are available from www.hakuhodousa.com. Be aware that customs charges my apply for those buying from outside the USA.

My IMATS Experience in Pictures

Yesterday I trotted off to Alexandra Palace for my very first trip to IMATS. I had a fantastic day and spent much of it wandering around with my lovely friend, Sparklz and Shine. I met up with old and new faces, attended talks (more of that later) and took in as much of the atmosphere as possible. In terms of shopping, I was a bit of a failure having bought only one item. I'm still kicking myself about this now. I had fully intended to go back this morning to rectify this until I started panicking about the snow that fell overnight. Rather than dwell on it, I thought I would share my day in pictures.

David Horne mucking in at the Illamasqua stand with the rest of the team.

Illamasqua were offering some incredible discounts and attracted crowds all day long. I made several attempts to get close to the counter but I'm lacking in the necessary shopping skills for this kind of action. I made up for it by having a lovely chat with Hayley from Illamasqua over lunch.

You will be unsurprised to learn that I made a beeline for Hakuhodo! It was amazing to be able to see and touch so many of their brushes. If money had been no object, I could have racked up a huge spend. Unfortunately, they were not offering a discount for IMATS so the prices were the same as those on the www.hakuhodousa.com website. The advantage of buying at the show, of course, were that you did not need to factor in shipping costs or the worry about customs charges. I bought one brush and wrestled with the idea of buying a few more. I actually spent a while looking at the numerous other brush makes on offer at the show, and I have to admit that buying Hakuhodo has rather spoiled me. I'm ashamed to admit that I turned a snobby little nose up at many of the alternatives. Champagne tastes and beer money as my Mother would probably say!

Louise Young

Louise Young at the PAM stand sharing some of her expert tips with a small crowd, including myself, Sparklz and Shine and The Make Up Fairy. Louise used her own Essential Eye palette and her brushes as you can probably see. It was a thrill to get such a personal audience with Louise and I took away many tips. Although the show is primarily aimed at makeup artists, I think you can gain plenty as a makeup consumer and general enthusiast.

Hopefully this picture will give you a general idea of the crowds at the show. It was busy everywhere as I arrived (around 10:30 on the Saturday) and I'm told this is pretty much peak time. Most of the stands were still accessible with the exception of Illamasqua and MAC Pro which were several people deep throughout the day. Many of the stands were also offering excellent show discounts. Having said that, I was quite disappointed at the Embryolisse discounts (I had planned to re-stock) as their prices still seemed to be higher than the cost of buying in France.

An array of Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics pigments and their famous lip tars

Helen swatched a number of the OCC lip tars and the pigmentation is amazing. I love the colours but I confess, I am a little nervous of them. I'd love to know if you think I missing out on a must have here?

The Real Techniques stand seemed to be attracting quite a bit of interest, especially with their IMATS discount. The brushes are beautifully soft and I toyed with the idea of getting one of the sets but none of the shapes really grabbed me enough to make a purchase. 

Artist and models getting ready for the Student Competition

 This year's theme for the student competition was 'Wild Kingdom'.

This was one of the many items on display in the museum area and I was really taken with the detail on the face. From the crows feet to the slight stubble on the neck: I think it's these realistic touches which stop it from looking too cartoon-esque.

A very pretty skull design, if that doesn't sound too contradictory!

Koren Zander aka Enkore Makeup engrossed in some 3D bodyart

Koren had attracted a little crowd that were all wearing 3D glasses when I took this photograph. I confess, I was most mesmerised by the Hello Kitty brush belt.

This is Vincent de Monfreid for Makeup Atelier Paris working magic on his extraordinarily professional (and presumably very cold) model!

The model and artist above were stationed at the Mistair Ltd & Stageline Professional stand. I thought the shirt and tie detail on the model were amazing.

IMATS was a great experience and I'm already turning my mind to 2013. Of course, next year I will definitely be armed with a list!

Disclosure: I received a press pass for the event so admission was free. I paid for my own transport to the event.

IMATS London 2012

The International Makeup Artist Trade Show will be taking place in London at the beginning of February. The exhibition will be held at Alexandra Palace: Friday 2nd is open to professionals only but the trade show is open to the public on Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th. This will be my very first time at IMATS, the show normally takes place in January so giving birth and birthdays have prevented me from attending in the past. I confess that tales of how busy it gets have also made me slightly reluctant too. I tend to get a little flustered in crowds but this year the show has moved to the Great Hall so hopefully there will be more room to move around and explore.

Image by SparklzandShine.com

There is a full list of exhibitors on the IMATS website as well as a schedule of the classes and events that will take place over the two days. I have been told by more seasoned IMATS visitors that it's best to decide which talks you're interested in attending in advance as there are often queues to hear the speakers and spaces are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. As a first timer I really enjoyed Lipglossiping's tips on how to get the most out of a visit to the show.

Image by SparklzandShine.com

Image by SparklzandShine.com

The stands that I am most excited about visiting are Hakuhodo, Make Up For Ever, Emryolisse, Guru Makeup Emporium and PAM. The thought of one big room filled with cosmetics and brushes that are usual hard to access is a huge draw. I fear I may struggle with my self-imposed eyeshadow ban as I browse the stands. There are a couple of things that I already know will test my resolve if I spy them. I'm sure there should be plenty to keep me distracted and I can always go and stroke some brushes if I get stressed!

Image courtesy of www.imats.net. Photo by Nick Wall

Many thanks to Sparklz and Shine for giving me permission to share her images from IMATS 2011 with you. Will you be going along to IMATS this year? Do you have any advice for a first time visitor like me?

New Brushes (and a New Taupe!)

I don't share hauls that often, I'm never entirely sure how interesting they are for anyone else but yesterday was such a great day for deliveries, I couldn't resist sharing. Plus, I also wanted to bring you an update on the Hakuhodo price increase that I mentioned here.

I want to start by saying a big thank you to Marcia of Beauty Info Zone for helping me with this particularly Hakuhodo order. You made this blogger very happy indeed! The brushes I have here are the B214BkSL Highlighter brush, the G5552 4mm powder & liquid round/angled brush and the K024 round and flat eyeshadow brush. I can't wait to have a play with them all.

The prices have been affected in exactly the way I anticipated. The G5552 powder & liquid brush from the G series was one of the more recent addition to their line up and already at a higher price. Pre-2012 the G5222 was priced $42 and it's current price is $45. If I've done my maths correctly, that is in an increase of 7%. I expected the Basics line to be the hardest hit by the increase and indeed, the B214BkSL has gone up significatly. Pre-2012, this cost $18 whereas it now costs $26, so that is an increase of 44%. The K024 eyeshadow brush has taken a similar jump, increasing from $12 to $17 (42%). At the time of purchase the Medium Pointed Yachiyo that I reviewed in December cost me $27 and I was sad to see this has increased to $40. At an increase of 48%, this is the biggest jump of the four brushes.

Despite the increase, I still think there are some reasonably priced brushes and they are of an excellent quality. If you're interested to see a complete break down of the price increases Glossed in Translation has compiled a rather marvellous spreadsheet. Although I am disappointment by the increase, I know I won't be able to resist a look at the Hakuhodo stand at IMATS in February (if I can get close enough to it of course, I may need to sharpen my elbows!).

Because a girl can never have enough brushes, I put in an order for some of The London Brush Company brushes whilst they were on sale on Cocktail Cosmetics. I ordered No. 12 and No. 14 (I have previously reviewed No. 17 and No. 18). The No. 12 brush was much bigger than I was expecting but I'm keen to experiment with this shape. I'm sure No. 14 will be a great lid brush as it's a smaller version of No. 16 which I find to be excellent for laying down colour.

On to the new taupe! Whilst putting in the order for the brushes, I finally caved and bought the Julie Hewett Hue in Mystere which I have had on my wishlist for more than a year. I have not dared disturb it yet but the colour looks very promising in the pot. I will of course report back on how I get on.

Have you treated yourself to anything in the sales? Also, what do you think to the Hakuhodo price increases, do you think it will put you off future orders?