Crease/Blending Brushes Part 3 & 4

Finally onto the conclusion of my crease and blending brushes. These brushes are my multi-use brushes. Sometimes we can get stuck on the description of a brush and use it for only that purpose. I have found that some of my brushes are created for one use, but work best as something completely different. You definitely need to experiment, because you never know what may work best. Please check out my first post to read more information on brush hairs, uses, etc. here.

The first three I like to use as both crease and lay down brushes. Since they are more flat than fluffy I find that they work well to lay down color on my mobile lid. The tip of the brushes are thin, so they give a more defined/carved crease rather than blended out color in the crease.

Bottom picture left to right:

~Tom Ford Eye Shadow 11 brush-I believe this brush is made of goat hair. The information could not be confirmed. Compared to the Mac 217, and some of my Hakuhodo brushes that are goat, it feels really similar. The brush is really soft, but firm. I find that this brush picks up color well. I can lay the color down on my lid with little fallout. The flat side of the brush is rather large, so you would have to have a large eye space. I love using the brush for the Tom Ford eye shadow quads. Most of the quads have a glitter eye shadow, something similar to Mac's lustre texture, and this brush picks up the color and applies the color effortlessly. I love the chocolate brown color of the handle with the gold letters and ferrule. The handles feel quite substantial and you can tell that the brushes are well crafted. I have had the brushes for several months and it has not shed on me. The prices are steep, but well worth it. The quality of the hair is outstanding and I can tell that I will have this brush for many years.  You can purchase Tom Ford brushes here.

~Hakuhodo K021 Eye Shadow brush-This brush is similar in shape to the Tom Ford brush, but larger. I like to use this brush more for a wash of color over the lid or to blend all my colors together in one swipe. Made of blue squirrel. This brush is really too soft to pack colors on, but is great for heavily pigmented colors or loose pigments. This brush can be purchased here.

~Suqqu Eye Shadow L brush-Ahhh...the infamous and aloof Suqqu brushes! I had been reading about these brushes for a long time! I started on a crazed mission to find and purchase some of the best brushes and this brand kept popping up on all the blogs and reviews. Thus started my journey to find and purchase as many as I could! I found a website online where I could purchase the brushes and have them shipped to me, but as fast as they would receive stock of the brushes they would sell out! I had to stalk the site like a hawk. Late one night when I had some extra money to spare I saw this brush pop up and I jumped on it! Unfortunately it was the only Suqqu brush I was ever able to purchase. :( The only other way to purchase Suqqu brushes would be to call the store in Selfridges in the U.K. and have them shipped to you. These brushes cost a pretty penny!

The website does not list the type of brush hair, but it feels like it may be blue or grey squirrel. The brush is exquisitely soft! The entire brush from ferrule to handle is covered in black metal. The handle is on the short side. The words 'suqqu' are written in grey. Suqqu is another Japanese brand. The Japanese really have the brush industry on lock! I must take a trip to Japan just for the ultimate brush haul! I use this brush for a wash of color or to blend my crease colors. It is so soft that it works really well to blend harsh lines and create that gradation of color from the crease to brow bone.

On to some of my favorite and most used brushes of all! I use these brushes for blending, applying crease and lid color, and concealer.

Bottom picture from left to right:

~Mac 222 Tapered Blending brush-This is a great blending brush. Made of goat hair. The tapered head of the brush allows for precise application of color in the crease. If you have smaller eyes this brush is really nice, because it doesn't flare out or get too fluffy like the Mac 224 and 217. Since the hair is tapered from belly to tip, colors stay where you put them and don't move all over the eye. The hair is firm, but pliable. This brush is great for densely packed, low pigmented colors. I really like this brush for carving out my crease as well. The 222 brush has been discontinued, but I have seen it for sale online at All Cosmetics Wholesale here.

~Mac 217 Blending brush-What can I say? This is the ultimate blending brush! I have about a million and one brushes, as you can see, and none seem to do exactly what the 217 does! If I could use just one brush for just about my entire face this would be it! I can use it on my lid, crease, and highlight. I can use it for concealer and powder. It buffs, blends, and packs beautifully. Made of goat hair. This brush is great for picking up low pigmented, densely packed colors. If you are using it for heavily pigmented or loose pigments use a light hand. I have several of these brushes because I never want to be without it. My first 217 brush is finally starting to go down hill after about 10 years, and that's when I didn't even know how to care for it properly. If you have smaller eyes you may have a bit of an issue applying color to your crease, but if you use just the tip of the brush you should be fine. You can use the flat side of the belly of the brush to lay down color on the lid. I apply concealer under the eye going in circular motions with the tip of the brush. You must purchase this brush here.

~Shu Uemura Natural brush 8HR-I had no idea where to add this brush, since it is an angled shaped brush, and I don't have many angle crease brushes. Made of sable hair. This brush is great for picking up lots of color with little to no fallout. If you have densely packed, shimmer or hard shadows with low pigment, this is a great brush to use for those colors. The angle of the brush allows for great precision and directional use. The flat head of the brush can be used to pack color on the lid. You can purchase this brush here.

~Hakuhodo 212 Highlight brush-I have been using this brush exclusively for concealer under my eye. Made of goat(Ototsuho). This brush is very densely packed with short bristles, great for packing on products. The short hairs allow for full coverage, while blending the concealer to an airbrushed finish. I use a stippling motion to apply products. The hairs of this brush are great for cream and water-based products. This brush is great for highlighting on the cheekbone and temple as well. You can purchase this brush here.

~Hakuhodo J214 Highlight brush-This brush is similar to the 212 except it is a bit smaller.  Made of goat hair. The hairs are really soft and feel good on the skin. I use this brush in the same way that I use the Hakuhodo 212 brush. This brush is great for concealer under the eyes, around the corners of the nose, and highlighting. This brush is not yet available for purchase, but should be available to purchase on the Hakuhodo site by the end of the month.

Do you have any blending or crease brushes that are your faves? Do you use them for any other purpose? Let me know what you think.