Houkodou Brushes

Within a few years, in addition to Koyudo CD Japan (not affiliated!) has expanded its stock to include many more brush makers big and small, and Houkodou is one of them. I wasn't particularly interested, partly because I'm no longer open to try different brushes. The one time I tried something new--ahem, Koyomo--I ended up with two floppy Face and Blush brushes.

And then these three Houkodou brushes caught my eyes: BZ-1 Gold, BZ-2, and BZ-3. Not only they are exactly those I use on a daily basis, to blend sunscreen powders, cream cheek colors, and eye shadows, their handles are a gorgeous shimmery taupe-bronze. Sold!

I may sound biased, but these feel less soft and aren't as substantial as Koyudo brushes. For example, their wood handles are oddly light. I want to guess that they're hollow, but there's no way for me to find out. These three brushes got me curious about other Houkodou offers, but after looking through their stock I realized these are indeed the best selections.

Which is to say I don't regret buying them. They're actually great brushes even if I favor Koyudo. The BZ-1 and BZ-2 both have un-dyed hair which I really appreciate. I wish the BZ-3 had un-dyed hair also, but hey it does its job well so I won't complain.

- BZ-1 Gold Sokoho, 6,000JPY: dense, soft, and does a great job blending my sunscreen powder. The brush head is larger than the Koyudo fu-pa01 but smaller than the Fuwafuwa. I'll do a comparison when time permits. The only problem I have with this brush is that it sheds a little bit, a few hairs with each use. Whereas I haven't this problem at all with any of my Koyudo brushes. See why I favor Koyudo?

- BZ-2 Sokoho, 3500JPY: I actually like this brush better than the BZ-1 above. For some reason, this brush has a flat head but feels much more velvety than the BZ-1 with its dome head. I use this to apply and blend cream blushes and it does a fantastic job. Also, no shedding so far, unlike the BZ-1.

- BZ-3 Sokoho, 2500JPY: I use this brush for lay down and for lid washes. No complaints here, other than that I wish it had un-dyed hair. It picks up colors just fine, and the tapered sides allows for great control.