hakuho-do + SEPHORA PRO Ougi brush review & photos.

Another Japanese brush review for you today - this time one from the hakuho-do + Sephora Pro collaboration. Sephora collaborated with hakuho-do on a limited edition face brush collection, all hand crafted by the folks at hakuho-do using synthetic brush fibres ($50.00 CA, currently available in store and online.)

Today I have the Ougi brush for review. The Ougi is described as a "fan cheek brush" - I think it's better described as a medium sized, squared shaped paddle brush with rounded edges. The brush head is approximately 1.25" long and 1.25" wide at the tip. When viewed from the side, the brush has a sloped profile with one edge being more angled than the other. 

The bristles are soft on the skin, densely packed and firm. Unlike other synthetic brushes which have extremely smooth bristles, the Ougi's bristles which are tapered like natural hair, have a bit a texture to them, which allows them to pick up product easily.

I found the Ougi worked very well with powder blusher and highlighter. Because it is a denser brush with a tighter shape, it tends to deposit a lot of colour, so a light hand with this brush is needed if you are using a highly pigmented blush. I apply my blush by stippling first to evenly distribute the product and then blending using sweeping circular motions, and that technique works very well with this brush. If you tend to apply blush by sweeping right off the bat, this may not be the brush for you (when using highly pigmented blushes.)

Because of the smaller size and almost wedge shape of this brush, it is also an excellent brush for precision application of contour and highlighter. The brush itself is well constructed, with a medium length red lacquered wooden handle which has a nice weight and feel in the hand. The ferrule is a stylish matte black and the brush head itself feels neat and tightly packed.

Overall I think this is a very solid brush - as a person who 100% prefers natural hair brushes, I was pleasantly surprized by the shape, cut, feel and versatility of this brush. I think this is a great brush for precision blush, highlighter and contour application. People who are more interested in really light, diffuse applications of blush may not find this brush the easiest to work with. An added bonus (though not one that effected my review of this brush) is the beautiful and stately packaging on this product - this would make a perfect and impressive gift for any make-up brush lover.

Grade: A