Confession time: the Chikuhodo brushes I purchased in a previous post are in a protective box,
unused, like a grandma’s couch covered in plastic.
I know.
And would you shake your head at me even more vigorously if
you knew that I just went ahead and bought myself an entire set of Chikuhodo
brushes?
I KNOW.
But hear me out!
For one thing, my birthday is in sight, which is a self-bestowed carte blanche to treat myself. (Or, a convenient justification for things I was going to get anyway...) Second, San
Francisco-based beauty retailer Beautylish recently teamed up with Japanese
master brush makers Chikuhodo to release an exclusive collaboration brush set,
the Sakura Collection. When two things I love are paired together, I am incapable
of resisting.
The response from customers was apparently
overwhelming. Slated for an early July release to the public, the brushes were
released in 3 pre-sale events due to demand with the first pre-sale shipping in
late June. I managed to snag my set during the first pre-sale, and I'm so glad
I did as all 3 pre-sales sold out immediately and there is currently a
waitlist. The hype around these brushes was immense, and if the first
impression is any indication, this set lives up to that hype.
I just received my brushes a few days ago, and
while this is not yet a review of their performance, their exquisitely designed
cherry blossom-print handles and soft goat and grey squirrel bristles are
indicative of the high quality you would expect from a handmade Japanese brush.
The price, however, was not as high as most were expecting for the set.
Retailing at $215, the set is an excellent value for money for brushes of this
caliber. During a conference call set up for those interested in the first
round of pre-sales, Beautylish founder Nils divulged that the intended audience
was not only brush fanatics, but also those who are wanting to dip their toe
into the waters of high quality Japanese brushes, hence why they were sold as a
set and not individually. Because of this, the collection makes a wonderful travel set and even comes with its own travel brush holder. As a set, it gives a well-rounded picture of Japanese brushes to a novice.
Each set contains five brushes:
The Powder Brush
The Cheek Brush
The Crease Brush
The Shader Brush
The Detail Brush
Detail on the Brush Handles
While not the most important feature of my order, I
so appreciated the detail that went into the packaging. It is the mark of an
authentic Japanese retail experience to have the product housed in exquisite
and detailed packaging, and Beautylish delivered in true Japanese fashion. And in true Beautylish fashion, a handwritten note and brush care card are included. (Side note: I had the order shipped to my mother's while I'm here, which is why the card is written to Gail.)
This is Beautylish's first retail product, and it
has set the bar high for future products from the retailer. It is hard to
imagine a better collaboration partner than the masters at Chikuhodo. Even
though they are tricky to get at this point, I assure you they will be worth
the wait!
As luck would have it, I have the perfect
opportunity in the near future to not only test the performance of these
brushes, but their ease and convenience for travel as well. In other words, grandma’s
about to take the plastic cover off the couch! Stay tuned for a proper review
on 8/1/15.
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