Ever since I first spotted this natural-haired brush in some makeup artist’s arsenal, I’ve been searching long and hard for my own synthetic version. (I tend to prefer synthetic brush hairs like Too Faced’s Teddy Bear Hair brushes, because they just feel much softer and less prickly on my wussy skin.)
Well, it turns out this particular brush does *not exist* in synthetic hair. Everyone tells me that natural fibers simply grip the shadow pigment better, and that’s that. Well, I was miffed and determined to find the only synthetic one out there, but I have officially failed. (And I checked every single brand and cosmetics website I could find! Thankfully, my issues with animal-hair brushes are just a preference and not an allergy or a strong moral/political stance — but where do the vegans go for these? Are they simply denied a full range of brushes? What crap!)
Anyway, today I finally found an affordable-enough version by Japonesque, so I sucked it up and bought it. Guess what? These makeup artist folks weren’t kidding! This natural-haired brush does prick a bit, but boy does it grab and apply color well. Totally worth the $18 and the compromise, at least for me.
The sharp angle of the top is useful for ergonomic application, and the flat top makes it easy to apply shadow across the entire lid and into the crease. I was even able to get good coverage with my incredibly old and wussily-colored Aveda shadow, and I’m hoping it’ll help with my similarly crappy and overpriced 100% Pure eye shadow palette.
I will probably continue to hunt for a Taklon version of this shape, because a) I like to have multiples of my favorite brush shapes, and b) I really really really don’t like the feel of the natural hair. My eyelids are even more sensitive than the rest of my skin! But alas, at least I’ll look great in the meantime while I keep searching. Hopefully this will help make it easier to pull off a smoky eye look for fall without seeming like I was in a bar fight.