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1. Sephora Pro Contour #79 Brush 2. Charlotte Tilbury Powder & Sculpt Brush 3. Sigma Tapered Highlighter F35 Brush 4. Hakuhodo G5521BkSL Brush 5. Hakuhodo G5518BkSL Brush 6. Trish McEvoy 86 Petite Kabuki |
Tapered brushes are one of the most important tools in my arsenal. They are designed to fit perfectly in areas of the face that are not too big or too small, including the under eye, top of the cheeks, hollows of the cheeks and border of the face. They're suppose to offer control, while still being flexible enough to blend out product effortlessly. Also, the ideal one would allow you to apply & blend product on the same area without having to reach for another brush. Continue reading to find out how the following six brushes stack up to the "ideal" tapered brush.
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1. Hakuhodo G5518BkSL Brush 2. Hakuhodo G5521BkSL Brush 3. Charlotte Tilbury Powder & Sculpt Brush 4. Trish McEvoy 86 Petite Kabuki 5. Sephora Pro Contour #79 Brush 6. Sigma Tapered Highlighter F35 Brush |
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1. Hakuhodo G5518BkSL Brush 2. Sigma Tapered Highlighter F35 Brush 3. Charlotte Tilbury Powder & Sculpt Brush 4. Trish McEvoy 86 Petite Kabuki 5. Hakuhodo G5521BkSL Brush 6. Sephora Pro Contour #79 Brush |
Hakuhodo G5521BkSL Brush ($35) - This one is made from a mix of blue squirrel and goat hair, which are natural bristles. However, it has a "waxy" texture to it like synthetic brushes. It feels very bunny soft, but it doesn't blend as effortlessly as those that are made from pure goat hair. Also, it doesn't give me enough control to contour the face and is the floppiest of them all. It fits underneath my eye very well, but when I use it to apply setting powder, it doesn't disperse product evenly and I end up having to dip the brush into the powder a few times in order to cover the entire area. It works best for highlighting the cheeks, but for those that don't want to cover a big area and prefer the product to be only on top of the cheeks, then I recommend the Charlotte Tilbury and Trish McEvoy one.
Hakuhodo G5518BkSL Brush ($98) - This one is made from Kazan squirrel and feels bunny soft, but just like the G5521BkSL, the bristles don't blend as easily as goat hairs do. The main difference is that it's shorter & fatter and places a more concentrated amount of product. The Hakuhodo G5521BkSL and G5518BkSL are best for those that don't want precise application of highlighter and those that find goat hair to be too rough.
Sephora Collection Pro Contour Brush #79 ($34) - This one is made with a blend of natural and synthetic fibers and feels soft, but just like the G5521BkSL, the bristles don't blend powder products as easily as pure goat hairs do and doesn't offer enough precision for contouring. The main difference is that the G5521BkSL is slightly more rounded at the tip and is wider. The Sephora one is best suitable for highlighting the cheeks.
Trish McEvoy 86 Petite Kabuki ($46) - This one is made with natural goat hair and feels very soft. It has a very pointed tip and offers excellent control due to its size and density. It's perfect for using it to highlight the top of the cheekbones, bridge of the nose and cupid's bow. I especially love using it to apply setting powder underneath the eye area and around the nose. It's also great for contouring because it fits perfectly in the hollows of the cheeks. I just wish the handle was longer because it gets lost in my spinning brush holder, but it's great for travel.
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| (I took this picture when the brush was dirty.) |
Charlotte Tilbury Powder & Sculpt Brush ($49) - The bristles are made with a blend of squirrel and goat hair and doesn't feel as soft as the Trish McEvoy brush, but it's by no means scratchy. Although it's bigger, it still fits well underneath the eye area and disperses setting powder evenly. It's also great for highlighting the cheeks. The main difference is that when using it to contour, it leaves a more natural finish and blends easier due to its size. For those that want more precision, I recommend the Trish McEvoy one and for those that want a more natural finish, the Charlotte Tilbury brush is more suitable.
Sigma F35 Tapered Highlighter Brush ($24) - I bought this a few years ago when they made it using natural bristles. They now have replaced it with a synthetic version. This is the least softest out of the bunch and can feel slightly scratchy when used in a patting motion. It's also not as firm as the Charlotte Tilbury or Trish McEvoy version and therefore, does not offer as much precision and control when applying products. I prefer to use the Sigma F35 for blending out harsh lines and over applied blush.
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1. Hakuhodo G5521BkSL Brush 2. Sephora Pro Contour #79 Brush 3. Hakuhodo G5518BkSL Brush 4. Trish McEvoy 86 Petite Kabuki 5. Charlotte Tilbury Powder & Sculpt Brush 6. Sigma Tapered Highlighter F35 Brush |
Bottom Line: The Trish McEvoy Petite Kabuki and Charlotte Tilbury Powder & Sculpt brush are excellent multi-taskers and are must-haves for working with powder products.
Note: The Hakuhodo brushes can be purchased on their online store. The Sephora #79 brush is exclusively sold at Sephora. The Trish McEvoy Petite Kabuki, Charlotte Tilbury Powder & Sculpt brush and Sigma F35 is available at Nordstrom.
*This post contains affiliate links. All products were purchased by me, using my own funds.
