Looking for a new cheek brush? Curious about synthetic-bristled brushes? Keen to try a brush that doesn't break the bank? In her new video, Alicia Archer (aka Kinkysweat / @kinkysweat) answers all these questions and more, with a close look at seven different brushes by Chikuhodo and Koyudo. Find out what tasks they're best suited for, get product recommendations, and see comparisons with other similar makeup brushes, to help give you an idea of what to expect. Three brushes are below the $50-mark, and four above $50. Of course, all brushes are handcrafted with care by artisans in the Kumano region of Japan. The cheek brushes Below $50 Koyudo Makiko Series, MK-2 Cheek Brush, $28 "This brush buffs out cream products quite beautifully, and that’s why I used it to apply my stick foundation. The shorter bristles also just lend a better blending and buffing experience, particularly for cream foundation products. I like the fact that this brush is multi-tasking.” Alicia recommends it for: Cream bronzer, cream blush, creamier-consistency complexion products. Chikuhodo AF-Series AF-2 Cheek Brush, $32 “I actually really like this for cheek application.” “The reason that I think this works is because it has longer fibers but it still moves really nicely across the skin… it just glides over the skin, the bristles don’t skip over the skin, I feel like that it mimics that natural hair feel." Alicia recommends it for: Powder bronzer and blush; cream blush for a lighter veil of color; getting liquid foundation on fast; liquid foundation for an airy finish. Chikuhodo Regular R-C2 Cheek Brush, $47 “I love the size of this brush head – it’s round and domed. And I think it’s just ideal to buff the product beautifully into the skin. And the fact that it's this shape just makes it ideal not only for cheek blush application, but you can get in with some bronzer as well. And it's on the smaller side, so if you prefer to apply your contour as powder, you can just put it right there." "Good for days when you want a little more structure in your cheek makeup application. Put on a little more powder because of the densely-packed bristles." Alicia recommends it for: Powder blush and bronzer, applying highlight and contour powder. Koyudo Yoshiki Y-2 Cheek Brush, $36 "It's very round, very tightly packed. It's going to get that foundation on, if you choose to use it for that reason. ” Alicia recommends it for: Cream and liquid foundation products (as the bristles are undyed), cream bronzer, cream blush, pounce-buff application rather than swirling – if you’re swirling, hold it lightly to keep it right on the surface. Above $50 Koyudo Premium Series P-2 Cheek Brush, $76 “Isn’t this not the cutest little brush you’ve seen?!” "You can pounce, you can strike-and-pull, you can swirl, you can do whatever you want with this brush." Alicia recommends it for: Loose powder, bronzer, blush and highlight. Not any cream or liquid. Chikuhodo GSN-3 Cheek Brush, $89 “The gold ferrule, with the white-pearl tapered handle… the design in itself is just heavenly.” “Out of all the brushes I used in the demo, this has to be my favorite for bronzer... I feel like I have bronzer security with this brush, no matter how I used it.” Alicia recommends it for: Bronzer, loose powder, bronzer, buffing. Chikuhodo Kazan Homare Series KZ-4 Cheek Brush, $94 “Woah, did I use this brush for a lot of tasks!... Yes, it’s a cheek brush so it’s great for blush. But it can be used so many tasks in your cheek-step in your routine. Bronzer, contour. Use the edge for a more defined application.” Alicia recommends it for: Buffing cheek products, loose powder application to set foundation. Check out Alicia's video on Chikuhodo Powder Brushes
