Sunday, March 11, 2012

Hakuhodo S100 Finishing Brush Review & Pictures

The Hakuhodo S100 Finishing Brush Angled is, without question, the most luxurious and decadent finishing brush that I have ever used. The S100 brushes represent the flagship series of Hakuhodo brushes with handles made of "wood and colored in beautiful vermilion, a traditional Japanese color." The handles broaden slightly toward the tip and are designed to fit perfectly in the hand. The luxurious ferrules are made of brass rolled in 24-karat gold and then topped with a clear coating.

The S100 is made of the softest Sokoho Goat hair that simply feels divine when brushed across the face. It has an extraordinarily densely packed head making it suitable for the application of powder, as well as the removal of excess powder. Some people might find it suitable for contouring because of its angle, but it is a large brush so if you have a smaller face it will be too large for that application.  The angle is useful as it allows you to adjust the surface area covered to best suit your needs. The S100 is a perfectly balanced brush that has a certain heft to it without compromising its efficacy or elegance.

Each Hakuhodo brush is handmade by dedicated craftsmen who painstakingly assemble each brush to the most rigorous of standards. The end result is a company that produces brushes unsurpassed in quality.

Measurements: Full Length: 185㎜ B, Hair Length: 50.0㎜, Thickness: 9.4㎜, Width of the Ferrule Foot: 38.0㎜. The head itself is 2 inches at the longest point, and just about 2 inches wide as well- so this brush means business.

Overall assessment: It just doesn't get any better than this. 

$96.00 from Hakuhodo

14 comments:

  1. these brushes look so lux. i'm so envious of your collection. i just wish they had a store where i can go and browse all of their brushes. or do they?

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    1. they are UNBELIEVABLY decadent and amazing, Jackie! Unfortunately there is no physical store where we can go and cuddle up to these brushes. The ship out of Torrance-- a total tease for LA girls like you and me to be so close yet so far away!! They usually have a booth at IMATS, but I just researched and ordered all of mine sight-unseen. I don't regret a single purchase, I have collected 25 of them, and still want more! I will be reviewing all of them in my stash.

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  2. Hi, Lola, I have seen reviews on Hakuhodo brushes and everyone always rave about them. Do you order directly from Hakuhodo USA?

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    1. Hi Rola, Hakuhodo brushes definitely live up to the hype-- really they surpass it! They are seriously the most exquisite brushes that I have ever used. I ordered all of my brushes online through Hakuhodo directly. That's the way to get them (since there is no store in the States) unless you get them at IMATS. It's a dangerously addictive habit! I rarely pick up my old brushes anymore.

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  3. Hey Lola,

    Hope you had a Happy Mother's Day. :)

    Which Hakuhodo brushes would you recommend the most? I don't plan to buy more than five for now. I guess versatility of the brushes matter also. Can you use this one for bronzer also? I think I'm getting the G5557 so far.

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    1. Hey Anonymous! Thank you- I hope you had a nice Mother's Day as well!

      I don't really think that the S100 would be a great bronzer brush- I think that it is just too big to be efficient for that purpose-- I just tend to use it for finishing and blending-- though you could arguably also use it to apply powder products.

      Wow, that is a really tough, but good question. If I had to pick my 5 all-time favorite blushes that I use every single day my list would look something like this (and the order doesn't represent any particular preference of one over the other) :-)

      1) G5557-2MM This is an extraordinary foundation brush!! I use it all of the time, and it was a real game-changer for me! Here's my review:

      http://lolassecretbeautyblog.blogspot.com/2012/03/hakuhodo-5557-2mm-powder-liquid-brush.html

      2) 210 Blush brush. This is one of their most versatile, and reasonably priced brushes. I have two of them. I use them for powder and cream blushes, sometimes for highlighters, sometimes even to blend foundation if I want a change of paste. This is what the MAC 109 wishes it could be! Here's my review:

      http://lolassecretbeautyblog.blogspot.com/2012/03/hakuhodo-210-blush-brush-review.html

      3) G527 or G527M Powder brush. I actually have both of them- though a sane person would only ever "need" one of them since they only differ in handle length and materials. This is an amazing workhorse buffer, blender, and can be used to apply powder. Here's my review:

      http://lolassecretbeautyblog.blogspot.com/2012/03/hakuhodo-g527-527m-powder-brush-reviews.html

      4) G543 Powder DR. This is probably my most unique and coveted brush. It is extraordinary for powder and cream products alike. It gives a polished perfect finish every single time, but does take quite a long time to dry after washing because it is so densely packed. I have never had a brush that comes close to this in standing out in a crowd-- I simply have never seen anything quite like it--it sort of looks like a Kabuki brush, but it is really in a category of its own.

      http://lolassecretbeautyblog.blogspot.com/2012/02/hakuhodo-g543-powder-dr-round-review.html

      5) G503 Blush Brush L Angled- This is a fantastic contouring and blush brush. It is firm enough to be able to handle less pigmented blushes or harder baked formulas (like the Chanel Euro Joues Contraste blushes), bout without sacrificing softness. It can also be layer on the side to pick up bronzer or blush, or even highlighter. This was the brush that officially ignited my Hakuhodo fever!! Here's my review:

      http://lolassecretbeautyblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/hakuhodo-g503-blush-brush-l-angled.html

      These are 5 of my absolute favorites, but there are many more that I love! I can't even believe that I didn't mention a single brush for the eyes.

      Is there anything in particular that you are looking for-- that way I can narrow down the brushes that I love for those purposes!

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  4. Which are your top favorite eye brushes?

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    1. Hi! That's a tough question!! If I had to narrow it down to only a few I would probably have to pick:

      Hakuhodo Kokutan M
      Hakuhodo Kokutan MLL
      " G5512BkSL
      "K005
      Rouge Bunny Rouge Large Eye Shader Brush 003

      These are the eye brushes that I reach for very single day. I have reviewed all of them- so you might want to take a look at the reviews to see if they are the types of brushes that you would be apt to use as well.

      I hope that this helps!!
      Thank you for stopping by!

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  5. Why does yours say "Beverly Hills" on it where the "Hakuhodo" should be on the handle towards the end?

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    1. Hi Gia, All of my "S" Series are stamped Beverly Hills. "Misako Beverly Hills" is one of the registered trademarks of Hakuhodo. They call these their "flagship brushes" that the owner created for his wife Misako- you can see "Misako" stamped on the end of the brush handle. The "Beverly Hills" has to do with the flagship store that Hakuhodo opened in Beverly Hills in 1996, but then they closed it in 1998. However, in 2003 they opened an office in Torrence- part of the greater Los Angeles area-- I don't know if there is a physical store location there, but there didn't used to be. I noticed on their website that the S line brushes now appear to be stamped Hakuhodo, but the Beverly Hills stamp was a part of the legacy of the company. It is the only line that was stamped "Beverly Hills"-- all of my other Hakuhodos are stamped "Hakuhodo." :-)

      Here is a timeline that gives you more information:

      http://www.hakuhodousa.com/index.php?itemid=3&catid=1

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  6. Hello
    Would you know the difference in The Hakuhodo S100 which is all goat and the kokutoan finishing which is a mix with sythetic? Why choose one over the other?

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    1. Hi Makeup Remastered! Well, the S100 is Goat (Sokoho) which is unbelievably soft and luxurious and is definitely intended for powder products. The Kokutan Blue Squirrel/Synthetic has that gorgeous wooden handle and the blend of Blue Squirrel (which is unbelievably soft) and synthetic fibers can make it a touch more versatile if you are also using some cream-based products-- though they do call this a finish brush for powder. They also have the Kokutan face brush that mixes Goat with Synthetic fibers as well. Sometimes synthetic fibers added into softer natural bristles can offer a bit more structure to soft bristle brushes (it helps to maintain the shape and stabilize the brush head). I have a few of the Kokutan eye shadow brushes, but none of their face brushes. I haven't ever purchased a Hakuhodo brush that I didn't love. I think that it ultimately comes down to personal preference, but I suspect that you will be delighted with either the S100 or one of the Kokutan Finishing brushes! :-)

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    2. Thank you for the reply- they both are so pretty to look at. I am missing a finishing brush- so I am not to sure which one I would prefer with regard to performance- might just come down to which one is MORE pretty.

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    3. You are so welcome! I think that you would be happy with either- I wish that I had the Kokutan so that I could give you a real side by side comparison, but I think that there is no wrong decision here! I would just sleep on it for a while. At some point something will push you toward one over the other! :-) Keep me posted!

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