I discussed in my holy Grail charm products post that I haven’t done numerous brush reviews so it’s time to remedy that. After quite a delayed gratification (I first spied this brush in may of 2016, when polished and inspired concerned Toronto for a visit and we pawed at this at Sephora), I was thrilled to add this delightful brush to my collection. You’ve seen glamour shots of it already, but here’s more:
I started using this brush as soon as I purchased it in late November – after washing it first – and I want to share my impressions of it here.
This is very soft!
And that’s all you really need to know about it. Ok, maybe a bit more…
This Surratt Artistique Cheek brush is a special creature because it is made in Japan in the tradition of handcrafted Fude brushes. The hairs are made of uncut grey squirrel – the natural taper of the hairs feel softer against the skin than blunt cut tips. many commercial brushes have the suggestions cut in purchase to shape the brush head – leaving the hairs uncut implies much more care is required to place the hairs into the desired shape prior to gluing the hairs to the ferrule base. If you’re ever curious about how makeup brushes are made by hand in Japan, have a read here or view this video.
The appearance of the brush also matters to me. While the common black brush handles are sleek looking, the Surratt Artistique Cheek brush has an added touch: its gradient shimmering metallic teal / purple accent deal with against the matte black ferrule make an eye catching pairing. The presentation of the box that it was housed in also adds to the overall appearance:
(Brush in boxes: it’s not often that brushes come presented in boxes but I realized that I have evaluated a few on the blog: MAC Masterclass Oval 6 Brush, Bésame long Hair finishing Powder Brush, and Hakuhodo Sephora pro Kusabi Brush.)
The shape of the brush head is a small pom pom (about 3.0cm all around) – the hair suggestions gently tapers all around the head like a dome, and the base meeting the ferrule is a circle rather than pinched / flattened. The hairs are soft but not overly airy or floppy. I was pleasantly amazed that the bristles are moderately dense and the hair have a good amount of resistance and firmness.
The hairs of this brush is made of grey squirrel which is one of the softest natural hairs used for makeup brushes; it is softer than other popular hairs like goat or pony. I’ve been trying to define what makes a brush feel soft – I think it’s a mixture of:
1) individual hair size: thicker hairs = much more course
2) airiness: less space between bristles = much more firm
3) silkiness: crimped hairs = harsher feeling
Hva tror du?
I would say that the Surratt Cheek has very fine hairs, isn’t too airy, and has a good amount of silkiness.
Bristles loaded with powder blush (Surratt Artistique blush in Se Pomponner)
I’ve evaluated using the Surratt Artistique Cheek brush against various powder blush formulas and while it performs well with most, I find it excels at finely milled powders or baked mineral powders. even though the brush head is small, it has a great ability to diffuse powders for a natural blush application. I also find that it buffs blush into the skin well, making the powder meld with skin texture. I wouldn’t recommend this brush for incredibly pigmented blushes due to the density of the hairs. Also, brushes made of squirrel hairs ought to only be used for powder products – no gels, creams, or liquids – because the hairs are rather thin and fragile.
Examples of blushes that pairs will with the Surratt Artistique Cheek Brush: Surratt Artistique blush (but of course!), Shiseido, MAC Mineralize Blush, Shu Uemura, and Laura Gellar.
I’ve washed the brush twice now and I didn’t experience any shedding. It does puff out slightly from its initial shape after washing and drying. how the brush holds up with usage and repeat washing over the years – only time will tell.
The Surratt Artistique Cheek brush retails for $125 CAD ($115 USD) and is available only at Sephora within Canada.
Pros:
• Softness overload
• picks up and applies powder well
• beautiful presentation
• exceptional workmanship
• No shedding
Ulemper:
• Not as versatile as other brushes
• Dyrt
Stash worthiness: 8/10
No review of mine would be complete without a comparison. Besides eye makeup brushes, I have a weakness for blush brushes. It’s oddly particular but I just like trying out various brands, styles, and shape of blush brushes (according to my tracking, I have 55 blush brushes now. It’s probably correlated to how numerous blushes I own). Here’s a look at how the Surratt Artistique Cheek brush compares to some blush brushes in my collection.
The Japanese contenders part 1:
• Shiseido The makeup blush brush #2
• Shu Uemura natural brush 20
• Yojiya Ebony Chikurisu Brush
These are all Japanese brands and Japanese-made brushes. The Surratt has a domed profile whereas the rest have a pinched / flattened shape. The Surratt, Shiseido, and Yojiya are all made of squirrel hairs. side by side in a blind test, I find that the Yojiya is softer due to its extreme silkiness, and both Yojiya and Surratt are slightly softer than Shiseido (but when we’re at this level of softness, it’s a difference between very soft and supremely soft!) The Shu Uemura is made of pony hair and the softness is comparable – this sucker is also very durable; I’ve owned this particular brush for nearly 8 years and it’s still in ideal condition. The Shu Uemura does have a similar level of density as the Surratt while the Yojiya and Shiseido are much more sparse / airy.
Rounded vs pinched / flattened shape
I have a fondness for blush brushes with flattened paddle shape and pinched bases as I find they offer much more control for accurate blush placement. I like to apply blush onto my cheeks using the sides of the brush head in an upward sweeping and patting motion when I use these paddle brushes, rather than a swirling circular motion using the bristle suggestions like I would with rounded / dome brushes like the Surratt. Am I making any sense here or is this the ramblings of a mad person?
The Japanese contenders part 2:
• Chouetools face color brush (M) for Cheek
• Chasty shiny Slide Cheek Brush
• Chasty Teak blush Brush
These are drugstore Japanese brushes I found during my trip to Japan. Although they’re from the drugstore and don’t have fancy packaging, they were all labelled as made in Japan, and weren’t exactly dirt cheap (Chouetols is a sub-brand of Shiseido and that brush cost ¥3,000 or ~C$36). Their softness and brush hair certainly reflect the elevated quality of Japanese-made brushes. None have the same softness or pom pom shape of the Surratt but are good options if you’re searching for less expensive Japanese-made makeup brushes. The Chouetols one is my preferred of these.
The similar size / shape:
• Charlotte Tilbury Powder & Sculpt Brush
• Quo professional blush Brush
The head size and shape of these brushes are quite similar to the Surratt and I use them interchangeably. I’ve always maintained that the Quo blush brush is one of the best blush brushes I own and not surprisingly, it is practically as soft as the Surratt brush, although the hairs on the Quo is not as silky and it is much more floppy. considering Quo is the private label brand of consumers drug Mart, and the brush was made in China – I’m really amazed by it. I have no clue what the hairs are on either the Quo or Charlotte Tilbury but they are certainly natural hairs (likely dyed goat).
The CT is the closest in size and shape, except that it has a much more pointed tip. It’s not nearly as soft as the Surratt though (and not as soft as the Quo, even).
The Charlotte Tilbury brush has grown on me – at first I found it scratchy and it shed, but after a few washes it has soften up and stopped shedding. What I like many about the CT brush is actually the deal with – the chiseled shape makes for very ergonomic handling. What’s really unusual is that the CT brush is made in Germany.
The not so similar size / shape:
• Anna Sui Cheek Brush
• Sonia Kashuk #29 Dome Brush
I wanted to include these as reference points as to what the Surratt is NOT similar to. My beloved Anna Sui is much larger and fluffier and a paddle shaped – better to use for loosely packed blushes. Both the Anna Sui and Sonia Kashuk are also natural hair bristles – the Anna Sui is pony and I’m guessing the Sonia Kashuk is goat.
The Sonia Kashuk brush has the same shape and density as the Surratt but a much larger size, and although not as soft, it is a very soft brush in its own right. If you’re on a budget, I highly recommend the Sonia Kashuk brushes with the black shapely handles – I own all of the face brushes and they’re all stellar and a steal at less than $20 each.
Against MAC brushes:
• MAC 129SH Powder/Blush Brush
• MAC 137 long Blending Brush
• MAC 133 small Cheek Brush
Since I seem to own a number of MAC blush brushes – here’s how Surratt compares to them. The white goat hair of the MAC brushes are typically much softer than the black dyed goat hairs, but neither hold a candle to Surratt’s grey squirrel hair. I do delight in the polarizing MAC 129 brush even though numerous people complain the hairs are rough – because it’s a pinched paddle shape, I do a sweeping motion with it when applying product, so I primarily use the sides of the hairs rather than the bristle Tips. maybe that’s why I don’t find it too scratchy? The MAC 137 is distinct brush in my collection – it is my go-to for brightly coloured, highly pigmented blushes because it is so airy. I did a review of it here if you want much more details. The MAC 133 is yet another paddle shape that I choose but for some reason I don’t reach for it too often – I think it’s slightly too small for my liking. all of the MAC brushes shown are also made inJapan.
Og her er et sammenligningsdiagram:
Det er vanskelig å velge bare en foretrukket, men de som jeg når for mange er Shu Uemura, Yojiya, Quo, Surratt og Anna Sui.
Så er Surratt den absolutte mange allsidige blush børste jeg eier? Nei. Det skillet jeg ville skjenke på Shu Uemura (derav hvorfor jeg kalt det min HG Blush Pensel). Er det den mykeste? Jeg vil si at det er nær Yojiya, men ikke så myk. Jeg burde merke seg at det å være den mykeste ikke alltid er det beste – i noen tilfeller trenger du litt fasthet i en børste for å blande produkter. The Surratt Artistique Cheek Pensel er ikke en absolutt må-ha børste, men med sin kombinasjon av mykhet, form, utseende og håndverk, føler jeg at det er et godt supplement i min eksisterende rødme samling.
Hva er din foretrukne blush børste?
Siden det er blitt spurt et par ganger i kommentarene om når jeg planlegger å slutte å blogge, svarer jeg det her. Etter dette innlegget har jeg 2 mye mer planlagte oppføringer. Så på 28. vil jeg annonsere vinneren til min gave.
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