I love detail eye brushes—I think they are the most fun brushes to play with. But, after years working with several manufacturers in Japan, I can tell you that they are also the most challenging brushes to design and take the most time to conceptualize.
It’s all about the size. When bundled as a pencil-shaped brush, even super soft bristles can feel a little rough depending on our skin’s sensitivity, and a short or pointy shape can emphasize that feeling.
Creating highly effective small brushes that are soft on the skin need just the right shape, length, and density to achieve the movement and results we want—especially when we work with natural bristles.
All this can make these small treasures much more expensive to manufacture compared to bigger brushes, even when they share the exact same handle.
Below, I’m going to briefly introduce you to 5 of my pencil brushes and tell you exactly what it took to design their functionality.
Fundamental Pencil S
FOR PRECISION
In my entire range of brushes, the Fundamental Pencil S is the pencil brush that offers the highest precision and control. The tip is small, soft but mighty, made to deliver a bold application without the harshness of an eye pencil.
It was important to create a mini pencil that behaved with the characteristics of a big one: offering control and evenness. Many mini pencils tend to be too firm and lack movement towards the tip of the brush that may “skip” on the skin and deliver an uneven placement.
We had to adapt the silhouette of the Pencil S handle in order to be able to manufacture it with walnut wood and ensure its durability. While the ferrule is quite thin, I love how substantial and balanced this handle feels.
This is a brush that is always on my vanity, ready for action, 24/7. Together with the Worker M, they form such a fantastic team, whether I have only 2 minutes or 20, I know I am going to reach for these two.
Fundamental Pencil L
FOR DIFFUSION
This pencil brush was designed to assist when we want to diffuse, smooth, or layer a softer shade on top of a bolder and thinner placement by another brush. Sometimes I use it to fix or blend a stubborn shadow, or to work with more control on areas where my skin is uneven and textured and where brushes with more movement just won’t cut it. It’s also a great brush for the outer v application or to attune the intensity where needed , like a crease placement for example, or when working with shadows that are difficult to build up.
This was a brush I had been looking for way back when I was first blogging. I knew it was missing in the world of makeup application: a smaller size and shape with natural goat bristles that was strong and still felt good on the skin? Here it is.
Pencil Pro
FOR DEFINITION
When I want to keep the application super simple and minimal (like using the Worker M to create a one-and-done eye shadow look), I still love to add a little more definition on the top and bottom lash lines. The Pencil Pro adds that extra intensity without being too bold or harsh.
The size of this Pencil Pro is in between the Pencil S and the Pencil L. It’s also ideal to smudge, and to add definition on the top lashline without interfering with the outer v application.
Fusion Eye Detail
FOR VERSATILITY
Even though it looks more like a pencil, this was designed to work as a laydown brush. It can jump from creams to powders with no effort, simplifying and shortening application time. For example, when working with products that combine a cream base and a shimmer topper, we can use the Fusion Eye Detail brush to apply the cream, then just wipe the brush and add the shimmer on top and it’s all done.
The bespoke “fusion” mix of bristles combines the benefits of the synthetic fibers and natural bristles in the same brush. It glides and diffuses cream products while effortlessly blending at the same time.
If I am traveling, or if I need to quickly put a brush in my make-up bag, I know that this Fusion Detail is the reliable brush to take with me since I can use it with anything—powder and cream shadows, as well as concealers, correctors, lipsticks, and gloss.
Traditions TS4
FOR SENSITIVE SKIN
I am regularly contacted by people who look for the softest pencil brush because they have a skin condition or other treatments, and a regular pencil brush is not an option.
There is something different in the way the yellow Canadian squirrel bristles on this brush perform. They release the product progressively and smoothly, and they are so extremely soft. This super soft, medium size pencil brush can also add definition or work a shadow on the lid or on the outer v. And because these bristles release the product more smoothly, they can often be much easier to pair with darker shadows.
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