Beauty Product Reviews

I have been collecting & using Japanese Fude for many years now and have a massive selection of brushes in all shapes, sizes & hair types from many different brands. All that to say I’m no stranger to a well made, high quality brush. I still enjoy trying out other brands from time to time & decided to give the Smith Cosmetics line a try. All I can say is save your money & buy a quality brush & skip these. There isn’t really anything positive I can say about the line unfortunately. The brushes are unattractive & made from what feels to be rather cheap materials. The handles are insanely long & uncomfortable to hold as well as hollow feeling. The bristles are scratchy & appear to be made from low quality hair that splays & looses shape after the first wash. Unless dried with brush guards they are almost unusable. Honestly? They are along the same quality as Morphe brushes only much more expensive. I do not recommend this line of brushes at all for the price point.

I’m super confused by some of the reviews for this particular palette. Thankfully I don’t set much stock in user reviews. I’ve found most of the negative comments are either from those who don’t know how to properly use the product or don’t understand not every product works for every skin type. That being said I think it’s absolutely gorgeous & haven’t had any issues with color payoff. In fact quite the opposite. I find the shades to be deeply pigmented & application is a breeze. Blending it out is also quite easy & the product will last all day without fading. The formula is almost creamy. Perfect for on the go. I find it applies best with Kolinsky, Weasel or Sable but Goat or horse will both work as well. I don’t recommend using synthetic bristles at all. This may be where some are experiencing issues with application. Synthetic bristles make the product patchy & hard to blend.

I’ve had the original Rae Morris brush set made with natural hair for many years and absolutely love them. After 15 years they still look great & the brush heads are in amazing condition. I held off purchasing the newer versions mainly because I don’t particularly care for synthetic. I finally took the plunge to try the micro crystal fibers that are supposed to mimic natural hair. While the brush head is soft enough it most definitely doesn’t hold a candle to the original made with Hakutotsuho Goat. It still feels like synthetic to me & application is lacking. If you have the original I recommend skipping these new ones. Not worth the high price tag.

Ive been “Fude” brush collector for many years with a collection large enough to open a store. That being said I’ve been a fan of Rae Morris brushes since she launched them many, many years ago. I have her 1st Gen & 2nd Gen brush sets made with natural hair & wanted to see how the “micro crystal fibers” compared. I’m sure I will get some hate for this but…. Imo this particular brush doesn’t hold a candle to the original versions made with Hakutotsuho Goat hair. The synthetic bristles are soft enough but seem to soak up liquids like that’s its main job. It’s hard to clean & takes forever to dry. The handle is to large & bulky for my petite hands making it almost uncomfortable to use. Finally there is the price. While I have zero issues paying the high price tag for high quality hair & materials I don’t believe there is a synthetic brush made that can justify a price point like this regardless of it being “hand made” or not. Unless you’re just a die hard synthetic brush user I wouldn’t recommend this. Even then there are many others on the market that work work as well or better for a much cheaper price. For all you natural hair lovers out there I recommend skipping it. Especially if you have the older versions.

This brush series can be hit & miss but there are a few hidden gems & this brush is one of them. It’s classified as a large cheek brush but imo is more of a small powder brush. The brush head once washed blooms beautifully & adds just the right airiness to it. The description says it’s made with “goat” hair but no type or rating. If I had to guess it’s Sokoho. The brush is much softer than I expected it to be & is more than suitable for sensitive skin. All in all this is a great multi-tasking brush at a reasonable price. Sized perfectly for bronzer, blush , powder & all over blending.

I almost didn’t buy this brush. I already had the First Generation Face One & rarely used it but in the end I bought it. I have the other Keyaki brushes & wanted it for the set. Then I used it & fell in love. The Original Face One always felt awkward in my small hands. Not this one. It fits the hand perfectly. The handle isn’t to long & it sits perfectly in the hand. It also feels softer than the Face One & is much fluffier after a wash. Truly a pleasure to use. It holds up well over time. I’ve had no issues with shedding, washes easily & retains its shape once dry. I don’t know about the other versions of the Face One but imo there is enough of a difference (handle aside) between the two brushes that will justify having both. I absolutely love the Keyaki line for the smaller handles & would love to see all the other brushes she’s made sold in this handle length. I would re-buy all of them just for that reason. I know not everyone likes a short handle & to be fair I used to hate them but in the last few years I’ve grown to appreciate those shorter handles.

This is the brush I didn’t know I needed until I used it. I’m normally not much of a stippling brush user. I had several of this style in my collection already & rarely use them. When I originally purchased the brush it was mainly because it’s from Sonia G. Add to that I have all her other brushes it helped me justify the purchase. Made with high quality materials & expert craftsmanship it’s a great value. From the Gradient red lacquered handle to the tips of the perfectly bundled brush head it’s just stunning. I fell in love with this brush when I used it with my Hourglass Ambient Soft Glow Foundation. It applies it so perfectly every single time. It uses minimal product yet somehow manages to have the perfect coverage all while never leaving a streak. It also cleans easily on a micro fiber cloth between washes. As a rule I don’t re-use a foundation brush. I don’t like using dirty brushes & normally use a clean one daily but I like to put my brushes through the paces to see what they are capable of. What really sets this one apart from other stippling brush is it’s size. The bristles are quite a bit shorter than any of my other brushes giving it more control. The shorter bristles also offer more density without being to dense. If your a fan of the Face One your going to like this one. It’s basically the same shape, size & density only it’s made with a Sokoho/PBT mix. It also feels just as soft as the Face One which is amazing. It’s become one of my favorites for base products, so much so I ended up buying a few more. Worth every penny.

This is my favorite brush to use with my Marc Jacobs Omega bronzer, or any bronzer really. I personally prefer it to the Original Niji Pro. It’s less dense making for a more diffused look. It’s also great for all over powder & blending. While I know not everyone likes short handles I actually prefer it to the longer one. It just gives me more control. All in all the brush is a solid workhorse that’s different enough from the Niji Pro to justify having both. At least imo.

I adore these Smithfolio’s so much I have 4 of them. The plates are customizable to fit different handle sizes & hold small eye/detail brushes to large powder brushes with ease. The brushes are secured & protected while also being visible & easy to flip through. The cases are attractive & durable as well as being wary to clean if needed. I mainly use them to store the several hundred eye brushes I have that aren’t currently in rotation. I have yet to find a better storage solution that fits even my longest handle brushes. Worth every penny.

I’ve had this brush for several years now & it’s held up extremely well. Made with 100% Weasel hair it’s amazing with liquid & cream products. It applies foundation beautifully & doesn’t leave a streak. I like to use Weasel/Kolinsky/Sable brushes like this with the super thin, runny foundations because it doesn’t soak up product or sheer out the coverage. It just lays down nice even coverage with minimal effort. I end up using less product when this is in use. Its also particularly good to use with the Armani Luminous Silk Foundation as it gives a more full coverage look. It also works flawlessly Keith concealer. The size & shape make it extremely versatile. It’s also easy to clean. I personally don’t like to re-use a brush. Once dirty it goes into a like for cleanup at a later time. However I do like to put my brushes through the paces to see what they are capable of. That being said this brush can easily be used a few times before needing a wash if you wipe it clean after each use on a microfiber towel. It washes easily, doesn’t stain & retains it shape once dried. Unfortunately the price has risen quite a bit since my original purchase but I would repurchase if needed. It’s worth every penny imo. While it may not be for everyone if you use liquid foundation or concealer on the daily this is a must have.