The Sakura Makie Travel Set by Chikuhodo x Beautylish

I can see why this set is not popular for some people.

But!

We have to remember this is a "Travel" set to begin with. If you expect the exact same quality as regular Chikuhodo brushes, you might get disappointed.  I think the brush quality is fine.  I see the mechanism is a bit annoying but workable. Rattling sound doesn't bother me because I can minimize or make it almost none by holding the little button (to pull up/down the brush head) tighter. 

The powder brush is the MVP out of this set. that's why I have 2 of them :P (I purchased a single ver.) Brush size is perfect and very versatile. It's very soft, great size to work with, and it's versatile. It works for Bronzer, Blush, and setting powder. I can see I'd be using this brush the most. The brush size is closer to Hourglass's #2 brush. Feels very similar but Chikuhodo is a bit more airly. 

The cheek brush is a bit tricky. It's small, therefore, the bristle is shorter so it feels more dense as a lot of reviewers mentioned. I think it's workable but I might just dedicate this brush for highlighter while traveling. The brush head size and feel is close to the bigger side of Hourglass's Ambient Edit Lighting brush. But Chikuhodo is shorter and feels stiffer. I think it's still good for touch ups. 

The shadow brush is fine. This one, I can really see why everyone is so-so on it because it's so stiff! I don't mind the shape but I wish it's a bit fluffier at least. (Like Sephora PRO Shadow Brush #15) Or it could be a blending brush like a lot of reviewers mentioned but I think Chikuhodo might not have the right kind of mold to make a blender brush shape. The typical blender brush we see here isn't common or I should say it "wasn't" until recently in Japan (as far as I know...), so why this eyeshadow brush shape is like this is most likely a cultural difference. It's still workable, but yes, I can see why everyone is upset about this brush. 

Overall... it's visually stunning. I can look at it for hours because it's just so pretty! Functionality.... could've been better, I agree. I'm still happy to get a hold of this set though. 

I bought this thinking I cannot go wrong with Chikuhodo or Beautylish but unfortunately this is a big disappointment! I used them once and they do not apply products as nicely as my other Chikuhodo brush (Z4) and Wayne Goss brushes- I think my Sephora branded brush does a better job than this! They are also too light and cheap looking. I hate to leave bad reviews but this is definitely not worth the $155 price tag (I paid in AUD so it was $223!!!) I'm going to return...

This is the most elegant travel set brushes I own - functional, versatile & with the Japanese craftsmanship of the details. I love how perfectly protected the hair bristles are (sooooo soft) I have no problem with the fact that they are light & might make a little rattle sound. The system is designed for on the go, perfection!! I use them exclusively for touch ups and they are now permanently in my handbag in a velvet small pouch that I have. They are a joy to use & see - the design on the handles is so feminine & so chic. Extremely happy with my purchase!

And ooohhhh this set is beautiful! The brushes themselves are incredibly soft yet efficient. The travel friendly form is excellent. And can we talk about the Makie design? It makes me just want to sit and stare at it. This one tics all of the boxes for me. I'm thrilled that I just went ahead and bought the set. Chikuhodo doesn't disappoint.

I am not a fan of short handle brushes but when I saw the workmanship on the handle I had to have these. When I got them I was really surprised that they were not short handle brushes. The hair is exquisite and super soft I am very pleased with my purchase.

This was my first Chikuhodo purchase but it won't be my last. Beautiful quality for occasional use brushes. This would be a great gift if I could bear to part with them. I'm looking forward to adding more of the standard brushes to my collection.

Okay- so I read the reviews that came before mine, and I was nervous to purchase because this is definitely a splurge for me. I was in the market for a travel brush for pressed powder during the day, I wanted it to be retractable, and I didn't want it to be huge like most retractable brushes I found when searching.

Everyone seems to agree they are gorgeous, and the person who said they were mesmerizing every time you use them was totally right. This is what you are paying for. I would have gotten the standalone cheek makie brush that is offered in a different design- but you guys. These are the most beautiful makeup items I own now. They are art. When you buy these, you buy functional art.

The critiques are valid- yes they are very lightweight and you might expect more heft for the price. Yes they do rattle when you use them, though it doesn't affect the function of applying powder. Yes they should come with slim fitted velvet pouches to protect the artistic casing. For the one I now carry with me for powder (the cheek), I put it in a small jewelry pouch I had laying around, and that pouch is in the larger pouch I use for these kinds of items in my bag. Bags in bags in bags- ridiculous but it works for me.

The brush hair is very soft and I thought they all did great when I used them.

1 star off because critiques are valid, but I bought this anyway knowing the critiques because I was completely obsessed with the art, and that part of it, as well as the function of applying powder, lives up to expectations. I'm sure I don't have access to everything rich people get, but as far as I know, this is -the- most beautiful retractable travel powder brush on the market at this time.

Huge let down I have never ever returned a single thing from beautylish. Quality, fast shipping and top tier customer service is something that they deliver every single time. When I first saw this press release I was so excited. First of all they appear larger in the stock photos, but that’s ok I should of read the details. Secondly, the design on the brush cases. Is STUNNING. however, the huge let down is in the component. The handles to the brushes is extremely FLIMSY (idk what kind of metal this is it feels like tin that u can bend easily) and the retraction mechanism is horrible it they do not stay up when retracted! My brushes did not stay up which defeats the entire purpose of a travel brush. To add to this. Even if it did stay up it still feels cheap and flimsy, for $170 with tax. That is a no. I expect only the highest quality from chikahodo, this did not meet my expectations. To not be a negative Nancy the actual brush hairs were of quality and very soft, as other chikahodo brushes are. It’s the component that was a complete failure.

I was very excited when I ordered this brush set but sadly disappointed when I received it. The brushes are very soft and the design is beautiful but the handles rattle whenever I would used them. Also there is no travel pouch so I would be worried that the metal and the design would be scratched over time. Unfortunately, these went back.

The only nice thing about this brush set are the cherry blossom makie handles.

My past purchases of the Chikuhodo/Beautylish collaborations have been solid additions to my Japanese made brush collections including Koyudo, Koyomo, Hakuhodo, Sonia G., and Wayne Goss — which made this purchase all the more disappointing.

The hair is not the quality I expect from Chikuhodo. The retractable design feels exceptionally cheap — like dollar store cheap. The eyeshadow brush is too stiff with too small a head to really be functional. The powder and cheek brushes are very average at best. Super disappointed with this purchase.