I know I’m late to the Sonia G brush game, but after a lot of research, I finally decided to give them a try. I’ve been testing these since July, so I’ve got a good feel for them. I am a novice when it comes to Fude (handmade, Japanese makeup brushes), so I’m unable to give you thoughts on where the Sonia G brushes stack up against more direct competitors.

Sonia G is so thorough on her blog (www.sweetmakeuptemptations.com/) and in her product descriptions on Beautylish that I really don’t think I can express the functionality of these brushes any better than she already does. I have found her descriptions to be accurate to my experience and she does a ton of comparisons on her blog. She shows how her brushes compare to each other and how they compare to other brands on the market. In my opinion, you get full transparency. So my best suggestion for those interested in her brushes is to check out her blog and the product descriptions on Beautylish.

So why am I writing this blog post? I’ve had such an enjoyable time using the builder pro that I honestly just wanted to shout from the rooftops about it. To me, the builder pro is more unique than the classic crease brush, so I thought about only talking about that one. However, since I have both, I figured I could show them for the fun of it. Don’t get me wrong, the classic crease brush is a nice brush, but to me, not as unique in function as the builder pro.

Sonia G Builder Pro, $28 @ Beautylish.com

This is the best shader brush that I have. The tapered shape allows me to get into the inner corner of my eye and as the names suggest it builds pigment easily. Sonia G claims that this brush minimizes fallout and I really think it does. I had pretty much given up on using shader brushes and mostly been using my fingers to apply lid shades until I purchased this brush. Now I use this for my lid colors more often than I use my fingers. I’ve still been trying things both ways for review purposes, but in my downtime, I reach for this brush instead.

Sonia G Builder Pro Comparisons

Eye Shader Brushes (listed from left to right):

• Smashbox Full Coverage Shadow Brush
• MAC 239 Brush (this brush is now made with synthetic hairs)
• Sigma E54
• Sonia G Builder Pro Brush
• Sonia Kashuk Small Eyeshadow Brush

With the exception of the MAC 239, the other comparison brushes are synthetic.

The Sigma E54 is the most similar brush shape that I own. It will get the job done, but in comparison, it doesn’t pick up product or get to my inner corner as easily. The E54 does build shadows nicely, but something about the way the Sonia G brush is tapered gets things done faster and without as much fallout. The E54 brush retails for $16 and Sigma does a lot of sales, so if you just need a good shader brush, it could be worth looking at. I also find that the E54 builds matte shades easily and smoothly if you like doing all matte looks. I have three E54s since they are included with the Sigma eyeshadow palettes, that is why you see two different color brushes in my pictures.

UPDATE October 7, 2021: Credit goes to Lili for this idea (she has tons of Fude info on her blog). I’ve added some side view comparison shots of the Sonia G Builder Pro next to the natural hair MAC 239. They are both quite flat to the naked eye, but in pictures, they seem fluffier than they actually are. But the natural hair MAC 239 is flatter, so this will hopefully be a helpful reference.

The rest of the shader brushes pictured are just for size and shape comparison. The MAC 239 natural hair is no longer sold, but they do sell the same shape in a synthetic version. I have had no issues with the synthetic 239 brush, but so far I have only used it one time, so I didn’t want to include it. If you are looking for something small, the Sonia Kashuk small eyeshadow ($6 at Target) can build color well. The thing that makes it different than the Sonia G builder pro is the synthetic fibers and it is a bit fluffier, so it doesn’t build color as fast. The Smashbox Full Coverage Shadow Brush builds color well (faster than the Sonia Kashuk), but since it is a little wider it isn’t as precise as the Sonia G Builder Pro.

All of the brushes pictured do a great job, I have not been disappointed by the performance of any of them. The major difference between them is size. So if you are interested in any of them, I think it comes down to how big or small of a brush you need.

Sonia G Classic Crease, $34 @ Beautylish.com

The shape of this blending brush makes it quite versatile. Because of the taper, you can achieve some definition in your crease, but it is also fluffy enough to give a soft blend along the edges. I find this works well for my eye shape and the amount of space I have (or don’t have) for a crease color. A lot of fluffy blending brushes that I’ve tried blend the color too far up toward my brow. I don’t have that problem with the Sonia G classic crease brush. The tapered end also makes it easy to place an outer-v shade. Lastly, if you are someone who likes to set your eye primer, this also works to dust a sheer layer of shadow all over the lid.

Sonia G Classic Crease Comparisons

Eye Blending Brushes (listed from left to right):

• Sigma E38
• Sigma E35
• Real Techniques B04 (discontinued)
• Sonia G Classic Crease
• Smashbox Shadow Blending

All of my brush comparisons for the Sonia G classic crease are synthetic fibers.

Like I mentioned, the classic crease is very nice and it does what it is supposed to do, it just so happens that I have another brush that performs the same way. So it just doesn’t stand out to me as being as unique as the blender pro.

The Real Techniques B04 is slightly longer than the Sonia G classic crease but other than that, I find it to be very similar. The B04 was part of a now discontinued collection that was made to mimic blue squirrel hair. I’ve never used a blue squirrel hair brush so I can’t speak to that comparison. I know you don’t have access to purchase this Real Techniques brush at present, but I’m assuming some people still own it and may be able to pass on the Sonia G classic crease brush since they perform similarly. So I decided to go ahead and share the information.

The other brushes pictured will definitely do the work of diffusing shadow in the crease. But without as much taper to their shape, you lose out on the precise crease and/or outer-v placement. Could you work that out using the other brushes anyway? Of course, it just isn’t as quick and easy.

I can definitely recommend the Sonia G blender pro and classic crease brushes, they are high quality and they perform as promised. They are also super soft and enjoyable to use. They are well constructed and I personally feel like the design looks nicer than my other brushes. The blender pro stands out as more impressive to me, but I truly think the classic crease would stand out more if I didn’t have a similar brush.

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I’ve already dived further into Sonia G’s brushes and purchased the soft cheek brush (review posted here). Do you have any other recommendations for me?

Thanks for reading!

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