As I mentioned in my previous Sonia G reviews (Builder Pro, Classic Crease, Soft Cheek), I don’t have much experience with Fude Brushes.  If you don’t know, Fude refers to Japanese makeup brushes handmade by artisans. If you are interested in knowing more information on different types of Fude brushes, my go-to sources are my friend Lili’s blog (Fude Collection Series) and Alicia Archer on YouTube (her Fude Q + A may be a good place to start). I’ve also mentioned that a great starting point for anyone interested in this brand is the blog written by Sonia G herself (www.sweetmakeuptemptations.com/).  I’m happy to share my experience with these brushes for those interested to know my thoughts.  However, Sonia does an excellent job at describing the functionality of her brushes as well as showing how they compare to each other and other brands on the market.  In my experience, her descriptions are accurate and she is fully transparent if a brush is a re-release.  For instance, the Fundamental Classic Cheek brush was previously released as a part of the 2020 Mini Keyaki set. So if you are interested in Sonia G brushes I can’t recommend checking out her blog enough.

Ok, now we can get into my experience with these brushes. 

Sonia G Classic Base Brush, $55

Update May 15, 2025: As of this morning, when I checked, the Sonia G Classic Base Brush is back in stock on Beautylish. As a heads-up, this brush is currently unavailable. The last I read on the Sonia G website, availability for the fusion face brushes could change. If I hear anything about it becoming available again, I will be sure to update this post. In the meantime, I’ll still share my experience in case it does come back.  The Sonia G Classic Base is a mixture of synthetic bristles and Sokoho goat hair. This is one time that I disagree with the description of a Sonia G brush. It is described as being fluffy and airy but I would describe it as dense. It does have more movement than brushes like the Sigma F80 and F82 (and is easier to wash than those) but personally, fluffy and airy don’t come to mind when I use this brush. I can see why airy would be a good way to describe the movement the bristles have when compared to more dense options. But to me, fluffy and airy just makes me think of a longer bristled, loose brush that you would use for powder or blush.

The Beautylish description for the brush also mentioned that the Classic Base will blend “without streaks or emphasizing pores and texture.” This brush does make fast work of blending despite its small size and it does it well. So I do agree that there is no emphasis on my pores and texture, but I do experience streaks. I find that I can only use it once (after a fresh wash) before the foundation builds up in the bristles causing the next application to be streaky.  Wiping the brush clean on a microfiber towel does help but I still start to see streaks very quickly. The NARS Natural Radiant Longwear is my most used foundation, so maybe that is part of my issue.

The best size comparison I can offer is the Smashbox Blurring Foundation brush, which is larger and less dense. The Smashbox is my preferred brush for foundation, so if you are familiar with it, that is a good point of reference to consider. It is a full brush (meaning it has a lot of bristles packed in the ferrule), but it does splay out more than some may prefer. If you like density and less bristle movement for foundation, you may actually prefer the Sonia G Classic Base.

Sonia G Fundamental Classic Cheek Brush, $55

The Fundamental Classic Cheek is a mixture of dyed and white Saikoho goat hair and the handle is made from walnut wood. My photos really don’t do it justice, it is a beautifully designed brush.  This brush is fluffy without being too sparse or flimsy, so it multitasks (as intended) very well. The size is small enough for me to highlight when I want to but I mainly just use it for blush. I can use it for under-eye powder but I prefer something more dense for my preferences (E.g. Smashbox Precise Blush or Sephora Pro Blush 99). It also does work for bronzer, but I prefer something larger for that (currently testing the Sonia G Inochige for bronzer). It picks up product easily but the fluffiness keeps it from giving too heavy of an application. 

The Fundamental Classic Cheek blends beautifully but it does take longer to blend out blush than other brushes I enjoy (E.g. Sonia G Soft Cheek or Smashbox Buildable Cheek).  The small size is also nice to keep things from spreading too far when I want precise placement. The shape being in between a paddle and a round shape also helps its versatility. When I need to apply blush to a more tacky/wet base product I prefer using the side of the brush in a patting motion versus my usual preference for a buffing style blush application.

The closest brush I have for size and shape reference is the Sonia G Soft Cheek. The Soft Cheek does give a more diffused blush application but the Fundamental Classic Cheek still can give that soft, blown-out look, it just takes more time to spread the pigment out.

As usual with all of my Sonia G brushes, I have washed these several times at this point and haven’t experienced any shedding to be concerned about. A hair or two here and there when I wash is all I’ve seen. It is disappointing that I don’t like the function of the Classic Base, but everything can’t be a home run. I do enjoy the Fundamental Classic Cheek enough to consider getting more from the line in the future. If you have any favorites from this line, let me know in the comments.

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