I haven’t ventured very far into the Fude brush world, but last year I decided to branch out from Sonia G and try a cheek brush from the Koyudo brand. If you are unfamiliar, Fude brushes are handmade by Japanese artisans. The Kakishibuzome KK-2 Brush (previously KSZ-03) is a Saikoho goat hair brush that retails for $58. The Kakishibuzome series features bristles that have been dyed with persimmon, giving it an ombre effect as well as antibacterial properties. I purchased mine from Beautylish (not affiliated), but it is also available on the CDJapan (not affiliated) and Fude Beauty (not affiliated) websites. Spoiler alert: this brush has a beautiful design, and the quality is excellent, but I prefer the brushes I have from Sonia G. This really comes down to personal preference, as I had little issue with the finish left by the Kakishibuzome KK-2 Cheek Brush. Let’s look at some pictures and comparisons, and then I’ll get into why I don’t like it and the best use I found for it.

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Koyudo KSZ-03/KK-2 vs Sigma F10

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Koyudo KSZ-03/KK-2 vs Sonia G Soft Cheek

I bought this brush to use with blush, but I ended up preferring to use it as a bronzer brush. I like to be able to buff my blush when applying, even if I start with a patting motion. The stiffness of this brush didn’t lend itself well to a buffing motion. It does have a paddle shape, but it also has a fluff to it that gave me the impression it would be a little more versatile than it ended up being. It has movement, and I can work with it, but the big thing I’m used to with Sonia G brushes is the ease of use. The most success I had was using this brush in a patting motion or with a lighter, side-to-side buffing motion (rather than a circular motion).

Whenever I used the Koyudo KK-2 Cheek Brush (for bronzer, blush, or powder), it picked up product easily, and I did end up with a beautifully blended application. The trouble was that I didn’t enjoy using it. It was not as soft as I wanted it to be against my skin, and didn’t have as much movement as I wanted. After about 7 months of washing this brush, it was still feeling stiff and a little scratchy on my face. I did try washing it with a different type of soap, and that improved the scratchy feeling slightly after a few more months. According to my friend Lili (my go-to resource for Fude Brush info), the process of dying bristles can make the strands feel drier and less soft. So that would explain why it may not be as soft as I expected. Speaking of the dye, I don’t see much fading, if any, of the color.

When I initially started to get frustrated with this brush, I hoped that it would pair well with hard-pressed and baked formulas. However, I had the same experience, where the pickup was good and the blend was good, but it was a little uncomfortable on my skin. I do have sensitive skin, and find that sometimes even synthetic bristles can feel scratchy for me. This may not be an issue that everyone will encounter. It is possible that if it felt better on my skin, my experience may have been different. While I do think the results of the Koyudo Kakishibuzome KK-2 Cheek Brush are excellent, I prefer Sonia G Cheek Brushes for a more enjoyable application experience.

If you want more information about what I like about my favorite Sonia G Cheek brushes, I have reviews of the Sonia G Fundamental Classic Cheek and Soft Cheek. I also have an index that lists all my brush reviews, if you’d like to check that out.

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Thanks for reading 🙂

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If you’d like to check out more of my content, here are some places to start. 

• Blush Index
• Brands A-Z
• Bronzer & Highlighter Index
• Brush Index
• Concealer Ranking
• Eyeshadow Index
• Foundation Round-Up
• Lipstick Index
• Makeup Storage and Organization Ideas
• My Favorite Makeup
• Powder Round-Up

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