Since the Beautylish Gift card event started today (October 23, 2025 – October 26, 2025), I wanted to post about Chikuhodo’s new-ish GL Series Brushes. If you are interested in shopping during the Beautylish gift card event, you will receive a $20 gift card for every $100 that you spend. Although Chikuhodo is available from other retailers, Beautylish is often a more accessible option for buying Fude Brushes when they are available there. I’m not well-versed in Chikuohodo, but from what I understand, the GL Series was a relaunch for the brand in May 2025. I purchased the GL-3 Cheek ($63), GL-4 Cheek/Highlight ($56), and GL-7 Liquid ($35) Brushes back in June. And while I’ve had plenty of time to get to know them, I do still consider myself to be a novice when it comes to both Chikuhodo and Fude Brushes in general. It was just over 4 years ago that I started buying more Fude brushes, and I admit that I don’t dig too deeply into the history or research. I’m mainly interested in finding brush shapes and handle styles that suit my preferences. If you don’t know, Fude refers to Japanese makeup brushes handmade by artisans. If you are interested in learning 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).

The GL Series features gold ferrules and white pearl handles and is marketed as designed for professional use while still being easy for beginners. They are well-made and feel substantial without being heavy. I have experienced some shedding during use and washing, but not enough to cause concern. They do shed more than I experienced with both Sonia G brushes (Soft Cheek, eye brushes, classic cheek, and classic base) and the one Koyudo brush that I’ve used. All of these brushes apply makeup beautifully, and the bristles feel soft to the touch. However, I don’t like the GL-3 Cheek brush nearly as much as the GL-4 Cheek/Highlight and the GL-7 Liquid brushes.

I just want to touch quickly on how the Chikuhodo GL Series came packaged. Beautylish always does a great job of packing their shipments well, so nothing was bent or damaged. Still, it is always a little disappointing to me that sometimes expensive brushes are wrapped in plastic with no outer box. I know this is less wasteful, and in the end, the quality of the brush is the important part. I just still want better packaging for this price. Sonia G brushes are packaged similarly.

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Chikuhodo GL-3 Cheek ($63)

• Blue Squirrel and Sokouhou Goat bristles, flat dome shape

While the Chikuhodo GL-3 contains Blue Squirrel hair, which is supposed to lend it softness, I found it a little prickly. I do have sensitive skin and often experience discomfort using certain brushes. This came as a shock, since the brush feels so soft when I touch it with my hands. It is also shocking because it is the same hair mix as the GL-4 that I’ll discuss next, but that brush doesn’t feel uncomfortable at all. Putting my sensitive skin issue aside, I do agree with Chikuhodo’s claims that the GL-3 brush applies pigment lightly and leaves a more radiant finish. I like the flat dome or more paddle-style shape for blush application, but the brush head is a little larger than I like for my face. I also tested this with setting powder, and it was slightly more tolerable to use that way. With setting powder, I noticed the radiant finish even more than with blush application. 

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GL-3 Cheek Comparison for Size and Shape Reference – Sigma F10, $36

The Sigma F10 Powder/Blush is the closest thing I have in shape and size, but these brushes perform differently. The Sigma F10 has stiffer bristles, making the brush feel a little denser and providing a much more targeted application. It doesn’t overload or result in a harsh application, but Chikuhodo was accurate in saying that the GL-3 provides an “airy application.”

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Chikuhodo GL-4 Cheek/Highlight ($56)

• Blue Squirrel and Sokouhou Goat bristles, round shape

Chikuhodo claims the GL-4 Cheek Highlight brush will give a smooth application and blend with control. This is my favorite brush of the three that I purchased. It is soft against my skin, so it is very enjoyable to use, and it picks up and blends all of my blushes easily. I’ll get into more detail on the GL-4’s function in the brush comparisons below. I honestly never even thought to try the GL-4 brush with highlight because of its size. I prefer a tapered brush versus a round shape for highlight. I do think it would work as a highlighter brush, but I wouldn’t want the highlighter to cover as much of my face as this brush does. 

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GL-4 Comparison for Size Reference – Sonia G Fundamental Classic Cheek, $55, and Soft Cheek, $55

The Sonia G Fundamental Classic Cheek is much smaller but has a similar density to the Chikuhodo GL-3 and is smaller and more airy than the Chikuhodo GL-4. The Sonia G Fundamental Classic Cheek had become one of my most-used blush brushes, knocking my beloved Sonia G Soft Cheek Brush out of the way. Now the Chikuhodo GL-4 has also knocked the Soft Cheek down another peg. The Sonia G Soft Cheek has the airiness of the Chikuhodo GL-3, but is shaped more like the Chikuhodo GL-4. When I want the softest blush application I can get and I want it done quickly, I do still reach for the Sonia G Soft Cheek. However, lately I still want my blush to be blown out (i.e., very blended), but I want more pigment than the Soft Cheek can achieve. So, I reach for the Sonia G Fundamental Classic Cheek. The only downside is that, because of its smaller size, it takes a little longer to blend blush. In comes the Chikuhodo GL-4 and solves that issue. Its density gives me the pigment I want quickly, while still having enough movement to achieve the super-blended look I want. And it is a good size for my face, so it doesn’t spread blush too far.

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Chikuhodo GL-7 Liquid ($35)

• Sokouhou Goat bristles, flat-round shape

The Chikuhodo GL-7 Liquid brush blends foundation easily and claims to give a sheer, natural finish. The brand claims the brush applies with control, and I think the brush head’s small size helps with that. It promises soft bristles, and I agree, I haven’t had any discomfort using this brush. I disagree with the application being sheer. I use the NARS Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation most of the time, and it is a higher coverage foundation, so that could be part of it. However, it didn’t apply sheer with the L’oreal True Match Foundation either, which has lower coverage than NARS Natural Radiant. This is fine by me, since I don’t like light coverage and prefer not to build things up too much, but your mileage may vary. So to me, the GL-7 brush applies foundation smoothly with medium coverage. I can agree with the natural finish, though. My foundation looks more natural when I apply it with this brush vs something like the Smashbox Blurring Foundation Brush or Sigma F47 Multitasker Brush. Also, for a foundation brush, this cleans up much easier than my synthetic brushes do. I don’t have any comparison for the Chikuhodo GL-7; nothing in my collection is as small and flat in shape as this.

The only brush I hesitate to recommend is the Chikuhodo GL-3 Cheek Brush ($63), but that is mainly because of my sensitive skin. Since not everyone will have that issue, it could still be worth trying. The Chikuhodo GL-4 Cheek/Highlight Brush ($56) and the Chikuhodo GL-7 Liquid Brush ($35), however, are great and have become regular parts of my routine.

Do you have your eye on anything during the Beautylish Gift Card Event?

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Have a good one 🙂

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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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