Takeda Japanese Makeup Brushes

About Kumano and Takeda Brush

Takeda is based in Kumano, which is a part of Hiroshima, Japan. Kumano is a small town where most companies are specialized in brushmaking since the mid-19th. Not all Japanese artisan brushes are made in Kumano, nor are they a part of Kumano Brush Union (you recognize these brushes from a "K symbol sticker in their plastic sleeves), but this &#;brush town&#; of Japan has become the symbol of high-quality standards among brush lovers. There is also an annual brush festival in Kumano and a museum dedicated to the history of brushes (mostly calligraphy).

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Takeda company was established in as a traditional handmade makeup brush producer. Takeda produces various kinds of makeup brushes from Japan&#;s traditional Kabuki theatre to brides to everyday use. They have a small production, but they produce a wide variety of brushes, always aiming to pursue the best quality standards. Among brush lovers, Takeda is known for its excellent hair quality, beautiful handles, and customizable designs.

Ordering From Takeda Brush

Takeda Brush website is only available in Japanese, but they have excellent customer service in English! My Japanese is quite rusty, and I&#;ve never been good at reading kanji, so I used Google Translate to browse the site. It&#;s far from excellent translation, but at least you can check brush and hair types. At first, I was very confused as there were so many new (to me) brush styles, but fortunately, the images on Takeda&#;s site are very clear when it comes to shapes and measurements. I still haven&#;t got a hang of reading the &#;product codes&#;, but perhaps when I&#;m more familiar with the brand.

When I was unsure of something, I could trust Mr. Takeda answered quickly via . He kindly explained to me the product codes, hair types, ordering process, etc. The ordering process itself was easy: I requested the styles I wanted, I got an invoice for the brushes+tax and shipping costs. I paid via PayPal. Notice that you need to pay for the PayPal fee and the taxes are not included in brush prices on the website. They sent me images of the brushes before gluing, which was very nice! I chose EMS shipping and it took only a couple of days from Japan to Finland.

What was dangerous for my wallet was the possibility of customizing the brushes. You can add engraving or change the brush handle with a small additional fee, but for special changes such as brush hair/design, it can be more expensive &#; depending on what you request. For me it was impossible to know the crafting fees of certain designs, so I inquired Mr. Takeda by sending measurements or reference images of the brushes. I also got a lot of help from Myra as she had ordered custom brushes several times&#; which enabled me more haha.

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When it comes to hand crafted luxury makeup brushes, Japan is the &#;Mecca&#; and Japanese brushes are the top of the line. All the brushes from your favourite high end brands will most likely have been made in japan.

You have probably been browsing online seen a nice looking brush set and thought: &#;Hmmn.. that looks good&#; clicked and almost had a heart attack. Why on earth would a single brush cost over $50; &#;17,000 if you convert prices to Naira like me.

As a self-proclaimed Makeup Aficionado, my progression to higher-end makeup brushes seemed natural. Don&#;t get me wrong, I still have my trusty Real Techniques and Sigma brushes, however there is something about the look and feel of a hand-crafted brush that is second to none.

Background

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For over 180 years most make up brushes have been made in Kumano, a city in Hiroshima. Before its transformation to the makeup brush capital of the world, Kumano was renowned for manufacturing Japanese calligraphy brushes for over  200 years. The city of Kumano produces 80% of the brushes made in Japan, with a 100 companies manufacturing brushes under their name or for other brands.

Brushes are from specific animal hair depending on what they will be used for.  The brush hairs are extremely important and are made from pony, sable, squirrel weasel and PBT synthetic hair. This allows you to choose a brush based on your skin type: Oily, Dry or Sensitive or the results you want to achieve: Natural or Dramatic.

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For example, if you have Oily Skin a Goat Hair brush will work better because it more durable and can be washed more often. Blue Squirrel on the other hand is more delicate so should be used for Dry skin which does not have a lot of oils and thus needs to washed less often.

Why You Should Buy Them?

1). They Are Beautiful

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These are, objectively, the most beautiful brushes in the world. Even when you choose brushes with basic black handles the balance and heft of each brush allows it balance perfectly in your hands. If you decide to go with a fanciful range or even a collector&#;s version then the craftsmanship is even more evident. A good example is the recently released collaboration between the beautylish and chikuhodo malie range

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2). The Are Super Soft 

These are the softest brushes I have ever used, due the use of natural hairs and the care taken to choose only the right bristle. Synthetic brushes are cut to give them their shape, unlike Japanese brushes whose hairs are arranged so that the thinner tips of the hairs remain on top. Shaping each brush takes time and skill hence the price.

3). Bristles Are Carefully Selected

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Since they use a mix of animal hair each brush  is based on the type of application (face, eyes), the texture of products (liquid, cream, powder) as well as skin type (oily/ dry/ sensitive). This improves performance and allows you to determine finish &#;soft, dramatic or airbrushed all based on the brush type.

4). Prices are Reasonable

Although they are more expensive than synthetic brushes, compared to professional makeup brands like MAC the prices similar. However, when you consider that fact the other brushes are mass produced the Japanese brushes become a better investment.

Cons

Japanese brushes are fragile and require extra special care. This is especially true for brushes made from delicate hairs like squirrel which should not be washed frequently. So if you have oily acne prone skin they are not the best choice because of bacterial contamination if you do not wash them frequently.

Japanese Makeup Brush Brands

1). Chikuhodo

Photo Source: Beautylish.com

This is one of the most renowned Japanese brush manufacturers  and manufacture brushes under their name as well as for other popular brands

2). Hakuhodo

Photo source: hakuhodousa.com

The Hakuhodo is one of the most prolific brands and makes about 500,000 brushes a month..

Other brands include Koyudo and Uyeda Bisyodo which are not as well known.

Recommendations to start your brush collection

If you have an unlimited budget you could start your collection by buying a full set from any of the brands listed above. Otherwise, the Wayne Goss collection is a good place to start.

Where you can find them

At the moment they are not sold through any Nigerian retailer I know of but these websites ship internationally. I bought my Hakuhodo brushes from their US website, The Wayne Goss brushes and Chikuhodo are sold on Beautylish .

Kuyudo and Uyeda Bisyodo are sold on a Japanese website CD Japan but can take up to three weeks to arrive so don&#;t be impatient and you won&#;t be disappointed.

I hope you have enjoyed my foray into the world of Japanese brushes and some of the well-known brands.  Let me know what you think in the comments.

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