All-in-one: Shiseido Perfect Foundation Brush
Thursday, November 8, 2012 at 8:13AM "Imitation is the highest form of flattery" is a quote that I heartily agree with. When someone goes so far as to copy you then it's not just garden variety admiration - you're already held as a model for his/her self-actualization. I'm not talking about your work here (which may be copied simply out of laziness or dishonesty), I'm talking about the essence of who you are. If you're being imitated then you better recognize what an honor it is!
It's similar with beauty products. The best products - usually expensive ones - are copied by drugstore brands because there's a high demand for it. They're desirable yet often unattainable so more affordable alternatives come out. Yay for the free market, eh? One product that's been copied endlessly is the Shiseido Perfect Foundation Brush (P1,500). Guess why.
It's perfect! (As hinted rather heavily by the product name, har har.) This brush is designed to apply liquid, powder, and cream face products flawlessly. It has soft, synthetic, densely packed bristles that makes application a dream. If you want light coverage then spread out the product in downward strokes; for heavier coverage, simply press/dab the brush on the desired area and then lay off the blending.
It's rather small which makes it ideal not just for foundation but for concealer, contour, and blush as well. It can cover eyebags, a clump of blemishes, and enhance your cheeks to boot! How awesome is that? This is a true all-in-once face brush! In addition, if I'm using a heavy coverage foundation with this I don't need to use concealer anymore. I just layer foundation on the things I want to conceal and I'm done.
Here's a diagram from Shiseido to show how best to use the brush
Here's my model the first time I tried the Shiseido tool. I applied ALL of her face makeup with only one brush! Primer, liquid foundation (to even out skin and conceal blemishes), loose powder, blush, and contour look pretty good to me.
Perfect finish.
It's the perfect size for anything you want to throw at it, plus it's easy to travel with too. I'm not big on long-handled brushes because I just apply makeup on myself, which means I'm always close to a mirror.
And now, for the down side. The fact that this Shiseido brush is dense makes it a winner, but this feature is also a bane. It's so dense that it tends to eat up a lot of product! And all that stuff goes straight inside the core of the brush, making it more difficult to clean up. I wouldn't recommend you use water-resistant products with this if you don't have a good brush cleaner. The brush cleaner will dissolve the product build up, but your normal liquid soap/ shampoo will have a hard time.
I love using it with heavy coverage product so it sort of clogs up easily. I have to clean it up after a couple of uses or else it turns into this hardened messy brush. I like using the Cinema Secrets brush cleaner, it's amazing! (Now I feel guilty I never blogged about it after having it for what, 11 months now?!)
Ehem. Anyway. That setback aside, the Shiseido Perfect Foundation Brush is everything I need in a multi-purpose face brush. It's small, dense, soft, and works flawlessly with all formulations. It's expensive for a brush, but for something you can use with every face product that you have I feel the price is reasonable. Quality is good too so expect it to last for years on end!
However, if you don't want to spend P1,500 on a single brush, I believe that The Face Shop has a dupe. It looks the same and it's only P595! I haven't tried it in person so I can't comment on the quality, but it's something to consider. I also saw a super save version in the Landmark Makati Department Store for less than P150. Unfortunately the quality isn't too good so I suggest saving that money for a frappe.
Sooo there you go. :) Let me know if you've tried this, and please weigh in if you think it was worth every cent you paid!
UPDATE: I finally got to touch the Face Shop brush. It is just as soft as Shiseido's but not as dense or as packed w/ fiber. Meaning it bends when you use it to apply makeup. I think it's the density that makes Shiseido unique and waaay more expensive.
Reader Comments (22)
I soa gree with the Landmark dupe. I'm saving for this one actually. Thanks for the review! :)
I have the one from The Face Shop and everything you said about Shiseido applies to it as well. Really soft, densely packed bristles. Foundation, concealer, blush -- it handles them all. (On lazy day's it's the only brush I use!) It's a pain to clean and takes sooo long to dry. I'm considering buying two (or the Shiseido one if I have the moolah) just so I have a spare to use while the other is being cleaned.
Been wanting to get this one!
I have 2 flat top brushes and I'm happy with it na. I have Charm, which i use everyday; and another one from Real Techniques core collection incase my Charm brush gets all dirty. Couldn't live without these brushes!:)
This brush is my holy grail. I want to try out the Face Shop one. Do you think it'll be as soft as the Shiseido? For the the most amazing thing about the shiseido brush is the softness, not the shape. Kabukis have nothing on the softness of this brush.
I also have the FaceShop's brush. It costs SGD 21++. I am very happy with it and I agree with the comment from Eula.Everything you said also describes Face Shop's.
For the price of one Shiseido Perfect Foundation Brush, I can get two or just add more, 3 Face Shop dupes :D
Well, I just really need 2. One for powder and another for Liquid. Personally, I'll skip Shiseido for practical financial reasons. :)
Since using this kind of brush, I no longer need to conceal as covering any spots with just my powder foundation. It's perfect. The Face Shop's brush is great as a gift too. Affordable but will surely be appreciated :D
I've been thinking about getting this but the comment on the (presumably cheaper) Face Shop one makes me reconsider. Hmmm....
I have a Charm one, though, and it's magic!
I read the review by kikaytrekkie, and mukhang magandang alternative nga yung sa TFS! :))
May I ask which of these is better: the Shiseido perfect foundation brush, the Charm flat top brush, or the Real Techniques flat top brush for foundation application? I'm still having a hard time choosing. Thank you.
This is my favorite foundation brush! From time to time I switch to other brushes but I always come back to this one because it does a great job of applying my cream foundation.
It looks so fluffy just by looking at it!
I'm currently looking for a starter brush since i've been using brushes that goes with
The makeup that i buy. This migt be a good multipurpose brush kaso expensive. Hahaha
Thanks for introducing me to good makeup brands, hoping for my skin to heal after
A recent breakout. Booo! No makeup for almost A month now. Huhhuhi
Aww, sounds like a GREAT brush! Im crushing on the RT brushes right now. I might get mine early December and Im excited! This may be something I may buy in (I hope) the near future. Got so much on my list na. Thanks Liz!
Thanks for the comments, as always! Charm and Real Techniques are indeed awesome brands, not too expensive to boot.
@Nikka If I am going to be completely frank, I really prefer the Shiseido brush for a more precise application. I have problem areas where my blemishes are concentrated so I need a brush that can pay special attention to that. This is my fave brush talaga for liquid foundation ever!
Charm and Real Techniques na flat top I prefer for powder foundation.
I'll keep that in mind! I'll check the Shiseido and the TFS brushes when I get a chance. Thanks Liz! =)
hope you can do a review of sigma brushes too esp the F84
Hi Ms. Liz! Landmark sells a dupe of this brush too. I hope you could do a review of that one too. Just look for Artist Studio brushes on the beauty section :D
Seems like a nice product, Liz. But when I grab my Charm brushes (especially the Kabuki buffer brush), I forget everything else! :D
Liz, what's the difference between this brush and a stippling brush? If one already has a decent stippling brush, concealer brush and face blush brush, would you still recommend this as additional brush?
Hi there Madel! Stippling brushes are used to provided a sheerer, sort of airbrushed coverage. The Shiseido one gives a heavier coverage because of the packed bristles.
If you already have good face brushes, you don't need to get this. But if you're looking for something more compact to carry around and more convenient to use, then this one is a good bet. :) I like interchanging it with my other brushes anyway, it gets clogged up easily.
You did a great job with the model. Simple and classy but very pretty :)
Hallelujah I've always been curious about this brush, now I know the price!