(Photo by http://www.fujingaho.jp/beauty_and_health/kaiun_fude_161228)
Hello readers, how are you doing?
Today, we would like to talk about brushes, specifically for makeup.
Do you know where they produce the most makeup brushes in the world?
The answer is Kumano in Japan. Kumano-cho (熊野町) is a little town in the Aki District which is located next to Hiroshima City, Hiroshima Prefecture. Kumano’s high-quality makeup brushes have 90% of the market share in Japan and 60% worldwide.
(Photo by http://www.j-hiroshima.or.jp/chosonkai/index.php?id=64)
Its biggest strengths are the highest quality and the beautiful or kawaii design.
For women who makeup everyday, especially those who pursue higher quality of makeup or who have sensitive skin, we highly recommend Kumano brushes (熊野筆). Because they understand that even the slight difference of the softness of the bristles and the shape of the tip changes the finish of your makeup and can reduce the damage to your skin. Kumano brushes are carefully designed and produced by the artisans who inherited traditional techniques over generations.
Another reason to choose Kumano brands is their Japanese-like design. Not only basic colored and shaped ones, but also various designed brushes are available.
There are many companies in Kumano, so let us introduce some of them here.
Hakuhodo (白鳳堂)
http://en.hakuho-do.co.jp/ (official website, Japanese/English)
As an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) that deals with many cosmetic trade shows, Hakuhodo is recognized by numerous professional makeup artists, such as Lisa Eldridge. Hakuhodo also has received the Supplier Excellence Award by the Estee Lauder Companies Inc. four times.
Koyudo (晃祐堂)
Koyudo offers a variety of super kawaii brushes.
http://www.koyudo.co.jp/docs/shop.html (official website, Japanese only)
Or you can find their products on many online stores:
Rakuten https://zenmarket.jp/rakuten.aspx?q=koyudo
Amazon https://zenmarket.jp/amazon.aspx?q=koyudo
Yahoo https://zenmarket.jp/yshopping.aspx?q=koyudo
Chikuhodo(竹宝堂)
http://www.chikuhodo.com/en/index.html (official website, Japanese/English/Chinese)
Showkado (松華堂)
http://www.showkado.com/SHOP/968765/list.html (official website, Japanese only)
Porcelain is another traditional handicraft in Japan. Here, you can find a great collaboration between Kumano brushes and Japanese porcelain, such as Arita ware, Imari ware, and Hasami ware. The grip of the brush is made by Showkado and the tip is made by Chikuhodo. Their prices may not be the most affordable, but they will certainly be a treasure or a wonderful gift to anyone who receives one of these.
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If you find one of these brushes on Rakuten, Amazon, or Yahoo through ZenMarket, you just need to click “Add to Cart.” Official websites of the manufacturers often offer greater variety of products, so when you find a good one from websites other than Rakuten, Amazon, or Yahoo, please log in to ZenMarket first and paste the item URL into the search bar and you can make an easy purchase that way. And of course we are always here to help.
We hope you can find a brush you can cherish through ZenMarket!