Hakuhodo Brushes
*Some folks dream of expensive cars, houses, jewelry, clothes...makeup artists dream about these brushes.
Hakuhodo makes quite a few groups of brushes...but the S100 Series is the Rolls Royce of professional makeup brushes with brilliant vemillion lacquer handles and 24-karat gold plated brass ferrules. High quality natural hairs and impeccable construction make these the most coveted brushes in the Hakuhodo line.
Personal Note: I'm iintrigued by the Kokutan Series which blends synthetic and natural hairs in the same brush. Oh, and the Ebony wood handles look really cool!
Royal & Langnickel Brushes
*Quality, value and an eye for emerging trends makes Royal one of the busiest professional brush companies at every major trade show. They've been manufacturing professional makeup brushes for less than 5 years, but the company has been one the largest and most respected providers of artistic brushes and art supplies to the world for decades.
The "Silk" collection is their pro performance series. Make sure to check out their new synthetics (they look and act just like the highest quality natural hair...for real!)
Crown Brush Company
*A dizzying selections of qualities and styles, plus the option to 'private label' brushes with your name. The prices are so low on some styles (lip brushes and mascara spoolies), I stock up on them to use as high quality disposables ...pretty sweet! The Italian Badger Collection (shown left) represents the top of their line.
NOTE: Stay away from the makeup palettes ...although pretty to look at and inexpensive, the quality is not pro at alll.
aDesign Brushes
*aDesign's parent company, Anisa International, manufactures MANY of the most popular consumer brushes on the market.
aDesign was created to offer innovative brush designs to professional artists and test new concepts before they were filtered through to the consumer brands.
The icon brush for this company is the Pointed Synthetic Foundation Brush (pictured left). It was a definite game changer and pro artists made it a best-seller.
Sigma Beauty
*Sigma is a relatively new player in the professional brush business, but they're doing it smart and slick. They've taken a certain "Pro" makeup company's entire brush line and reproduced it, almost exactly...but with better quality, at a fraction of the price. Can I hear an Ah-Ha!
We are seriously impressed with the new long handle Synthetic Kabuki Brushes (pictured left).
Cozzette "Divinity" Brushes
*Makeup artist Roque Cozzette has come up with a set of cruelty-free synthetic brushes so heavenly they had to be called "The Divinity Collection". Made from the finest quality synthetic fibers, in the most thoughtful shapes for professional makeup application. The gorgeous purple laquer handles (sustainable wood) are a perfectly divine final touch.
Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetic Brushes
*The folks at OCC have always been environmentally and cruelty conscious cosmetic designers. They've taken that mind set and developed a brush set that is the finest professional quality and celebrates the best of conscious design. The crisp white handles and black synthetic fiber brush heads are pretty cool looking too!
The PETA Principle: Cruelty-free, 100% vegan with signature white lacquered handles made of sustainable wood.