After being turned on to Japanese brushes a few years ago I have replaced all my other brushes with Japanese brands such as Hakuhodo, Chikuhodo, SUQQU and Koyudo. Over the last year I've added in some Koyudo eye brushes and they have quickly become my favorites. The BP High Class Series is my favorite series from Koyudo, they have the white handles and are high quality hairs.
L to R: BP029, BP033, BP032, BP035, BP034:
The BP029 Large Shader Brush is made from gray squirrel. With the current conversion factor it's around $39. It's a large, long, fluffy eye brush. It's good for a large more diffuse application. It's very similar to the BP028 which was my first Koyudo brush purchase. I discussed it here. The Chikuhodo is about the same width but shorter and the most dense of the bunch. The Surratt Large Classic Brush is long and fluffy but more pointed in shape. I find the Koyudo BP028 pine squirrel to give a bit sheerer application than the BP029 gray squirrel. So the BP029 lays down a touch more product than the BP028 and Surratt. Overall, they're all very similar. The BP028 is the least precise, the shape of the Surratt helps it be more precise. The BP029 is a bit less fluffy than the BP028 so it's more precise. The Chikuhodo Z-5 is the most dense so it gives the best lay down of color and is the most precise of the bunch. You don't need all of them, but I love large eye brushes so I do use them all frequently.
Compared with L to R: BP029, BP028, Chikuhodo Z-5, Surratt Classique Shadow Brush Grande:
The BP033 Shader Brush is made from gray squirrel. It runs about $32. It's a longer, fluffy medium eye brush. Very similar in shape to MAC's 217 or Hakuhodo's J5523 except it's in gray squirrel versus goat. So the BP033 is much softer.Â
The BP032 Blending Brush is made from pine squirrel. It runs about $26. It's a longer, fluffy medium eye brush. Both the BP033 and BP032 are softer than the Hakuhodo. The Hakuhodo gives the strongest application of shadow or the best blending being the densest. The BP033 and BP032 give a softer wash of color but they are easier to control than the BP029 and BP028 being a smaller size. Same as above the BP032 gives a slightly sheerer application than the BP033. The pine squirrel seems to give the sheerest look.
Compared with L to R: BP033, BP032, Hakuhodo J5523:
The BP035 Shader Brush is made from pine squirrel. It runs about $25. It's a shorter, flat, paddle shaped medium eye brush. The Wayne Goss #18 brush or Hakuhodo B/J004 are similar in shape and size. The BP035 is less dense than both of those brushes so it does give a sheer application. It's easier to control than the BP033 or BP032 because it's shorter.
The BP034 Shader Brush is made from kolinsky. It runs about $33. It's a flat, dense, paddle shaped medium eye brush. This is great for packing on shadow. MAC's 242 is similar. You could use this for glitter or cream and liquid shadows. It's dense and not fluffy like any of the above brushes. It creates the least fall out when applying, which is why it's good for glitter.
Compared with L to R: BP035, BP034, Hakuhodo B/J004, Wayne Goss 18:
I buy all of my Koyudo brushes from CDJapan and I linked all the brushes to show their descriptions. They do have a rewards system for points too and if you plan on buying from them it's worth signing up for the point reward system. It at least helps cover shipping the next time you order.
Once I grabbed these Koyudo eye brushes I found myself slowly getting rid of other Wayne Goss and Hakuhodo brushes that were similar as I liked these ones so much more. My only wish is that Koyudo put the brush numbers on the handles, they're no where on the brushes so you have to look your order up or be able to magically remember the numbers.