Sonia G The Fundamental Brush Set

I have been reading Sweet Makeup Temptations blog for years as a makeup brush resource. I didn't bat an eyelash about splurging on The Fundamental Brush Set collaboration with Sonia G & Beautylish. Details per Beautylish:

Since starting her blog, Sweet Makeup Temptations, in 2012, Sonia G. has cultivated a passion for well-crafted makeup brushes. After building a personal collection of over 2,000 brushes, she set out to create her own line of tools. With an eye for exquisite craftsmanship, efficiency, and performance, Sonia designs brushes to bring joy to the experience of applying makeup—from the shape of the handles, to the feel of the bristles on the skin, to the flawless, perfectly blended results in the mirror. Read more about Sonia G HERE.

About The Fundamental Brush Set

Makeup lovers of all skill levels deserve fun, effortless makeup application. Meticulously designed by blogger and makeup brush expert Sonia G. of Sweet Makeup Temptations, this highly edited collection of handcrafted tools does the work for you, making your application ritual something you look forward to every day.

What’s Included

• Pencil One: a precision pencil brush that offers performance and control with a silky, springy feel. Made with blue squirrel bristles for use with powder products.
• Crease One: a velvety-soft crease brush that allows for targeted application into the crease of the eye without scratching the skin or leaving harsh edges. Made with blue squirrel bristles for use with powder products.
• Builder One: a flat eye shadow brush that defines, smudges, and builds intensity exactly where you want it—even with difficult textures like shimmers and metallics. Made with dyed saikoho goat hair for use with powder products.
• Worker One: an eye shadow blending brush that blends and diffuses pigment without over-blending, thanks to a combination of perfect grip and control. The versatile shape doubles as a crease and shading brush. Made with dyed saikoho goat hair for use with powder products.
• Base One: a plush foundation brush that works liquid and cream foundations into the skin seamlessly. Strong, easy to clean, and quick-drying yet airy enough to blend blush, bronzer, and highlighter. Made with a blend of hakutotsuho goat hair and PBT for use with creams and liquids.
• Face Two: a slender brush and bronzer brush that lays down sheer and pigmented products with an airbrushed finish. Decadently soft and dense but light enough for precision when sculpting or powdering specific areas of the face. Made with saikoho goat hair for use with powder products.
• Sculpt One: a luxuriously dense fan brush that allows for foolproof sculpting and contouring. With pressure, the velvety bristles splay out on the skin to blend and soften. Made with hakutotsuho goat for use with powder products.
• Sculpt Three: a silky fan brush with a shorter tuft that releases a soft wash of highlighter over the skin. It picks up a generous amount of product and lays it down with control. The thinner shape is also perfect for precise contouring. Made with dyed saikoho goat for use with powder products.

Why It’s Special

• Each brush is handbound by master artisans in Japan using traditional brushmaking techniques for unparalleled performance and craftsmanship
• Plush natural bristles in custom-designed shapes offer incredible control over the placement and finish of your favorite products—think less fallout, seamless blending, and pro-quality results
• The sturdy handle is made from dense, sustainably harvested maple wood and coated with four layers of pigment and lacquer—the same kind used on luxury vehicles—for a rich, dimensional finish

This is such a luxurious brush set. I only use makeup brushes made in Japan as the quality is above and beyond all others. I'm a brush snob. The craftsmanship of Japanese made makeup brushes is beyond parallel. Let me start with how stunning the brush handles are. These have a thick, sturdy, heavy weight handle. It feels very luxe. I love the stunning red shimmer sprayed on the handles. I love red metallic. This set comes housed in a Beautylish black zippered canvas bag.

I have been playing with this set for about five weeks now so I feel confident I've used them enough to review, and I love them all. I never buy brush sets, I prefer to buy singles. Like most kits and palettes I only end up liking a few shades or items and it feels like a waste to have stuff I won't use. However I knew the whole set would be good from Sonia and I couldn't resist the metallic red handles. While I normally wouldn't have bought the fan or crease brushes I am happy to say I love them all and they are of superior quality and work beautifully. This is a pricey set at $362 I won't lie. I split up the payments with Beautylish's special layaway program (no interest). The quality of the brushes is superb and you won't be disappointed if you like real hair Japanese made brushes. These have just recently been released as singles.

Sculpt One

Perfect for adding natural structure to the face, Sculpt One is a luxuriously dense fan brush that allows for foolproof sculpting and contouring. With pressure, the velvety bristles splay out across the skin to blend and soften bronzers, highlighters, and finishing powders.

“I wanted a fan brush that not only looks and feels good but performs well. The dense hakutotsuho goat bristles allow the brush to splay out while staying thick and soft.” — Sonia G.

• The thick, arched silhouette creates soft dimension wherever you want it—along the jawline or under the cheekbones—without leaving unblended lines

Directions Apply bronzers and highlighters along the curves of the face with a sweeping motion. Use soft buffing motions to blend and diffuse lines.

• Hair type: Hakutotsuho goat
• For use with powders

Sculpt One is a large fan brush made of goat hair. It's extremely soft. This is quite dense yet still feels fluffy enough. I liked this for applying my loose powders the most. I loved the slim nature of this brush. I could tilt it to dust down my nose while avoiding my cheeks. My cheeks are dry I don't need extra powder on them. I normally use a large round powder brush but I find myself reaching for this one daily. This felt so much more precise than a large round powder brush.

I didn't need this brush nor thought I would use a large fan brush but I'm glad I have it now. This lays down enough powder but remains light enough to not put too much product on the face. This would be nice for buffing as well. I didn't try it for bronzer because I never reach for bronzer anymore. As a single brush this would cost you $75.

Top Sonia G Sculpt One, Bottom Tom Ford Bronzer 05:

Top View Sculpt One:

Sculpt Three

Light up your features with Sculpt Three, a silky fan brush with short bristles that releases a soft wash of highlighter over the skin. Unlike other fan brushes on the market, Sculpt Three picks up a generous amount of product and lays it down with control. The thin shape is also perfect for precise contouring and bronzing.

“This brush was designed for highlighter, but it’s also a secret weapon against patchy, harsh bronzer and blush. It picks up a generous amount of product and works with control.” — Sonia G.

• Sculpt Three breaks all the rules of fan brushes—it picks up a large amount of pigment and distributes it smoothly, evenly, and precisely

Directions Pick up product with the sides of the bristles and gently tap off any excess. Apply starting where you want stronger placement, and then swipe to diffuse as desired.

• Hair type: Saikoho goat
• For use with powder products

Sculpt Three is another brush I normally wouldn't have bought had it not been for the set. I thought I would have no use for it. Then I tested it for highlighters & I loved it. It's precise, delivers good pigment without adding too much glow. It layers very well. I loved how soft and light it is. This isn't very dense-it feels airy yet it can pick up quite a bit of powder so be careful the first few times you try it. So far this brush is the only other highlighter brush I have really liked beyond the Wayne Goss Air Brush. This will cost you $32 as a separate.

Face Two

Face Two takes the guesswork out of contouring and sculpting the face, thanks to a slender tuft that lays down sheer and pigmented products alike with a second-skin finish. Decadently soft and sized for both application and blending, this multipurpose face brush brings out the best in blushes, bronzers, and contour powders, diffusing them over the skin without any visible lines.

“I believe in smaller face brushes—this one is super-soft and dense yet airy enough to be used for both sheer and heavily pigmented payoff.” — Sonia G.

• With its versatile shape, Face Two applies precise amounts of powder with light pressure and covers more surface area as the bristles splay out

Directions Pick up product with the tip of the brush and tap off any excess. Apply and blend using circular motions.

• Hair type: Saikoho goat
• For use with powders

Face Two is a simple rounded blush brush made with goat hair. It's quite dense yet super soft. I normally don't use blush brushes this small unless they are made with squirrel hair. Squirrel is so much lighter and airier which usually gives a lighter finish. I was terrified to use this small dense goat brush with a pigmented powder blush. I tried it and the results are not bad. Start light with the softer and pigmented blushes and build up intensity.

This brush shined for me with harder textured blushes. This picks up the harder powders with ease for a flawless application. That was my favorite use for this brush. Though it says powder use only goat hair can be used with cream and liquid products. Squirrel is a no-no for creams and liquids due to the delicate hairs. I think that's also where this brush would shine is in applying cream and liquid blushes. It very much reminds me of the Hakuhodo J210 brush just a little longer in the hair length which makes it a touch airier. This will cost you $48 alone.

Left Hakuhodo J210, Right Sonia G Face Two:

Base One

This plush foundation brush works liquid and cream foundations of all coverage levels into the skin with an airbrushed finish. With a perfectly calibrated mix of goat hair and synthetic bristles, Base One is dense yet airy, making it an essential tool for applying a full face of makeup quickly and easily.

“This brush’s shape and density works beautifully with liquids and creams. It’s strong, easy to clean, and quick-drying but also airy enough to blend blush, bronzer, and highlighter.” — Sonia G.

• Despite its dense, velvety bristles, Base One rinses clean easily when you wash it and dries in a snap

Directions To apply liquid or cream foundation with sheer to medium coverage, pick up product with the tip of the bristles and stipple onto the skin in short, downward motions. For a quick wash of foundation, use larger circular motions. For cream blush, bronzer, or highlight, pick up the product with the brush and apply it directly, or place it onto the face with fingertips and use Base One to blend it out.

• Hair type: Hakutotsuho goat & PBT
• For use with liquids and creams

Base One is a mixed hair foundation brush. It contains goat and synthetic hairs. That is typical for a foundation brush. It's small in size and dense. I tried this for liquid and cream foundations, it was good. Some foundations could be a little streaky with this. I usually like a large or less dense brush for liquid foundation like Tom Ford Cream Foundation brush. I never get streaks with that one.

I did really like this for liquid and cream highlighters. I haven't tried it with cream blush but I imagine it works good for that too. This will set you back $65 as a single. If it wasn't for the set this is one brush I probably wouldn't have bought. Only because I really like my fluffier Tom Ford brush. I also prefer my fingers for foundation and cream highlighters more so than a foundation brush.

Left Sonia G Base One, Right Tom Ford Cream Foundation 02:

Crease One

Designed to conform with the curves of the eye, this velvety-soft crease brush offers targeted application into the crease of the eye without scratching delicate skin. The dense natural bristles blend and soften as you go so you’ll never leave behind harsh edges.

“I wanted to design a crease brush that would target intensity where I need it. It's pointy, but the sides and tip are dense, so it does a great job at depositing and blending pigment.” — Sonia G.

• Deposit and diffuse pigment exactly where you want it along the crease with a smooth, even finish

Directions Roll the brush over powder eye color and tap off any excess. Place the tip in the hollow of the outer crease and apply color in short back-and-forth strokes. Extend the length of the strokes as you go.

• Hair type: Blue squirrel
• For use with powders

Worker One

Worker One is beauty blogger and makeup brush expert Sonia G.’s perfect eye shadow blender—it softens and diffuses pigment without over-blending, thanks to a combination of perfect grip and control. The versatile shape also doubles as a crease and shading brush.

“I know how hard it is to find the perfect blending brush. I designed this brush to my exact specifications—it has perfect grip and control, so it never over-blends.” — Sonia G.

• Designed as an eye blending brush that softens shadow in a single swipe, Worker One features a multipurpose shape that can contour and define eyes, too

Directions To blend eye shadow, use circular or back-and-forth motions. For shading, pick up eye shadow with the tip or the thin side. Tap off the excess and apply in short strokes or a soft patting motion. To use as a crease brush, angle the tip horizontally in the outer crease and use short back-and-forth motions to apply eye shadow. Extend the length of your stroke as the product deposits onto the skin.

• Hair type: Saikoho goat
• For use with powders

Builder One

Build up the intensity of your eye look with this handcrafted flat eye shadow brush. Designed for effortless defining, smudging, and layering, Builder One makes it easy to pack on pigment exactly where you want. Plush saikoho goat bristles pick up and lay down any type of eye shadow—even tricky finishes like glitter or metallic.

“This is the brush of my dreams—I love shimmers and metallics but only when I can control the placement and application. The shape works magic with difficult textures.” — Sonia G.

• Builder One’s flat silhouette picks up eye shadow and deposits it exactly where you want it, allowing you to shade, smudge, and define without messy fallout

Directions Pick up product with the flat side of the brush using short, zig-zag strokes. Tap off any excess, and then use a similar motion to place the color on the lid. Use the tip to define or smudge the lashline, or to extend the pigment into a wing.

• Hair type: Saikoho goat
• For use with powders

Pencil One

Handcrafted with silky, springy blue squirrel bristles, this precision pencil brush offers performance and control without sacrificing a soft feel. Use the fine tip for getting deep into the crease, or hold it at an angle to diffuse and soften eye color for a smoky look.

“My goal was to create a pencil brush that would be precise and powerful without compromising softness.” — Sonia G.

• The finely tapered tip retains its precise shape while feeling decadently soft against delicate eye skin

Directions Apply powder eye color with the tip of the brush for precise placement. Hold the brush at an angle to soften and blend edges.

• Hair type: Blue squirrel
• For use with powders

Crease One is a floppier tapered crease brush made with blue squirrel hair. Blue squirrel is very soft and the delicate hair tends to pick up less product for a more diffuse finish. It's not very dense yet it's not too floppy. The tip is very precise and it can blend powder with ease. I don't use crease brushes that often as I prefer a shorter very large pencil brush for my outer third. However, for a crease brush I do like this one. It's a bit more dense and smaller than the large Surratt crease brush but similar in shape. This one would cost you $38 alone. I probably would have skipped this one if it wasn't for the set, but I can ditch some of my other rounder crease brushes now as I do like this one better than a round traditional dense shaped crease brush.

Worker One is a large round paddle eyeshadow brush. Perfect for the first lay down of powder on the lid. This one is made with super soft goat hair. I thought it would be squirrel but the goat is actually very nice. Goat picks up powder a bit more than squirrel. You get a softer effect from squirrel hair. I love that this one was made out of goat as I already own quite a few large squirrel hair brushes. It's not really dense so you still get a good amount of powder with the pick up from the goat hair, but then the lower density allows for a softer lay down. I love it. This doesn't create fall out like some larger powder brushes. It feels like it doesn't splay out while applying so it's more precise for a large powder brush. This is my favorite of the bunch by far. I am so in love with this brush. It's become one of my favorite large powder eye brushes ever, and I love large eye brushes so I own quite a few. This will set you back $36 but it is worth every penny.

Builder One is a small tapered round eye brush. It's made with goat hair. It's super soft and has this thick base that tapers to a thinner tip. It's supposed to be good for glitter and metallic shadows for precision and  less fall out. I don't wear glitter or metallic shades so I can't attest to that ability but I do like it for a precise brow bone lay down. It gets those colors exactly where I want them. Not a brush I would have bought on my own but I do like it quite a bit. I don't have anything with a similar shape. This one retails for $32.

Pencil One is a smaller pencil brush. It has a tapered tip and the soft squirrel hair is dense enough to get a good color lay down yet be very precise. All without being too strong meaning I don't have to smudge the edges out after I use the pencil brush like I do with some. It diffuses the edges enough for me on its own. I really like this pencil brush & it retails for $36.

There are a few brushes I would have skipped had I been buying singles like the fan, foundation, builder and crease brushes. I ended up really liking the fan brushes which surprised me. I didn't need the crease brush but like it more than the one I already had. It was an upgrade. Builder One is actually quite useful so I'm happy to add it to the collection. I could do without the foundation brush. I still really prefer my fingers for foundation. It's a nice well done brush I'm just not really into foundation brushes. I probably would have also skipped the Face Two brush because I prefer squirrel hair for my blush brushes. It's quite nice though if you like soft goat hair ones.

I can't live without Worker One. If you like large eyeshadow brushes you must grab this one. Overall I am in love with these Sonia G brushes. I love the red metallic handles. They're so weighty and luxe. The set is perfectly crafted as expected from Japanese workmanship. You can tell Sonia really thought about the function and purpose of each brush. Using the right hair, getting the right density. It's a well rounded, carefully crafted set.

If you are interested in reading more brush reviews I have done click HERE (ignore the non brush posts it was easiest to copy the whole Beauty Tools Tag)

 

Top to Bottom: Sonia G Crease One, Worker One, Builder One, Pencil One:

Top to Bottom: Sonia G Worker One, Koyudo BP033, Wayne Goss 18:

Left Wayne Goss 18, Right Sonia G Builder One:

Left Wayne Goss 18, Sonia G Builder One-Side View:

Left Sonia G Pencil One, Chikuhodo Z-10:

 

Left to Right-Sonia G Crease One, Wayne Goss 20, Hakuhodo J146: