RMK Brushes

I love Japanese brushes, I saw these RMK brushes a long time ago but the brushes that you can see and touch at the counter feel scratchy and are in bad shape, therefore it does not necessarily make you want them.

Not that I absolutely needed them but I am just too weak to resist and I thought I may regret it if I left without them.

First of all, the handles are really short, they aren’t as heavy as the Suqqu but still good quality for the price. I looove the matte black handles, actually they remind me of my first motorbike which was also matte black… not that it has anything to do with these brushes…  but I really like that !

RMK Face powder brush

It’s a mix of goat and grey squirrel. The squirrel hair is in the center and the goat in the outside, the blend of the two materials will allow the brush to keep it’s shape for longer and be more resilient, it can also help to provide more control on the application. I also heard that a goat mix in the outside of the brush would grab a more important quantity of product. Mixing both types of hair will also reduce the costs of a make up brush and that’s also the main reason why often brush hairs are blended.

I find the RMK face and cheek brushes of very good quality for the price. The Face powder is really huge, 2.3 cm at the base of the ferrule, 5 cm long,  5cm at the widest point of the head, and 3cm thick.

The Hakuhodo K002 is blue squirrel and costs 82 usd.
The Hakuhodo B501 is a mix of blue squirrel and sokoho goat, costs 144 usd.
The RBR is goat and costs 44 gbp.
The RMK is 45 gbp.

The softest is the Hakuhodo K002, then the B501, then the RMK and the last the RBR. The denser and firmer of the 4 is the Hakuhodo B501. I use the RBR for the Guerlain meteorites for example, it picks more product on the goat bristles, but I find myself reaching for the RMK everyday, either for bronzer or for powder, provides a sheer and even application and I love how it feels on the skin.

From top to bottom

RMK Cheek powder S brush

Again, it’s a blend of grey squirrel in the center and goat in the outside. Really soft, not as soft as the Suqqu cheek brush though… feels something in between the RBR and the Suqqu.
I have no idea what the Chanel is made of, to me it feels like a mix of goat and squirrel but it’s much firmer than the RMK. When you ask at the Chanel counter what the brushes are made of they say “natural hair”, but they have no idea what hair is used, so I guess it’s pointless to ask them if they are cruelty free, they sure have no idea.. At the RMK counter they can clearly explain you how and where the squirrel hair are delicately trimmed.

The RMK measures 1.8cm at the base of the ferrule and 3.7 cm long. The softest brush is the Suqqu but I love these 4 brushes a lot and I use all of them on a daily basis.

The Hakuhodo S110 is Sokoho goat and costs 68 usd.
The Suqqu cheek is baby squirrel and costs 85 gbp.
The RMK brush is a mix of goat and squirrel and costs 35 gbp.

From top to bottom

RMK eyeshadow L

It’s made of horse hair. Measures 1 cm at the base of the ferrule and 1.6cm long. It’s very densely packed but I don’t find it very soft and the application with the Trish 45 was more even and sheer… well, hence the name  🙂

The DelicateHummingbird has a nice review of these two brushes M and L.

I will use this RMK brush for mousse or cream eyeshadows instead.
Since I only got these 1 week ago, my experience with them is not huge but based on my first impressions, I don’t think I will be reaching for the eyeshadow brushes very much I am afraid, I will continue to use them to see how I can get the most out of them and will update this post if my opinion changes.

The Mac 239 is for size reference.

RMK eyeshadow M

I shouldn’t have taken this one. It’s too soft for blending (I prefer the Hakuhodo B214 type of blending) and it’s way to big for crease application. If you want a soft blending all over your eyelid, then it’s appropriate.

I will  use this one for setting powder under my eyes on top of concealer or I will use it as a fan brush to clear any fallout. Other than that, I don’t see myself using this brush for eyeshadow application at all. It’s made of horse hair.

Here is the Edward Bess, the RMK in the middle and the Mac 217 at the bottom.

RMK cream & powder brush

I like the cream tip, I have tried it and the size is really appropriate for placing the cream shadow precisely and blending it. I used the horse side to pat the powder on the cream shadow. It’s not a must have in my opinion but I will certainly use it very often.

Bottom line : I prefer Chikuhodo or Suqqu but the face brushes are extremely well made and extremely soft. Totally worth the price !