Home Brushes Koyudo Fu-Pa14

Koyudo Fu-Pa14

by Sonia G.

Another gorgeous Koyudo temptation that I wasn’t sure I wanted to order at first, I read it wasn’t only grey squirrel but a blend with some soft goat hair, however, this brush doesn’t feel like goat hair at all.  I don’t often use powder foundation so I wasn’t sure this was an useful brush for me but at the end I still decided to get it…

It costs around 60$ and AGAIN, it’s totally worth every penny ! Such a lovely surprise !! The quality is absolutely outstanding, I am in awe and so will you…

fupa14_2

It is as soft as the Chikuhodo Z-series (I can’t feel much difference to be honest), it’s densely packed, absolutely no flaws, it’s flat(ish) -very slightly rounded as you can see in the pic-  and covers a wide surface at the top, approx 4cm of diameter.  The handle is short, black and the ferrule golden, the black part has little green sparkles inside, I can’t stop contemplating and patting this work of art…

I thought it would be very similar to the Chikuhodo Z-1, it is in terms of softness and hair quality but it’s more dense and short, the goat hair must be so little quantity that it just feels like there isn’t at all. The application of powder foundation with this brush is out of this world, it does the work so softly and evenly, so far I think there is no other better powder foundation application than with this Fu-Pa14, efficiency and enjoyment guaranteed !

When I apply powder foundation, I don’t apply a heavy coverage, the finish I like is sheer to medium. I have tried this brush with the Mac Mineralize Skinfinish, it picks the product really well, one swirl is enough, you have to tap off the excess just a bit, you apply and then reapply if you want more coverage. I will try it also with mineral loose powders, for now I didn’t had the chance yet but it does a better job at covering than the Z-1, because it’s flatter and denser so the process will be faster too.

I also tried it with bronzer (TF Terra), I tap off the excess on the back of my hand and I apply in the forehead, cheeks, I cannot see any lines around the application and it doesn’t look muddy but I apply it softly anyway.

allfupaz1

Something that I love to do in summer is apply a nude blush but with a very dense brush in order to give a polished dimensional effect to the skin and cover the pores but without any exfoliation or irritation in the process. This is probably the best option I own today for that purpose. It is big but when I apply blush with it, I am not aiming for a precise application but instead for a more dimensional blush/contouring purpose application, not with contour, just with a nude natural blush. Tried it with this Fu-Pa14, loved it.

z1vsfupa14
The hair is really fine in both brushes, but the Fu-Pa14 is much more densely bundled and firm, yet supple enough to allow a very soft natural non-streaky application.

z1vsfupa14_1
Compared to the Fu-Pa01 (baby goat chest hair), the Fu-pa14 is of course softer and has more flexibility.

fupa01vsfupa14

The surface of the Fu-Pa14 is wider but the shape is similar -not that you can see much in the next picture anyway 🙁

fu-pa14vsfupa01_2

The Houkodou is also very very soft, it’s goat hair but goat that resembles squirrel hair, it’s also more packed and directional than the Fu-Pa14, I use the Houkodou for liquid foundation and the Fu-Pa14 for powder foundation or blush. Again the Fu-pa14 is bigger, more supple. Big enough to achieve a fast and easy result and small enough to go around the nose and be able to cover the whole face.

houkodoufupa14

I remembered I had bought the new Chanel Les Beiges Kabuki brush and I thought I would show you a pic close to this Koyudo Fu-pa14, so here it is :

chanelkoyudo

chanelkoyudofupa14

chanelkoyudohoukodou

I cannot believe the sales assistant told me the Chanel Kabuki was natural hair while she was patting it, it is clearly made of synthetic bristles but since I could not touch it, I just trusted her and bought it. It’s not the end of the world but that was the reason why I bought it, because I heard it was soft and because she mentioned it was natural. Don’t get me wrong, I love synthetic brushes but the idea initially was to compare it to the Houkodou or the Fu-pa family.

You can have an idea of their size here in the pics but the feeling of the hair is completely different. The Chanel Les Beiges Kabuki is extremely soft but it’s like a mass of synthetic bristles which don’t give such an airbrushed natural effect on my skin, I admit I still have to play with it and I may change my mind… I just wanted to show you some pics since I have it and I think there aren’t that many pics online yet.

The Hakuhodo J210 is also a nice dense brush but it’s nothing similar to the Fu-Pa14, I am showing you a picture because you may want to know how they compare together. It’s a similar shape, but the J210 (goat) is very firm, tightly packed. The Fu-pa14 is much more supple and soft but it’s is not the same material either so no surprise the Fu-Pa14 feels softer !

210koyudo

The four together :

chanelkoyudohakuhodohoukodou

I love dense brushes, but dense ones that can still pack product without delivering a muddy application, I prefer to build with a more forgiving brush than directly use a super dense and firm brush. I can go from sheer to heavy coverage with the Fu-Pa14, with this brush I will target a sheer to medium coverage with powder foundation and a heavy polished application with a nude blush.

It will not get better than this for a powder brush in my humble opinion, I don’t think it is LE but it’s certainly a must-have for me. My colleague saw the brushes when they arrived this week (this fu-pa14 and the pink fan), she patted them and she looked at me with her eyes wide open and said  “is this for real ???”  🙂 Yep, welcome to my magic world MUAHAHAHAHAHA 😛

@Fran, I think I may have created another monster 😉

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82 comments

Bea 26 April, 2013 - 9:01 pm

Ahhhhh I love your pics, no glare!! I am not surprised you like the fu-pa14 too, but… I am totally stunned you say it’s similar in softness to the Chikuhodo Z-1 (don’t own any of the Z series)! I thought they were a breed apart. Now I really have to get the red squirrel and the new grey ones!

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Sweet Make Up Temptations 26 April, 2013 - 10:26 pm

well to be honest Bea, I wasn’t expecting it to be so soft, I would really be curious to know if others find it as soft or if it’s just me, that would help if we could give more opinions here…
I will let you know when I receive the set.
For example the BP033 (the eye brush if I am correct) is not the same grey squirrel hair that’s why I am surprised this one is so soft ! same for other Koyudo grey squirrel hair, they are not always the same softness.

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Bea 27 April, 2013 - 12:24 pm

And this is why I am lucky to have you Sonia as my quality assurance expert! You don’t know how much money you have saved me with your reviews lol. 😛 😛

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Sweet Make Up Temptations 28 April, 2013 - 4:31 pm

Thank you ! I am glad it helps 🙂 lol 😀 😀 😀

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Julie 24 June, 2013 - 6:48 pm

Hello Sonya! I recieved my fu-pa14 today , I was stalking my postman from the window and was ready with the door open – he must’ve thought I was either psychic or nuts : ) . I agree with you, I was not expecting it to be so soft. It is indeed on par with my Z-8, I can;t believe it. For $60US it is an absolute gem! I just kept stroking my cheek with it…that’s not new lol. It is a gorgeous brush.

Sweet Make Up Temptations 25 June, 2013 - 11:55 am

Hi Julie, you are right… it’s so soft and well made ! thanks for letting me know you love it 😀

Sylvia 26 April, 2013 - 11:44 pm

I’m NOT going to say “I told you so”, Bea.

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Bea 27 April, 2013 - 12:22 pm

But Sylvia I don’t have incense for the Koyudo red squirrel yet! 😉

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212kiki 28 April, 2013 - 1:52 am

I never thought it would happen but it seems that the red squirrel is sold out. Its still listed but marked as sold out on both sites ?!

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Bea 28 April, 2013 - 3:00 pm

So they’ve reached a 100?? Uh oh…

Sweet Make Up Temptations 28 April, 2013 - 4:37 pm

Yes I saw that… sold out now !

Nikoleta 26 April, 2013 - 9:24 pm

again a very good brush from koyudo. it’ll be on my next purchase, I managed to get Z1 some time ago but finally I don’t use it very often, for bronzer I reach more often for H005 as it is flatter on top. How does it compare to 005 ?
BTW, I managed to smell TF Neroli portofino and like it a lot, it is not my type of perfume though but I can see its beauty.

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Sweet Make Up Temptations 27 April, 2013 - 6:24 am

the fu-pa01 is really more to push product into the skin, it’s more a foundation brush that you can eventually still use for bronzer since it’s not that densely tightly packed, the H005 is an all-over and easy brush much more appropriate for bronzer and not that much for medium/heavy foundation coverage, just my little thoughts… don’t know if that helps… the Fu-pa14 would be the one to use with SL teint si fin for example. I will take a pic of both together !!
Neroli reminds me of my childhood garden… arrrgh love this smell… it’s probably why !

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Devin 26 April, 2013 - 10:09 pm

I was hoping you wouldn’t like it as much as you do, now it must be mine! I finally got my Koyudo order and tried the Fu-Pa 12 and it was amazing for buffing in my foundation so of course now I want a Fu-Pa army like yours. I haven’t tried my Fu-Pa 2 yet but I am sure it will be just as good as my other Koyudo brushes.

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Vivian 26 April, 2013 - 11:13 pm

Oh Sonia…You make me want one now…I am going crazy with the obsession of these brushes! And I still don’t know whether I should get the Evgeny brush set…so confused.

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Sweet Make Up Temptations 27 April, 2013 - 6:32 am

Hi Vivian 🙂
I will keep you updated soon, I have just received the others from Evgeny, his goat brush IMO is just too expensive for a goat brush and I do prefer the Koyudo options, the eye brushes (sable) I still have to try them …

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Bea 27 April, 2013 - 12:16 pm

I love the Evgeny blender but the foundation brush to me is not a must have. I still want to explore others. I just wish they weren’t so expensive. The Garan would be my no.1 kolinsky foundation brush lemming thanks to Melissa’s unfortunate skill in ferreting out these obscure brands lol. I might get the sable eye brush but that would depend on what Sonia has to say about them. 🙂

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Sweet Make Up Temptations 28 April, 2013 - 4:31 pm

I am testing his brushes at the moment, the foundation brush actually fits in my eye area 😛 I may try it as well with cream eyeshadow..

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Sylvia 26 April, 2013 - 11:52 pm

By a happy coincidence my fupa 14 arrived the same day you posted this review, Sonia.
Yes, it’s a charmer, all right! And of course it merits those lovely photos of yours!

I can’t add anything to your comments because like you, I love the diffused look to blush application the fufa14 gives.
Outstanding!

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cc 27 April, 2013 - 9:05 am

Another pretty brush.. Not sure if I need it but then you mentioned it has the same softness as the Z1? :O I love and use the Z1 everyday.

Do you think this can be used with the Guerlain Meteorites? How does it perform if compared to RMK powder brush?

p/s: I will know if I can fly to Japan to meet you after the 9th of May. 🙂 *fingers and toes crossed!!*

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Bea 27 April, 2013 - 12:01 pm

Thanks cc for giving me the idea! I just hauled out my original Guerlain Meteorites compact and used both the fu-pa14 and the Cosmedo H008 dupe. The fu-pa14 applies a little heavier but that stands to reason since it has goat mixed in whereas the H008 is pure squirrel. They both work well with the pressed powder! I don’t use the Meteorites because they don’t make the compact anymore. It is beautiful so it is mostly for me to look at but now that I have two brushes that work well with it.,.. :X

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cc618 27 April, 2013 - 2:51 pm

Thanks Bea for the feedback. 🙂 Do you have the meteorites pearls? Does it work well with Fupa-14 too?

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Bea 27 April, 2013 - 4:48 pm

No I don’t have the pearls. I’ve only used it on my Meteorites compact and on my Koh Gen Do Maifanshi Lighting loose powder. My KGD has a sifter so I just tap the brush a few times on it to get the powder to come through and on to the flat top part of the brush. I have very dry skin just like Sonia does so I tend to use powder sparingly, if at all. 🙂

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Sweet Make Up Temptations 28 April, 2013 - 4:27 pm

The Fu-pa has a bit of goat hair, but if I knew that you couldn’t really feel the goat hair I would have ordered it much faster. I didn’t want the firmness of the Fu-Pa01 and that’s why I wasn’t so sure I would be happy with it, but it’s something in between the fu-pa01 and the Z-1 so perfect !
I am really tempted to say that the grey squirrel hair is the same quality in both brushes, which I wasn’t expecting either…
Otherwise the RMK is not comparable, it’s a nice fluffy brush that I love for powder but with the FU-pa it’s much more dense so the amount of product picked will be greater and the application heavier.
yes you can totally use it with the meteorites actually, I tried with Perles du paradis, waow, the amount of product it picks is superior than any other powder brush so the application easier, faster and more visible, still with meteorites it’s difficult to go heavy so I guess it’s a good thing, it is for me !
Ok, so now I have the final dates, I am awaiting your email… toes are crossed too !!! 😀

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212kik 27 April, 2013 - 12:26 pm

Oh i thought i dont need this one but now….
Do you think it’s “better” than the Z1 ? I’m planning to buy the z1 but now I don’t know if I should buy the koyudo one instead of z1…

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Bea 27 April, 2013 - 1:00 pm

Well one thing’s for sure, the Z-1 is still on my wishlist but has been bumped down in priority now that I have the fu-pa14. I will get it eventually just because I am a brush junkie. I had been wrestling with what to get first, the MK-2 or the Z-1 but now I have a clear answer, the MK-1 will be acquired first lol.

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212kik 27 April, 2013 - 3:25 pm

Haha bea your right 😉 and the mk2 is so beautiful i bought the mk2 earlier because of the wonderful paint 😉

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212kik 27 April, 2013 - 3:34 pm

Oh and I’m waiting for infos about the powder brush from the koyudo set Sonia bought 😀 this one looks nice too but I think it’s fluffier and longer than the z1 😀 so in the end I will buy the z1 too 😀

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Bea 27 April, 2013 - 4:49 pm

We are hopeless aren’t we lol. 😛 😛

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Sweet Make Up Temptations 28 April, 2013 - 4:36 pm

“Better” I don’t know, there can’t really be a “better” one between these two since they are still very different, one is more must-have than the other one but totally depends on what your needs are.
For example, for bronzer my must-have is the Z-9 (I really didn’t know this one would be such a must-have at the end), more than the Z-1, I still don’t know if I had to choose between the Z-1 and the Fu-pa14 which one I would let go.. they are both really at the top of my favs, there is “no chosing” at that point… sorry I can’t really help you here 🙁 If you are more looking for a powder foundation brush, the fu-pa14 is more appropriate, if you want an option that delivers a more soft natural application, the Z-1…

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212kiki 28 April, 2013 - 4:56 pm

Hahaha yes i thought you would say that but i’ve hoped you will say the koyudo is way better, because it will be cheaper for me to get 😛
So one more brush on my never ending brush list 😉

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Sweet Make Up Temptations 28 April, 2013 - 7:10 pm

sorry 🙁
sometimes I feel terrible …

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Angela 29 April, 2013 - 12:03 am

Please don’t feel terrible! This website is an amazing ressource. If anything you make it much easier to narrow down choices and choose the best brush for a particular need. You’re like an amazing food critic who describes delicious meals and also let’s us now which ones are so-so and which ones to avoid. That way when we go to treat ourselves, we are rarely dissapointed. It’s not you’re fault if we overindulge lol!

Sweet Make Up Temptations 29 April, 2013 - 6:44 pm

LOL ok then 😀
Well, don’t eat what I eat, I eat only bad things for the health 😀

Nynke 29 May, 2013 - 4:20 pm

Hi Sonia, i love to watch en read your revieuws. I’m from Netherland en i just bought the Fu-Pa01, Fu-Pa02, Fu-Pa14 and H008 from cdjapan. Now i need to wait verryyyyyy long til they receive 🙂 Cant wait til they come! I also have 4 Hakuhodo brushes thanks to your revieuws hihi.

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Sylvia 30 May, 2013 - 8:52 am

Ah, there’ll be another Fu-Pa 14 in Europe, then.
There’s one with me in Spain.
It’s a lovely brush, as you find and well worth the wait!

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Nynke 1 June, 2013 - 4:33 pm

Hi Sylvia, do you have more Koyudo brushes?

I did not buy the H008 but the H011. The numbers are a little confused hihi.

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Ann 10 July, 2013 - 2:59 pm

Hi! I dont know if it was already mentioned but I just want to know where did you get that black round brush holder you used to make the fupa 14 and z1 stand? As well as the white and wooden stand you used to elevate the brushes you are comparing? Thanks

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Sweet Make Up Temptations 10 July, 2013 - 8:44 pm

ooooh I see… the round holders are the boxes the brushes come with, see here at the bottom of this post : http://sweetmakeuptemptations.com/2012/08/25/koyudo-first-pics-of-the-fu-pa-family-and-the-white-mushroom/
the wooden things are chopsticks holders 🙂

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Ann 11 July, 2013 - 12:49 am

Oohh their packaging is also beautiful!!! Thanks for giving me the idea about the chopstick holders… I could use it in when i dry my brushes. I see you got the hakuhodo manufacture post. I’ll start reading them now. Thanks

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Bambi 20 July, 2013 - 3:47 am

Thank for helpful information. Ummm, I have one question. What is different from Koyudo powder in GS set? I’m not sure. What should I order ? You prefer?

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Sweet Make Up Temptations 21 July, 2013 - 5:59 pm

Hi Bambi,
Sorry I am not sure I understand your question, could you please tell me with what brush you want to compare the Fu-Pa 14 ?
thank you 🙂

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Bambi 21 July, 2013 - 6:40 pm

Sorry I mean Koyudo powder brush in grey squirrel brush set. 🙂

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Elena 20 July, 2013 - 8:38 am

Dear Sonia,
I just discovered your blog and I am hooked! Your knowledge, passion and dedication are amazing and for a total beginner like me your posts are an incredible resource, thank you for that 😉
I read several of your posts on Koyudo and I hade a couple of questions, first of all how do they compare to Chikuhodo in terms of hair quality and craftmanship? I ask that because I have been planning on getting some brushes from the Kohlindo webshop (GS and Z series) but now I am in love with those Fu-pa ones.
About the Fu-pa, I love dense brushes and I will probably get the 14 one since I use mineralized foundation in summer and the Fu-pa 2 for liquids in winter, my question is what is the Fu-pa 1 best used for and would I need it?
I guess I could keep going for pages but I will stop here.
Thank you again for an outstanding blog!

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Sweet Make Up Temptations 21 July, 2013 - 6:17 pm

Hi Elena,

Thank you for your sweet comment.
My post about the Koyudo visit is about to be published, but I can tell you that quality is comparable in terms of hair, you really should not be afraid of ordering Koyudo brushes, in terms of quality and materials they are amazing, then in terms of functionality and ergonomics it’s another story, you have to find one that is good for your purpose.
I just wish the Koyudo handles were longer but the hair and quality is stunning.
Are you talking about the black version of the fu-pa01 or the white one ?
To be honest with you I have a huge gap in my brush knowledge, since I cannot often apply mineral foundation on my skin and that I am not looking for heavy coverage, that field is still yet to be discovered for me. Although I have the black fu-pa01 I don’t use it much except for very sheer blushes. Is the FU-pa02 is the brown one ? This is the only one I still have to work out how to get the most out of it… for me it’s too floppy, flat and big for the application of liquid foundation.

If somebody reads this and can comment about this brush it would be fantastic.
Otherwise I will also soon publish a post about chosing the right brush depending on the type of foundation you use, it won’t go into much detail but I am sure it will help you find what kind of hair is good for what type of foundation, please allow me a few days since I am under water at the moment 🙂
we’ll talk soon 🙂

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Elena 21 July, 2013 - 7:47 pm

Hi again and thank you for the detailed answer, I am looking forward to your upcoming posts! Somehow you confirmed my worries: the Fu-pa look great and all but perhaps not so easy to use, I guess I will consider the BP013 instead. For mineral foundation I have also considered the Chikuhodo Temari and I noticed you got that one in Japan, how does it compare to the Fu-pa 14 in your opinion?

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Sweet Make Up Temptations 21 July, 2013 - 9:27 pm

Hi Elena, I am loving the Temari actually ! it is very versatile and could use it with many products during my holiday, it’s really a no-brainer. The Fu-pa is much softer but what I’ll do is that I plan to test these two amongst a few others (from Koyudo and other brands) for my future post, so far I haven’t had the chance to really play with them due to my brushes being protected away from the house renovation disaster… but I’ll have a more proper feedback on the comparison of both 🙂
Today I finally started unpacking my make up 🙂 phewwww I have been missing my brushes 😉

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Sweet Make Up Temptations 22 July, 2013 - 7:12 am

Elena, these are the ones that I am writing about at this moment, some are dirty because they have been busy 🙂 sorry… just took a quick pic with my phone on the go this morning 🙂
http://sweetmakeuptemptations.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/foundation.jpg
as you see there is a bit of everything, I’ll feature 5 for mineral foundation but I will pair everybrush with the product I use it with and how I use it hoping that will be useful !

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Bambi 22 July, 2013 - 12:27 am

Sorry I mean Koyudo powder brush in grey squirrel brush set.
(http://sweetmakeuptemptations.com/2013/05/14/koyudo-grey-squirrel-brush-set-first-impressions/)

Thank you again. 😉

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Elena 22 July, 2013 - 8:42 am

Wow Sonia, I already know I will love this post on foundation brushes but I guess it won’t be a short one! Once again I am amazed by your dedication 🙂

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Sweet Make Up Temptations 22 July, 2013 - 8:52 am

No it won’t be a short one 🙂
That’s why it takes so much time at first but then I guess that many of the emails I receive will be answered at once ! so it will save me time at the end 🙂 and I’ll have pics of the brushes together which can be helpful.
… and foundation for me it’s the most important thing that has to be done perfectly well in a makeup routine, so it’s a topic that I want to cover the best way possible 😉

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Bonnie 22 July, 2013 - 3:02 pm

Your dedication and thoroughness are loved by us all here 🙂

I just picked up my fu-pa14 from my friend today. It is so, so, so soft – as you said, hard to believe that there’s goat in there! Where is it!? It’s just sooo delicious *strokes*

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Bambi 22 July, 2013 - 4:40 pm

🙁 why don’t you answer me…

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Sweet Make Up Temptations 22 July, 2013 - 5:45 pm

Hi Bambi,
My brushes are not available at the moment and although I know them quite well, some I need to check them out before I answer your questions.
Don’t take it personally, if I don’t reply to you it’s because either I didn’t had the chance to check the items or I don’t have the answers yet.
It’s a bit difficult to answer your question because I don’t know what you want to use it for, foundation, blush, bronzer, powder ?
They are two complete different brushes, the Fu-pa14 is very dense, more firm, more unique because it’s rare to find this type of kabuki “with a handle”, those of you who are interested in kabuki shape brushes but prefer ” a brush with a handle”, this is a great option that combines both a kabuki and a brush… Since it’s dense but still flexible enough you can apply mineral makeup (pressed or loose), if you have a sheer bronzer you can also use it with bronzer or you could also use it to finish you application and blend everything together, or set your foundation with powder afterwards. It is dense so you can really work into the pores and make them appear smaller by using it in round motions. It’s a bit like between a flat kabuki that will deliver heavy coverage and a dome kabuki, buildable coverage with a lot of softness.
The other red powder brush from Koyudo from the set is less dense, very flexible. The usage is very different, it will be good from finishing powder or bronzer but not for foundation or blush, it’s not precise and it will not deliver heavy coverage.
If I had to choose one I will choose the Fu-pa14.
I hope this helps you, sorry for the wait.

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Bambi 22 July, 2013 - 6:34 pm

So sorry.. I feel terrible for my comment. 🙁 At first I think you didn’t see my comment.

Sorry again and I don’t know how to thank you.

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Sweet Make Up Temptations 22 July, 2013 - 7:21 pm

No worries Bambi, please don’t feel sorry. At this moment my house is a mess with the renovation going on, I am just starting to unpack everything since the workers are now on holiday for a month ! My brushes are wrapped in bubble plastic or in soft packaging, difficult to find anything at all ! I really want these works to finish, the worst is behind but still some time to go, I need to be patient…
I have to tell you that the only reason I have this blog is because of you and your comments, when I wake up in the morning the first thing I do is have a look and see if you have comments or questions for me, if you do it makes my day.
I love replying to your questions and I love to help you, the day you stop commenting I’ll stop blogging 🙂

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Bambi 23 July, 2013 - 3:19 am

So lovely to hear that from you.. Thank you for created this blog..shared knowledge and opinion. I am so lucky to found your blog 😉

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Sweet Make Up Temptations 23 July, 2013 - 5:25 pm

I am so lucky you found me 😀 😀

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Jane Kim 28 July, 2013 - 6:47 am

HI Sonia,,
Is the fu-pa 14 as soft as the hakuhodo b501? I have the b505 and was thinking about getting the b501 but then saw your blog and am now considering the fu pa 14

Thanks so much for your blog!

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Sweet Make Up Temptations 28 July, 2013 - 9:04 pm

Hi Jane 🙂
yes it is (I have the 501), same softness. It depends what you want it for, there are quite different brushes the 501 and the Fu-pa14 but yes the softness is very very similar, the fu-pa maybe very slightly softer but difficult to confirm 100%. The fu-pa is firmer and denser, more for heavier coverage than the 501.

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Jane L. 8 January, 2014 - 12:56 pm

Thank you for your great review!
I am struggling between the Koyudo white mushroom and this Fu-pa 14. Could you tell me how these two brushes compare, in terms of softness, function, etc?
Thank you very much!!!

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Sweet make up temptations 10 January, 2014 - 9:25 pm

Hi Jane, the fu-pa14 is more for mineral foundation or for blushes that are sheer and you need a denser brush to pack on. I use it for both 🙂
The white mushroom is more for glowing powder, bronzer, lighter finish and coverage.

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Jane L. 9 January, 2014 - 7:44 am

Could you also tell me how this compares to the Hakuhodo J104?
Sorry for asking so much questions•_•
Thank you! 🙂

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Sweet make up temptations 10 January, 2014 - 9:27 pm

no worries! if you are hesitating between this 3, pick the white mushroom or the fu-pa 14 🙂

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Washingtonian 13 January, 2014 - 7:40 pm

I just want to THANK YOU for recommending fu-pa 14 a few months ago for applying mineral powder foundation. I absolutely love it and cannot live without it. Looking forward to reading more about make-up brushes in 2014 on your blog.

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Sweet make up temptations 14 January, 2014 - 1:40 pm

Fantastic, happy you are loving it! thank you for your feedback 🙂
same for me, it has become a daily brush now!
in 2014 there will be plenty!! 🙂 thank you for your interest!! <3

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Alison 15 January, 2014 - 2:59 pm

Eee! I’d love to hear another review – have you used yours with finishing powder, Washingtonian?

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Washingtonian 15 January, 2014 - 9:16 pm

Hi, Alison

The finishing powder i use is Guerlain Meteorites balls and Guerlain Crazy compact and I have used fu-pa 14 for both and it works nicely. Since fu-pa 14 is quite dense, on a daily basis, I use fu-pa 14 with mineral powder foundation and I use hakuhodo J104 for Guerlain Meteorites. J104 is bigger and less dense than fu-pa 14. J104 was recommended to me by Sonia, of course. Thanks again, Sonia! 🙂

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Carlyn 17 January, 2014 - 4:56 am

Just received the Fu-pa 14 and I’m so in love with the softness and density of it. I also just got an email from cdjapan that they will be having a 20% of sale on Fu-pa brushes starting Jan 20th, 2014. I wanted to share that with your readers who are interested in this and other Fu-pa brushes since it will be a good time to buy them. I wish I had known about this sale before I placed my order. Oh well, someone else can have the benefit. I may just buy it in black since I got it in white:)

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Sweet make up temptations 18 January, 2014 - 7:18 pm

yes I saw that too, thank you 🙂
I don’t think this will cover all the FU-pa brushes but I hope or at least some very interesting ones!
I have the white and the black and both get to be busy!! 😉
thanks again for sharing!

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Carlyn 28 January, 2014 - 9:42 pm

You’re right, it applied only to a couple of brushes that I am not interested in. I did go ahead and ordered it in black since I love my white one so much and I finally caved and ordered the White Mushroom as well, don’t know what I’ll use it for though, crazy huh?

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Sweet make up temptations 30 January, 2014 - 8:18 am

I use mine very often but I am afraid of damaging it… I am certain you will find a way 🙂
Shame the discount is not on the others..

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Kay 19 February, 2014 - 9:27 am

Hi Sonia,

Thought I would give you feedback on the two black Fupa 14 I purchased Dec 30 and Feb 9. Since you mentioned somewhere that your white Fupa 14 felt like it was less dense than your original black, I thought I would stick with the black as a backup.

Surprise, surprise! The first feels nice and directional like my Z1 but the second feels much softer and spreads out more. It also has a slightly flatter top which doesn’t feel quite as perfect. When I squeeze just the hair part of the brush, the second has a larger diameter. To me, it feels like the second has more squirrel hair and less goat. I was hoping for a dupe but guess that didn’t happen! It’s not that bad, just unexpected.

BTW, I started using my medium Hakuhodo Kokutan kinoko made of all goat Saikoho for mineral foundation application and it works very well. The very round top is a nice shape for this purpose but I have to remember to use it on the slant, not perpendicular to my skin, as it is not as soft as the Fupa 14. Yeah! After 3 years, I finally found a good use for this pretty brush!

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Karen 16 March, 2014 - 11:46 am

Thank you for the fabulous brush reviews! I just purchased the black Fupa, the pink fan brush, and a heart shaped lavender colored brush because it was on sale. Will report back with my results once they arrive. Thanks for the heads up on long delivery times. I have ONE Hakuhodo brush I adore!!! Thank you again for such great info!! Karen

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Sweet make up temptations 17 March, 2014 - 8:12 pm

My pleasure Karen! you got there a winning couple, I am certain you will enjoy them a lot! I don’t own the heart one though, yet 🙂

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Introduction to Brushes | Makeup for Beginners 4 July, 2014 - 6:56 pm

[…] Koyudo Fu-Pa 14 ($59) – gray squirrel/baby goat chest hair – soft, dense and large, with a mostly flat top […]

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shinmina 26 November, 2014 - 3:40 pm

hi sonia! hope you don’t mind me asking questions on old posts. the fu-pa 14 is one of the first natural hair brushes i’ve purchased, but i’m finding that it doesn’t look nearly as fluffy as yours! it’s also my only squirrel brush so i’m not sure, but does it find that it doesn’t apply well on slightly sticky skin?

i use loads of skincare and sunscreen because of my dehydrated/combo oily skin type, and usually use liquid foundations, but some days i want to use mineral foundations too. but i find that the trace bits of moisture on my face make the squirrel hair bristles stick together, and it doesn’t really come out when i wipe it a microfiber cloth. any tips?

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Lisa 27 February, 2015 - 4:23 am

I just received the white FU-PA14 and it definitely isn’t as dense as shown in Sonia’s photo, which was posted in April 2013. The release date on CDJapan for the current FU-PA14s is Dec 2013. They look like two different brushes.

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Sweet Make-Up Temptations 1 March, 2015 - 10:23 pm

Hi Lisa,
Did you get the white FU-pa14 ? (white handle). It looks like several people found it less dense (more squirrel hair, less goat hair) than the black handle one… but it should be the same… I have a white handle one and it feels softer and slightly less dense than the black handle.

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Free 25 December, 2016 - 2:05 am

Hi. Which would be better for MAC MSF, the fupa01 or fupa14?? I’m currently using a MAC 168 and i’m happy with it…. Thanks in advance!

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Sandra 31 December, 2017 - 9:05 am

Dear Sonia, I was thinking about buying the z 1 (which is sooo expensive) . Therefore I am really happy that you recommended the Koyudo Fupa 14 as a really good alternative. Thank you so much!! I am really happy that I have exlored your great blog – you really do an amazing job!! One question: do you have a recommendation where I can buy the Koyudo Fupa 14? I am bit hesitant to shop at CD Japan cause I was reading in somewhere that there are unexpected costs… But if you could recommend this online shop I am fine with it. Many thanks in advance and all the best for 2018. Hope to read a lot of more new posts from your side 🙂 Thank you, Sandra

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Sonia G. 31 December, 2017 - 9:24 am

Hi Sandra,
Thanks, happy it helped! 🙂
I think if you use other concierge services it may equal the same price because they also have commission and most of them (all that I know) won’t reduce the price for the customs…
You can by from Koyudo too but I also think same prices.
Otherwise here sometimes they have better offers but still you have taxes (depending on your country) at the arrival…
https://www.a-janaika-japan.com/beauty-and-heath/make-up-brushes/koyudo/powder-brushes/fu-pa14-gray-squirrel-powder-brush-koyudo-fu-pa-series-black.html
Don’t hesitate to email them if you want to ask them, they usually reply fast (unless it’s close 🙂
lots of love and I wish you all the best for 2018 🙂

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