The year of the rabbit is approaching and so is Koyudo’s Holiday collection!
For this Holiday, Koyudo is releasing two limited edition sets, both sets featuring little bunnies.
The sets have different aesthetics, one is a more fun kawai colorful design, the other is a more elegant traditional design.
I have received these two sets from Koyudo as a gift. I wanted to share some details about the brushes, a few pics and comparisons, hoping this helps you!
These sets will launch towards the end of December 2022 on Beautylish.
Set #1 – Rabbit Jumping on the Moon
The straight handles have a blue to white gradation with a pearly finish that continues onto the white brass ferrule.
On one side, there is an illustration of a rabbit jumping on the moon. On the other side we read the name of Koyudo’s master artisan “Yoshiki”, it has been applied in yellow. The red Hanko besides his name is the Hanko for the rabbit year.
There are also little elements applied all over the handle, the snow and the flakes are printed in white, the little stars in translucent white.
When you touch the handle you can feel these tiny elements but they have been applied under the coating. I have asked them because I was wondering if these would stay put and they confirmed they were placed underneath, which adds extra protection.
The brushes
The bristles are white saikoho goat with a dye that comes from Japanese green alder, it’s called Yashabushi. It gives these bristles a grey hue, and they are darker at the tips.
| Brush | Total length | Hair length |
| Face Brush | 158mm | 38mm |
| Big eyeshadow brush | 141mm | 16mm |
| Small eyeshadow brush | 132mm | 7mm |
The price of the set will be 145usd.
The face Brush
The shape of this face brush is slanted. I think that Koyudo used to call this type of brush shape “3D”.
This is not a brush to use in circular motions but instead, swiping it either sideways (left to right), or paddle-style with the shorter side leading the way. It has some firmness, so the bristles won’t splay out or flex out of control.
In terms of purpose, it’s great for blush, contour and even highlighter. It’s possible to work with its large side, or with the tip of the brush – handy when applying highlighter as the placement remains precise enough.
The most similar brush in Koyudo’s collection is the BP019. The shape is a little different as the BP019 has a sharper side and a wider, flatter surface.
I am not sure if this BP019 brush is still available today. It was sokoho goat grade, quite coarse bristles in comparison to this new saikoho holiday brush.
The face brush in this holiday set is narrower at the top, this increases a lot its versatility, and it’s much softer too.
The big eye brush
The bigger eye brush has a very tapered, pointy shape. I have always loved this type of shapes but they have to be very soft, if not, a tapered shape like this can feel quite pokey during placement and blending.
I have used this brush a couple of times and it was fine, it was a very good surprise as I could use it without feeling discomfort. It’s not as soft as squirrel, but I have squirrel brushes that aren’t as soft as this… Softness appreciation is going to be different for each person, and batches can also differ slightly.
You can use the tip or the sides to apply the product and blend. Depending on the angle it will allow to target a different area. For example for the transition shade, you could hold it upside down and it will only apply the product on the upper eye area.
It has nice density, it’s not floppy so it allows for an easy placement and blending.
I have used it on the entire eye area, for the transition shade (upper crease), also to intensify the outer v and to deepen the crease.
Then, for the bottom lashline, or to darken the outer v with more precision, I have switched to the smaller eye brush below.
The smaller eye brush
It’s a pencil type of brush, very short and tapered, it’s soft, with movement and doesn’t drag the skin.
It’s ideal for the bottom lashline, the inner corner of eye or the outer v.
The bigger brush on this set will struggle to target a placement when we need to pack a product just on the inner third of the mobile lid for example, it’s nice to have these two options, big and small, they make a great team.
If you are not used to this type of brushes, with this very tapered shape, it’s good to know that when the brush is wet (when you are washing it), it’s normal that the ferrule feels kind of “empty”, you will feel a gap in between the ferrule and the bristles.
Set #2 – Rabbits and Plums
Here is the second set, 3 brushes all bundled with red squirrel bristles.
These brushes showcase a mother of pearl rabbit and plum flowers. The bigger brush has the plums and also the twigs, the two smaller brushes just the plum flowers.
On the other side of the handle you can read the name of the master artisan “Yoshiki” printed in gold, and there is also the Hanko for the rabbit year applied in red.
The handles are Japanese cherry wood coated in black lacquer. These are shaped like their usual handles, they call them chopstick style handles, but they are longer than before.
I picked up some of the previous Koyudo brushes that I have in my collection, this shows you the difference in length. The handle on the face brush (without the ferrule) is 8cm long. The handles on the eye brushes (without the ferrule) are 9cm long.
| Brush | Total length | Hair length |
| Face Brush | 152mm | 32mm |
| Big eyeshadow brush | 148mm | 18mm |
| Medium eyeshadow brush | 141mm | 16mm |
The price of the set will be 325 usd.
The face brush
The face brush has a round ferrule and a rounded shape.
To give you a better idea of its size, the Chikuhodo Z4 has a different ferrule (slightly pinched) and with the Z4 there is more brush surface in contact with the skin in comparison to the Koyudo which is smaller, and remains more directional and focussed on a smaller area.
The Koyudo’s ferrule is the same diameter as the Chikuhodo R-C2, the Surratt and the Chikuhodo Noel, the length of the bristles is about the same too. What changes most is the feeling of density, the Koyudo doesn’t feel as densely packed as these here. However, there is strength and enough firmness at the top to make this brush very effective.
The big eye brush
This big eye brush has a pinched thick ferrule and substantial density.
It covers the entire area from the crease up to my brows on one swipe but I don’t have much space to cover!
If we zoom on its shape sideways, we can see where the layers start, there is still thickness and density at the top.
The medium eye brush
This brush has quite a lot of flexibility, it’s kind of wispy and doesn’t have much resistance. It will apply a soft wash of colour.
If we zoom on its shape sideways, you can see the thinness of the tip, it tappers to a sharp point.
This size is appropriate for the mobile lid but keep in mind that the layers of bristles start near the base of the brush, it makes the top quite wispy and flexible. The control it allows is moderate so if you need to place a color with precision and strength, it may have too much movement.
On the other hand, if you like wispy type of brushes, this is awesome.
These sets are very different from each other, not only in terms of design.
The eyebrushes in the first set are more determined in comparison to the second set but the face brushes of both sets are quite amazing and versatile. These two sets give us two different interesting options!
I think that set #1 allows for more creativity and more interesting looks, however, set #2 is a must for brush lovers, that round face brush is quite exceptional.
Packaging
Each set comes in a paulownia box with a little leaflet. This makes for a very beautiful gift!
You may have noticed that I don’t get to post often, I am happy when I get to sit and show you beautiful new releases! My passion for fude and crafstmanship is still going very strong, and probably even stronger than ever, my only issue is finding the time.
I hope that you are well and that this short post will be helpful!
UPDATE 15 February 2023:
The Plum Blossom set will be back on stock on the 15 February 2023
The Jumping on the Moon set (the blue one) will be back in stock beginning of March 2023
7 comments
Hi Sonia! Thanks for sharing these, the face brush from Set 2 is intriguing and the small eye brush looks like the Zen-5. But I am more interested on getting any new brushes you’d be releasing soon, so will likely skip these. Happy holidays!
Hi Chey, thank you for your comment and taking time to stop by 🙂 I will publish the details about the holiday collection next Wednesday, I just need to get a couple of details first! but it’s almost time so that’s good 🙂 thank you again, I really appreciate your love and support! I wish you a wonderful weekeend!!
Both sets look stunning and so interesting. They both appear to have very thoughtful unique design elements. The nice part is every brush is useful.
Both sets look stunning, I just don’t know if I like the baby blue handles. The second set is gorgeous and would love to get my hands on those brushes
I so enjoy reading your blogs regarding your travels and future launches! Thank you Sonia for sharing ur passion. It is with great admiration and gratitude to take part in owning a piece of this artistry! Cariños!
Being born on December 1st, 1963, I am very excited to see the new brushes for the year of the Rabbit! Looking forward to the release of the black handle set.
Do you know when the sets are expected to be for sale on the site?