Sonia G Update – Spring Summer 2023

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Hi!! First of all, I hope you are well!
I am finally at a stage where I can share an update on what is happening with the collections and here I am with some news! So, let’s talk about the restocks and also share a little sneak peek of the upcoming launches!

THE RESTOCKS

The Niji Pro

The Niji Pro is the first to be back in stock and I think this will happen just in time for the Beautylish Spring into Summer event!

The Niji Pro was launched on November 2021 for the first time and it has been restocked a few times since then. Unfortunately, this time it comes with an increase in price, taking the brush to 95$. This increase could not be avoided- we have no buffer to absorb the higher costs related to the saikoho goat materials.

For this restock, I noticed that the selection of Niji Pro brushes that I received from this new batch are a bit more fluffy, opening up a little bit more in comparison to the previous batches – although you may not notice a significant difference, but it’s worth mentioning it.

Make sure you are following me on Instagram so that I can let you know when this brush is available again!

There is a mini version of this Niji Pro in the Big Keyaki Minis, some of you asked me if the Minis will be restocked again, so I can confirm here that it is not planned.

If you purchased Sonia G brushes before, you may have seen the Kumano sticker on the plastic sleeve of each brush, however, this Niji Pro does not come with that Kumano sticker and here is the reason why:

Sonia G brushes are crafted by several manufacturers, which we select based on what they do best, their production capacities and what we are trying to achieve.

We chose a few years back to add the Kumano “K” stickers to our brushes to promote Kumano’s fude-making legacy – this was by no means an obligation but a choice we made. The serial number allows us to trace the brushes back to their original order and the batch of the hair used. Based on these serial numbers we can either track any production issues – should they arise, or should we ever have to question the origin of a brush, we can confirm if it belongs to an order we placed or not.

Kumano “K” stickers are only supplied to brushes with “tips” manufactured in Kumano Town.

As we mentioned above, we are supplied by several manufacturers and each brush batch could potentially come from a different manufacturer based on the quality of their production and the quality of the hair available to them at a given time. In the case of the Niji Pro brush for example- at the moment the manufacturer is not based in Kumano Town and, because of that, is not eligible for the “K” sticker. They are however highly renowned in Japan. You’ll also notice neither the Jumbo Bronzer nor the Hinoki set come with the sticker.

We aim to produce the best quality brushes and have the honor of having many contacts and friends working in different manufacturers. To achieve our target, we will choose the best matched manufacturer for a given task in and out of Kumano. 

I have already mentioned this in the past but it’s good to mention it again as I see many new customers joining who may not be aware of this.

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The Pro Eye set

After the Niji Pro restock, we should have a restock of the Pro and the Sky Eye sets. The restock will happen on the 13th of June at 10am PT.

The price will remain the same for this restock and the brushes will restocked as a set and individually.

If you are new to my brushes, the Pro Eye set comes with 5 brushes, here is a front view of these 5 brushes:

Below is a close up of the 5 brushes placed sideways. Having a look at them sideways will show you the thickness and the shape at the very top. If the brushes have a pinched ferrule the sideways view will be indicative of the precision and control you can achieve with the brush. The Worker Pro and the Builder Pro have pinched ferrules, the Blender Pro, Crease Pro and Pencil Pro have round ferrules.
With use, the brushes may open up and their shape may slightly differ from what it was at the very beginning. The brushes I used for these pics are my own brushes (washed) and unless I am using a recent one from a newer batch, most of them have been used quite a lot.

The Sky Eye set

The set and the individuals will restock at the same time as the Pro Eye set. The restock will happen on the 13th of June at 10am PT. The price will remain the same for this restock.

If you are new to my brushes, and you don’t know which one of these sets to start with -should you consider to start with a set- I would say that the Pro Eye set was designed to be more determined with the placement and the blending, meaning most of the brushes are denser or have less movement in the bristles, the Sky Eye set has brushes with more airiness and are easier to start with.

The Sky Eye set has brushes that are more appropriate for smaller or hooded eyes if this is something that is missing in your collection. When we need to work on a smaller area or apply and blend a shadow on skin that is not as tight or smooth, the Mini Booster is of great help. It’s soft but it has strength at the very top so it’s super easy to work exactly where we want to.
Then, the Flat Definer can be a mini laydown brush – or it could also be a liner or smudger, even though it has enough firmess, it still has movement so it won’t pull or skip on the skin.

Or if you prefer, you can pick the ones that better fit your needs since they will all be available individually!

Here are some sideways close ups of the Sky Eye brushes to give you a better idea of their shape. The Jumbo Blender, the Soft Shader and the Flat Definer have pinched ferrules. The Classic Crease and the Mini Booster have round ferrules.

Pro and Sky Face brushes

The 4 face brushes below are still in production at the moment, we don’t have a precise date of delivery but it could be end June or July, it can change depending on the manufacturer but for now it’s on track.

They may come with an increase in price but we did our best to keep the increase to the minimum.

There was a mini version of this Buffer Pro in the Big Keyaki Minis and just like I mentioned in the Niji Pro section, I can confirm here that a restock of the Keyaki Minis is not planned.

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A RESTOCK WITH A CHANGE

The Fundamentals

I loved them, but part of me was dreaming of a subtle yet stunning wood handle, natural, where we could appreciate the aesthetics of the wood grain.

The handle design is similar to the current Pro and Sky series but the thickness had to be adapted to the specific requirements of this walnut wood.

In the face set, there will be 6 brushes in total, 4 of them are previous designs that were part of the Fundamentals and 2 of them will be a surprise.

I hope that you will love these handles as much as I do. When I saw them for the very first time I was speachless, they took my breath away because of the wood. The work done on the handles is also one of a kind and the grain makes each handle stand out to be so unique and special.

If all goes smoothly, the face set will be launched during the summer, even though at this stage in the production it’s too early to confirm.

We cannot confirm if these new Fundamental brushes will be permanent or limited edition. This is due to the availability, the cost and work related in particular to the handles. Walnut wood has increased in price (a lot) in the last 2 years and when we add the work of the artisan, that makes for two factors that can make these brushes difficult to restock in the longer term.

By the way, the Walnut brush holder is in production but it may take still 4 months to come. It will come with an increase in price as well, the minimum, but it’s an increase nonetheless.

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NEW LAUNCHES

There is a little launch coming. This new brush is called the Sheer Buffer and it’s a brush that has been in the works for a very long time, there is a dedicated post here. If you are interested, the launch will happen on the 13th of June at 10am PT.

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CURRENTLY WORKING ON…

At this moment we are working on some special projects, so the ones I mentioned above will not be the only ones you will see this year but we cannot share the details yet. I hope I can share more information in the near future!

Also, together with the artisans we are working on the Holiday 2023 projects and we hope that you will love what is coming!

Since you asked me also about the Companions (the Brush Book, Double Decker, Portable Brush Holder), I cannot yet confirm what is coming or when, but I am also working on this to make it possible!

I hope this update was helpful and gave you a better idea of what restocks are coming soon! If you have any questions about brushes or items I did not mention in this update, please do not hesitate to get in touch and ask me. A huge thank you for your trust, for supporting me and the artisans behind these brushes!

With love,

Sonia