Gwen's Secret Diary

Goat

Saikoho (chest hair): one of the the highest levels of hair that many Kumano fude companies use in their most expensive lines such as the Hakuhodo vermillion and kokutan series, and some of the J series, Chikuhodo Takumi, and Koyudo Fuwa Fuwa. The hair is extremely soft and smooth, so even those with sensitive skin can use this type of hair.

Note: Saibikoho (chest hair) is the highest grade of undyed goat hair, however, it is even rarer than saikoho and costs a lot more. It is comparable to squirrel hair in the softness and fragileness.

Tankoho: a hair type that is not often seen, it is finer and softer than sokoho and CDJapan has recently brought back the Fu-Pa01 in undyed tankoho hair. The Fu-Pa LMPG is one of my favorite brushes, which is also made out of tankoho hair.

Sokoho (chest hair): more abundant and is used in less expensive brush lines such as the Chikuhodo Passion series and Houkodou bronze line. The hair is long, thin and soft. If you have sensitive skin, the dyed versions are not the softest goat hair so they may feel a bit prickly.

Hakutotsuho (shoulder and forefoot hair): provides moderate elasticity and durability, the hair is pretty soft. The Koyudo BP and Fu-Pa lines use this type of hair.

Ototsuho (shoulder hair): short and thin, this hair has a nice spring and is usually less expensive (besides the Koyomo Pink Nadeshiko series).

*if you want the best, buy saikoho and if you don’t really care, buy the ones lower on the list.

細微光峰 Saibikoho (Chest)
Saibikoho hair is selected from Saikoho only the finest soft hairs. So its soft like squirrel
Because of that it has a rare material, and it is very expensive.
Acquisition is difficult

細光峰 Saikoho (Chest)
Saikoho has softer and more delicate hair than that of Sokoho.
It is hard to find and quite rare and expensive.

租光峰 Sokoho (Chest)
Sokoho is long, thin, and soft.

短光峰 Tankoho (Area ?)
It's shorter, thinner and more delicate than Sokoho.

白尖峰 Hakutotsuho (Shoulder and Forefoot side)
It has moderate elasticity and durability.

黄尖峰 Ototsuho (Shoulder)
The short and thin Ototsuho has a nice texture, elasticity and coloration.

上爪峰 Jotsumeho (Stomach and legs)
Jotsumeho is rather rough and elastic, suitable for firm brushing.

細長鋒 Saichoho (Back)
Saichoho is similar to Sokoho but slightly rougher.
Easy to form a full shape and excels at coloration.

(Kanji?) Otoho (hair between back and stomack)
It is perfect for applying makeup on complicated areas such as around nostril.
It is usually inexpensive compared to other goat hairs

羊尾 (ヤンオ) Yano (Tail)
Yano is water-resistant and suitable for liquid-based products.

Here is a pic were i tried to find all the goat types from Haku and Koyudo.
I couldnt sort in Saibikoho, Tankoho and Otoho.

Squirrel

Red squirrel: extremely rare, soft and fragile, the hairs are great for highly pigmented products because it will not over apply the color and leave a natural finish. Red squirrel hairs are the softest I have ever felt.

Blue squirrel: similar to red squirrel except feels firmer and not as fragile.

Gray squirrel: more resilient than both red and blue squirrel. Sometimes people will call blue and gray squirrel the same thing. The most common squirrel hair for makeup brushes.

Canadian squirrel: rare and expensive, the hairs have good elasticity and are easy to handle. More resilient and elastic than the squirrel hairs mentioned above.

Pine Squirrel: Firm enough to handle applying most powder products nicely. Applies more pigment than red, blue, and gray squirrel hairs. The least soft among squirrel hairs.

* pine and gray squirrel are the least expensive. Canadian squirrel has the most spring and hair thickness. The easiest to maintain are pine and Canadian squirrel.

Horse/Pony: the hairs are glossy, silky, and surprisingly soft. Some of them are on par with undyed goat sokoho.

Kolinsky/Weasel/Sable: rare, non-absorbent, and elastic, kolinsky hairs are great for cream bases and soft pressed/thin eyeshadow formulas. Some people love it for liquid foundation.

Badger: usually reserved for eyebrow brushes, they are thick and firm.

Synthetic: soft, doesn’t absorb as much product, great for liquids, and easy to maintain.

Goat, horse, kolinsky/weasel, badger, and synthetic are all pretty resilient and don’t have to be babied. They will apply pigmented products relatively easily besides synthetic, which doesn’t pick up powder as nicely as natural hairs. Goat hair is the most versatile since it can be used for any kind of product from liquid to powder and applies products with moderate to heavy finishes, depending on the brush. This means that you will be able to pick up and apply more product in one sweep with a goat brush than squirrel. It’s great for those with oily and combination skin, but I also recommend saikoho, tankoho, sokoho, and hakutotsuho for all skin types. Being able to pick up more product means goat hairs will apply a denser layer of product (i.e., setting powder and hence control the oil better). Squirrel is for the most part, delicate and recommended for those with dry and sensitive skin types. It can only be used with powder products, do not use it with liquid or cream, it will damage the bristles. Squirrel hair leaves a natural and soft finish.

Goat hair - all skin types, but especially recommended for oily and combination skin types

Squirrel - dry, sensitive skin

Kolinksy - normal, oily, combination, dry

Badger - all skin types

Synthetic - all skin types