Lumiere • kabuki brush • Makeup Brushes

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tonkabeane on 11/6/2009 10:16:00 PM more reviews by tonkabeane

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I am actually reviewing two Lumiere kabuki brushes: one from the prebuy sale of 2007 and one from the prebuy sale in early 2009. The two kabuki brushes are very different.

The kabuki from the prebuy sale of 2007: This is my favorite brush. It applies foundation perfectly. The bristles are uber dense and packed, yet in the two years that I have owned it, it has lost about 5 bristles. I bought it for like $8, which is ideal for my college student budget. BTW, it's total length is approximately 2 3/4 inches and bristles are approximately 1 1/2 inches.

The kabuki from the prebuy earlier this year was a huge disappointment! The day I got it, it lost at least 5 bristles! And the bristles are longer than my original kabuki and definitely nowhere near as dense as my original kabuki. I'm just glad I didn't pay a whole lot for it. To be positive though, it is useful for dusting off excess eyeshadow that falls on my cheeks and dusting a layer of finishing powder.

Honestly, I'm reluctant to order another kabuki from Lumiere for fear of being sadly disappointed. I know on the new prebuy sale the kabuki is listed with the same measurements as my first kabuki though.

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StarryEyeSurprise on 5/6/2009 12:31:00 PM more reviews by StarryEyeSurprise

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

It seems I always get into buying products before they start getting overhyped lol (with everyday minerals, coastal scents etc) which is good cos I think the prices have increased loll

Anyway...I bought this at the start of 2007 sometime and it's awesome

SUPER soft, dense and applies like a freakin dream <3

It's really small though, but great quality, so much better than the brush set I got from coastal scents in the same period.

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*TOP REVIEWER* girlndocs on 4/23/2009 4:32:00 PM more reviews by girlndocs

Age: 30-35   Skin: Sensitive, Fair   Hair: Other, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Grey    

I was really surprised (although I probably shouldn't have been) at what a difference this brush made applying my mineral foundation. It's super velvety, just incredibly soft, and lays down & blends a beautiful layer of makeup.

The down side and the only thing I'm not happy about is that mine sheds. A LOT. I'm pretty disappointed about that, since I assume each of the brushes was inspected prior to sending them out -- I can totally accept that sometimes in a run of thousands of brushes you have a few that aren't up to spec. But I wouldn't think you would send those out, you know?


I guess the only thing to do is wait and see if the shedding stops -- I really do like the brush otherwise and the price was certainly right.


EDIT: At the advice I got, I contacted Kim about the shedding and she immediately and cheerfully told me to send it back to she could replace it, so that's been resolved!


EDIT 2012: I've been using this brush for 3 years now? Wow. It's still holding up beautifully with no shedding and gives my powder a velvety finish like no other. Still loving it.

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Boa_Elva on 10/27/2008 1:52:00 AM more reviews by Boa_Elva

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Black    

I bought this kabuki brush from their pre sale activity. It's cheap as they directly order from their manufacturer. This brush does it job very well and can blend the mineral makeup so well, that ur pores, blemish can be conceal almost perfectly.

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sg_noangel on 7/30/2008 1:45:00 AM more reviews by sg_noangel

Age: 19-24   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

Helps to apply a light covering of loose powder. Quite a dense brush, soft bristles and does have enough give to blend out the powder. Find it has difficulty reaching small areas. This brush hasn't shed on me yet but the Lumiere Long Handled Kabuki has. Has a lovely soft feel on the face.
think it's a good starter kabuki due to the price.

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*TOP REVIEWER* Treasa on 4/19/2008 10:34:00 PM more reviews by Treasa

Age: 44-55   Skin: Very Dry, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brown, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

This brush is nice but it is not as good as the Everyday Mineral long handle kabuki brush. I bought it recently but find that i have only used it once(while i was waiting for my everyday mineral brushes to dry after i had washed them)

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myoubi on 4/7/2008 8:12:00 PM more reviews by myoubi

Age: 19-24   Skin: Sensitive, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

This brush is not bad. It does the job I want it to -- applying my MMU. But it has problems. The hair on my buki is uneven -- it is not a smooth rounded dome shape, which actually does make some difference in terms of product application. It's also synthetic, which means that the fibres have a little more "give" than animal hairs which are more springy and thus do a somewhat better job of applying evenly. It's also a royal pain in the butt to clean. Last, the lumiere buki is a little too floppy for my taste. If the hairs were shorter and set closer to the base of the brush, the brush would be less squishy/malleable -- again, better for MMU.
The good part is that the fibres are unbelievably soft, much softer than any natural brushes I've tried. It's never shed, not even once. And given how inexpensive the Lumiere kabuki is compared to other kabuki brushes on the market, I'd say it's worth the money. While it's not perfect, it does the job I want it to so I'd buy it again.

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Rovi on 3/13/2008 8:06:00 AM more reviews by Rovi

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

This brush is amazing, it’s so so soft. I've never seen such a quality brush at such a low price. Mineral makeup is still a new thing to me and this brush makes it so easy for me to apply. I also bought one for my sister and she uses it to apply her MAC pressed powder foundation - she was very impressed with how it made her face look and feel! The brush is a little too big to use around my eye area so I use the Baby Buki which I’ve found to be better for concentrating on blemishes and eye area. Next on my list is the Lumiere Buffer Brush (waiting for it to be available again) and another Original Kabuki :)

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*TOP REVIEWER* tuffins on 3/5/2008 12:35:00 AM more reviews by tuffins

Age: 19-24   Skin: Dry, Olive   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

Ok I own 3 of these little babies. I rotate them because they take so damn long to dry! They are beautifully plush and soft and distribute my MM (lumiere flawless face) exceptionally. I also own the retractable kabuki and that it excellent also. I definatly will repurchase it my other ones die, but I don't see that happening any time soon. It's my little make-up work horse, and it totally delivers!

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violoniste on 2/16/2008 12:44:00 PM more reviews by violoniste

Age: 25-29   Skin: Very Oily, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

Had no clue what a difference using a highly reviewed kabuki would make in my application of MMU. (Thanks MUA!) Not only does my MMU look a whole lot better; it feels indulgent and soothing to apply it. I would certainly order another for travel or as a replacement. Incredibly soft and dense -- makes application a dream. Was formerly using BE brush which I felt was scratchy/itchy, left hairs on my face from day 1, and absorbed a lot of the powder without depositing it on my skin. I'm thinking Lumiere's blush brush should be my next stop.

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shannernanner on 2/12/2008 1:09:00 AM more reviews by shannernanner

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

I formerly had a Bobbi Brown kabuki brush, but threw it away due to its being made of animal hair. I researched synthetic kabuki brushes and found this one, which claimed to be high-quality and very soft, and indeed, it is. It is certainly comparable in quality to the BB brush, at half the price and vegan. Also, my BB brush would often shed, and this one never has.

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misschameleon on 2/3/2008 4:20:00 AM more reviews by misschameleon

Age: 19-24   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I love this kabuki!! This is seriously the best kabuki around (infinitely better than some of the leading brands I've tried). It is so velvety soft, my face loves the touch of this (and I have sensitive skin!). It is also so fine and dense - it blends in all the minerals, and I look like I'm wearing skin, not makeup. Also I adore the baby kabuki, it is just as soft and dense which is perfect for under the eye and to concentrate on areas requiring more work, so it's the perfect concealer brush. Also I've found the especially for touchups later in the day, and it's so portable so it saves me from having to carry the bigger one around. Both haven't shed a single hair. Highly recommended!!!

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sugar_heart on 1/31/2008 9:42:00 AM more reviews by sugar_heart

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Kinky, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

I didnt realise what i was missing out on with this brush. I had so many failed attempts at applying MMU with an ordinary powder brush, They did an ok job but i was always left with a very chalky finish so i always had to spray a bit of face mist on to take that way. I tried this brsuh for the first time today and wow, The minerals just melt into my face no chalkiness at all. Now i can get rid of all my other brushes that i dont need.

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xhanabi on 1/29/2008 3:54:00 PM more reviews by xhanabi

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I have the long handle version of this and honestly it's not bad. The bristles do feel very soft but somehow it just feels awkward and doesn't apply my foundation well. I much prefer Signature Minerals Luscious buki. Its slightly fuller and feels better on my skin. Probably going to try and sell this somewhere..

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tomlina on 1/3/2008 4:37:00 PM more reviews by tomlina

Age: 30-35   Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Cool   Hair: Blond, Curly, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

I have been trying to get the hang of mineral makeup for about a year now, but could never really get the hang of it until I got the Lumiere kabuki brush. All of the other brushes I've used have felt scratchy on my face (I have sensitive skin), so I never really buffed the minerals in like I should have leaving me with cakey looking makeup on my face. Within a couple of days of using this brush my makeup looks SO much better than it did before, basically you can't tell that I'm wearing makeup. It is incredibly soft and although I've washed it several times now I haven't lost any bristles. I think I paid around $14, which is super cheap for this kind of quality compared to any of the other brushes I've seen around. I was stricyly a natural bristle brush girl before, but now that I've experienced how soft and durable the synthetic bristles are I'm not going back! I wish it came in a cute kabuki container, but I just use the one I got with my crappy Quo kabuki after all the bristles fell out of that one.

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havenexpress on 12/22/2007 6:42:00 PM more reviews by havenexpress

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

EDIT 2.16.08
I've had more than a month to use quite a few of my pre-buy brushes and gave away half. I still think the brushes, especially the kabuki brush is very soft and dense and hasn't shedded one bit. However, I dropped two lippies because it's been very very difficult to keep the brush clean. I wash my brushes every few days.

Since I have quite a few brushes, highend/low end/synthetic/real, I don't mind the Lumiere kabuki takes two days to dry but I can't stand using the brush when it just feels and looks dirty about just one day. I almost feel as though the brush attracts dust! When I run my fingers through the bristle, I expect to see powder dust flying but I don't really see much. It's as though the powder is stuck on the brush. I really wanted this to be my HG brush because I'm trying to avoid animal hair brushes but my search goes on at this point. No matter how soft, cheap or great is this brush for applying makeup, I will not use it if I think it's going to contribute to dirty skin/clogged pores/pimples!

ORIGINAL REVIEW:
I ordered the Lumiere's prebuy special and I've been playing with these brushes since I received them yesterday, and I have to say, some were good, some seemed useless. But, the kabuki brush, was by far, my favorite. The size is large enough for buffing MMU, but not so large that you lose control. And yes, the bristle is ridiculously soft. I got to compare the regular kabuki to the long-handled kabuki, long baby buki, regular baby buki, and also the retractable kabuki. Bar none, the original kabuki brush is the best. Of course, the price is also ridiculously cheap compared to other brand names. Will update if I don't like the brushes once I've used the brushes for a longer period of time. But for now, I wholeheartedly endorse the kabuki brush.

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AnnieRocco on 12/22/2007 4:59:00 AM more reviews by AnnieRocco

Age: 19-24   Skin: Sensitive, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Brown, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Black    

lumiere's kabuki is sooooooo soft and dense! i love it! been using for almsot 6 months and its still as soft as new! love the coverage it gives too!

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esucceed on 12/17/2007 6:06:00 PM more reviews by esucceed

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Black    

This is the BEST brush I've ever had!! I am a Shu Uemura Brush fan, but I kept all my Shu brushes in the drawer after I get this. I want to order more and more for my friends, but it disappeared from the website for a month. Please please come back!!!

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ranger2 on 12/14/2007 7:40:00 PM more reviews by ranger2

Age: 25-29   Skin: Normal   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Green    

I just received the regular, retractable and long handled kabuki brushes from Lumiere, and I must say I am quite impressed. They are very dense and soft, really nice brushes. The retractable is as nice as any h/e one out there. I don't quite like the labeling on the handles, but I can let it go for the quality. I have pics in profile.

For the poster below, these were prebuy brushes so they are not yet on their site, I'm assuming they will be soon.

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smiley0987 on 12/11/2007 1:14:00 AM more reviews by smiley0987

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

Why can't I find this brush on the lumiere website? Help! I'm from Canada, and I want to order one.

Thanks

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