Review: NARS Yachiyo Blush Brush

The Yachiyo. Ah, the stuff legends are made of. This is like the unicorn of the blush brush world. Magical and mystical, and sometimes you wonder if it's too good to be true. I spent a LONG time contemplating whether or not to splurge for this (2 years?), and when I lost my old blush brush, I figured I'd start investing in my makeup brushes instead of continually buying cheap, low-quality brushes (although, not all inexpensive brushes are bad quality). I'm about as frugal as my 80 year old grandmother, so this was an INVESTMENT for me, for sure. Here's the breakdown:

Specs:

-Brush head made of goat hair

-Handle wrapped in wisteria

Cost:

$50

Availability:

You can purchase at department stores, such as Neiman Marcus or on the NARS website.

Review:

While the price is steep, this brush handles pigmented blush in a way that puts dual-fiber/skunk/stippling brushes to shame. It's got a unique brush head, which is quite dense, but tapered. It's not as soft as, say, my MAC 168, but it gives a very natural finish, so I can forgive a little scratchiness. I've tried applying NARS Taj Mahal using both the Yachiyo and the Sonia Kashuk dupe of the MAC 187, and the Yachiyo wins hands down. A light hand can only do so much sometimes...While other brushes can make blush appear a little splotchy or too pigmented (requiring 10 minutes of buffing), this applies just the right amount quickly.


The handle might feel "flimsy" to some; it's not heavy, like some brushes you may be accustomed to. This is what makes it difficult to apply too much blush. I haven't encountered any problems with the handle, though. This is one of my favorite blush brushes to date.


Recommendation:
I wouldn't say this is a MUST if you already have a few blush brushes you love, but if you have trouble making highly pigmented blushes look subtle or natural, this would be a perfect solution. Because of the tapered brush head, it makes a good blush brush and contouring brush. It offers great control over how much product you apply, so it's a brush that does a lot of  different jobs--and well.

Grade:

9/10