Review of Mikasa Techni Makeup Brushes

Thank you to Mikasa Beauty for providing the O1 Brush free and a 40% discount on the other brushes discussed in this post. As always, my thoughts and ideas are 100% mine and based on my actual experiences with the products.

I own a lot of makeup brushes, including high-end, mid-range, and less expensive brands. While it’s true that you don’t have to spend a fortune to get good makeup brushes, sometimes you just want to reach for a solid, higher-end brush.

Over the past six weeks, I've been testing some high-end makeup brushes made by Mikasa Beauty. According to the Mikasa website, the brand's mission is "to dedicate its passion in delivering the right tools to help reflect your beauty" and wants us to use "the right tools for a flawless experience."

The brushes I've been using are from Mikasa’s Techni Line. The Techni line consists of five brushes that I collectively refer to as “oval brushes,” even though they aren’t all oval in shape. These are brushes with soft, densely packed synthetic bristles and flexible handles that are designed to apply liquid, cream, and powder products with ease.

As shown below, there are three oval brushes: The O6 Oval Brush (measuring 1 1/2” x 1 1/8" and selling for $35), the O2 Oval Brush (measuring 1 1/4” x 7/8" and selling for $25), and the O1 Oval Brush (measuring 3/4” x 1/2" and selling for $25).

Next, there's the L2 Linear Brush, which measures 1” x 1/8" and sells for $20.

Finally, there's the C2 Circle Brush, which measures 1/4” in diameter and sells for $25.

You can purchase the O6 Oval, O2 Oval, L2 Linear, and C2 Circle brushes as a 4-Piece Set that sells for $90 (a $15 savings over buying the brushes separately). The O1 Oval Brush is available only as a single.

How I Like To Use The Brushes:

I absolutely love to use the O6 Oval Brush (the largest one) for applying my foundation. My usual practice is to pump or pour some foundation onto the back of my hand, then dip the brush into the foundation and apply to my face. I find that using the O6 Brush in this fashion applies my foundation in a nice, even layer without streaking or leaving blotchy areas behind. I was amazed the first time I used the O6 Brush at how immediately even my foundation looked as I applied it.

What about concealer? I am obsessed with using the O1 Oval Brush and O2 Oval Brush for concealer. I use the O1 Oval Brush (the smaller of the two) for dotting on my concealers that don’t come with applicators (like my MAC Pro Longwear Concealer) and blending close to the eye. I use the O2 Oval Brush (since it is a little larger) to blend out the concealer I dot around my nose and down the bridge of my nose.

The C2 Circle Brush comes in handy when I want to apply highlighting powder to my brow bone. Previously, I had been using my finger to apply highlighter or a shimmery eyeshadow right under my brow, but the C2 Brush works even better, adding a nice sheer wash of shimmer there.

And finally, although I am not one to use cream contour and don’t use any of the brushes for this purpose, I have found the L2 Linear Brush to be useful for contouring my nose with sculpting powder. I softly apply two contour lines down the bridge of my nose with the L2 Brush and blend away!

Other Things I Like About The Techni Brushes:

The bristles: The synthetic bristles on the Techni Brushes both smoothly and evenly apply liquid product without streaking. And because the bristles are so densely packed, I find that I don't lose too much product in the bristles during application.

The ergonomics: The Techni Brushes are lightweight and the handles and brush heads are flexible and have a little "give," which is nice because this helps me apply product with a light touch and avoid rubbing product into the skin.

Ease of cleanup: If you’ve never owned brushes of this style before, you should know that it takes a bit of effort to clean the bristles because they are so dense. You have to suds them a few times, but they do come nice and clean and the bristles stand up well to repeated cleanings. I’ve already cleaned mine several times and they are as good as new. The handles clean easily, too. I occasionally get foundation or concealer on the handles and it wipes right off without staining.

My Final Thoughts:

I have thoroughly enjoyed using these makeup brushes - in particular I love the  06 Oval Brush for applying foundation - and I didn't find anything about the line to be objectionable. They are great quality brushes and performed well for me. My makeup routine is pretty basic (i.e., I don't use cream blush or contour), and still I found a use for every brush in the Techni Line. But if you do use cream products, I bet the O1 Brush and the O2 Brush would be great for that use. As for me, I will definitely continue to use these makeup brushes as part of my regular makeup routine.

Have you used any of the Mikasa Techni Brushes, and if so, what have your experiences been?

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