This brush has been with me for close to a year and I have just not got around to reviewing it. However, for once, I am glad I procrastinated and could bring to you a more wholesome review, especially its comparison to NARS Ita. This brush is known as a dupe of NARS Ita. However, you really need to try both to know how similar/different they actually are. So, is it really a dupe for one of the most iconic NARS brushes? Let’s find out:
Product Details:
The Everyday Minerals Itahake brush is full of tradition and a direct descendant of the same luxurious bamboo brushes used centuries ago by Japanese Kabuki performers. The Em Itahake has improved on traditional by making this classic Japanese makeup brush 100% cruelty free with super soft synthetic fibers! Not only luxurious, super soft, and just plain cool, it’s the perfect brush for all your Face, Base, Contouring, and Décolleté applications. This is the perfect artisan brush to go along side your favorite face brushes like the Flat Top brush and Long Handled Kabuki! It has a flat surface with rounded edges.
Price:
$15.99 – available online.
Packaging:
Nothing fancy here, comes in a plastic cover.
My Experience with Everyday Minerals Itahake Brush:
The Itahake brush is primarily used for contouring. This cruelty-free, synthetic bristle brush is duplicate of the more popular NARS Ita brush.
Now, contouring is on everyone’s lips and since I had some amazing contour powders in my kitty, I needed a good brush to go with it. The angular ones were not working for me with the exception of the Guerlain Angular blush brush, which got discontinued ages ago. I tried MAC, I picked up Bharat and Dorris angular brush, Guerlain Bronzer brush, I even bought NARS Yachiyo, but wasn’t very satisfied with the net result on my cheeks. The brushes just didn’t help me find my cheekbones. I actually tried the NARS Ita and Yachiyo at their counter and picked Yachiyo thinking it might do a better job and could be more multi-purpose, but I was still not satisfied.
I picked this Everday Mineral brush on a whim, while shopping for the Real Technique brushes. It looked like the NARS Ita, I read a few reviews on it and thought let’s give it a shot. Please note I did not have NARS Ita in my stash at that time.
The brush is fairly soft, not THE softest brush, but close to the Real Technique brushes. It picks up product decently and applies it onto the cheeks. With a little work, it manages to diffuse the colour to look like hollows. The end result is good but not something, which makes you go wow! And it takes quite a bit of wiggling to get the colour to diffuse. It might be because the bristles are tightly packed and long in length.
I was okay with the end result but something still seemed missing. Now, I have had it close to a year. In that time, I have hardly seen the bristles shed. Though, post washing, the bristles do fray a bit.
Why did I pick up NARS Ita? Like I said, I was not thoroughly satisfied with any of the brushes in my stash. They all worked okay, but I wanted something better than “okay.” So, after a lot of thought, I decided to give NARS Ita a shot.
NARS ITA v/s Everyday Minerals Itahake Brush:
You can see the pictures of the two brushes in a comparative positioning. Both are similar in structure and length. However, the bristles of the Everyday Minerals Itahake are slightly longer and substantially densely packed.
Considering how dense the bristles of the Itahake brush are, one would have expected it to pick up much more product, but it doesn’t. The synthetic bristles of Itahake do not pick up too much product. NARS Ita is more successful in doing so, it picks up just the right amount of product for each application.
On application, once the powder is applied, you need to wiggle the brush horizontally to diffuse the colour. The NARS Ita does a much quicker job and the effect of it is so stunning that for a second you may be actually fooled to think I have hollows in my cheeks. The Itahake takes much longer, loads of wiggling and the effect is okay.
Apart from contouring, you can also use the Itahake brush for a final sweep of your face as the last leg of applying makeup. This would help diffuse and remove any excess setting/finishing powder.
Pros of Everyday Minerals Itahake Brush:
- Decent dupe of the iconic NARS Ita brush.
- Easier to use than the angled brushes contouring.
- Easy to travel with.
- Cruelty-free synthetic bristles.
- Easy to wash – no shedding.
- Easy on the pocket as compared to NARS Ita.
Cons of Everyday Minerals Itahake Brush:
- It falls a little short, only when compared to the NARS Ita, but please note that’s comparing $15.99 to $55, that’s a whole long way to go.
IMBB Rating:
Yes, a 3.5/5 product.
This is definitely a good brush for contouring and a cheaper option compared to the NARS ITA. However, if you are really into contouring and have high-end bronzers with you, I would suggest you to save up and splurge on the original NARS Ita instead. That one is truly worth its weight in gold!
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