Builder One

Another superb brush by Sonia G, just as high quality in design and manufacture as her Crease One and Pencil One.

The dyed goat hair is supremely soft. By soft, I mean super gentle on 45-year old, sensitive, crepey, eyelid skin. No sharp pokes. Almost fluid. Softer than my Chikuhodo T1 undyed goat hair powder brush. Just as soft as my squirrel hair Wayne Goss Air Brush. <sighs blissfully> I was afraid it was going to be more pokey than her squirrel hair brushes. It isn’t :)

The density and architectural structure of the bristles enables a firmness and cohesiveness that is firmer near the ferrule, becoming exponentially more flexible towards the tip. The structure means the flexibility runs in one direction - horizontally across the bristles as you place the flat side on your eyelid. This allows a perfect lay down of product exactly where you want it. No further. If you pat the brush again a fraction of a millimetre above what you’ve already placed, that’s exactly where it will go. No stray bristles on the edges of the brush, just precision (that’s after washing too, with no brush guard for drying).

Builder One picks up Viseart Neutral Matte dark brown in one swipe (no wiggling!) and applies it with deep intensity when patted over the outer third of the mobile eyelid.

Using Sonia’s wiggle technique for glitter shadows, Builder One picks up BH foil shadows and Urban Decay glitter/metallic shadows better than a MAC 239. In two swipes to place product, Builder One deposits twice as much glittery shadow as what the MAC 239 can, using the same technique and pressure.

In contrast to another reviewer here, I didn’t find the ferrule touched my eyelid. This may be because I was expecting precision, so subconsciously aimed the tip exactly where I wanted it to go, at a 45 degree angle to my eyelid, then swiped/patted downwards at that angle. This is different to how I normally place product with a MAC 239, which has longer bristles that I tend to apply at a 30 degree angle when I’m trying to lay down product. (Never noticed until now!)

For the heck of it, I tried it under the lower lash line and as a cut-crease tool. Cut-crease, precison. Oh yeah.

Lower lash line? I prefer Sonia G’s Pencil One, which has a better shape and structure for both pickup (rotate it in the shadow) and application (short strokes from outer to inner) of shadow in that space. The Builder One didn’t lay down as much product across the same distance. However, it did apply it with a fraction of a millimetre more narrowness though. If I was travelling light (or late for work), I’d grab this and the Builder One for eyes. I love my Pencil One though, it’d sneak in.

Pic is of lay down after two swipes of Urban Decay Naked 3 Trick on unprimed forearm. Builder One vs MAC 239.

This review is lengthy, but as an Aussie buying sight unseen, I’ve found detail is useful :)

In photo: Sonia G Builder One vs. MAC 239 side view.

The brush takes a little getting used to.

You can’t use swiping motion because the brush is too smooth to pick up anything. The recommended way to use it is to wiggle the brush in the pan which does pick up a decent amount of product but it will not replace finger application, at least for me.

My main gripe with it is how thick it is. The handle is almost as thick as my thumb! The ferrule is too thick and when you go wiggle in the eyeshadow you will rub the metal part in it too which is annoying and wastes a lot of product.

It’s also hard to maneuver on the eyelid because you end up dragging the metal part on your eye also. It’s just not a pleasant experience. I don’t want to bang a metal ferrule on my eyeball.

The brush should’ve been pinched a little more and made smaller. That’s my preference.

I tried it for spot concealing and it does a good job at covering blemishes. Doesn’t absorb product.

5 stars for beautiful design. 2 stars for ergonomics

This is an excellent brush. It’s obvious that a lot of thought went into this brush. I’m back to purchase another. I have an insane amount of brushes. I really don’t need to be buying any brushes but this brush fits a gap in my collection and is one that I bet everyone needs. It mimics your fingertip and places those messy glitters and metallics (that I normally stay away from) with precision and makes them look so smooth and with barely any fallout. I can finally use my Armani eyes to kill pot shadows without cleaning up fall out for days and don’t have to avoid the Glitter shade in the Tom Ford or Charlotte Tilbury palette. And this brush will make Natasha Denona and Anastasia shadows sing like never before. HG status for sure!!

I almost didn't buy this. But I got it and am so glad I did. It works like your finger with metallic shadows. I can use this in a patting motion with my Natasha Denona metallics and it's amazing. It picks up the right amount of product at a time. I do have to dip back in, but that's alright. The brush is bigger than what you'd think. If you normally use your finger for those shimmer shades, try this brush.

The brush is very big thick handle and long, so it is awkard to use, especially if you need to get up close in the mirror. The brush bristle itself works well enough to place glitter and is soft enough too. I wish the handle on this was slim and shorter in legnth.

Perfection. I ordered three of the individual brushes....this the pencil and the little fan brush. As soon as they arrived last night I ran upstairs and tried them all!! The appearance...exquisite! The thicker handle on this one is what I really liked best. It just feels rich in your hands. The finish a masterpiece. The soft quality of this little baby is well done. No shedding precise application for the eyelid with shimmery shadow. No fall out.....I only bought three...I am eyeing the big fan brush...little pricey....but so well executed. I am in awe.....I wanted the whole set, if it were 299...I would have bought them. I already own every high end brand brush out there...so far these three top them all...in my opinion. I am not a MUA...just a make up and brush enthusiast.

I have hooded eyes and normally need small brushes to apply eyeshadows for precison. But in all honesty, finding a brush that picks up the right amount of eye product is not easy for me. I like using metallic shadows but applying them precisely where I want them requires so much time. But, the shape of this brush makes it so easy to put eye shadows on seamlessly, and I don't have to spend nearly as much as time as I used to. It's my latest go-to brush!

It is wonderful for the shadows with glitter, as Sonia explains it is necessary to move the brush through the pan with zig zag movements, it is impressive how it takes the product and then how it is deposited.I think that there is no other brush in the market that does this. It is simply great.

I am still experimenting with this beauty, after a week of use I can't tell how much I am surprised of its versatility and performance. I have seen other reviewers complaining about the handle and ferrule, for me it is excellent how this brush feels in my hand and gives me pleasant application also. I have done various looks with it, on myself and my colleges at wotk. It turned out to be easy to use with my Natasha Denona Aeris eyeshadow palette, not only for placing the glittery eyeshadows but to work on the lower lash line so precisely!!! I have done a nice cut crease with this brush, it works on every detailed part of the eyes: the crease, the lash lines, even as inner corner highlighter. The application is always precise and feels so smooth on these hard to reach areas, I cannot be happier with it!! Thank you Sonia and Beautylish, thanks a lot!

I own many beautiful Japanese brushes that I can't even begin to count and this along with the rest of Sonia G's brushes are the same high quality. The brush and the handle are perfection. A lot of research and thought went into designing these brushes and you can tell at first site and more so once you start to actually use them. This brush is great for applying eyeshadow and layering and smudging I find it also works with defining the outer V.