Too Faced Retractable Kabuki Brush 2014 Edition - Teddy is Back

If you are familiar with this blog, you might noticed that the Too Faced Retractable Kabuki Brush was included in almost every This-and-That Favorites post ever since I got it in the fall 2010. It has been serving me well (and still kicking, technically...) for the past four years but it wasn't without fault (I didn't feel like nit-picking as the flaw were minor and outnumbered by its functionality)but I always thought they could do some improvements. It seems that they fixed every bit of complaints I had (while retaining the soft Teddy-like qualities)...by making it an entirely different brush. 

My first complaint about the older Too Faced Kabuki brush is that (look how the one on the left is bald)while there were some cute printed-on pattern on the metal tube (it was pale pink cherry blossom for the first generation then they changed it to squigglies that I don't care for) started to get scratched off pretty much right away.

  The newer brush is spray-painted allover into a brushed metal finish, in a delicate pink. This time, the brand logo (brand on one side, a teddy bear logo on the other)is just part of relief integrated onto the brush ferrule. Overall, the brush looks much nicer (it looks more like a 34-dollar tool than something that can be "duped" by some drugstore brands). 

The older version of the Kabuki has knuckles on the metal base so not only it doesn't close securely (it closes slightly tighter if you twist the lid in a certain alignment/looser otherwise), the metal part also makes some squeak/scratch. For the 2014 edition, the interior lid is cover up with a rubbery lining (like some Lipstick Queen lipstick) so now it closes perfectly/without noise and doesn't fall off by itself.

Multifunctionality is one of the main attraction of the Too Faced Retractable Kabuki. To turn the fluffier brush into something denser and more suitable for powder/bronzer, one can pull out the inner pink sleeve which would tighten up the base.  Of course, the sleeve doesn't really stay up so you have you have to hold it with finger yourself. The newer brush has a different retracting mechanism: You twist the band for the brush to go up and down (and it stays in the same place unless you twist it back). It's like getting a denser brush that's great for buffing in product.

It might seems like the folks at Too Faced did an excellent job fixing up all the minor flaws and I should be happy about the new Teddy (But I am not). The thing is that...This is an entirely different brush: It's significantly bigger (thus not-longer good as a makeup bag tuck-in) than the old Teddy and while the new dense head is great for buffing, I have no use for this added bonus (I only used my old one for dusting in blushes or light powder allover the face). The new shape with longer body also doesn't look as cute/mushroom-like...
Overall: It's a well-designed brush with solid construction. I don't like it at all but you might (It's a pretty brush on the vanity if you buff your products a lot?).

Comments

  1. Thanks for the comparison review! I've looked at this retractable kabuki on beauty.com when it was on sale then I decided to skip thinking I wanted something smaller.
    Sonia Kashuk seems to have one but I am not so sure how big that is. Hope I can spot one next time when I am in a Target. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The 3ce Kabuki is actually more compact (not retractable but it comes with a pouch) even though it's much fluffier...and it's only 10 bucks!

      Delete

Post a Comment

Leave a comment and I will get back to you! Commercial links and nameless comments WILL BE removed.