Sonia G Pro Face Brush Set Initial Impressions / Preliminary Reviews

Pro Face Set (2019)

Sonia G Pro Face Set (2019) Pro Face Set ($270.00) is the newest brush release from Sonia G., which goes live 10AM PST this morning exclusively at Beautylish. The brushes in the set will eventually be available individually, though I don’t have pricing yet nor a date for that launch. I have yet to be disappointed with a Sonia G. brush, and every single brush released has been consistently high in quality and construction–no fear at all about getting a dud brush. There have been several brushes from Sonia G. that I’ve found so useful that I’ve purchased a second or third.

My experience is that with Japanese-made brushes from brands like Sonia G. is that it’s rarely the quality of the components of a brush that let anyone down, it’s whether the shape, feel, density, softness, and size work for whatever purpose one wanted. All of that is often why I sit on brush reviews for awhile, as I rotate through trying new brushes to see where and how they fit into my routine (while simultaneously not using 20 new brushes while testing new products because then it’s a game of was it the product or was it the tool that messed it up!).

Sonia does a particularly top notch job of explaining the inspiration and purpose behind each brush via her Instagram. She also has comparison photos against similar brushes from other brands–really does take a lot of the guesswork out of it. So, as an initial look at the brushes included the set, I’ve tried to provide a general commentary on look and feel, what I see it working best for, and so on.  I tried each brush with various products on my face, eyes, and arm (one only has so much space!) to try and get a better idea of how they’ll work based on what they’re recommended for.  The ratings are preliminary, but they seemed well-made and consistent with past brushes by the brand (exceptionally well-made), and they all functioned well for their intended purpose(s).

I’ve put a reminder on my calendar to check this post in six months, and at that time, I’ll make any additional notes or revisions based on working with them over a longer period of time.

Face Pro

Sonia G Face Pro Brush ($TBA) is a larger face brush that is dense with a mix of undyed and dyed saikoho goat bristles that has an angled, rounded edge.  It is designed for use with powders like setting, finishing, and bronzer; anything that that can be applied with less precision or to a larger area.

I used it for setting and finishing powder, where it worked nicely, and it was large enough and the surface area of the edge made it a quick and efficient tool for those types of products.  It’s particularly nice with finishing powders for those who want to bring back some luminosity when working with more matte complexion products, as the denseness and flatter edge pick up more product more readily and could really deposit it more intensely if preferred.  The brush itself was yielding and had enough flexibility that a more diffused application was possible, as I went a bit more heavily underneath my eyes and on the high points of my face but went for a more diffused application of setting and finishing powder everywhere else.

For bronzer, the brush feels comfortable to maneuver across the perimeter face, particularly in the hollow of the cheeks and moving upward in the famous three-motion to get to the forehead.  It manages to hug and sweep along my jawline easily as well.  It’s just a denser, larger brush, though, so if you have a very pigmented bronzer, you’ll want to use a light touch or tap off excess product first–or else start where you want the most color deposited and use the remainder for dispersing in other areas. It would work well to apply sheerer powder foundation or tinted setting powder all-over.

Inochige Pro

Sonia G Inochige Pro Brush ($TBA) is a large, tapered brush that’s quite dense through the bottom two-thirds before softening and having more give where it comes to a soft point.  The brand recommends it for setting powders and applying bronzer and blush.  The bristles felt incredibly smooth and silky against my skin, regardless of the direction or motion I used with it–from tapping to pressing to rolling to swirling.

It definitely worked well for applying setting powder, though I felt like it took longer than a larger, slightly fluffier (more traditional powder brush) so it would be more suitable for someone who either does more of a press and roll motion to set, prefers to set only portions of the face (like the t-zone), and generally wants to have more precision and control over how they set their makeup.  With firmer or stiffer bronzing powders, it worked well to pick up enough product while still giving more gradual, buildable application to get an all-over bronzing effect.

If you’re someone who’s had a tapered highlighting brush and wished for a mega-sized one (for whatever purpose), this is in that vein.  This is another one that I’m not sure if it’ll be something I reach for regularly, even if it’s beautifully made and does work as intended–there are just other brushes I suspect I’ll prefer (again, more as a shape and size thing, not a quality concern).  I’m eager to try this one with finishing powders like Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders and Guerlain Meteorites.

Cheek Pro

Sonia G Cheek Pro Brush ($TBA) is a small, very dense cheek brush that flares out slightly from the ferrule and has gently rounded edges and comes to a domed edge where the left and right sides are noticeably curved but the edge is fairly straight. The brush is intended to splay out a bit after subsequent use and washes, so it will be more small-to-medium (not quite a medium-sized, typical blush brush but not a tiny cheek brush either). The size of the brush was also intended to make it so it could be used in smaller product pans, too, which is definitely accurate.

Like the other brushes by the brand, the bristles are smooth, soft, and silky with the bristles moving together as one and feeling very smooth as the brush is patted, swept, or buffed against skin. I see this brush being the most versatile and useful brushes in the set, but it will be particularly good for those who prefer more intense application of product (more payoff with less work) or who have firmer, denser, or stiffer powder products in their arsenal. It is also nice to use to pat color onto the apples of the cheek and then using sweeping motions to pull and disperse the color to blend out. I liked it for more concentrated highlighting or when working with a more dense highlighter (like gel-powder hybrids).

It’s notably denser than other tried and true favorites that have a similar shape and size (Chikuhodo Z4, SUQQU Cheek Brush); much more of a “solid” brush in that sense without the airiness of squirrel hair options that exist but much smaller than more traditional blush brushes like Wayne Goss 11.  It puts me in mind of Hakuhodo’s B505 a bit more, just far, far smaller and less flat in overall shape–but similar in purpose.

This is one I could see myself getting a second of, though I am pretty partial to Sonia G. Face Two for a denser blush brush (and that’s one I bought a second one of!).

Detail Pro

Sonia G Detail Pro Brush ($TBA) is a small face brush or mega-sized eye brush (depending on how you look at it) made out of dyed and undyed goat hair. The brand explained that dyed goat hair tends to pick up product better, but by adding undyed hair (and making it a blend of hair) gives it “enough grip” to work with stiffer powder products while giving a more buildable application. This is something I have found true with other brushes I have that use a mix of hair; they’re a bit more resilient, hold their shape a little better, and tend pick up product better than ultra-soft white goat hair brushes do.

It looks like a giant crease brush (for eyes) to me; it flares out slightly from the ferrule with a fluffy, rounded edge. The brush is beautifully soft and smooth against my skin, and the brush head feels like one as I maneuvered the brush in circles and soft strokes. The brush is designed to for setting product on areas like eyelids or for more precise sculpting.  For me, it is a brush I’m not sure I’ll reach for often, so I’m curious to see if I change my mind over time, but it’s not one I have replicated across my stash in other brands on purpose.

I could see it working well to get very precise placement of highlight on the nose, cheekbones, and cupid’s bow or to gently diffuse concealer underneath the eye or set underneath the eye. I was thinning that it might be particularly good with more glittery highlighters or loose highlighters to control the initial laydown; even seeing it work well for applying less traditional highlighting shades to layer and add dimension without feeling like it takes over.

Fan Pro

Sonia G Fan Pro Brush ($TBA) is a small, goat-haired fan brush that has a rounded, pinched ferrule where the brushes flare outward to create a gently curved edge. It is incredibly soft and moves fluidly against the skin–no feeling of any individual bristles at all.

The brand recommends the original Sculpt Three (as the Fan Pro is based on) for those who want more intense application, greater product pick up, as the Fan Pro is airier and has a bit more give and spring, so it’ll lend itself more to a buildable application. The brush is thick enough that I feel like it picks up enough product and has enough bristles there to diffuse and gently blend it into the skin, rather than just deliver a harsher line of product. It’s small enough to work well underneath the eyes for setting powder or to highlight cheek bones or work along the temples. If you tend to like and use fan brushes, it’s one of the more universal brushes in the set.