Reddit reviews The Complete Color Harmony, Pantone Edition: Expert Color Information for Professional Results

You want to get her Fude brushes. It’s beloved by many make up artists, and probably not talked about quite as much as other “popular” youtubers, because they don’t promote. Fun fact, HAKUHODO and Chikuhodo brushes are actually commonly speculated to be the manufacturerers for more popular brushes such as Wayne Goss, Tom Ford, Sonia G etc. Buy directly from the source, instead of being swayed by popularity and brand names. Did she say whether she wanted face or eye brushes?

I also suggest you combine her present with either a makeup book, or a makeup app. Rae Morris has an app that is $6 or a book that is like $75 on Amazon here is a link. I don’t know your age or that of your gf, but I’m in my late 20s and that book alongside HAKUHODO or chikuhodo or fude brushes in general is a timeless, ageless gift that is good for younger to until you’re dead. It covers makeup techniques for every age/situation/ethnicity and the brushes will last a lifetime if properly cared for. Adding a book will help guide her excitement of makeup, and you obviously reap the rewards. If you are going all out on luxury brushes, you don’t want her applying basic or inaccurate makeup techniques. We’ve all been there thanks to YouTube beauty gurus (no disrespect) but it’s not the same as learning from a true trained artist/professional that works with royalty, movie sets, runways etc. If you want to go all out, get her a book on color theory too unless she already has an art background.

Also something I have learned about giving gifts is you always want to prolong the experience. Once you look at brushes and use them, the Christmas Day thrill is very short lived. Sure, every time she uses them she can get a kick out of it, but why would you give someone a Bugatti without giving them racing lessons or making sure they properly know how to drive? Hopefully this analogy makes sense, I assume you are into cars, which is sexist of me but oh well. If you also give her the book, it will take months to get through all of that information, and every time she uses her brushes she can try something new in the book. The app is less expensive and has videos, so I recommend that unless you have money to burn and want to get her both. I own both but I’m not sure how much you want to splurge.

I do not recommend going to sephora or ultra or whatever is being mass marketed to teenagers. Buy something high quality once so it will last a lifetime. I also disagree with Sephora/morphe/real techniques, because she can buy these herself, it’s not special. I disagree with Wayne goss, because it’s more cost effective to get them from the manufacturer as mentioned earlier. I disagree with MAC, because you are not an expert and their quality has declined for some of the brushes over the past several years, and as you are not an expert you would not be able to determine which brushes have changed in quality and which haven’t. Also, like I said, MAC is not manufacturing their own brushes, Unfortunately for you, r/Fude is on a break, but that’s ok because I got your back! And, if she is unfamiliar with fude brushes, she will be able to learn about them and appreciate them even more. They need to be cared for in a certain way, and that all comes with the brushes once purchased so you needn’t worry about that.

A gift should be special, and luxurious, something she would never get herself. It’s the difference between getting something that is fast fashion vs. buying something designer that is well crafted. The Japanese know their makeup brushes, and I can assure you any higher end brushes you might buy, they’ll be manufactured from one of those Japanese brands I mentioned. I do not think YouTube is helpful, because most of that is indirect advertising, or younger beauty gurus who are not actually make up artists, and fail to take into account peoples face shapes, color undertones etc. It’s well intentioned, but the difference between what an expert like Lisa Eldridge or Rae Morris has to say, versus your run of the mill beauty/glam guru, is rather remarkable. I will likely be downvoted for saying this lol

These brushes are the Bugatti of makeup brushes, and might not be mentioned as frequently because people not into makeup either don’t know about them or haven’t splurged on them. A fact about makeup that is seldom mentioned is that the brushes are more important than the product. A lesser quality makeup will automatically look better if applied with a good brush. Brushes are the foundation.

Email Hakuhodo, they have incredibly thorough customer service (as one would expect with high end products) and will guide you in selecting the correct brushes for your girlfriend. I also recommend taking pictures of the makeup she uses the most, so you know if she is using liquids or powders on her face. That will help determine brush selection as well. They have sets but you will get more bang for your buck if you create your own set. Select a price point, email them and explain what are are trying to create and your price point, and they will help you create one. I think 2 eyeshadow brushes, a foundation brush and a powder brush is sufficient. Good luck and PM if you have questions! She’s lucky to have you!