All image credits go to Chikuhodo and Beautylish. The sets are currently available for pre-order in Japan and will go on sale on 11/21. I'm looking forward to CDJapan offering them soon for pre-order!
First up we have the Violet Set
I translated what they refer to each set as:
「気品高く神秘的なViolet」- Violet that is highly refined and mysterious.
The set consists of:
- powder/cheek brush made out of gray squirrel & saikoho
- highlight brush made out of saikoho
- eyeshadow brush made out of gray squirrel
400 sets available and priced at 15,500 yen. There is no accompanying pouch with this set unlike the Rose set from last year that had 4 brushes and a pouch. The rose set from last year was priced at 13,700 yen, so I'm feeling ripped off with this year's set, although the Rose set was predominantly goat sokoho.
There are no dupes in the regular Chikuhodo lines for this set.
Comparisons to the main Chikuhodo Z line:
- violet powder brush hairs are 45mm: Z-8 hair length is 40mm
- violet highlight brush hairs are 30mm while the T-5 is 38mm
- violet eyeshadow brush hair length is 12mm while the Z-5 is 16mm
All of the shapes from the Violet set are similar to the Z-8, PS-2, and Z-5, but the highlight and eyeshadow brushes are smaller and the powder brush hairs are longer.
I'm liking the powder/cheek brush and highlight brush.
Next is the jewel of the release: Azur
「宝石のようにきらめく鮮やかなAzur」- Azur glistening vividly like a jewel.
The set consists of:
- powder brush made out of gray squirrel
- cheek brush made out of gray squirrel & sokoho
- eyeshadow brush made out of tea squirrel & weasel (it says 茶リス which is literally tea squirrel, but I'm guessing it's just brown squirrel. Usually pine squirrel and Canadian squirrel are written differently)
- eyeshadow brush (smaller one): canadian squirrel
- eyebrow brush: water badger
- lip brush: weasel
- blue case
200 sets available priced at 32,500 yen each. This set is very reminiscent of the Etoile set from 2014 and Lumiere set from 2015. The Lumiere set was 34,600 yen last year.
I would say the powder brush is the most similar to the Etoile set.
- azur powder has the same hair length as the Z-9
- cheek brush has the same hair length and shape as the Z-4, although the azur cheek is a mix of squirrel and goat
- Lip brush is the same as the Z-7
- Not sure about the eyeshadow brushes, but I'm guessing you can find similar ones from their regular line
