Synthetic ?

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I've been away from this forum for a few years until recently and I've noticed that synthetic brushes have become very popular.

Is this because advances have been made in their performance ? Or is it a case of preferring not to use badger and boar ?

I'm intrigued.
 
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I've been away from this forum for a few years, until recently, and I've noticed that synthetic brushes have become very popular.

Is this because advances have been made in their performance ? Or is it a case of preferring not to use badger and boar ?

I'm intrigued.

Multiple factors lead to synthetics popularity.

Koreans really upped their game in manufacturing synthetic fibres for makeup and painting, and that trickled down to shaving (a very small niche market). Synthetic brushes require no skill, maintenance, effort, which was a blessing to morning shavers rushing to work. They are an affordable way to satisfy ones oniomania dopamine cravings.
 
All I have is 4 synths. And I could easily manage with 2. I got my first one after reading on here how the current crop are supposed to be light years ahead of older ones.

Each to his own and all that, but I genuinely don't know what a £250 silvertip badger brush does that a £20 synthetic one doesn't. What is this magical face feel they offer, as to me the synths I have feel lovely and soft?
 
Synthetic all the way here. I could never get on with natural fibres and why hassle when a synth is so easy and does a great job? Then again there are good synthetics and there are bad ones. Despite me saying that I don't understand this brush thing, obviously I must to some extent.
 
I swap around between a variety of good badger brushes a few modern synths, and enjoy them all. The synths do feel a bit different to the badgers, with the latter having a wider spread of characteristics (which is, I suppose, why some say natural fibtres have more "soul") and requiring a bit more care to get good results. Either type would do for me.
 
I used to swear by synths, but I've found over time (or maybe as I get older) that my face doesn't seem to get on with them (irritation/zit breakouts). Maybe I should try a latest generation synth for a while?
 
I used to swear by synths, but I've found over time (or maybe as I get older) that my face doesn't seem to get on with them (irritation/zit breakouts). Maybe I should try a latest generation synth for a while?

The older type of nylon bristles are a bit rough. Newer synths have options how soft you want them to be. Some feel like lathering up with a kitten on your face, if you can imagine that.
 
The older type of nylon bristles are a bit rough. Newer synths have options how soft you want them to be. Some feel like lathering up with a kitten on your face, if you can imagine that.

I'm not sure of the generation and the corresponding numbers, but for the ones I have tried I presume it's along the lines of

Older - Omega S brush fibres - tips aren't the softest and the fibres are springy, difficult to splay
Newer - Plissoft/Tuxedo etc - much softer, splays well
Newest - 'Next Gen' Knots eg Muhle etc - just as soft but with better performance than the previous generation

I have a few Yaqi brushes in the Plissoft/Tuxedo generation, and the Plissoft is the scritchiest of the 3, with the most backbone (has the highest glue bump), the Faux Horse is the softest of the bunch to the point where it's probably too soft! It doesn't feel like a brush but more like lathering with a new baby kitten. It's too soft for my brutish sensibilities.

Even though I like using boar brushes none of them perform as well as my Yaqi's and they are very well priced as well, some are around £10 and it'd be difficult to spend more than £20 on one of their synths.

Oumo/DsCosmetic are the new kids on the blocks, I've not used their synths but others have said good things about them, again well priced as well.
 
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