Tips to confirm your exact requirements with makeup brush factory

For the customers who just enter into the makeup brushes, they usually are tortured by various questions from the makeup brush manufacturers when they want to customize makeup brushes. They are always asked about the exact material/size of the hair, ferrule and handle. However, they have no idea or experience on such questions. So they lose their heads during communication with the manufacturers.

Here, we would like to introduce some tips for new customers during explain their requirements on the makeup brushes.

If you want to just exact copy the makeup brushes of some big brands like MAC, Sigma or Bobbi Brown. You need everything to be the same as the big brand, only change the logo to be your own. In this case, you only need to tell manufacturers of the part numbers, as well as your logo file. The manufacturers will know your exact requirement on the material/size of the brushes. It is the easiest way for new customers, but the price will be rather high due to the high quality.

If you think the price is too high for you, and you want to do some change on the current material of big brands. You should be familiar with the material, especially the hair material. Go to internet and try to find the difference between each material, if you can feel by your own hands, it will be the best. You can buy some samples from some brush shops to feel the quality. After knowing your exact requirement on the material, you can tell manufacturers that you need the same design of the big brands but only change the material. If everything is clear, the manufacturers will know your requirements.

If you do not like the design of big brands, and would like to have totally different brushes. You should offer the drawings of the brushes, and also specify the exact material and color of each part. It is a little difficult for the customers who have no engineer background. If computer drawing is too difficult for you, you can do the drawing by pen on paper and then take a picture to send to manufacturers, but you need note the dimension of each part, also specify the material and color of each part.

Another way is: you try to find the satisfied part from online shop. For example, you love the brush head and material of A, but like the ferrule of B, the handle of C, then you can buy these 3 brushes and send to manufactures. With these samples and your clear explanation, manufacturers will understand what kind of brushes you need.

Anyway, the above tips are just for the new customers. For experienced customers who have been in this field for many years and have been very familiar with makeup brushes, the above tips are not helpful.

Badger hair is too stiff for normal makeup brushes

Recently, we are keeping discussing a project with a customer who would like to customize makeup brushes with their own logo. They need powder brush, foundation brush, fan brush, blush brush, eye brushes and lip brushes. We have finalized the size and color of the hair, ferrule and handle, as well as the material of ferrule and handle.

However, during discussion the hair material, the customers insist that they need badger hair for all brushes. But per our experience, badger hair is too stiff for normal makeup brushes. It is usually used on shave brushes to apply shaving soap or shaving cream to the face when shaving.

If the badger hair the customer mentions is really natural badger hair, it should not be used on makeup brushes, the stiffness will hurt our skin, and its powder holding capacity is really bad. Since it can not help to apply makeup on our face, and also is so stiff, why we use it for our makeup brushes?

Anyway, since some customers like the appearance of badger hair, some makeup brush factories use synthetic hair to imitate badger hair. As it is in fact synthetic hair, it is very soft and will not hurt human skin, and also have certain capacity to hold powders. Such makeup brushes gain great preference of many users. So they believe that badger hair should be so great. They do not know that it is not badger hair but synthetic hair. That is why they insist on badger hair for all their brushes, but the makeup brush manufacturer can not agree with such thought.

Therefore, in case of any misunderstanding during communication and cognition, customers should send real samples to the makeup brush manufacturers to illustrate the material/size/color they need. When the manufacturers see the samples, they will know the exact requirements of customers.  

Painted copper ferrule is easily faded

The ferrule material can be aluminum or copper, both of them have their own characteristics.

Aluminum ferrule is cheaper, and can be anodized to a variety of colors such as light silver, matte silver, light black, matte black, red, blue, green, gold , brown, purple, etc, but it is easily scratched, the brightness and glossiness are not so good as copper ferrule.

The copper ferrule is more expensive, but it has perfect brightness and glossiness, as well as great quality and metal texture, which is difficult to be surpassed by aluminum ferrule. However, copper ferrule also has its limits on colors.

It is know that most MAC and Sigma brushes are with copper ferrule, and all copper ferrules are with nickel color or metallic silver. During custom makeup brushes, some customers would like their brushes to have the same quality as MAC or Sigma brushes, but to show the uniqueness of their makeup brushes and to make some difference from MAC and Sigma brushes, they would like to have some change on the colors of hair, ferrule and handle.

It is no problem for hair and handle, but for ferrule, it does have some difficulty. Few makeup brush manufacturer can do colorful copper ferrules, we usually suggest customers change the ferrule material to aluminum or keep the original copper color; if customers insist on colorful copper ferrules, we have to order from professional ferrule factories, and there are only several ferrule factories in China who obtain such technology.

Per our experience, the painted copper ferrules are easily faded or scratched during transportation and usage. Once the copper ferrules is fade or scratched, it is very difficult to repair or rework, then the whole brush will be useless.

Therefore, during designing or personalizing makeup brushes, please realize that the copper ferrule has its limits. If you would like to have colorful ferrules, please choose aluminum ferrule; if you prefer good quality with copper ferrule, please keep the ferrule color to be silver which is the original color of copper.

Our price list is just for your reference

At the very beginning, many customers are not familiar with makeup brushes; they do not know what kind of brushes they need, so they require the makeup brush factory to send them price list. However, most makeup brush factories have already made thousands kinds of makeup brushes, it is impossible to list all price. Therefore, we usually send the price list of the brushes we recently made to customers for their reference.

Although we have emphasized that it is just for their reference, and to avoid of any misunderstanding, we also indicate the exact material of the brushes in the price list. Some customers are still shocked by our price. They do not know what the material means, but just check the appearance and price of the brushes, and then believe the price is too high. When we ask them of their exact requirements on the material and size, they have no idea; when we ask them of their target price, they also have no idea….

It is in fact too difficult for our quotation. To know the material and size, we can quote exact price; to know their target price, we can estimate the material and size even if customers can not offer any other information. But customers can not offer any information; but only consider our price is too high.

Here, we would like to reaffirm that the price list we sent you is just for your reference. All the brushes listed are in top quality, so the price must be higher than the brushes with normal or low grade. And if any change on any part-material/size/color, the price will be definitely different.

If you would like to have lower price during custom makeup brushes, please let us know the material and size you need, or tell us how low you need the price to be. Otherwise, it is impossible to continue the further communication.

The best time for quotation

Every day, we receive many emails from worldwide customers who want to customize makeup brushes and would like to get quotation from us. We know that it is the best to quote within 24 hours, but it is somewhat impossible, so to improve our work efficiency, we need to treat different inquiries in different ways.

1.       Some inquires have contained enough information for quotation, the customers list their detailed requirements on the material/size/color of the hair/ferrule/handle/logo, as well as their exact order quantity. Some even send us the brush drawing. For these emails, we MUST quote within 24 hours, as such inquiries has Great Potential, if the price is acceptable for customers, we very likely can get the orders;

2.       Some inquires only contains brush pictures, customers send us the pictures of the brushes they want to copy. If the pictures are clear and large enough, we can estimate details and material from the pictures. In this case, it is the best to quote within 24 hours. Some makeup brush manufacturers may insist to ask customers of the exact material and size of the brushes, but we should know that most customers are not so professional in makeup brush production, they only know they need such brushes; few of them know the exact material of the brushes. They may be confused if we asked them so many questions. What we need to do is to list the exact material and size of the brushes during quotation, in case of any misjudgment of the brushes; after all, we can not ensure everything just through pictures.

3.       Some customers only roughly tell us they need good quality makeup brushes. For such emails, we should firstly ask of the detailed requirements. As we have no base to quote any brush, we even do not know what kind of brushes they need.

In a word, if we can quote, we should try our best to quote within 24 hours; if the information is not enough for quotation, we should wait until getting enough information from customers.

Animal hairs will break more or less

After getting the makeup brushes from the makeup brush factory or from wholesaler, the users can't wait to check the brush quality. They clearly check the touch feeling of the hairs; connect of hair, ferrule and handle, as well as the color and hair shape. Everything is satisfied, the brush color and work craft is as promised; the hairs are in proper shape and have comfortable touch feeling; no hair shedding or fading; then they try to drag the brush hairs to check the fastness, and find some hairs broken after dragging. Here we would like to explain that all animal hairs will more or less break after dragging. It is just like our human hairs. Especially goat hair, no matter how great the goat hair is, it is naturally fragile. Therefore, we should avoid of dragging the hairs during our daily using. If you want to check if there is hair shedding, you just need to sweep the brush heads on your arms or hands for tens times. Also, we should prevent the brush heads from sharp matters, for example, knives or scissors etc. Also, the hairs will break after long period of using. If your brushes have been used for more than one year, and the hair become broken, it is certainly not a quality problem. And due to the hair nature and characteristics, after some period, the hair will become more fragile even without any using. If you buy a makeup brush with natural hair, even you never use it; the hair will become fragile after long period. Just like a clothes, you buy it but never wear it, the color will also fade after long period. Therefore, if you find that the brushes you bought have many broken hairs, it should be a quality problem. But if only several broken hairs, it is only the hair nature, not a quality problem.

Chinese customers care about brand more than quality

Recently, we did a test on Chinese customers’ preference- brand or quality. And finally find that most Chinese customers care about brand more than quality. The test process is very simple: Firstly, we produce two groups of makeup brush sets, one group is labeled with our own brand, and the other group is labeled with a famous brand. But the quality, size, material is totally the same: we order the material from the same supplier; put them into the same production line; make them by the same workers and also the same inspectors. Secondly, we launch these two groups of makeup brushes in our online shop in a famous website in China. Very soon, we find the difference: no one shows any interest in the brushes labeled with our brand, not to mention any purchase; but the brushes labeled with famous brand are so hot that they are sold out quickly. Then, we try to reduce the price of the brushes labeled with our brand; the price is almost half of those with famous brand, but still no body interest; many customers still would like to buy the makeup brushes with famous brand. We know the reason is the Chinese market is lack of standardization and regulations; most customers do not trust the quality of Chinese brand, so they are shopping the pursuit of brand, especially in overseas brand, they believe that overseas brand is the quality guarantee, even if this brand produce their products completely in China factory, customers still would like to pay more than 10 times to buy the brand. It is really the responsibility of all Chinese makeup brush manufacturers, as well as the related government offices. All Chinese makeup brush manufacturers should try our best to improve our quality and service, and offer good and cheap makeup brushes to customers; the government offices should establish strict market regulations and get rid of those manufactures who ruin the fames of all Chinese manufactures and factories. We should work together to establish the fames and brands of Chinese goods in worldwide. We really hope that our next test will have different result.