The Ita Kabuki Brush No. 28 is part of NARS artisan brush series (together with their Botan, Yachio and the narrow version of Ita, the no. 21). The Ita Kabuki is an unusual brush, wide and flat, made of black goat hair that feels softer than it looks.
NARS Ita No. 28 is a powder brush, for finishing, highlighting and contouring. I think the latter two functions are its strongest suit because of the way you can maneuver the brush and its precision on narrow areas such as the cheekbones or the hollows under them. The brush is so wide it doesn't leave streaks at all once you get used to it. Still, for finishing and powdering, I prefer full and fluffy brushes.
The Ita brushes both have a learning curve. The main issue with the No. 28 Kabuki is remembering to hold and keep it parallel to the skin at all times. Changing the angle even a little bit usually results in the pointy edge of the handle hitting your cheek, which is not very pleasant. It took me a while to learn how to move the Ita along the curves of the face without making this mistake, and that didn't make me very happy. Once you figure it out, this is a good brush to have around, but in all honesty, there are plenty of excellent brushes for similar purpose that don't require that much effort and don't poke you in the cheek if you get distracted.
Bottom Line: more trouble than it's worth.
NARS Ita Kabuki Brush No. 28 ($38.50) is available at Barneys and other NARS counters as well as from narscosmetics.com.
All photos are mine.
