Mason Pearson Popular Brush ($275) and La Bonne Brosse No 2 Essential Brush ($160)
If you are already annoyed by those prices you should probably skip this review. I've expressed my love for the Yves Durif detangling brush that set me back a cool $90+, so this shouldn't be a surprise. I'd like to add though I bought both using a promo code. Hopefully, that makes me seem less insane.
I have been asked to review the Mason Pearson Popular for so long, but that price has always stopped me. Finally, when on sale at Anthro, I hit add to cart (with my eyes closed). First impression was that it's beautiful and the bristles are clearly well made. The size of the brush is substantial, but it's lightweight in the hand. The popular combines bristles of nylon for detangling and boar for shine. The nylon bristles are quite stiff and to be honest don't detangle all that well. What it does do well is gives bump free pony and buns. If you are a slicked back hair gal (my hairline could never) you'd die for this brush.
La Bonne Brosse is a French hairbrush company that offers multiple brushes for different needs. Their hair quiz matched me with the No 2. This brush was the most aligned with the MP Popular. First impression was I hated the packaging, it was beat up and not well thought out compared to the MP box. The nylon on the No 2 are longer, sharper, and more flexible than MP. The twisted handle and gold embellishment were beautiful touches.
When brushing side by side, the MP was harder to pull through the hair and pulled more hair out than the LBB. The LBB while easier to pull through, the nylon is quite sharp so it's not as comfortable as the MP. Both did leave my hair looking smooth though, but strangely very poofy on the ends, but that might be user error. At the start of the month I would have said go for the MP, but now I'm surprised to say it's a tie. I've picked up each the same amount of time. Gun to my head though...I'd say MP. The packaging is better, you get a cleaning comb, they are known to last well over 10-15 years, and the nylon wasn't as sharp and uncomfortable.
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Mason Pearson Popular and La Bonne Brosse No 2 (I linked multiple retailers. I recommend buying La Bonne Brosse brushes from US retailers for an easier return process. The French return portal is so confusing and you have to pay for return shipping that I ended up keeping the brush.)