Soho gets into makeup brushes

LOS ANGELES — The Soho brand, which is known for its soft-sided cosmetic bags and beauty cases, now is expanding into makeup brushes with a collection of ergonomically designed brushes for the mass market.

For spring 2012, Soho will release a new ergonomically designed, 18-piece collection of brushes developed in partnership with makeup artists and designers.

The collection is the result of a collaboration between Soho and Xavier Ricolfi, a French industrial designer who has worked for Philippe Starck and is the recipient of the Luxe Pack Monaco design award. Refined with feedback from a panel of Hollywood makeup artists and paired with Ricolfi's exploration of unusual materials, finishes and cutting-edge technologies, the result is a collection that aims to raise the bar for makeup brushes and fill a void in the mass market.

Featuring both natural and synthetic hair brush heads and a longer handle for better application control, the Soho Professional Collection range includes a powder, blush, angled blush, highlighter, foundation, angled blender, all-over shadow, blender, crease, tapered contour, concealer, smudge, small shader, eyeliner, angled eyeliner, retractable lip and brow brush, as well as a kabuki brush with stand.

All brushes within the collection will be sold individually and packaged with beauty "how to" tips specific to each brush.

Retailing for between $7.99 and $19.99, the collection will debut at national retail chains in spring 2012.