Last updated: December 3, 2024
The NARS Ita Kabuki Brush is a very popular makeup brush in the beauty world.
There have been many positive reviews and good things being said online about this particular brush, especially by some of the big YouTubers, but it’s also known for being a very expensive brush.
The Ita Brush retails for $55 USD (or £44 / €40) which is a huge amount of money to pay for a single makeup brush and which also puts it outside of many people’s budgets.
Don’t despair if you can’t or won’t spend that much cash on the real deal from NARS.
Fortunately there are some far cheaper alternatives out there which mean you can get a very similar brush for a more affordable price.
Scroll down to see the full NARS Ita Brush dupe list.
What is the NARS Ita Kabuki Brush?
This little flat brush with a black handle and bristles is designed to apply powder products for what NARS calls ‘targeted contouring.’
The flat shape of the brush means it is the perfect size to apply contour powders.
It can fit under the cheekbones and down the sides of the nose, and is perfect to sharpen your jawline.
The short handle of the Ita Kabuki Brush means you can control the movement easily and can therefore place powders in precisely the right place for a cleaner cut look to your contour.
The blending power of the natural bristle brush is able to flawlessly blend away any harsh lines from the edges of the contour on your skin.
The bristles themselves are synthetic bristles rather than the natural hairs you will find on some brushes.
Why is it called a kabuki brush?
Kabuki is a Japanese dance-drama and the Japanese Kabuki performers on the stage wear heavy makeup.
They use powder products to do their makeup and these are applied with dense bristle brushes.
Kabuki brushes are named after this style of theater because of the makeup brushes that the performers use.
The NARS Ita Brush dupe list
If you would love to get the effect of NARS Kabuki Ita Brush to help your makeup application but don’t want to shell out for the real thing, you can get a similar great quality brush with a lower price tag.
These Ita Brush dupes may not have the classy NARS packaging or the NARS logo, but they are a great alternative for the makeup savvy amongst us.
For quick reference, the Everyday Minerals Itahake Brush is often considered to be one of the best NARS Ita dupes.
It’s also cruelty free and vegan friendly.
These Itahake brushes have sustainable bamboo handles.
Either of the Real Techniques Contour Brush options in the list below are also a great cheaper alternative to the Ita Brush.
They can be easily picked up online.
The Tarte brush, although not a budget option in particular, is still less expensive than NARS brushes and is another cruelty free option.
If you have a Benefit blusher or palette which came with the short handle brushes inside the box, then you also have a NARS Ita Brush dupe in your collection already.
These little densely packed brushes have often been compared to the NARS kabuki brush.
The same goes for the MAC 163 Flat Top Contour Brush, which was a limited edition brush. But if you have this one then you already have a dupe for the Ita Brush by NARS.
There is also a very affordable e.l.f. brush which many have compared to the Ita Kabuki Brush.
This is often considered to be one of the closest dupe options out there for the Ita.
AliExpress is also a safe place to buy items online and they have lots of synthetic brushes which are similar to the Ita.
These are all listed below.
Here is the full list of the best NARS Ita Brush dupe options out there:
NARS Ita Brush dupes
Benefit Cosmetics Blush Brush (inside boxed blush and palettes – available here)
e.l.f. Contouring Brush (available here)
Jouer Cosmetics Flat Kabuki Brush (available here)
Kiko Milano Face 16 Multi-Purpose Kabuki Brush (available here)
MAC 163 Flat Top Contour Brush (limited edition and currently discontinued but sometimes available here)
Makeup Revolution Create Defining Contour Brush R10 (available here)
Real Techniques Bold Metals Flat Contour Brush 301 (available here)
Real Techniques Sculpt & Shape Dual Ended 2-in-1 Makeup Brush (available here)
Saiantth Italy Style Kabuki Brush (available here)
Sigma Beauty F77 Chisel and Trim Contour (available here)
Sonia Kashuk Professional Precision Contour Brush No. 126 (now discontinued but sometimes available here)
Tarte Swirl Power Contour & Bronzer Brush (available here)
Wet n Wild 1114236 Flat Kabuki Brush Squarepants (available here)
Zoeva 109 Luxe Face Paint Brush (available here)
Zoreya Brand Single Black Flat Contour Makeup Brush (available here)
The Hakuhodo Itabake brushes from their Japanese Traditions range are also very similar to the NARS Ita Brush but these are generally just as expensive as NARS or even more so, depending on the size of the brush.
A lot of people use and swear by the NARS Ita Kabuki Brush.
They say it picks up the right amount of product on its synthetic hair, and allows for precise application of contour powder.
Unfortunately the actual brush is a very expensive investment.
It’s great then that budget beauty fans can find a NARS Ita Brush dupe easily online or in the drugstore.
The best part is that these are often cruelty free (which NARS as a company is not) and they will save you some money.
Like the NARS Ita Brush you can also use any of these brushes for the application of other makeup products.
For example, flat kabuki brushes can be used to apply bb creams and powder or liquid foundation, cream and powder bronzers and blushers, and also (with a light hand) highlighters.
By investing in a good kabuki synthetic bristle brush you get a very versatile tool that will fast become one of your favourite brushes.
If you want an intense contour then you have a perfect brush for it if you pick the NARS brush or any of the NARS Ita dupes in this blog post.
You will also have a handy brush that can be used for the application of any kind of face makeup and which can be used on a daily basis no matter what look you’re going for.
Multitasking tools are a great way to save money on your beauty routine.
If you love finding makeup dupes for cult products then the Clinique Black Honey dupes post and the Chanel bronzer dupe list are must reads. Plus check out the full Milk Hydro Grip Primer dupe list.
There is also a very extensive NARS Orgasm Blush dupe list here, an IT Cosmetics CC Cream dupe list and a Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk dupe list too.
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