Woman buys $8 hairbrush from T.J. Maxx. Then she compares it to a $120 brush from Costco: ‘I hate it’

Haircare remains a high priority for personal hygiene, except when it comes to finding the best brush. Naturally, it’s more convenient to grab a cheaper one at the store. After all, it gets the job done, right? However, there’s been a pricier, iconic brand making waves on social media for more than a year: the $120 Mason Pearson hairbrush from Costco.
What Is The Costco Mason Pearson Hairbrush?
This luxurious hairbrush has remained a popular British staple, invented by none other than Mason Pearson himself in 1885. Although the brush has undergone minor changes since its inception, its craftsmanship and natural boar bristles and nylon stand the test of time.
Because of it’s verstality, this brush caught influencers’ attention who tested its worth and propelled it to virality. According to HuffPost, users praised the brush for the effectiveness of its bristles, which tackle and smooth even the frizziest hairs, leaving a soft, silky finish and craftmanship.
Now, one woman decided to jump on the bandwagon to test it out by comparing it to her $8 T.J. Maxx hairbrush.
Hairbrush Test
“Let’s see if it’s worth it,” Nevada-based TikTok creator Thaox Tran (@thaoxtrann) says, tearing open her Cosco package. “And if it’s not, I’m blaming TikTok.”
Once she opens it, she unveils the packaged Mason Pearson box.
“This is the Mason Pearson hairbrush,” she says. “It’s supposed to be the best brush on the market for your head.”
Then, she pulls out her two-month-old T.J. Maxx brush and starts brushing the left side of side-parted hair she hasn’t washed in two days.
“It does a fine, dandy job,” the content creator states, repeating the same process on the other side, resulting in a puffy finish.
Next, Tran pulls out her new brush and presses down on the bristles.
“She’s pokey. That actually hurts,” she says. “I’m actually afraid to put this on my head.”
Despite the initial hesitancy, she reluctantly moves forward, smoothing out a giant knot in the right side of her hair. After she removes the knot, it’s smooth and shiny compared to the left side, which is fluffy.
“Like I just ran a straightener through my hair,” she says, flabbergasted, running her fingers through her silky locks.
“Speechless,” she declares.
Was It Worth It?
Tran elaborates more on her candid thoughts in the caption.
“I feel like if you had the money to splurge, then I would get it. But I think a regular boar’s hairbrush will do the trick too! The difference is there and of course the mason Pearson’s hairbrush is better but is it worth spending $120 on?” she writes. “For me, it’s a yes because I have long hair that tangles really easily and gets oily very easily so this brush is going to help a lot with that. You still gotta brush a lot with it…its definitely not a one swipe and then you have perfect hair like in some review videos lol.”
Viewers Are Flabbergasted
Tran’s review amassed 4.4 million views, with many in disbelief at how effective the brush was, resisting the urge to rush to their nearest Costco.
“Don’t you just hate it when expensive [expletive] works?” one viewer remarked.
“For my bank accounts sake, I’m just going to pretend I didn’t see the major difference okay,” another stated.
“It’s amazing, i hate it,” a third commented.
“Wait what the [expletive]? I’m mad, why can I genuinely see the difference but u couldn’t catch me dead buying a BRUSH for 120?? But [expletive] I’ll be thinking about this brush,” a fourth said.
“Girl in this economy?! I see [the] difference and it makes me wanna cryyy,” a fifth bemoaned.
@thaoxtrann My HONEST THOUGHTS: I feel like if you had the money to splurge then I would get it. But I think a regular boars hairbrush will do the trick too! The difference is there and of course the mason Pearson’s hairbrush is better but is it worth spending $120 on? For me it’s a yes because I have long hair that tangles really easily and gets oily very easily so this brush is going to help a lot with that. You still gotta brush alot with it…its definitely not a one swipe and then you have perfect hair like in some review videos lol @Mason Pearson ##masonpearsonbrush##review##beauty##hairtok##haircareroutine ♬ original sound – T?
The Mary Sue reached out to Tran via Instagram direct message and TikTok comment.
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