As someone who would never wear fur, I've always had a problem with makeup brushes made of animal hair. While I know that not all of them involve cruelty, I'd prefer not having to research the source and origins of each and every brush I buy. I'll confess that way too often I choose the "don't ask, don't tell" policy, which makes me a very bad vegetarian.
My life has become just a bit more comfortable with the launch of ecoTools, a new brand from Paris Presents. They offer a range of basic makeup brushes, all made of soft synthetic bristles and bamboo handles (bamboo, as a highly sustainable plant, supposedly has a low impact on the earth’s resources). These brushes and all the other tools in this line look much more sophisticated than you'd expect from a drugstore brand priced between $2.99 and $7.99. The brushes even come in a pouch with a fabric back.
I wasn't quite taken with the eye shading brush, which is too narrow, doesn't grab as much product as I'd like and made for an uneven application. But the face brushes are nice. I find that the powder brush works better with a loose powder than with a pressed one. I'm especially fond of the foundation brush. It works flawlessly with my Vitalumier and I was very impressed with the results. You need less foundation than what you'd use with a sponge or your fingers and it's fool proof. No streaks or blotches.
The bath accessories are made of loofah, cotton and ramie (Chinese grass). They are cute, reusable (need to be replaced every couple of months) and would be a nice gift for a crunchy friend, because again, they look much better than your average drugstore fare. I'd skip the foot file which is no match for the Diamancel, but everything else is worth considering.
The brush set and bath tools I received were a PR freebie. You can find them just about everywhere, from Ulta, Duane Reade and Walgreens to your local Stop&Shop.
My life has become just a bit more comfortable with the launch of ecoTools, a new brand from Paris Presents. They offer a range of basic makeup brushes, all made of soft synthetic bristles and bamboo handles (bamboo, as a highly sustainable plant, supposedly has a low impact on the earth’s resources). These brushes and all the other tools in this line look much more sophisticated than you'd expect from a drugstore brand priced between $2.99 and $7.99. The brushes even come in a pouch with a fabric back.
I wasn't quite taken with the eye shading brush, which is too narrow, doesn't grab as much product as I'd like and made for an uneven application. But the face brushes are nice. I find that the powder brush works better with a loose powder than with a pressed one. I'm especially fond of the foundation brush. It works flawlessly with my Vitalumier and I was very impressed with the results. You need less foundation than what you'd use with a sponge or your fingers and it's fool proof. No streaks or blotches.
The bath accessories are made of loofah, cotton and ramie (Chinese grass). They are cute, reusable (need to be replaced every couple of months) and would be a nice gift for a crunchy friend, because again, they look much better than your average drugstore fare. I'd skip the foot file which is no match for the Diamancel, but everything else is worth considering.
The brush set and bath tools I received were a PR freebie. You can find them just about everywhere, from Ulta, Duane Reade and Walgreens to your local Stop&Shop.
Could you please let me know where the products were made ?
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for letting us know about these! I've been using super old EL blockbuster brushes for years now, not wanting to buy animal bristles and not really wanting to shell out $100 for the Urban Decay brush set. Will get these ASAP.
ReplyDeleteLady Jane Grey- I just checked and all the products are made in China. Disappointing, I know. With all the effort they put into using better materials and donating 1% to environmental cause, you'd expect the products to be at least semi-local.
ReplyDeleteErin- Let me know how you like the set and if you have better luck than me with the eye shadow brush.
ReplyDeleteAlso: Since Smashbox are big supporters of PETA, their brushes are probably also cruelty free. Though I doubt they're easy on the budget.
Great review! I went out and got them too...I'm excited to try them out. And PR freebies! Oooohhh I'm so envious, hehe, lucky you!
ReplyDelete