I don’t like change. But sometimes I love it.
Over the years, I’ve spent a small fortune on the actual tools of my trade, namely, finely crafted makeup brushes. The handles are a very nice (probably endangered) wood, and the brushes are all animal hair (sable, goat, pony).
I have two full sets which I keep in tip top shape. One set is 10 years old. I swore I’d never need to replace them, and I didn’t intend to…..but here’s what happened–I met someone new.
Oh, I’ll never get rid of my professional sets (they’re well worn old friends and I also hate to waste), but I will begin to recommend the new wave of eco and vegan tools available to those of you who need a few brushes in your arsenal, and I’ll begin to use the new brushes for my own makeup application.
Several green makeup lines have brushes or puffs that accompany their products, and so far I’ve been unimpressed by most, preferring to use my own tools–but I was incredibly surprised to find a new line of affordable (cheap, actually), environmentally delightful, and unbelievably soft brushes that do the trick.
ECOTOOLS offers bamboo (sustainable) handled brushes; the bristles are made of Taklon (a vegan, cruelty free synthetic); recycled aluminum forms the ferrule (the metal bit around the base of the bristles, and the company also has natural cotton/hemp linen cosmetic bags.
ECOTOOLS offers a 100% recycled aluminum retractable kabuki brush for only $7.99 (while major green lines offer their non-green kabuki brushes at around $30).
If you’re using mineral makeup, go ahead and get at least one of the 2 ECOTOOLS sets:
1. A Bamboo 5 piece travel set for $9.99. I love the brushes in it: Powder brush, concealer brush (great for liquid, cremes or minerals), an eye shading brush (almost identical to my expensive one in both appearance and effectiveness), and a baby kabuki (which I prefer to the retractable one, anyway–it’s super small but works well). The fifth bit is the snap-shut travel pouch made of hemp and cotton. For $10 BUCKS?? Don’t even think twice about it. What a great green tool kit for an incredibly great deal.
2. A 6 piece set for $12.99. You’ll need these brushes, too: Blush brush, eye shading brush (if you get both sets, you’ll have two of these-use one for darker colors, ie crease colors, and one for your light all over eye color), angled eyeliner brush, concealer brush (you’ll have two again, you can use one for your blemish formula concelaer and the other for your under eye concealer. And YES, THEY SHOULD BE DIFFERENT FORMULAS!), lash and brow groomer, and the snapping travel pouch.
You can buy the brushes separately, as well, and make your own perfect kit. Something else I like from this company: The machine washable, bamboo powder puffs. They’re super soft and also have a little strap on the back for your fingers. You get 2 for $2.99. PLEASE!! (you can check them out at eco-tools.com, new products launching January of 2009)
I don’t like change. I like my old brushes. But it’s a new year, and, as usual, I seek the new while clinging to the old. Change keeps us on our toes. Change keeps us invigorated, informed, eager. And sometimes change is just plain good for the world. … Happy New Year!!
