Most Used Ecotools Brushes

Good brushes really do make all the difference when I'm applying my make-up. And I'm really quite particular about my brushes. They need to be super soft because I've got sensitive skin, they need to be shaped correctly for the purpose that I plan to use them for, they need to not shed when I use them or wash them and of course I want them to be cruelty-free.

Because of this my go to brand tends to be Ecotools. They're fairly easy to get ahold of here in Canada, they're reasonably priced, they're sturdy and the are completely cruelty-free with 100% synthetic bristles.

One of the nice things about synthetic bristles is that they don't hold bacteria as easily as natural hair brushes do. They still need to be washed of course, as any product build-up can harbour bacteria but it's still a bit of piece of mind for me at least- especially as I don't wash my brushes as much as I should!

My first set of brushes are mainly used for my face. Above is my retractable kabuki brush from Ecotools and the only brush I use to apply my powder foundation. I love this brush and use it just about every time I do my make-up. It's thick, soft, doesn't ever shed, spreads and buffs powder products well and on top of all that is perfect to travel with as it retracts into the metal case so that none of the bristles are at risk of being bent.

The next two brushes (the two left) are both from different Ecotools' sets and are both meant to be either blush brushes or all over face brushes. I use the smaller of the two (middle) exclusively for blush application and the right one for both loose finishing powder application and blush. They're a little different in shape from one another but both work well. I wouldn't buy them on their own but I'm glad they came with some of the other brushes in a kit. The nice thing about the kits is that they usually come with a travel bag for the brushes too.

The paddle foundation brush above (right) also gets a lot of use when I have a liquid foundation as this shape of brush is my preferred application method. It's thick enough that it blends the product well while small and flexible enough to get into the crease around my nose.

These next brushes I use entirely for eyeshadow application, even the brush on top which came advertised as a concealer brush. As you can tell I tend to use multiple ones at the same time so I don't muddy the eyeshadow colour I'm applying. These are easy to swipe clean on a kleenex between shades too, so I tend to use them nearly every time I apply eyeshadow. Some of these I received as part of a brush kit and some I purchased separately.

This brush again was part of a kit but I love how fluffy it is! Though tiny it's great for applying a setting powder to under-eye concealer or to blend out any harsh lines of a shadow. It's even good for applying a shadow lightly in the crease of the eye.

Please ignore the dent in this last one, it's been well loved. I adore my angled liner brush from Ecotools. It has long stiff bristles, and the slant is perfect. I use this to do fill my eyebrows with brow powder, put eyeshadow along the bottom lid of my eye, do detail work in the outer-v, and apply gel or powder eyeliner. Such a great brush.

So this is my rave about my Ecotools brushes. I love them as you can probably tell. I only wish they had a pencil brush I could use in my crease available as an individual brush, though I have seen some in the newer brush kits that are out.

You can get Ecotools at a variety of stores here in Canada, some of which include: Walmart, Rexall, London Drugs, Pharmasave, and they've been spotted in some Costco's. Online they're available through iHerb  as well.

In the USA they're avilable through Target and Walmart. I'm sure they're avilable at most standing stores as well, I just don't know which ones as I don't live there.

Remember if you order online to always check out retailmenot for coupon codes and use ebates at most major websites (like Target).

I hope you found this break down of some of my favourite Ecotools brushes useful! Take care until next time.



Disclaimer: All products in this post were purchased by me. The only affiliate link in the post is the ebates links.

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Ten Beauty Products I Can't Live Without!

1. Blinc tubing Mascara in Black
I adore this mascara. It's the perfect easy to remove tubing mascara that doesn't smudge or run or flake. You can read my full Review Here. :D


2. Clarisonic Mia
I can't live without my Clarisonic Mia. Although mine is the white one, if the purple had been available when I bought mine I would have chosen that colour! This helps my acne so much and it really helps clean deep into pores gently. My review on this is here :D.


3. Estee Lauder Double Wear Liquid Foundation (Shade Shell)
Although I've been using the Estee Lauder Double Wear Light foundation lately, I finally got my hands on the Double Wear foundation in my correct shade. This foundation is great, matte finish, lasts all day and covers well. My review here!


4. Mac Prep and Prime Transparent Finishing Powder
This is my favourite setting powder. I've tried quite a few others such as MUFE HD and Laura Mercier's secret finishing powder but this is the best. It really gives a soft focus effect when I use it with my mini kabuki, blurring the look of my pores until they're almost gone. I've finally done a review for this here.


5. Too Faced Shadow Insurance
Too Faced Shadow Insurance is my Holy Grail eyeshadow primer. It lasts all day for me and prevents creasing as well as feeling nice on and intensifying shadows a bit. Check out my review here!


6. TheBalm TimeBalm Concealer in Lighter than Light
The best undereye concealer I've tried this is creamy the perfect brightening shade and covers wonderfully. The only downside is that it doesn't work well over dry skin at all. I also like how inexpensive it is for the amount of product and how there is Vitamin E in it as well. Here's my review! :D


7. Nail Tek II Intensive Therapy
This stuff has saved my nails big time! From weak splitting nails that couldn't grow to strong healthy ones this as a base coat has transformed my nails. Another plus was that it was quick too! Read about my experience with it here!


8. China Glaze Fast Forward Top Coat
I don't know about anyone else but I always always ALWAYS mess up my manicure before it dries unless I have a quick dry top coat and this one by China Glaze is the best! Really quick drying and I actually don't mind the sweet smell to it. As with all top coats it gets a bit thick after awhile but some polish thinner takes care of that. (Review to come)


9. Nars Penny Lane Cream Blush
I just got this blush not too long ago and I adore it! I can't see myself without this anymore as it lasts all day (only blush I've had that does) and the finish is amazing! Check out my full review here!


10. Eco Tools Brushes
The best brushes out there in my opinion. Cheap, Eco friendly, creulty-free, easy to clean, and super soft! There is nothing bad about these brushes except maybe the fact that the range is sort of limited! Full review of them here! The picture above is one of the sets of brushes I've bought and use almost daily.

So that's it! I saw this tag and thought it would be a good fun post to do. I have a couple other posts in the works so more coming soonish! Hope you enjoyed!

Ecotools~ Introduction and Review

If you haven't heard of Ecotools brushes, you're about to! This entire lengthy post is all about Ecotools brushes and how much I like them. Because honestly that's what I feel like posting. :D

These are my Ecotools brushes. I use most of them daily. Up top is a mini Kabuki brush I use for my loose Mac Prep and Prime powder. Then from left to right is my blush brush, concealer brush (which I use for eyeshadow), foundation brush, eyeshadow brush and fluffy crease brush. What's so great about these brushes? There are so many I'm going to list them :D

• These are super super soft. Softer than any other brushes I've felt.
• All synthetic. This is great because they are 100% cruelty free but synthetic fibers don't harbour bacteria as easily fur fibers and they clean easier. They won't split or deteriorate as quickly either.
• The handles are bamboo and the ferrels are recycled aluminum
• They pick up a decent amount of pigment when in use
• They're densely packed with bristles (not sparse like some other brushes)
• They're widely available (Zellars, Walmart, Target, Ulta, online)
• They're inexpensive!
• Ecotools gives 1% of all their profits all the time to For The Planet a charity working for the earth  through 2271 different environmentally focused organizations. Yay!
• There are a large selection of inexpensive sets too that are just as good as the singles. (And most of them come with cute little hemp carry bags)
• The plastic and fabric packaging they come in is resealable so you can use it for travelling.
• The bristles DO NOT FALL OUT! Hallelujah!

Ecotools also sells bath items like scrub brushes and Body Wash which is 98% natural, sulfate free and cruelty-free. However, I've never tried them so I can't really include them in my review.
Let's start with my Foundation Brush. This is one of the better foundation paddle brushes I've used. It's soft on my face which is quite sensitive to prickly things and it's not streaky as the brush is dense with hair. Because it's so dense though I do find it hard to clean but it's sturdy and durable to my less than gentle treatment of my brushes. I like the way the handle is shaped as it's easy to hold and I actually like the way the bristles are dyed to look like real hair (even though they aren't!) If I can just find a easy way to deep clean this it would be my top foundation brush. It costs about $5.99 USD but that varies between store.
Rating: 9/10

This 5 piece set (with four brushes and a hemp bag) was my first Ecotool purchase. It includes a mini kabuki, a blush brush, a concealer brush and the fluffy crease brush. All are lovely, though the blush brush is a little flat. I like the blush brush for paler blushes as it picks up quite a bit of powder easily because it's so dense. The fluffy crease brush is perfect for blending or lightly applying a highlight colour , and the conealer brush is one of my favourite brushes for applying eyeshadow to my lids. The concealer brush also makes it easy to apply a line of eyeshadow along my lower lash line as it has a long thin tip.
The mini kabuki is great for my small hands and picks up powder well. I can get a good buffing motion going when I use it, and it helps blend too much blush a bit more too!
To be honest I've never used the hemp bag, though my mom uses it all the time and it seems to be well constructed. Costs approximately $11.99 USD.
Rating: 8/10- because I don't use the hemp bag and the blush brush needs to be fluffed up to work well.



The eyeshadow brush is just as good as the others. Soft, picks up pigment well, cleans well (in fact I can usually just brush it against a tissue to rid of all the pigment it's picked up) and it has a thin edge which makes applying shadow along the lower lash line easy. Love.
Rating: 10/10

Here are some other Ecotools sets and brushes that are popular!
Six piece Brush Set

Bronzer Brush (the handle on this one is hefty! You could use this as rolling pin is so thick! Heard many raves about it though.

Retractable Kabuki in bag

Retractable Kabuki on its own (Great for traveling and all recycled Aluminum)

This is the only picture I can find of the angled liner brush, but it gets great reviews too. Haven't heard anything good or bad about the grooming kit though (pictured above).

I also asked 33 make-up junkies (not including me) who had heard of Ecotools before "Do you love and use Ecotools brushes?" Turns out, 23 out of 33 of them or approximately 70% like them and use them on a semi-regular basis. If that doesn't say something about them I don't know what does!
These make perfect gifts for someone else or yourself if you're just getting into make-up. Having the right brushes makes it so much easier to apply cosmetics and create looks.

Ecotools Swap

From the Ecotools Website- the highly raved for Retractable Kabuki Brush

Ecotools is my favourite brush company. The brushes are soft, durable, soft, apply product well and soft. Did I mention how luxuriously soft they are? 'Cause I literally pet my face with these at times. Plus, not only do these work well, they are 100% cruelty free, as they use synthetic bristles made of specialized plastic (which make them easy to clean and less prone to holding bacteria), as well as recycled aluminum ferrules and bamboo handles (bamboo is extremely quick growing and therefore easily sustainable).

From the Ecotools Site

Some of my personal favourites are the five piece kit with the blush brush, mini kabuki, crease brush, concealer brush (that I use for eyeshadow) and a little hemp bag to carry it all in. I also like their eyeshadow brush and other popular ones include the bronzer brush, the angled liner brush, and the retractable kabuki (pictured first). 

From the Ecotools Swap page

On top of this, Ecotools is trying to help the environment by giving you coupon incentives to switch over to their brand. You send in your old products, and they'll send you vouchers for Ecotool products. For all the details (or just more on Ecotools itself) check out the Look Gorgeous Love Green Site here.

Face of the Night

Last night I attended the Medieval Times dinner show in Toronto, which is always fun to attend. However, the real point of this post is the makeup I did with this dress which appears black in the picture but is actually dark green with gold details based off a 14th century design. 

This is a full face shot at the end of the night so my lipstick had worn off (a dark wine red) but you can get the general idea.

What Products I used:

Face->

Lorac Aquaprime Foundation Primer

Estee Lauder Double Wear Light Foundation Intensity 1.0

Mac Prep and Prime translucent powder

Mac Angel Blush

Too Faced By Candlelight Face Powder

Laura Mercier Secret Concealer 1

Clinique Clarifying Solutions Concealer

Lips->

Revlon Twice Bitten Lip Stain in Twilight with Balm (Deep ruby red)

Eyes->

Mac Greenstroke Paint Pot

Mac Fluidline in Rich Ground

Mac eyeshadow in Vex

Mac Chromographic Pencil in NC15/NW20

Clinique Lash Power Mascara

Brushes->

Ecotools mini Kabuki

Ecotools mini crease blender brush

Quo angled liner brush

Ecotools Mini Blush brush

Quo angled blush brush

Face

After applying my acne treatment and a moisturizer, I used a foundation paddle brush and spread Lorac's Aquaprime all over my face in a thin even layer (excluding lips and eye area). After waiting for it to dry I then took the same brush and evened my skin out with my Estee Lauder Double Wear Light foundation. I like to apply foundation before concealer because I feel that you use less product over all as you only need to cover the marks that the foundation doesn't. I then took my ring finger and patted Laura Mercier's Secret Concealer into my under eye circles and blended it out into the surrounding skin. I then took my Clinique Clarifying concealer and covered any other spots showing through. 

Next using my Ecotools mini Kabuki brush I took Mac's Prep and Prime translucent powder and set everything on my face with it. I also swept it lightly over my eyelids as well. Using a blush brush I then lightly dusted on Mac's Angel blush along my cheek bones and apples of my cheeks (this is just a light baby pink coloured blush that is matte and easy to make look like a natural flush). Then using a flatter blush brush I took Too Faced's By Candlelight face powder and went over the blush on my cheek bones to very very subtly add a highlight. 

Eyes

I started this look by applying a wash of Revlon's Matte Vintage Lace eyeshadow all over the lid and up to the brow bone to even out the discolouration on my lids. I then took Mac's Rich Ground Fluidline and lined the entirety of my upper lash line and the outer quarter of my bottom lashes to bring out my eyes. I then took the liner and put it along the outer three quarters of my waterline. I finished lining with Mac's NC15/NW20 chromographic pencil on the remainder of my waterline and underneath the liner on my lower lashes blended in to match the skin to create a very subtle brightening effect.

After lining, I took Mac's Greenstroke paint pot and using my finger lightly blended it all over my lid from the edge of the liner into the crease.  Then using Mac's Vex eyeshadow and a soft fluffy blending brush I lightly applied Vex starting from the tear duct up and around Greenstroke to the brow and over the crease.  I then finished off the look by brushing on a coat of Clinique's Lash Power Mascara (a tubing Mascara that comes off in tubes and actually keeps my mascara from smudging and flaking).

I then finished off the outfit by wearing dangling celtic earrings (not pictured sorry they were heavy so I took them off) and a necklace by the jewelry designer the Knotty Magpie (who's work is available in the Royal Ontario Museum).

Here's the whole look (minus the lips again I'm sorry!)

Hope you liked it! Tell me what you think or if you'd wear the makeup in the comments!