I first heard about EcoTools when I saw (our friend) Lisa Eldridge using them in one of her videos. EcoTools brushes have super-soft synthetic taklon bristles, and the handles are made from sustainable bamboo with recycled aluminium ferrules. The brand is 100% cruelty-free and 1% of the company’s annual profit goes towards initiatives that make a difference. They do a great range of individual brushes as well as a couple of really handy sets – all of which make fantastic gifts for newbies and make-up pro’s alike. They are also incredibly good value for money – it just goes to show that you don’t need to spend vast amounts of money on your brush collection.
Jules and I scuttled down to Clicks in Canal Walk to see what they had to offer, which unfortunately wasn’t much. I decided on the 6 Piece Essential Eye Set, which consists of 5 brushes in a hemp and cotton carrier case. The brushes include: a large eye brush, an angled crease brush, a highlighter brush, a petite eye shader brush and a smudge brush. My beloved MAC 217’s are a couple of years old now and are a bit past their prime, so I was really looking forward to giving these a go.
It’s love. Not only do they deposit just the right amount of product onto the eye, but they are incredibly soft and don’t scratch at all (scratchy brushes are a real bug bear of mine – why do they exist?). And even though they’re soft, they’re not too floppy or flimsy – they are just firm enough to do an amazing job. My favourites are the smudge brush, petite eye shader brush and the highlighter brush – they all shaded and blended beautifully, and the smudge brush in particular got right into my lashline to provide a subtle smokey effect. My least favourite is the angled crease brush as it’s just too big and cumbersome for it’s intended purpose. I use it to apply shadow on the outer corner, but there is no way you could use it on your entire crease – you’d end up looking like an extra from a Robert Palmer video.
Great quality, affordable, and cruelty free – what more could a girl ask for? EcoTools brushes are available from Clicks and Takealot.
