Review: Ecotools Eyeshadow Brush Vs Old Eyeshadow Brush

Ecotools has recently re-designed their eyeshadow brush, or what they call the "bamboo eye shading brush". I would rather call it the eyeshadow brush, so for the purpose of this review I will. I love Ecotools, I think they are the best drugstore makeup brush brand, plus it helps that they are also affordable (this brush was $4 CAD) and eco-friendly. If you haven't noticed their eyeshadow brush looks very different now, I will do a comparison review of these two brushes today.

As you can tell both brushes have the same design: bamboo handles, synthetic taklon bristles, and aluminum ferrule, they come packaged the same way too. The ferrule and handle are slighly thicker on the new brush. But the way the brushes perform is much different, and although you would think the new brush would be an improvement, I am not so sure.

A closer look here, you can tell how much larger the new Ecotools eyeshadow brush is (on left). The new brush is very soft, large and thick, fluffy and a bit floppy, the nature of the bristles give it much "give". Whereas the old design eyeshadow brush (on right) has harder, smaller and thinner bristles, this brush feels more like a concealer brush to me, or could be very useful to apply cream products. The new one also has a slight, more-defined point at the centre tip. I think the new one picks up more product during application, but the older one deposited better and was more precise. With the old brush, you could not blend anything because it was so stiff, with this one you can use the corners to blend your crease colour, which is nice.

From the side, you can tell the new brush (on left) is huge and fluffy compared to the thin and skinny brush from the previous design (on right)

My main issue with this brush is how huge it is, I wish they had made it smaller. You can tell in the picture above, it covers my entire lid. If you small eyes, this brush may be overwhelming for you.

So I am half and half about this brush. I think the new design is an overall nicer brush, it's soft and fluffy, blends well, but it's huge. If they had made it smaller I would of been totally happy with it. If you still want to buy the old design brush, you can get it in the 6 piece kit since I don't think they've updated that yet.

What did you think of the newly designed Ecotools eyeshadow brush?

Small Haul and Clinique Rant

I went to the mall today for something to do and stopped by Walmart and picked up a few things. The Hard Candy section at my Walmart is a mess, there are testers of all the baked products and they are all cracked and spilling all over the display. I admit the products are pretty, but not really my thing, I did buy the Honeymoon blush, but that will be all I get. I don't know why they don't clean up the display, it's horrific. Anyway, I did manage to get their Tinted Moisturizer, in the colour "Fair". I have heard good things about this and wanted to try it out, it was like $8.

Next, I know I said I wouldn't get this but I did anyway with a $5 coupon, the L'oreal Studio Secrets Magic Perfecting Base. It was like $8 with coupon. I also got the last Ecotools Eyeshadow brush that they had, this was around $4. I have the original one and it's much different, the bristles are hard sympathetic on that one and this one is a huge improvement. I will do a comparison review soon.

Now onto the rant, that's why you read this post right? Okay, so after watching Pixiwoo's fabulous 'Guide to Clinique foundations' video on youtube (link above), I decided to make a stop at my Sears Clinique counter. They have a gift with purchase on now, so a good time to buy a new foundation. I went in primarily wanting to get the Acne Solutions foundation. I told the girl that I have dry skin, but I do tend to break out along my chin and want something with moderate-full coverage. I know Clinique tends to not give much coverage, and this foundation gives a fair amount. The girl asks me if my skin feels tight or just looks dry? I tell her well it's tight after I wash it but no, it looks and feels dry. Then she tells me that my skin is not dry, I just need to exfoliate and get the dead skin cells off. It's not dry? I do exfoliate on a regular basis, I find exfoliating makes my skin even drier if I overdo it. If you take a look at my skin, it looks dry, I am no makeup guru here but I think it's obvious. Is there any truth in this? She then tells me their 3 step program can help with this yadda yadda yadda, I have tried their 3 step and am not interested.

Okay whatever, she tries the Acne Solutions makeup on me, chooses a shade that I think is far too dark for me (03 Fair Neutral) whatever it looks fine I suppose (I could always return it). I go to pay, oh they don't have that colour in stock, or the one lighter down. Okay, what other foundations would you recommend? Superfit? she don't have any colours available, Superbalanced? She says that gives natural coverage. She recommend their Oil-free foundation (can't remember the name). I am getting irritated now so I say fine I will get that one. She rings me through, oh it's only $26 and you need to spend $28.50 to qualify for the free gift, would you like something else? Oh man... okay I will just come back another time! So fed up at this point.

I think when they have gift with purchase promotions they should really be well stocked with their products, or else they are losing sales, as they did with me. I would order online (probably easier) but their shade selection is often out of stock too and I'd have to pay for shipping. Overall, I was really annoyed with Clinique.

What foundations would you girls recommend from Clinique? or ones to avoid?

Review: ELF Mineral Brushes

ELF recently came out with a new line of makeup brushes, these being their mineral brushes. There are 12 different brushes, all for $5 a piece. However, you can get them for less than that, just use a coupon code, there are many available at once, best you could get 50% off mineral products and only pay $2.50 a brush. I was really excited about these brushes when they first came out, but only picked up 3 because I have TONS of brushes and primarily bought these to test them out. I picked up the powder, complexion and angled blush brush. I am a huge fan of ELF products, I've bought from them dozens of times, and this is just my honest opinion of these brushes.

Every brush in this line comes with 100% animal-free taklon bristles, recycled ferrule and sustainable bamboo handles. The bristles are quite thin and light yellow (will get dirty easily). I like this design, I think it's very Ecotools-esque, down to the brush sets with pouches. The pictures of these brushes on the website are deceiving however, especially the blush brush picture, it looks nothing like the brush, which disappointed me. The brushes came in nice plastic cases with a plastic cover on each brush, click here when I first got them. They smelled like a paint store when I got them, I washed them several times since then and it went away.

First up is the Mineral Powder brush, this is a giant ogre of a brush, compared to the Ecotools and even the Sigma F30 brush. It is also very thin and floppy, it's hard to show this without doing a video or something but you can take my word for it. This brush would only be good for loose finishing powder application in my opinion (and I have lots of brushes that already serve that function). This brush disappointed me the most of the trio that I got. It is very soft but kinda useless for me.

Next we have the ELF Mineral Angled Blush brush, I know on the website it says 'angled', but judging by the image on the ELF website (image above), I thought this brush would look completely different! It's quite small and very thin as well, compared to the Sigma F40, which is very soft and quite dense. I do not see myself using this brush very much, another disappointment.

Lastly, the ELF Complexion brush, I have better news with this one! This brush is very similar to the original ELF Studio line Complexion brush (left of it) however it is slightly more rounded paddle shape. This brush can be used for powder application, contouring and bronzer. It is still on the big side, next to the Ecotools blush brush (favourite of mine) it is much larger. However, this brush is do-able, if you don't already have the Studio line brush.

Comparing these brushes, what I did notice is how much better my Sigma Makeup brushes are, they are full and soft when I sweep them on my face compared to the ELF brushes.

I hope this helps you guys. I know everyone has different preferences but I just personally did not favour these very much. I knew it right when I first got them, and after attempting to use and adjust to them, they just aren't for me. These brushes are soft, and I appreciate their environmentally-friendly nature, but they do not perform very well because they bristles are so thin and floppy. Sorry ELF.

I am curious to know what you guys thought of these, leave me your opinions below!

Review: Sigma Makeup F60 SS190 Foundation Brush

Today's review is the Sigma Makeup F60, formerly the SS190 foundation brush. I generally do not use brushes like this to apply foundation, I use flat top brushes, but I purchased this brush just to test and review it out. The F60 is a synthetic bristles brush that can be used to apply liquid or cream foundation, moisturizers and even for concealing large areas. This brush sells for $14 on the Sigma Makeup website. I refer to these types of brushes as paint brushes, they look like the type that you would use to paint your walls, I find these give a streaky finish.

Despite not really favouring these types of brushes, I do have several of them. My favourite one believe it or not is the Revlon foundation brush (on left). We don't have Revlon brushes in Canada as far as I know, I got mine at Walgreens during a trip to the states, I believe it was also around $14. I do not have the MAC 190, but I have the special edition one (next to sigma in pic above). The Ecotools one is okay too, and the Quo one is really bizarre, it's pointy and round at the base, I'll do a separate review of that one, if you have that one, tell me below if you like it.

I think the Sigma brush is most similar to the Revlon, it's about the same length and the bristles are similar too. However what I like about the Sigma one, which is unlike all the others that I have, is the slightly pointed tip. I like that aspect for getting in creases of the face like around the eyes and nose. I have no issues with this brush, it did not shed or bleed colour. It is quite soft and appears well made, it maintains it's shape well too.

I find these types of brushes trap product in them, in this case foundation, very easily and need to be cleaned regularly or else it makes for icky application. Also it takes longer to apply foundation with these brushes, opposed to a flat top which is quite and covers a wider area. I like these for under eye concealing and covering redness on my face,but for foundation, I reach for my Sigma F80. Also, if the MAC 190 is like this Sigma one, I would definitely not recommend spending that much money, as there are many dupes of that brush available.

Although I love Sigma brushes for the most part, I found this brush to just be pretty average, my main problem with it was that the bristles were too thin feeling. When I apply it to my face the bristles have too much "give". What I like about the Revlon brush is it feels stiffer and less flexible, like there are more bristles to it, as it doesn't bend too much during application. When brushes like are too flexible, it can mean a streaky application.

Do you have this brush, do you like it? Do you use foundation brushes like these?

Monthly Favourites: July!

July.... where did you go? Here are my faves for the month of July.

Revlon Lipstain + Balm in Passion - I picked this up near the end of the month and am liking it a lot. The colour is pretty nice and I like the balm on the other end too.

Joe Fresh Lipstain in Tangerine - Love the colour of this, an orange colour, but comes out kind of coral on my lips because they are so pigmented.

Revlon Beyond Natural Makeup in Light - In the summer, I like light-coverage foundation that does not cake up my face or look like you are wearing too much, and this is perfect.

Revlon Beyond Natural Smoothing Face Primer  - This goes well with the Beyond Natural Makeup, glides on nicely and helps your makeup from sliding off

Bath and Body Works Anti-bacterial Hand Gel in Sweet Pea - I keep this in my purse at all times, love the smell and it so small and cute. Also, it doesn't have that gross lingering alcohol smell.

NYC Translucent Powder - I use this to set my makeup, it's light and you only need a small amount, and it's super cheap!

MAC Eyeshadow in All That Glitters, Shale, Sable and Mulch - These are colours that I've been wearing most throughout the month, All That Glitters most of all, it's a staple.

Ecotools Bronzer Brush - My favourite Ecotools brush, I use this to apply powders and it's great for touch ups on the go.

Sigma Makeup F80 - I did a separate review of this brush, but I wanted to include it in here too cause it's so awesome, definitely pick up this brush if you can. Click here to check it out on Sigma Makeup's new website.

Revlon Pink Pout lipstick - Love the colour of this, it's like a blue-pink shade. Most worn lipstick for the month.

 What are your July faves?

Initial Review: Sigma Makeup SS150

Here is my second part of my Sigma Makeup brush haul, this time reviewing the SS150 which I received along with the F80 in the mail today. I paid for both these brushes myself, so this is my honest and impartial review. For now, I am just looking at the design and appearance of the brushes, thus why I called this an "initial review". The SS150 is a large powder brush, it's much like a paddle brush, the bristles are in a paddle shape. It can be used for powder foundation, finishing powder, bronzer etc. I plan to use it for all these uses. I do have the MAC 150, so I can't do a thorough comparison, but I will compare it with other powder brushes that do the same job and look similar.

I pulled some powder brushes here that I felt were similar. The Ecotools Powder brush is a big one, this one has synthetic bristles and is a really nice brush, you can tell it is different than the SS150 as the bristles do not go to the sides the same way. The coastal scents paddle brush, which is disgusting by the way (it sheds, is rough and smells like sh!t), is the most similar one in my collection, it's got that paddle shape as the SS150, but it is slightly larger.

In terms of fullness the CS one is fuller, but it has fluffed out a lot from the constant washing I've done trying to get that stench out. I think the Sigma will become fuller as well. I have pulled some bristles out of the Sigma brush already just running my fingers through it. And it did smell more than the F80. Definitely wash your brushes before using them on your face, that's a no-brainer.

I think the SS150 is a good brush, judging by pictures on other blogs, the MAC 150 goes more inward and does not fray out as much. I think the SS150 will hold me over for now, and it seems perfectly good, after a thorough washing.

Do yo have the SS150? Do you like it?

Ecotools Makeup Brushes Pictures and Mega Review

If you aren't familiar with Ecotools, they are an earth-friendly beauty company that sells makeup brushes, bath tools, bath and body products and cosmetics bags. I have a lot of their brushes, which I think are really great. The brushes are pretty high-quality, made with bamboo handles, synthetic hairs, aluminum ferrules and are 100% cruelty free. The little bags that some of the brushes come with are cotton and hemp and the plastic packaging that hold the brushes are recyclable and reusable.

I bought most of my brushes at Walmart in Canada, they range from about $4-14. I am sure in the US they are available at a lot more places. I know recently Ecotools came out with an Alicia Silverstone collection, which comes with a stippling brush! but I haven't found it anywhere in Canada.

I have several of their brushes, two sets including the 5 piece mineral set, the 5 piece bamboo set and some individual ones that I bought along the way. I think Ecotools are a great alternative to some other brushes like MAC for example, if you can't afford it. They will never shed or fall apart, do not irritate your skin and are good for the environment.

Ecotools 5 Piece Mineral Brush Set

This one comes with a small makeup pouch and 4 brushes which are intended to be used with mineral makeup. The brushes include (left to right) eye blending brush, concealer brush, mineral powder brush and baby kabuki. 

Even though I find the makeup pouch useless, I like the brushes in this set. They are shorter than the regular line. The eye blending brush is really soft and I use it to blend in concealer under my eyes (I would buy this set alone just for that brush). The concealer brush is very nice. The powder brush is really nice, it's not very full, more flat and is nice for contouring. The baby kabuki is very lightweight and thin and flimsy, not a fan of that one, it could work for finishing powder application, but not much else. If you are a fan of short handled brushes, this may be for you. 

Ecotools 5 Piece Bamboo Set

This set comes with a brush roll and (from left to right) a blush brush, eyebrow and lash comb, eyeliner brush, concealer brush and eyeshadow brush. 

This is a good starter set for Ecotools, you get a variety of brushes. The blush brush in here is one of my favourite Ecotools brushes, it picks up product nicely and applies well, it's a good size and is dense. The eyebrow comb is useless to me, I don't use those. The eyeliner brush is also very good, I use it to do my eyebrows. The concealer brush that's in here is the same as the one in the mineral set, just with a longer handle, it's good, stiff, yet soft and dense, it will cover concealer well. The eyeshadow brush is a huge disappointment, it has stiff taklon, synethic bristles which is totally useless for picking up shadows, I don't ever use this brush, maybe it would work for concealer or paint pots. However, I have read that Ecotools has redesigned this brush and now it's soft, fluffy and wonderful, but the one in this set sucks in my opinion.

I will go over some individual brushes that I bought as well. 

From Left to Right

Ecotools Bronzer Brush - This brush is my favourite from all my Ecotools brushes, it is basically a kabuki on a stick. It's thick and dense and very, very soft. I use it to apply bronzer and powder. It also has a nice thick handle and the base is flat, so you can store this standing up. This brush is fantastic and I would totally recommend it. It is one of the more expensive brushes from this brand, may cost you about $13-15 CAD.

Ecotools Powder Brush - This thing is huge! It's almost too big for my face and the bristles aren't as closely packed in so it kinda goes all over the place. If you see the blush brush, just right of it, you can tell the size difference. The bristles are also really long, it doesn't work that great for me.

Ecotools Blush Brush - I already review this above, but again, I love this brush, it's one of the best from Ecotools. Very soft, works well.

Ecotools Foundation Brush - This foundation brush is really nice, as any typical foundation brush, but it's really soft. I use this for concealer moreso, and it works really well. Get this one!

Ecotools Eyeliner brush - Already reviewed this above as well, it's great.

Ecotools Concealer Brush - This brush is nice, it's stiff, yet soft and does the job.

Ecotools Eyeshadow Brush - I have two of these and I wish that I didn't because I don't like this brush, although as I mentioned above, Ecotools has redesigned this brush, and I have read it's great now, so I may pick up the new one.

Ecotools Retractable Kabuki - I was let down by this brush. It's soft, but doesn't really pick and hold product very well. My biggest problem with it is how it's difficult to put the cap on the brush, it doesn't quite bit. The material used is recyclable of course, which is great, but it also makes the brush really light and doesn't feel very substantial. The bristles also get caught in the cap every time I use this brush, which isn't good. For portability reasons, this brush is great for that, traveling and stuff, but I don't use it otherwise, the bronzer brush is a better bet!

Here is a comparison pic of the Ecotools Bronzer Brush (left) and Ecotools Retractable Kabuki (on right). The bronzer brush rocks the socks off the kabuki, it's thick and more dense, I like it so much better.

Makeup Masala: Brushes from ELF Cosmetics and Ecotools

My package from makeup masala came today. But.. I got the wrong product, I had ordered the ecotools retractable brush, but got the bronzer brush instead. Weird. I am going to have to contact customer service. I also got 3x ELF powder brush. This brush is very, very popular on youtube, and I thought it would be a great all-purpose brush. I hope it lives up to it's high expectations.