Saturday, January 8, 2011

A Love-Hate Relationship with EcoTools Make-Up Brushes

Everyone ♥s EcoTools - including me! It's no wonder because the brand is awesome. The ideas behind their products is greenious (green+genious)! And how about EcoTool brushes? I loooove me some EcoTools make-up brushes but... I also hate them.
However, before I go into a pit of rage & fury, let me share some great facts about EcoTools & their brushes!

Did you know EcoTools provides natural, recycled (sustainable) and, cruelty-free products? The EcoTool brushes are made up like this: bamboo (highly sustainable) handles, recycled aluminum (earth-friendly) ferrules, and synthetic (cruelty-free) taklon bristles.

If you've ever tried an EcoTools brush, you'll know how soft it is and how light the whole brush feels in the palm of your hands. Yet when gripped, the brush is sturdy! If you use EcoTools brushes, you'll notice they hardly shed - I haven't noticed any shedding and I have multiple EcoTools brushes! Unfortunately, the EcoTools 1214 (Recycled Aluminum Retractable Kabuki) is known for being a bacteria playground and grows it's own mold when not washed and dried properly. I personally haven't experience this since I don't own that particular brush. Though, an issue I've faced with the EcoTools brushes is total to almost breakage.
Today, my beloved Finishing brush (from the Alicia Silverstone for EcoTools brush sets) broke on me. ?SH!#LT$)^DFHDFRIOU%^PA*!&%S This isn't fixable with super glue either!
Take a look:

The whole brush head came out of the ferrule! How does that happen?? I use it every day but I wash it every other day. I use face wash to cleanse my brushes but I never let the soap or water go down the ferrule. Meaning: I wash my brushes upside down, just like I hang them upside down to dry. I rinse my brush for more than 3 minutes & pat them dry with towels before air drying them. Is that wrong?? Am I doing it wrong?? Maybe I deserved this...

And just a week before, the blush brush from the same Alicia Silverstone brush set broke on me but atleast it's fixable.
Here it is:

This isn't uncommon and it is fixable but... UGHHHHH!
Even my EcoTools inspired Powder brush broke on me. Twice.


Maybe I'm the only one. Maybe I wash my brushes too often. What ever the case... I am MAD. I love my EcoTools Finishing brush and I was just getting the hang of using stippling style brushes! Luckily, I have a back-up but if that breaks too.. I'm going to invest in MAC or Sigma brush. (FYI - The EcoTools Finishing brush is only available in Alicia Silverstone brush sets.)Aside from all the breakage, the results of using EcoTools brushes are amazing. They're soft-never-scratchy, eco-friendly, animal-friendly, budget-friendly and THEY WORK. Do they last? *deep breath* You need to own a lot of brushes - high-end, medium, to low-end brushes to really know what is a quality make-up brush.

So there we have it friends! My love-hate relationship with EcoTools. I'll be back again with my very first Nail of the Day (NOTD). 'Til next time!

♥,
Ashley

4 comments:

Andrea said...

I don't know, maybe you're right and clean them too often. I clean them once a week with shampoo, normally on Sundays and on Wednesdays I clean them with MUF Brush Cleanser... you can try it and see if there's any difference.

xx

Ashley said...

Hi Andrea,
I apply foundation, powder & blush with the same brush so I have to clean them after every use, even if it's with just wipes. I'm going to try using just wipes & wash once per week to see if there's a difference. Thanks :!

Lorry said...

Hi Ashley,
We are the Canadian distributors for EcoTools - and we love them too! I took your blog to the makers of EcoTools - Paris Presents - and here is what they recommend:

Clean brushes will apply your makeup more smoothly for a natural, fresh look. To keep your brushes in good shape, take the time to wash them regularly. We recommend washing every week if used daily:

1. Wet the brush with warm water, being careful not to fully immerse the base of the bristles.
2. Place a pea-sized drop of mild cleanser in the palm of your hand, preferably baby shampoo or conditioning soap.
3. Swirl the bristles in the cleanser in a circular motion until the brush is fully lathered.
4. Rinse the bristles, squeezing from the base to the tips to remove excess water. Repeat until the water runs clear and all makeup is removed from the brush.
5. Reshape the bristles to their original form and lay brush down on a flat surface to dry. (Tip: Wash brushes at night so they are dry and ready for use in the morning!)

In between washings, brush cleaner or alcohol can be used to sanitize brushes. After cleaner is applied, gently brush bristles on paper towels to remove buildup.

I hope this helps!

Ashley said...

Hi Lorry,
Thank you for your help!
I'll try a gentler cleanser for my EcoTools brush & washing no more than twice a week.

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Make-Up Kismet is a personal blog written and edited by myself. This blog was created to share my experiences with whom ever reads it.

All reviews posted are written by me and are my honest opinions. All products reviewed are purchased by me for personal and/or review purposes unless stated otherwise. Each person is different, as are our experiences. With that said, I cannot be held responsible for any unsatisfying reaction to a product I review or recommend.

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