I’ve been needing new make up brushes for a while now, I’ve never really owned a proper set and the maybe 2 brushes I own from about a million years ago were finally on their last legs. I was wary, however, of investing in brushes because I didn’t want to needlessly buy plastic products and I definitely didn’t want to buy something that would fall apart easily and end up in landfill, resulting in me buying more that would fall apart easily and again end up in landfill, and so starting a cycle of waste. Then I found the zero waste wonder that is EcoTools.

EcoTools launched in 2008 and pride themselves as ‘a leader in eco-conscious beauty products’. They offer a whole variety of products including bath products, hairbrushes and cosmetic accessories, but they’re best known for their cosmetic brushes. As opposed to plastic, EcoTools brushes are predominantly made of bamboo handles. I’ve spoken about bamboo before when I changed over to a sustainable toothbrushes and a zero waste hairbrush but if you don’t know, bamboo is one of the most ethical resources on the planet because it grows so quickly and easily, as well as being completely biodegradable for when you’ve finished with it, so choosing it over plastic as much as possible is a great idea. It also produces more oxygen than many varieties of tree and can grow in a wide variety of climates, so the more it is grown the better. Final bonus: because bamboo is so durable it requires much less water than trees, and no pesticides or chemicals are needed to encourage the maturation process. So that’s some solid environmental stuff right there.

As well as bamboo, EcoTools brushes are made with cruelty-free synthetic bristles and recycled aluminium ferrules. Their reusable eco pouch is made with natural materials and EVA (EVA is free of phthalates and PVC) and their paper packaging is made from 80% recycled and 100% recyclable paper. I also read a bunch of reviews online and found the majority of users talking about the durability of these brushes which, as zero wasters, is what we really want. Of those reviewers many were saying they had been using the brushes daily for years without losing a bristle, so I decided to invest in some.

I purchased the travel set (pictured above) because well, I travel a lot these days. It also had everything I needed and seemed pretty compact. It contains a complexion blending brush for foundations, BB/CC creams and concealers; large powder brush for blush and finishing powders; smudge brush for eyeshadows; angled eye liner for eye liner and eyebrows and a cosmetic bag to carry them in. It cost $10, aka £5 (pre-brexit rates, but we’re still strong against the dollar…ish) which is pretty darn cheap for what you get!

The first thing I noticed about these brushes when they arrived is how convenient they are, not sure if it’s all brushes or just the travel kit but they’re so compact whilst still being the right size to get the job done, whilst the pouch they fit into slips easily into any bag, which really is perfect if you’re travelling a lot. The second thing I noticed is that they’re crazy soft. I’ve personally never felt anything as soft as these brushes and it’s really transformed how I feel when I put make up on in the morning. I actually set aside more time now to do my make up because I enjoy it so much more, the brushes feel much nicer on my face but they also just make me generally feel like I’m having more fun and enjoying the process more, almost like I’m kinda more glamorous. If you’re wanting to treat yourself more in your beauty routines, I really feel like these brushes help. Is that weird? I’m not sure, but I’m liking it.

So asides from all the benefits mentioned above they’re also pretty great brushes to use. Now that I’ve switched to a liquid foundation in my natural makeup explorations I’ve found the complexion blending brush particularly helpful for even coverage, especially when I don’t have a lot of time to get my makeup on it makes things so easy, and the powder brush is great for getting my cheeks just right. While I was waiting for these to arrive my old powder brush literally fell to pieces so I had been using my fingers, not just getting a brush back but getting a great brush has been like a revelation! The only one I have yet to try is the shadow smudge brush because I’m not a huge eyeshadow wearer, but I am loving the angled eyeliner for my brows. I really like having strong eyebrows, I like my natural brow shape anyway so playing with doing my brows is so much fun for me, and this brush makes that even easier!

There are so many reasons why I could recommend Ecotools if you’re thinking about investing in some new make up brushes. They’re cost effective yet great quality, they feel so nice and soft to use and, most importantly, they’re sustainable. No plastic necessary! They’re also super convenient for travellers or people often on the go, like myself. Basically, I’m a fan. Bamboo saves the day again!

Until next time, stay magic y’all.