Ecotools 6 piece eyebrush set & bronzer brush review

Earlier last month beauty accessory company ecoTOOLS launched a number of new and improved cosmetic brushes, some of which I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to try out for myself. If you haven't yet heard of ecoTOOLS, they manufacture a wide range of affordable and earth-friendly beauty tools, bath tools, skin care, and cosmetic bags. Their products can be found at Target, Ulta, and Whole Foods among many other convenient locations.


I was sent the new 6-piece eye brush set ($7.99) and bronzer brush ($9.99) to try out. The 6-piece eye brush set includes a large eye brush, angled crease brush, petite eye shading brush, highlighting brush, smudge brush and a hemp and cotton case with mirror. Each brush also has its name printed on it so that you don't get the brushes mixed up (ingenious). And $7.99 for 6 pieces... that comes out to less than $1.34 per piece which is pretty amazing!

I've been using more expensive cruelty free brushes and ecoTOOLS, despite being very inexpensive in comparison, definitely stands up to the higher priced competition. The brush handles are sturdy, the bristles feel soft and gentle on the skin, and the application results are great. My only qualm is that I wish these came in a more minimal package that could easily be recycled. The plastic outside packaging is very cute and is meant to be reusable, but I wonder how many people actually do reuse it. The following is a breakdown of my general impressions of the brushes:

ecoTOOLS vs. more expensive professional brushes:

• The more expensive competition that I've used in the past is somewhere in the range of two to three times (yikes) more expensive than ecoTOOLS.
  
• A problem I've often found with more expensive brushes is that are often wayyy too bulky. ecoTOOLS brushes are the perfect size: they are large enough to comfortably hold during application yet small enough to be conveniently stored at home or packed away for travel.
• Most professional brushes are made of "natural fibers" which come from animal sources. ecoTOOLS bristles are made from Taklon, which is a soft, non-irritating, animal-friendly (and vegan-friendly) fiber that gives results as clean and professional as natural fibers.
• ecoTOOLS participates in "1% for the planet" which means 1% of all ecoTOOL's sales benefit environmental organizations.
  

ecoTOOLS vs. other drugstore brands:

• The materials used by ecoTOOLS are much more ecologically friendly. Brushes and packaging is made of bamboo, recycled steel and aluminum, soybean oil, non toxic inks and crushed walnuts. Compare this with the largely petroleum based materials used by standard cosmetic brands.
• The most common problem I've found with drugstore brushes is that the bristles are hard, stiff and irritating! ecoTOOLS bristles are super soft and very gentle on the skin.
  

In conjunction with the release of their new brushes, ecoTOOLS has also teamed up with celebrity makeup artist Meredith Baraf to bring you a number of great tutorials on Youtube for creating flawless makeup. I've embedded all of the videos below, enjoy!

Cunning Cat-Eye

Flawless Face

Sultry Smoky Eye

Touched-up Face For Day to Night

**I was given 6 piece eye brush set & bronzer brush samples from eco-tools for review purposes. I was not given any form of monetary compensation for this post, all opinions expressed here are mine.**