REVIEW: Ecotools Make-up Brushes

My cousin, Trixie, of http://cosmeticelegance.blogspot.com/, got home from Canada recently. As much as I was so excited to see her, I was very giddy about the Ecotools Brushes I had her buy for me. Toa chie Trix ^____^


To start off, we all know how important it is to have our own personal brushes; especially for me, since I have a very sensitive skin. I needed another basic brush set for my clients and friends because I want my The Body Shop (will make a review soon) brushes to be solely for me.

Now on to the beeswax.
So why Ecotools?
Disclaimer: This review is based on my own and unbiased opinion.


I did some quick surfing and read some reviews on different brands of make up brushes, and among the rest, Ecotools stood out as the best--both in quality and price. (TIP: before buying anything, it is always good to hear/read from others first before handing out that hard-earned money). I didn't want to spend a lot for it because I am not a make up artist by profession, I just do it to help out friends. Having read positive reviews, I bought their 6pc basic set which contains 1 blush brush, 1 eye shading brush, 1 eyeliner brush, 1 lash and brow groomer, 1 conealer brush, and the cosmetic brush roll (55% hemp linen/45% cotton), and the one piece foundation brush (not found in the set).

On Design:


I like how eco-friendly-looking (obviously, from the brand ECOtools) their brushes are-- with the bamboo handles, and engraved brand name. (Unlike most, including TBS's, in which the brand names printed fade in time. But for my TBS brushes, I had them for a good 3 years or so and only a little has faded). On the other side of it, they don't label their brushes accordingly. But that's okay if you're a pro or you know your brushes too well already.

On the price:
I spent only 22.84 CAD (plus 12% tax though so that makes it 25.5808 CAD for everything. I was like. WOW. That's like one fifth of how much my mother spent for our TBS brush set, and that was on sale already (no, i'm not going against TBS, i'm just comparing). This is one very concrete example that it is not necessary for products with excellent quality to be expensive.
On the bristles:
They are very soft for the face! I could say it's not exactly as soft as TBS's (maybe bec it was still new) but it is very next to it. Also, it's synthetic, so, cruelty-free! Yay!


Breaking it down:


 Blush brush: I don't like how fluffy it is for a blush brush bec there are certain principles in applying blushes and I can't seem to achieve that with this. It is useful as a finishing/powder brush though, or for applying bronzers.

Eye shading brush: It packs eyeshadow well, however, since it was still fresh from the market, it was still a teeny bit stiff. Bec of that, I can't say a lot about it yet. I hope it softens as it is washed though.

Eyeliner brush: It is a little too thick for an eyeliner brush, you need expert hands to use it for thin linings. No other concerns.

Concealer brush: I didn't use it as such when I first tried them, I used it as an eye shading brush and it did a good job picking up the shadows. So I guess it will be fine as a concealer brush too :D

Lash and brow groomer: I didn't get to use the brow groomer, but for the lash groomer, it really helped out separate clumped lashes, but I think the teeth of the comb are too wide apart? Me thinks that it be best if it is closer :D or idk, coz I don't always use mascara as it makes my eyes feel so heavy which makes me a sleepyhead. :|

Foundation brush (not included in the set): Same with the other brushes, I was bothered at how it was still stiff, but it did do fine as a foundation brush. The bristles were a little sharp on the face though, unlike their blush brush. (will post picture soon, the one I took was too blurry :[)


Overall
I'll give it 4 stars out of 5. That's only bec I haven't used it again and haven't tested it as when it is softened through washes. I'll update on this when I can soon. :)


Have you tried ecotools brushes? What do you think about them? Don't hesitate to agree or disagree with me!;D

REVIEW: The Body Shop and Skin Food foundations

Ola! It's been a lil while since my last post. So many things have been going on with me, particularly with my teeth-- two rootcanals. OOOF. Anyway, that's not what I'm gonna blabber about for  now.

Today, I will be writing a review about foundations of two mid-ranged but notable brands, The Body Shop (TBS), and Skin Food (SF).

Disclaimer: This review is based on my own and unbiased opinion.

Left: TBS; Right: SF

Products:
The Body Shop: All in One Face Base 03
Skin Food: Omija Complexion Pact

On container, design, and sponge:
The TBS compact is more sleek and elegant looking, compared to SF's plastic-y appearance. I like how the cover of TBS can be used as a mirror. Also, it's sponge plate is well-engineered, I would say. For some reason, I don't like how SF's has to be flipped sideways. It's also just a thin plastic, so you got to be extra careful with it or else it might break. The sponge of TBS is very soft, compared to SF's rough texture. However, that of TBS brittles after a lot of washes.

TBS is little bulky though.

SF: woops, I haven't washed the sponge. teehee. and oooh, that in the mirror is my godchild, Xander ^___^

On the powder:

Before anything else, I would just like to make it clear that the TBS Pact is an ALL IN ONE FACE BASE-- it serves as a foundation and powder, while the SF is just plain compact powder. So I am not omparing both.

TBS: Ever since I've discovered TBS, I have been using their products (including this) and they have been such a doll to my very sensitive face. I've read a lot of reviews and many said that this particular products is too light, but it's just perfect for me. I use their 03 shade; their darkest is 06. One thing though, you have to use a primer (I use both TBS' Moisturize it and Matte it as I have combination skin--oily skin on the T-zone but normal to dry in the cheek area) to get its maximum effect. Otherwise, it will easily cake and won't last long. Also, it takes quite a few to set and using a Kabuki brush is much better than using their sponge. But I really love how it's so natural and light-weight on my face.

SF: I've considered trying this bec someone could buy it for me for a very cheap price. They say that a product has to be used for at least 3 months before we can see its full effect and make a comment about it. It's only been 2months+ and I think that's quite enough already. Anyway, here goes.

At the back of the pact, the label says that Omija Complexion Pact is:

"a pact that creates a brighter and more luminous complexon with a patent-awarded oriental herbal extract with Omija, White Mulberry Bark, and Licorice Root".

 In their website, it additionally says that it is:

"..Formulated with the Wet Process technology, this pact contains a high amount of the brightening effect ingredients. 3. Fine silica beads impart a silky matte finish and glides smoothly on for a fresh and natural-looking makeup look. 4. Containing velvet mineral powder, this pact applies smoothly and softly to create a satin complexion."

So I thought that it will brighten my skin tone, and not just brighten my skin when I have it on. You get the drift? My skin only "looks" brightened when I have the powder applied on my face, but without it, my skin not tone is just the same as prior to using it. The shade is waaaay too light for me, and SF doesn't have a lot of shades to choose from (if I'm not mistaken, only 2 shades per powder). It gave me white casts as I always use SPF. (I didn't encounter this problem with the TBS face base).  And since it contains minerals, skipping SPF does not really solve the problem. sigh. It does give you a "silky matte finish" as stated in their website, but that leads to another downer: you have to determine how much you have to put on, as little as possible, unless you want to get that photoshopped/Korean look. It looks so unnaturally white. and it's not lightweight. But it's not so bad, it just takes a lot of trial-and-error period. It has a fruity scent that I personally don't like. Some of you would want that, but since I have sensitive skin and nose, I don't want it. Hmm apart from those grouses, I like how it stays long; I don't have to keep on re-applying it, just once or, at the max, twice on a normal (not busy) day. It also gives you a full coverage, hiding dark spots.

That's me wearing TBS, no retouch done.

Even with the flash directed right at my face, I had no problems with white cast despite me looking whiter, at least all of the exposed skin is.

This is me using the SF pact. Taken with flash. If you compare the color underneath the black sheer cloth and my shoulder with my face, it's just off. My face looks so blanched.

On the price:

TBS is just a little expensive than SF, it cost me around $33. Online, the lowest price I could find for the SF Omija is $20. But I bought mine for around $30, and I thought it was supposed to be cheap.


Am I repurchasing? hmmn. I'll have to think about SF but definitely with TBS. I won't separate from it, it's good for everyday use.


What are your experiences with TBS and/or SF? Do share!;)
Soon enough, I'll make reviews on other cosmetics and other brands.


Ciao for now!;)

xxoo