Sparkled Beauty

Following the launch of the Skin Perfecting brush last year, EcoTools now comes out with the 2015 Complexion collection, a skin care - makeup hybrid brush line with specifically designed cuts and colourful ferrules.

I was sent the Eye Perfecting brush for review. The bamboo handle and gradient white to beige (cruelty-free) dense bristles are different enough, and then that pop of teal colour decoration and the leaf design. A+ for the look!

And more points for how it works. The cut and rounded tip bristles are meant to mimic the shape of your finger for easy application under and around the eyes without tugging the skin or transferring oil from the hands.

As gimmicky as that sounds, the Eye Perfecting brush does work for the purpose it is intended for.

Certainly, the bristles are not as soft as my hand but soft enough to distribute and blending a bunch of products I use around the eyes and nose (primer, eye cream/ moisturizer, concealer) as long as I use very little pressure.

It can be used for the face as well but does take more time, due to the small size of the brush head. Sure is handy for tinted products you do not want to use your finger for.

Another claim of the brush helping reduce the appearance of fine lines or dark circles? I can't say that I notice any changes but I did not expect any really.

EcoTools Eye Perfecting brush is available at select Rexall, Pharma Plus, Lawtons and independent stores, $9.99.

This look was a lot of fun to do, as I was testing out many new products at once.

I used EcoTools Skin Perfecting brush with my tinted moisturizer (Olay Total Effects 7-in-1 Tone Correcting moisturizer SPF15 in Light to Medium) and primer (Marcelle DD cream SPF25 in Medium to Dark).

Real Techniques Miracle Complexion sponge works perfectly with CoverGirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 foundation SPF20 in 957 Golden Tan, It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eyes full coverage concealer in Neutral Medium and LA Girl Pro Conceal HD concealer in Pure Beige.

Also featuring Annabelle Spring products I have been wearing a lot of - TwistUp Retractable eyeshadow crayon in Taupe all over lids (no base), layered in the crease for intensity, and lip liner in Hot Pink.

Love it when I can use one tool for different products, save me bunch of time. And it feels great having so many Spring products on my face. Now the weather just needs to catch up with this makeup trend lol.

Other products used:
- Make Up For Ever HD Second Skin cream blush in #510 Raspberry
- Marcelle Xtension Plus + Pro Lash Growth Complex mascara in Black
- Avon SuperShock gel eye liner pencil in Plumful in the middle of lower lash line only
Copying this way of lining the eyes from a runway look I saw on twitter. The original work only placed a colourful dot on the lower lash line, instead of a whole line across
- Wet n Wild ColorIcon brow & eye liner in Dark Brown.

It is dangerously sunny outside right now. I said "dangerously" as it was below 0 this morning when I left the house.

Easter egg hunts will be cold for lots of kids around here, but they probably wouldn't mind it. It's the parents standing around waiting who will be suffering this temperature :)

If you are not egg hunting this weekend, what will you be up to? Not used to this "extra long weekend" business at all, I don't know what to do with myself all of a sudden lol.

Sleeping in? Hunting for half price chocolate at Shoppers after Easter maybe? Online shopping is also always tempting, too easy to do and too hard to resist. I need a new hobby!

Continuing the 2014 product coverage, today is for EcoTools' skin care line :)

This post is also about a brush and a sponge, but they are completely different from the Real Techniques 2014 items I reviewed yesterday:)

Note the fresh aqua packaging for the new line. The pouches now have a safety strap with the brand name printed on it, a clean look. Sleek and pretty!

This first item is well known since the day it was launched - Skin Perfecting brush, $9.99.

Following the theme at EcoTools, this brush has soft cruelty-free bristles, recycled aluminum ferrule and bamboo handle. The pouch is also made of natural materials.

Meant for BB/CC creams and tinted moisturizers, the compact brush head and the angled cut of the bristles works really well. The brush gets around the face quickly, especially around the nose and under the eyes. I like the natural finish it gives and am happy to have a brush to do the work with my tinted products instead of my fingers.

Worth noting that the brush did shed on me once during the testing period, I found 2 bits of white bristles on my face. Only that one time though, hmm...

The Pure Complexion facial sponge, $11.99, is an interesting product. This one is for washing your face, not for applying makeup :)

This is the Sensitive Skin version (white), handmade with Konjac vegetable fiber. Konjac is a renewable perennial root plant mostly comprised of starch, grows in warm climates like Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia. You might have heard of a similar sponge from boscia for over $20 :)

The half-egged sponge (rounded top, flat bottom) comes dry and rough, sealed tightly in a plastic wrap, with EcoTools' "e" logo etched on top. Size comparison with Real Techniques Miracle Complexion sponge below.

The sponge softens tremendously and enlarges a little after a few times squished under running water. It is very gentle for the face, good for daily use with a cleanser (to remove makeup at night) or just by itself with water (in the morning). Not much exfoliation to it, but you can use it with a scrub.

The sponge is easy to wash with water after use, even with the makeup residue transferred to its surface. Laying flat on a surface, it takes a full day or more to air dry and does not shrink back to its dry size.

Ultimately, this sponge is a good cleansing gadget for your face. The brand suggests to replace it every 1-3 months though, so it might become pricy after a while. I also think a drying "rack" to help water drain out from underneath the sponge would help it dry faster.

There is also a Deep Cleansing version of this sponge (grey). Both versions are fragrance free, with packaging made from post-consumer recycled paper.

Also new this year from EcoTools are the Eye Enhancing Duo brushes (Shade & Define, and Blend & Smudge) $9.99 and EcoPouf delicate sponge $2.99. Check them out next time you are near a display.

Guys, I finally get my hands on two of the new EcoTools Spring 2013 brushes from Farleyco, and they are as awesome!

New makeup brushes are always exciting to play with, but these are not only new but also very different, from the design and shape to the usage.

The brushes I tried are the Foam applicator (on the right), and the Face & Body Sculpting brush (on the left).

EcoTools' brushes are known for good quality and their green status - bamboo handles, cruelty-free bristles, recycled aluminum ferrules. Sponges are made of certified recycled plastic. Brush sets are housed in reusable pouches with labels printed with plant-based ink. Plastic packaging is made from recyclable PET & post-consumer recycled paper. EcoTools makeup brushes have won a Proggy Award from PETA. Make you feel good using them.

So what special about the two new brush? :)

This interesting-looking brush is EcoTools Foam applicator, with a firm, 2-in-1 tip (more on this design below).

To simply put, it is a tiny "beauty blender" on a stick, only it is more firm and does not expand when wet. The pointed tip helps with application in hard to reach areas like under the eyes and around the nose.

What sets this brush apart from its predecessors (like Elizabeth Arden Foundation blender brush) is the flat side of it.

One side of the sponge is cut flat while the rest is round and still maintains the pointed tip.

I personally enjoy this flat side a lot to pat in and blend out under eye concealer. The rounded side and the tip work great with spot concealer or liquid foundation for certain areas on the face.

The smaller size of the sponge means it would take more time if you use it for the whole face, and I won't call this a dupe of the beauty blender for that reason. But it is a fun brush to play around with.

The brush comes with a pouch (with a snap closure), is easy to travel with. This retails for $8.99.

On to EcoTools Face & Body Sculpting brush, one of the most bizarre looking brushes I have seen.

The brush head is huge and thick (1.5"/ 4.5cm thick, almost 3.5"/ 9cm wide), meant for contouring your decolletage, shoulders, neck and face. Don't let that scare you though, cause the bristles are really soft and give the most natural look of your foundation and bronzer (liquid or powder).

I don't know about contouring, since I think the size is a little too big for that (unless you squeeze the size of the bristles to make thinner strokes).

I have tried this brush with various liquid foundations and BB creams on my face, and it delivered every time. I use the side to side motions to buff in the product (little force needed), and because of the size, it cuts down my foundation time in half. For the nose and temple areas, and from my jawline down to my neck, I use up and down motions. Overall a flawless finish, I'm loving it.

Size comparison with MAC 190 Foundation brush, to show you how big these two brushes are.

To answer my own question, EcoTools Face & Body Sculpting brush is not a dupe of Rae Morris' Radiance brush (#27), I don't think. The Radiance brush, by the look in the demo video, is smaller and mainly designed for contouring. I would love to confirm this, but the Radiance brush is AUD85/ USD89 (and the EcoTools is $15.99). I think I am happy with the version I have, my foundation brush of choice :)

One down side is that the brush does not come with a case, so I need to keep the plastic packaging to travel with it. Also, keeping the brush in shape after multiple washes might be a little harder, since I don't know if anybody makes a brush guard big enough for its size.

Here is the look I did using these brushes to great success. Check out the full FOTD post for more info.

To summary, I am loving these two EcoTools brushes with their nontraditional application and the result they give. They are unique in my brush stash, for sure.

In my radar next from this Spring release are the Deluxe Fan brush and the 6-pc Day to Night brush set.

Farleyco is the distributor of EcoTools (and some other brands) in Canada and offers online shopping on their site as well. Shipping (Canada only) is $8.50 flat rate or free with orders over $50.

I expect the Spring collection will arrive in stores soon. And when it does, make sure to give these a look.

Another post in the weekend finds series :) I was wandering around here and there, there are a few good deals I want to share.

Lawtons has 30% off EcoTools this week (till Thursday), plus they had the bonus x10 Airmiles offer on Saturday, so I grabbed a few. The biggest discount so far I've seen on the brand.
- 6-piece bamboo Eye brush set with a large eye brush, angled crease brush, petite eye shading brush, highlighting brush, smudge brush and the case with mirror, CAD11.19 after discount.
I'm still deciding to keep this set or not. They are kinda small compared to the regular size. If you have it, let me know what you think.

-  Bamboo deluxe concealer brush and Eye shading brush, CAD3.49 each.

She's G.A.L (Got a Look) is a brand that I never heard of before. Have seen it at Lawtons lately, the brushes look really cute with the purple accent colour on the bristles and handles. Price point is quite high, CAD10 and up for a single brush.

This 4-piece brush set was 50% off, I paid CAD12.99. They are supposed to be handcrafted, with chrome-plated handles and softest synthetic fibers. For the price, I don't think it's a bad bargain.

A quick google search showed that Ulta in the US carries the line, similar price range. However, there is no info on the manufacturer or company's website, so that's all I know about it.

Wanna guess what these are?

I caught a glimpse of them on the shelf at Claire's 10 for $10 sale, loved the lace print on baby pink background. As you know, Claire's serves young adult clientele, so I didn't expect this kind of "elegant" packaging.

I automatically went and opened them all up to see what "gems" were inside :)

They are eyeshadow palettes with quite good colour combinations and cute patterns on the surface of each shadow.

I found 3 different sets. Top left corner is smokey dark blue and grey, bottom left is neutral (baby pink, beige, plum) and on the right is for a purple night look.

They still have protective plastic sleeves on, and are too pretty to touch so I haven't swatched them yet. I have high hope for them though :) If you find them, make sure to open the lid to check the content, as some palettes I found with the eyeshadows all shattered.

Found these rings at an Ardene outlet which is running 70% off the whole store (from original price), couldn't pass them up.

They are originally CAD4.50 a piece, normally on sale 3 for CAD10 which isn't bad already, 70% off is even better. I can't confirm if the same sale applies to regular Ardene stores though because the one I went to was an outlet.

The only ring in top left corner is actually from Suzy Shier for 75% off, very bling-y. There are great sales going on for lots of things in store, I got a few basic long-sleeve T-shirts for CAD2.50. If you haven't been to the store lately, go check the sale out.

And these are some random nail polishes I found on clearance at Superstore.

My local reader, Duochrome Diva, told me that there were some on sale for 50% off. I paid between CAD2-4 each for them. There was no sale tags on them at my store, so scan the price to make sure they are on sale in your store too.
- Sally Hansen Complete Salon Downtown Rubies
- Nicole by OPI Spark My Mistletoe
- L'Oreal Luminescence.

The Nicole by OPI holiday collection was 50% off too but I didn't like any of the colours.

And last but not least, this Neutrogena Clinical Anti-Aging System Starter kit was free (well, after rebate), valued anywhere from CAD37-55 depending where you look :)

Superstore was offering full-rebate form for all Neutrogena Clinical kits at the Coupon Zone in the last 2 weeks, so it's over now. But you still have time at Walmart (the rebate form is attached to the packaging already) and Shoppers (the form is available at cashier), so head over there if you want to try this line out. Keep an eye on the rebate period so you don't miss out.

Hope you like my little tidbits here and there. I didn't get them all in one day, could have put them up sooner if my cat Oreo didn't have an emergency (Feline Idiopathic Cystitis, if you want to know) in the weekend. He seems fine now but I have to keep an eye on him, give him meds (which wasn't an easy task at all until I could find some pill pockets to trick him). Needless to say, my weekend was not fun. Hope yours were better.

A few days ago, Emily, one of my readers, posted a question on this blog regarding choosing a makeup brush set. I figure it could be helpful to answer her question in a post, so others might reference as well.

As you probably know already, brushes provides better and precise makeup application, not mentioning sanitary reason for not having to dip your fingers in the pots. The recommendations below are mostly from my personal experience (with links to posts on this blog where I mentioned them), not an exclusive list by any chance. And there is no paid compensation for this post.

1. Quo Cosmetics - Shoppers' house brand.
Quo made good brushes. I had my set about 2 years ago and the brushes were wonderful, soft and effective. Retail price is in medium range, however, Shoppers often has 40% off sale on Quo brushes.

I heard somehow Quo brushes are recently no longer as good as they should be. Please make sure to test them out before buying - the MA normally has a bunch of brushes at her makeup corner.

And right now might be a good time to buy a Quo brush set, as the entire Quo holiday collection is 40% off. The Master Brush set (in the picture, reg. CAD60) is now CAD36, not a bad price.

Based on Shoppers' holiday catalogue, Quo also had a Professinal Backstage Brush set (8 brushes, reg. CAD100), Precious Tools Brush collection (5 brushes, CAD22), came in wrap studded wallets. I personally haven't seen them in stores after New Year, don't know whether Shoppers still have them.

2. elf

elf has been very well known in the beauty industry for the remarkbly cheap but good brushes. Staring out with the regular line ($1/ brush) and now moving up to the Studio line ($3/ brush), the brushes are well loved by whoever tried them. Obviously, cheap price tag doesn't equal crappy quality, in this case.

I'm not kidding. I love all the ones I got. It was a 75% off sale, so my Studio brushes only cost me $.75, which was more than awesome. The Flat top Powder brush is a dream to apply power/ mineral foundation, even blush when I'm lazy. And the eyeshadow C brushes are great to pack in colours on the lids.

The only thing that sucks is elf charges extra $8 for Canadian online orders on top of $7 shipping. But you can find elf in stores now, Zellers and sometimes Winners, save yourself the hefty extra charges.

3. EcoTools.
Again, another well known brand, I guess I wouldn't need to say much. I got my Bamboo 5-piece brush set from the US a while back, but EcoTools is now widely available in Canada - Walmart, Superstore, Winners, etc. We do have to pay more compared to ladies in the US, but at least we have access to them now.

4. Loew-Cornell painting brushes
I don't have a post about these, but they are staples in my routine. I use them everyday. Check out Encore's video to see what I mean.


So head out to Michaels to check them out. They often send out coupons via email (so you have to register online for that) for 40% one item, or sometimes the brushes go on sale. The must-have is the Loew Cornell 3/8" Maxine's Mop brush as eyeshadow brush, dupe of MAC 239 :-)

And last but not least, IMATS is a very good place to shop for brushes. Different brands will be there with every brush they make under the sun, and great "show specials". Even if you have to pay full price there, you already save on shipping while being able to touch and feel the brushes before buying. I found individual brushes for different uses, brush full sets/ travel sets, brush rolls, etc. from Auraline, Crown Brush, Royal Brush. Too many pictures to repost, so check my post (link above) for details.

Other brands that are worth mentioning:
- Sigma - MAC-quality brushes with a fraction of the price
- Lumiere, great Pre-buy brush offers - buying brushes at wholesale price
- Adorned With Grace for MAC 187/ 188 dupes, good quality, better price
- The Body Shop - the brushes are a bit pricey but you can always wait for a 3 for $30 sale, or buy them in a holiday kit
- Annabelle for their Pro makeup brushes
- Sarah Ashton
- Posh brushes, not available around here where I live. Wait for special sales at Rexall to buy :-)
- Gosh brushes. I'm not sure all Shoppers have the brushes, I haven't really looked.
- Joe Fresh (Superstore's home brand)
- Coastal Scent - good brushes but high shipping cost
- Sephora brushes
- Cosco has some brush sets as well
- Sonia Kashuk or Essence of Beauty if you go to the States or have a friend who can do a CP for you, and
- MAC, if you feel like shopping there :-)

If you have other suggestions for Emily, feel free to share. Greatly appreciate it!