Google “Trash Vortex”, and I guarantee that you’ll instantly feel the need to do something good for Mother Nature.
We throw a lot away and often forget that it’s collected in landfills. Heaping. Stinking.
Earth Day may be over, but that shouldn’t stop us from doing our part for the planet.
One way that helps is to purchase products made with eco-friendly and renewable sources.
Sure, it’s hard to avoid plastic and litter, and nobody is perfect, but the more conscious we are about our daily choices, the less waste will wind up in our landfills.
I’ve been wanting to try EcoTools’ brushes for a long time. And I finally did! Let me tell you what I think about the EcoTools by Alicia Silverstone Brush Set, which is eco-friendly and cruelty-free.
EcoTools by Alicia Silverstone Brush Set Pictures
Blush Brush
Blush Brush (Close-up)
Mini Foundation Brush
Mini Foundation Brush (Close-up)
Mini Face Brush
Mini Face Brush (Close-up)
Detailed Eye Shading Brush
Detailed Eye Shading Brush (Close-up)
Spoolie Brush
Spoolie Brush (Close-up)
Claims: TRUSTED
- √ Environmentally friendly & cruelty-free
Key Notes
- Name: EcoTools by Alicia Silverstone Brush Set
- EcoTools by Alicia Silverstone Brush Set Contents: Blush Brush, Mini Foundation Brush, Mini Face Brush, Detailed Eye Shading Brush, Spoolie Brush & Bag
- What I Paid: Nothing! (This was sent to me for honest review consideration)
- Where to Buy: Target, Wal-Mart, Whole Foods, some Loblaws & these other stores listed on Ecotools’ site
EcoTools by Alicia Silverstone Brush Set Review
Chances are that when you think of Alicia Silverstone, the first thing that comes to mind is Clueless. Whatever! As if!
In real life, her L.A. home features solar panels, and she has an organic vegetable garden. And turns out that she’s a strong environmental and animal-rights activist. Good for her!
Brushes
The EcoTools by Alicia Silverstone Brush Set comes with 5 brushes: a blush brush, mini foundation brush, mini face brush, detailed eye shading brush, and a spoolie brush.
All the bristles are synthetic and 100% cruelty-free, making them vegan-friendly. The handles are made of bamboo, and the ferrules are made of recycled aluminum.
The bristles are very soft and when I washed them, there wasn’t any shedding, which leads me to suspect that these are quality brushes that’ll withstand the test of time.
- Blush Brush – Picked up my powdered blushes well & didn’t feel prickly when I applied it on my cheeks.
- Mini Foundation Brush – I don’t wear liquid foundation, so I used this brush to apply concealer under my eyes (it’s a bit too big for that, though). The paper insert says that this brush is supposed to work with cream or liquid makeup.
- Mini Face Brush – This was a weird one because it seemed too small to use on my cheeks, yet too large for the eye area. (I ended up using this for adding highlights under my eyebrows, but it’s too round and thick for that.) The paper insert said that this brush is used to set face makeup, highlight cheekbones, or add a sheer wash of neutral shadow on the lids.
- Detailed Eye Shading Brush – I love this brush! It’s really small, so you can add precise shading in your outer V & along the bottom lashline. The paper insert said that this is great for creating a darker line for a smokey eye.
- Spoolie Brush – I don’t wear mascara these days, so instead of using this to separate my eyelashes, I used this to brush my brows & keep them in shape.
Pouch
The bag the brushes come in is made of hemp, recycled PET, and the design is formulated to be non-toxic (according to the tag).
The front of the pouch features a clear window so you can see your brushes. Inside the first zippered pocket are elastic hoops used to hold your brushes in place.
There’s a second zippered compartment that’s empty. You can store your makeup here or even use it like a pencil case, since it seems to be the exact same size as one. This is especially handy if you’re a student and you’re space-conscious.
The back of the pouch has the “EcoTools by Alicia Silverstone” label and a picture of some sort of plant with burgundy buds. There’s some embroidery, which adds thoughtful detail to the pouch.
The pouch is straw-colored with some muted greens, which definitely brings to mind images of environmentally-friendliness.
Packaging
For an eco-conscious product, I thought it was a little strange how they wrapped each brush in plastic. That plastic will just end up in the garbage. Okay, so the plastic is supposed to protect the handles, but maybe they could’ve used recycled paper instead or nothing at all? It would’ve went better with their earth-friendly theme.
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Final Verdict: 6.5/10
Overall, I think the EcoTools by Alicia Silverstone Brush Set is a great addition to your brush collection. But I find that it’s missing some essentials (like a domed eye-shadow brush or an eyeliner brush).
The brushes it contains are useful, but they aren’t the types of brushes I reach for every single day (except for the Detailed Eye Shading Brush, which is a winner!).
I commend EcoTools for being Earth-conscious, but if I’m not going to be reaching for these brushes and they’re just collecting dust, that’s not wallet-friendly, either.
I suggest you skip this if you don’t wear liquid foundation, blush, or mascara, since the brushes for those purposes outweigh the rest. Otherwise, this is a fantastic little set for you!
Do you prefer synthetic or natural bristles? Have you made any Earth-conscious choices when it comes to your makeup or brushes? Do you feel more inclined to buy products touted as being environmentally friendly?
!!!OMG!!I wanted to get this for soooo long but it really hard to find! Thanks for the review Mary 🙂
Alaeis recently posted: –
Hey Alaeis,
You’re very welcome. That’s what I’m here for. 🙂
Do you get EcoTools in Greece? Which of the EcoTools brushes were you most interested in?
No Ecotools here for us 😛 But fortunately I think Amazon sells them worldwide. A set is probably what I’ll eventually buy–do you think they’re worth it?
Alaeis recently posted: –
I think they’re worth it. The bristles didn’t shed, the handles felt light, but sturdy in my hands, and I think it’s great to promote environmentally friendly products when possible.
As for whether or not a brush set is worth it…It depends on your makeup needs. While I do think this set is good, it didn’t have all the essential brushes I use daily such as a domed eye-shadow brush to apply color all over the lid, kabuki brush, and eyeliner brush. However, if someone’s looking more for foundation brushes, highlighting brushes, and blush brushes, this would be a great set to have. All the brushes are very soft! (EcoTools has a few different sets available, so they might have one that better suits your specific needs. It’s worth checking out!)
Hope that helps! 😀
This set looks great! I especially love the little pouch; it’s totally cut e and the extra pocket makes it really useful! I’ve been wanting to try EcoTools brushes, and this review really helped! Thanks Mary!
Ruthe recently posted: Sinful Colors Mint Apple
Hey Ruthe,
Good to hear that you found my review useful. 🙂
I like the no-nonsense pouch design. It’s very practical, and even if you don’t want to use it to hold your makeup brushes, you can easily slip in markers or highlighters and school supplies.
Do you think you’ll be looking into individual brushes or a full set?
Though I really like this set, I think I’ll be looking into individual brushes since I only use face and concealer brushes (I don’t wear eyeshadow, though I’m inspired to by your Eyes of the Day!). I feel like it would be wasteful to buy a whole set. Also, I need to find out what American drugstores carry Ecotools.
Ruthe recently posted: Sinful Colors Mint Apple
Wise decision – much more economical!
Rite Aid is supposed to carry EcoTools. You can also find other stores that carry the brushes here: http://www.ecotools.com/where-to-buy
And I’m flattered that you liked the Eye of the Day posts that Fiona and I worked hard on….Hehe, it’s been a very long time since we’ve done one. I need to think up some fun, new color schemes.
I love EcoTools and you can’t go wrong with their pricing. I also love Alicia Silverstone because she really stands by her vegan lifestyle. Also, she acted in one of my favorite movies: Clueless! I think it’s a really nice that she partnered up with EcoTools… it’s a good match =)
Hey Tasha!
It’s nice when celebrities become public activists for their beliefs – shows backbone and passion.
Heh…Clueless…First saw it in grade school and loved it. I remember being so jealous of her wardrobe and her cool computer that helped her put together outfits in the morning.
Do you have a lot of EcoTools brushes? Which one do you highly recommend?
I love love love EcoTools. I bought another one of their sets which is more practical for every day use. I wish they would expand the brushes they sell individually. The bristles are so so soft and lovely. I agree that they should have wrapped it up in paper, though. Seems wasteful..
Hey CupK8!
Glad that you’re enjoying EcoTools. Which other set did you get? I think I saw a mini set. Do you have it? Also, can you recommend any good eye brushes from them? The brushes in the set I reviewed are the first ones I’ve tried from EcoTools, so I’d appreciate any suggestions.
P.S. Cute username, by the way! 🙂
Gee, thanks! ^^;
The set I got was the Bamboo 6-piece brush set. It comes in a little fabric roll with a concealer brush, shadow brush, angle brush, lash & brow groomer, and blush brush. I use the angle brush, shadow brush, and blush brush on a daily basis. Some shadow brushes scratch my poor sensitive eyelids, so I like the softness on that. If you’re going to buy them individually, I’d recommend those three in a heartbeat. YMMV, of course. 🙂
Good to know. Thanks for your recommendations! Gotta try out some more eye brushes from them.
My eyelids are pretty sensitive, too. I’m glad EcoTools uses synthetic bristles because a lot of times natural bristles feel scratchy on my eyelids.
I’ve never tried this particular set, but I have tried the 6-piece mini brush set by EcoTools. It has all your basic eye shading brushes imo. They pick up and deposit shadow better than anything I’ve ever tried in my life (granted I haven’t tried that many brushes in my fairly short life). So if this set get 6.5, I think the mini brushes would totally get a 10/10.
Hey AgentP009!
Thanks for letting me and other readers know about the mini set. 🙂 I’m glad that you’ve really enjoyed them! I really appreciate how environmentally-conscious and environmentally-responsible they are.
I bought this ecotool set: http://www.ecotools.com/shop-collection/cosmetic-accessories/brush-sets/bamboo-6-piece-brush-set
the angled eyeliner brush, is great for creating a smudgy eyeliner effect using shadow, there’s also a narrow concealer brush and and a wide eyeshading brush. they are extremely soft for synthetic brushes. I love how they look and though I havent had them long they don’t seem like the hairs are going to come out, as they feel very durable. my only complaint is that their eyeshadow brushes are all a little wide. I’d like to see some finer brushes in their range for precise application.
i had some clinique brushes once that were terrible in comparison.
Hey Viola!
Glad that you’re liking most of the EcoTools brushes in your set!
Hmm…I’ve never tried any Clinique brushes. Are there any eye-shadow ones by them that you love?
Thanks for the review and the detailed pics!
I’d love to give Ecotools a try and have been pondering whether or not to get this set. I love how the Silverstone-line looks but have one question: do you think you could (machine or hand) wash the bag/pouch?
It’s just that that rather ‘virgin white’ might stain/smudge easily, knowing myself haha. I see the previous editions were darker in colour like burlap, and was more printed with patterns. But it’s hard enough to get our hands on Ecotools here in Europe, let alone on older editions (I even read that at this moment you USA ladies can buy the older edition at Big Lots I think it’s called, at a ridiculously low price) *slightly jealous* ;o)
Hey spaceface!
You’re very welcome. I’m glad you found it helpful! 🙂
Hmm…I think you could hand wash it, but don’t put it in the machine to wash because it has plastic at the back pocket, and I feel like it’s too flimsy to survive the machine. But, if you wash it even by hand, it might warp the shape.
Perhaps my camera’s flash made it appear white, but the colour is actually more like a burlap – beige…like straw.
Hmm more burlap-beige… I think I’m sold LOL
Thanks for your reply Mary and keep swatching! :o)
Uh oops that emoticon wasn’t supposed to look like that! It should be SMILING 🙂
Greetz from Belgium
Hehe, I like that. Don’t think I’ve seen that other emoticon used before on here. 🙂
You’re very welcome…hehe, and I definitely will keep swatching. I can’t see my addiction to nail polish ending anytime soon. 😉
Thanks for visiting and leaving a comment! 🙂