If there were a contest for the world’s best mineral makeup brushes, my vote would go to the good looking, earth-friendly brushes by ecotools™.   These little works of art embody everything I ever wanted in a brush–at a refreshing low price!

What is it about these brushes that makes me so rapturous?  First, no animals are hurt or annoyed in their making. Bristles are 100% cruelty-free synthetic Taklon, which works surprisingly better than most animal hair brushes I have used, holding together nicely after washing. Taklon holds mineral powders very well, reducing the fly-around that we all want to avoid with minerals (as long as you tap off the excess before you apply). The softness is what I especially like, a great alternative to some of the scratchy mineral brushes out there that can irritate skin.

ecotools™ have bamboo handles, which is meaningful since bamboo is a highly-sustainable plant, having a low impact on the earth’s resources (it says so on the brush package).  And the ferrule section of the brush is made from recycled aluminum.

They come in a variety set of 5 with standard long handles, at an approximate price of $11 to $12 per set.  The long-handled set is pictured above.  You can see the 4-pc. short-handled set, which includes a nice little kabuki brush, at this Target.com link. Both sets come with a woven cotton and hemp carry bag.  Single powder brushes are also available.

The brushes are distributed in the U.S. by Paris Presents, a company which sells to big retail chains, so I am sending my makeup clients to Target or Walgreens to buy them.  They are also available online if you care to Google—or try  Drugstore.com .

Could there be any more benefits from this innovative eco-gem-of-a-product?  Yep.  Paris Presents has joined with 1% for the Planet, donating 1% of  annual sales from this item to environmental organizations that create a healthier place to live.

If you’re in the Raleigh, NC area, book a private mineral makeup try-on with  Barbara Carr, Mineral Makeup Artist and Certified Color Analyst.  Contact Barbara at naturesface.com.