Product Review: Eco Tools Travel Kabuki Brush

OMG you guys, is everyone drowning in exams/grading/spring cleaning/filing tax returns/fearing layoffs around here or what! April has traditionally been a crazy time in my life -- since my parents are both accountants, my Aprils of Yore have been filled with 10pm dinners and sneaking in from the bar* at 2am trying not to make noise, not realizing my parents weren't even home from work yet.

But lately, all my craziness seems to have been stuffed inside a suit case. In that I've been traveling rather a lot. And while I generally love traveling, I don't like not having my *stuff* around me. You can imagine that being the person I am, and writing the blog I write, I have approximately a metric crapload of beauty *stuff* that I consider "essential". And while travel versions are all fine in theory, I secretly hate that they are so inferior to the real deal. Short stubby makeup brushes that poke and scratch? Who cares if you fit in my carry-on clutch if you're going to make makeup application such a painful, tedious process?

Thank goodness there's EcoTools. I'd hear that they came out with a retractable kabuki brush a while back, but due to the EcoTools shortage in Toronto, I had to wait until a Buffalo trip to pick one up. But oh boy is it ever worth the wait!





Housed in a cute, neat, aluminum shell, this kabuki is both compact and luxurious. It feels just as good as my regular Lumiere kabuki, with soft, dense, gentle bristles that are perhaps just a titch "floppier" than Lumiere's. No perceptible difference in performance though -- mineral powder glides on smoothly and effortlessly, and when I'm ready to pack up and go, the bristles slide neatly into their case. No dusty brushes, no bent hairs. Love!

Aside from the awesome functionality, EcoTools have come to be known for their environmentally-minded practices (the aluminum casing is recycled) and great value (an amazing kabuki for $8 USD!!!!). The low price tag doesn't come with a low-class look though... this brush would look as much at home sitting on your vanity next to your Chanel and Dior goodies as it does in your travel makeup case (they also have a full travel set that looks to be of good quality). And the eco-mindedness makes it appropriate for, oh, I dunno, an Earth Day makeup splurge or something. ;)


EcoTools can be found at drugstores & discount department stores everywhere in the US, and at London Drugs in Canada. [EDIT: Thanks to reader E, who noticed that Zellers in Ontario carries EcoTools. I've also seen them in Wal*Mart in the past little while. Selection tends to be a bit picked over, but they're definitely there, hooray!] Check out their website for a full list of retailers.


* Actually untrue. I was (am) a nerd, so if anything, during Aprils of Yore I was sneaking in from late-night cramming sessions or frenetic data analysis. The bar trips happened in March and May!