Brush with Care: Cruelty-Free & Vegan Makeup Brushes

I love playing with the latest and greatest makeup trends and I have been very diligent in only purchasing from companies that are cruelty-free (i.e. Bobbi Brown, Bare Escentuals, MAC). However, I am continually frustrated to find that these cruelty-free makeup companies still sell brushes containing animal hair. Although some of them say that the hair they use comes from 100% animal "haircuts" as opposed to animals who are killed to make the brushes, I always have some concern. There is no guarantee that these animals live in natural environments and are able to roam free until it's time for this "haircut". Nor is there a guarantee that after they are used for brushes, they are not sold off to be used for a different purpose. To me, the greatest peace of mind comes from knowing that the bristles in my brushes never belonged to any animal. So, I went on a hunt for synthetic, cruelty-free, vegan brushes, and was pleasantly surprised to find a number of them popping up online.

Below are some of the companies that I have found that offer vegan and cruelty-free brushes at a variety of price points:

1) Eco Tools (click here for website)
This brand is the least expensive and easiest to find. Eco Tools are sold at standard grocery and convenience stores like Rite Aid, Safeway, Target, Walgreens, and Wegmans. I use the 5-pc set and love it. The application is actually more precise and consistent than my previous makeup brushes and the bristles are much softer on my skin. I have also noticed that the bristles hardly shed at all and are much easier to clean and dry than those made with animal hairs.

This 5-piece brush set (see left) is made of 100% synthetic taklon (bristles) and bamboo & recycled aluminum (handle).

I found this set online at Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) for $11.99.

Individual brushes range from $3.49, for the lash/brow brush, to $9.99 for the new retractable kabuki brush (see below)










2) Sevi (click here for website)

Sevi is a skin care and makeup company that is devoted to the use of the most natural and organic ingredients possible that are also 100% vegan and cruelty-free. They have a lighter offering of brushes as compared to the other companies, but the five brushes they offer are the essentials: foundation, blush, eye shadow, angle liner, and detailing.

In terms of price, Sevi is the next step up from Eco Tools with a low-mid range price point. The prices for these brushes range from $12 for the detailing brush, to $30 for the foundation brush (good for application of mineral makeup)




3) Urban Decay Cosmetics
(click here for website)

Urban Decay has a wide selection of synthetic, vegan, & cruelty-free brushes and has also created an entire line of vegan makeup products. The price range on this brand is more comparable to MAC or Bobbi Brown, so I would call it "mid-range". To give you a better idea, the "Big Buddha" kabuki brush pictured here (see right) is their most expensive brush at $36. Other brushes cost as little as $15-$16(eye liner, brow, and 'wonder' brushes).

4) Branded J Collections (click here for website)

Branded J Collections was created by Peggy Hannaman-Jones, an Emmy-nominated Hollywood hair stylist and make-up artist. Frustrated with the limited availability of high-quality, synthetic make-up brushes, Peggy created her own line of 16 brushes that she introduced to professional make-up artists in Hollywood in 2005. Over the past four years, the Branded J Collections received rave reviews from the Hollywood make-up elite, especially in response to the brushes' silky-soft texture. Prior to 2009, the brushes were only available to professionals. This is the first year that Peggy is focused on introducing these vegan & cruelty-free brushes to every woman and make-up aficionado in the country.

With top quality comes high prices, and Branded J Collections certainly represents the high-end synthetic & cruelty-free brush market. Individual brushes range from $15 for the lip liner brush, to $56 for the powder brush. Branded J Collections also offers brush sets ranging from $91 for the 4-pc "Perfect Eye Set" to $395 for her entire 16-pc "Master Artist Set" (see below).

With all of these wonderful options available to fit any budget, it is certainly worth getting some critter-friendly, vegan brushes the next time that you are in the market to replace your old brushes or to buy new ones. However, if you have already purchased other brushes, it is important not to waste them. If you have a new set of animal-derived brushes, you may consider selling them on sites like ebay, or returning them to the store for a refund or store credit. If you have already used them, you may be able to clean them up and donate them to Goodwill or other charities like the Lupus Organization. Or continue to use them and simply begin to switch them out one by one as they need replacing.

For a more extensive list of companies that offer vegan make-up brushes, visit: http://www.mymakeupmirror.com/VeganBrushes.html

Skin Free Cruelty-Free & Vegan Skin Care

Skin Free Corrective Face Nectar is Exquisite

Product Information:
The Corrective Face Nectar retails on the website for $24.99 (www.skinfree.net). The all natural nectar is a blend of oils "known for their soothing, regenerative, and anti-inflammatory properties, in combination these oils become a super power that can help reduce capillaries and scarring, prevent wrinkles, help heal eczema, acne, reverse sun damage, and stop visible signs of aging."

Ingredients: Olea europea (olive) seed oil, Prunes Amgdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Squalane (olive derived), Calophyllum inophyllum (tamanu) seed oil, Oenothera biennis (Evening Primrose Oil),Daucus carota (carrot) seed oil, Tocopherol (Vitamin E)

Review
I have been using the same bottle of Corrective Face Nectar every night for almost three months and the results are amazing. I decided to try the nectar because I was beginning to see sun spots on my face and wrinkles on my neck that I wanted to address quickly and naturally. The first time that I used it, I was happy to find that the nectar is very light (unlike a lot of other oil-based face products) and quickly absorbs into the skin leaving it with a soft and supple feeling. I wish I could bathe in it!

Within a week, I already noticed that my skin felt smoother and appeared more radiant than it had in years. Over the past several months, after giving it time to work its magic, I was surprised to find that the sun spots literally disappeared! The wrinkles along my neck were also much less visible and the skin appeared plump again.

Through a combination of this nectar and a daily SPF ritual, I have been able to get rid of those pesky sun spots and prevent others from appearing. It is important to resist the urge to use the nectar 24 hours a day. Since the carrot seed oil has a natural retinoic acid, it may increase your risk of sunburn, so only use the nectar at night. Of course, you should always use SPF during the day as well (I prefer Jason's brand sunscreen).

I would highly recommend this product to anyone looking for a good nighttime moisturizing treatment, especially if you are concerned about wrinkles or sun damage/age spots. In my case, I still have another couple of weeks in the bottle, so $24.99 went a long way! Skin Free also has a free shipping policy for orders over $25. If you want to add another product, try the Sweet & Smooth Sugar Scrub - the sugar works as a terrific exfoliant, and the oil is a wonderful moisturizer. I never need to use lotion after my bath if I exfoliate using this scrub. Skin Free is a great, cruelty-free and vegan beauty company. I look forward to trying their other products.