CRUELTY FREE MAKE UP BRUSHES

It is very gratifying to see that the world of make-up is becoming more and more holistic.  Niche lines are springing up offering products that are made from organic ingredients that are fairly traded and made with ingredients that give back to the people producing them.  Organic make-up is now available in all ranges from drugstore brands to exclusive lines.  Unfortunately, one thing that amazes me with some lines is how they can put a great amount of detail into the quality of ingredients in their products and then offer a line of brushes to apply these same products made with animal hair.  I recently had my make-up done at the Bay in Toronto, at an event sponsored by one of my favourite make-up lines. As the make-up artist was very expertly applying the products, he happily told me that their brushes were cruelty free and that they were made from "clipped pony hair".  One of the most popular make-up tutorial gurus on You Tube recently did a review of extremely high-quality brushes from Japan made from squirrel hair that were purportedly cruelty free. Squirrels?  The sad truth is that most make-up brushes made from animal hair are not cruelty free.  More than often the animals are killed for their hair and if they are shorn for their hair, this is not always done in a humane manner. 

Fortunately there are a number of companies that now offer make-up brushes made of synthetic fibres that are stylish to look at, well made and durable, easy to use, and affordably priced. The main fibre used for brushes is Taklon, which is a man-made fibre that is soft, durable and most importantly much more hygienic than brushes made from hair.  This last fact is a major consideration for people with skin that tends to break out. 

The Body Shop was ahead of its time in being one of the first companies that offered their customers products made from pure ingredients and from fairly traded sources.  They have a wonderful range of professional looking make-up brushes, that are incredibly soft on the skin, and easy to use. Their line includes two adorable Kabuki brushes that are easy and fun to use for applying mineral make-up and bronzer, a flat brush that makes applying liquid make-up a breeze, eye shadow brushes for applying, smudging and lining the eyes, an eyeliner brush, a lipliner brush, a retractable blusher brush, as well as a very portable mini brush kit.  The Body Shop brush line has a very stylish, professional look and is moderately priced, so you can purchase the entire line at a low cost.  

A few other company lines also offering Taklon brushes are Afterglow Cosmetics, a line of natural, mineral-based make-up.  Although slightly higher priced, their brushes are very stylish, available in every application style including a baby kabuki with bag, and an organic lavender brush cleaning  solution.  You can find them online at their website.

Eco Tools offer an extremely budget priced line of brushes.  Again, the brushes are soft and made with sustainable bamboo handles.  They come in all styles including a retractable kabuki.  They are introducing a line of hemp make-up and travel bags, including a great little brush set with bag, by Alicia Silverstone.  In Canada, Eco Tools are available at Wal-Mart and in the U.S. at Walgreen's Pharmacies.                      

Too Faced Cosmetics are a line from California.  They have a great range of brushes they say are made from "Teddy Bear Hair", including an extremely handy, retractable kabuki, perfect for tucking in your make-up bag.  Too Faced are a youthful, fun line available at Sephora.  To emphasize their cruelty-free stance, the company mascot and muse is "London", the company owners' adorable little chihuahua.

Urban Decay, also available at Sephora, pride themselves on being a cruelty free line of cosmetics. They have a range of Good Karma brushes  including the "Wonder Brush", an all purpose brush, and the "Big Buddha Brush", a kabuki brush.

Last but not least is a wonderful new line from England called Illamasqua.  Although not yet available in Canada, the line is creating a lot of buzz on You Tube tutorials and make-up blogs.  Illamasqua describe themselves as creating make-up for the "Alter Ego", encouraging people to truly be themselves.  The line creator is an amazing artist turned make-up artist, Alex Box, who is featured in tutorials on the Illamasqua website.  Their line of brushes are extremely professional and at a slightly higher pricepoint.  Illamasqua is available in North America from Sephora in NYC and on-line.  Their brushes are only available directly from the Illamasqua website. 

For more information on the make-up brushes mentioned in this post, see the company websites.  If you are in doubt about the ethical nature of any make-up product, the PETA website is a great source.

I would love to have your feedback on your favourite brushes and why you like them.