Spotlight: Bdellium Tools Green Bambu Series

Today's post is about brushes by Bdellium Tools.  You may have seen me mention this brand in my previous posts, or reference their brushes in my earlier posts (summer wedding makeup - I used their precision kabuki).  However, I feel this brand deserves a closer look. Specifically, I will be talking about their Green Bambu Series. This series fills what I consider to be a real need in the market for a higher quality Eco-Friendly brush.  These brushes are also vegan and in my opinion would be ideal for both a makeup artist, or personal use.  I decided that not only will I show you the brushes and tell you about each one, but I'll also share with you how I use them. I have two sets from this series: Foundation 4 Piece Eco-Friendly Makeup Brush Set-Green Bambu Professional Line and Smokey Eyes 5 Piece Eco-Friendly Makeup Brush Set-Green Bambu Professional Line. 

For more information on the brand, please see my "Synthetic Brushes - About The Brand" post.  

Here are all of the brushes I own from this series:

The brushes come packaged in the above pictured case, which I've saved because I find it is a great way to store brushes when they aren't being used, or for travel.  I've had both of these sets for quite some time now, and I can honestly say, I use them a lot, and I love them!  They work very well, are super sturdy, and work on both powder and cream products because they are made of synthetic bristles.  Unlike cheaper synthetic brushes, these pick up powder products with ease. I've found these to be easy to clean, and a comfortable weight in my hand. The Foundation 4 Piece Eco-Friendly Makeup Brush Set comes with: #957B Precision Kabuki, #955B Finishing, #953B Duet Fiber Foundation, and #948B Foundation.  The Smoky Eyes 5 Piece Eco-Friendly Makeup Brush Set comes with: #781B Crease, #777B Shadow, #769B Angled Contour, #760B Liner/Brow, and #716B Smoky Eyeliner. With these two sets, you can easily do your whole face without needing any other brushes. In fact, that is exactly what I did this morning.

Here is how I use the brushes:

 First I apply my base with the foundation brush. This is a standard flat paddle foundation brush. It has a nice wide head for quick and easy application. I don't find it streaky at all.  I applied my compact tinted moisturizer in downward strokes then patted and stippled over areas where I needed extra coverage. I've found that this brush not only works well for foundation, but I use it for cream blushes, cream highlighters or even to apply primer.

For a more airbrushed look, I then polished the base into my skin using the finishing brush (below).  By polishing, I mean I used light circular motions allover my face to help lightly buff in the product without removing the product from my face. The finishing brush also works great for a light dusting of powder, or to help buff out any extra product such as bronzer or blush.  This brush is ideal for whenever you need a light application of product, or want to smooth out product you've already applied.

Next, I applied my bronzer using the precision kabuki. This is one of my favorites in the set, and I find myself using it for so many things including gel and powder bronzer, foundation, blush and powder. What's a precision kabuki?  To illustrate, I've shown the brush along side a traditional kabuki brush.  As you can see, the precision kabuki looks as though you shrunk the larger brush and put it on a long handle. This brush is ideal for more precise work, rather than the large kabuki, which is meant for the whole face or body.

These densely packed bristles really help to give you an airbrushed look when applying foundation. This brush can be used for mineral foundation, cream or liquid. Today, this brush is available on Amazon.com for $14.08 when purchased by itself.  Many of you may be familiar with the flat top powder brush from E.L.F. that is very similar in shape. One of the reviews on Amazon questioned why one would pay $14 when the E.L.F. brush is $3.  I have an answer for that. I have both brushes. I purchased them both around the same time.  However, the E.L.F. brush quickly came loose at the ferrel and was wobbly, eventually falling off completely. I was able to glue it back into place, but I was shocked at how quickly the brush broke.  I thought maybe I got a faulty one, so purchased another and had the exact same thing happen, while the Bdellium brush still seems just as sturdy as the day I bought it with no signs of breaking any time soon.  So yes, the brushes are similar, but the quality is worlds apart. Here I've pictured the E.L.F. brush, Bdellium Tools Precision Kabuki from their studio line (also synthetic), and the green bambu version:

 As you can see, they are all similar in shape, though Bdellium Tools is of much better quality.

 A closer look at the brush head (above)

 Here you can see the size in my hand. It's a comfortable fit and length which makes for easy application.

The green bambu brush is shorter than the same brush from Bdellium Tools studio line.  Handle length is simply a matter of personal preference.  Some makeup artists prefer a longer handle, some prefer a shorter handle.  Personally, I've found them to both work equally as well. Both are made of full synthetic fibers and pick up product with ease.

As I mentioned, I use this brush for many things.  Today, I used it to apply powder bronzer. I like this brush rather than a traditional powder brush, because I find the flat bristles pick up an even amount of product and then I can easily buff the product into the skin, blending out any harsh edges. I brought the brush into the hollows of my cheek as a contour and then blended the product with the brush in a back and forth motion, then buffing it up onto the cheekbone and around my temples and onto the forehead.

The next brush, shown below, is the duet fiber foundation brush.  I LOVE this brush!!! I use it for both cream blush, and to apply cream highlighter. I actually own 2 of these so that I can use it for those 2 specific tasks as I wear both cream blush and highlighter every day.  This brush would also work well for applying foundation (as the name states). It's basically a stippling brush and can be used in both a stippling motion and a buffing motion. Because of it's size, it fits just perfectly on the tops of my cheekbones as you can see below.

That covers the Foundation 4pc. Brush Set. Today this set is available on Amazon.com for $43.69, which I think is a great value for the quality of brush you are getting. This item is also available for Amazon Prime, if you are an Amazon Prime member, which means 2 day free shipping! 

Next up is the Smoky Eyes 5 Piece Eco-Friendly Makeup Brush Set. Today this set is available on Amazon.com for $30.68 and is also available for Amazon Prime to Amazon Prime members. If I remember correctly, this is their best selling brush set, and it's easy to see why. Smoky eyes are probably one of the most requested makeup looks when someone wants their makeup done for an evening event. This fall, smoky eyes in jewel tones will be very popular and what better way to achieve the look than with this Eco-friendly, vegan set?!

For my eyeshadow look, I began by using the #781B Crease brush to sweep and blend a light taupe shadow into my crease. I find some crease brushes by other companies to be too large for the eye area. This one is a perfect fit. I also like this brush for applying concealer under the eyes.  It helps to give that airbrushed look that I love so much.

Next, I applied an iridescent purple shadow (Omen by Urban Decay) all over my lid and into the crease using the #777B Shadow brush. I find this brush just perfect for packing on color.  It picks up and distributes the perfect amount of color every time, and as you can see, it's a very nice size no matter what size eyelid you have. Sorry about my chipped nail polish!

 Next, I applied a taupe eyeshadow (the same one I put in my crease) along my bottom lash line using the #716B smoky eyeliner brush. This is the standout brush in this set. I use this brush every single day. I have another similar brush that is from the Sephora Professional collection. As you can see in the below photograph, the Sephora brush (pictured on the left) already has splayed hairs, while the Bdellium Tools brush remains in the same condition as the day I purchased it. I purchased both brushes around the same time, and used them equally as much to test out which one I liked better. Bdellium Tools wins again!

 Next, I applied a thin line of the purple iridescent eyeshadow over the taupe using my #760B Liner/Brow brush.  This brush is not only good for liner, but because of it's angled shape, is also great for filling in brows with brow powder. Since it is so small/thin, you really get a natural looking filled in brow when using this brush.

Last, but not least is the #769B Angled Contour brush.  Although it is great for applying shadow into the eye contour, because of its angled head, I find this brush to be great for contouring the nose, which is what I used it for today. It is very similar to the Urban Decay Good Karma Brush. I feel the quality on both brushes is about equal, but the Bdellium Tools brush is longer, and the head is fuller, so I find I reach for it more than the Urban Decay version.

Above you can see the Bdellium Tools is quite a bit longer than the Urban Decay brush. It is also less expensive, yet the quality of the brush seems the same to me.

I hope you enjoyed my review of these brushes. I highly recommend them. They are truly sturdy, dependable, high quality brushes.

Here's another look at the face brushes.  From left to right: Precision Kabuki, Finishing, Duet Fiber Foundation, Foundation

 Here's another look at the smoky eyes set.  From left to right: Crease, Shadow, Angled Contour, Liner/Brow, and Smoky Eyeliner

 And here is the finished look:

I really hope you found this post helpful. If you have these brushes and use them differently, I'd love to hear about it. Drop me a comment in the box below.  

Please note all comments are approved individually so don't worry if you don't see your comment posted right away. 


Note: I purchased both sets from Amazon.com with my own money. I am not receiving any compensation for this review, nor did I receive any type of discount off of these brushes.

Spotlight: Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics (aka OCC) Brushes

One thing I love just as much as makeup, is makeup brushes. The tools you use to apply your makeup make a world of difference in the application process and final result. As you may have guessed by now, by my in depth synthetic brush review, I LOVE makeup brushes.  I've recently added to my collection some high end brushes from Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics (aka OCC). These brushes are very luxurious and definitely pro quality. If you are a professional makeup artist, or looking to make an investment in top notch brushes, I highly recommend these.

I already had an OCC lip brush that came in my lip tar set.  Side note: lip tars are basically a hybrid between a lipstick and and a gloss, and one of my favorite lip products because you can mix them to create your own colors and they last a really long time on the lip. More recently I purchased from OCC their Brush #001: Large Powder Brush, Brush # 011: Small Powder/Blush Brush, and Brush #004: Tapered Blending Brush.

Pros: High quality synthetic fibers, sturdy handles, good handle length, soft bristles, brush head shape is ideal for professional application

Cons: For some, it will be price, these are not cheap brushes, but I'm of the firm belief that you often get what you pay for, and I believe these are worth the price.  I also think OCC should do a better job of showcasing the brushes on their site, better pictures, more in depth description, etc. On their site they look like they are nothing special, but when you get them in your hands, they are truly spectacular.

The company may not like this part of my review, but I chose to showcase the brushes along side a less expensive brand simply to give you a frame of reference as to the size of the brush. I feel many of you may have these less expensive brushes in your collection, so you can really see the size and evaluate for yourself if this is something you want to purchase. Again, this comparison is only to show size.

These are the brushes:

 Note the tapered head on the large powder brush.

 The nice full head on this brush is ideal for both face and body. I use it to apply bronzer, dust off any excess powder and even at times, depending on the look I am going for, a sheer application of blush.

 Above is the small powder/blush brush. This has become my go to blush brush. I love it for precise placement of both cream and powder blush on the cheeks. Because of it's size it also fits nicely in the hollows of the cheeks if you want to contour with it. I use this brush almost daily.

 Above is a side by side comparison of the large and small powder brushes. Note the difference in head shape. The smaller is flatter, though slightly rounded, while the larger comes to a tip.

 Above is the lip brush. This is ideal for applying lipstick, lip tars, and gloss. I almost always prefer to apply all three with a brush, as I find gloss application comes out shinier and more even with a brush.  Applying lipstick with this brush allows for a more precise application.

 As mentioned above, I wanted to show you a size comparison. Above, I paired the OCC small powder/blush brush with a Real Techniques buffing brush. While the Real Techniques brush has a flatter head, and wider handle, they are approximately the same size.

 Note the density of the bristles

 Again, I've paired the OCC brush along side a Real Techniques brush. These are both large powder brushes. As you can see, the OCC brush is a bit longer, and the head is more tapered.

 The bristles have the perfect amount of bend to them.

 Note the Real Techniques brush has a fuller head, but that is largely due to the different shape of the bristles.

 Here I've compared the OCC blending brush to a Too Faced tapered blending brush. Note how much longer the OCC brush is. The head on the OCC brush is also tapered, while the Too Faced bristles are not.

 For me, this tapered blending brush is a stand out among my entire brush collection, and I am starting to wonder how I ever lived without it. It blends out crease color with perfection.

This comparison is between the OCC lip brush and an E.L.F. concealer brush. Although the E.L.F. brush is meant for concealer, I often use it as a lip brush. Note the bristles on the OCC brush are much longer, and more tapered.

One complaint I sometimes hear about synthetic brushes is that they don't pick up powder products as well as animal hair brushes.  With the OCC brushes, this was not the case at all. These brushes pick up powder just as well as any other brush on the market, and would stand up and hold their own against the top of the line by any brand.

In conclusion, these are solid brushes. I'm really happy I purchased them, and I encourage you to try them out. Even if you only purchase one, get the one you think you'll use the most, and trust me you will be wowed by the quality.  These are truly excellent brushes, and they absolutely make the case that you really don't need to harm animals to get a superior quality brush.  OCC is a vegan brand, so if you are interested in cruelty free cosmetics, I encourage you to check out the rest of their products as well.

Their site is: www.occmakeup.com which is where I purchased all of these brushes for review.

Kate Hudson Inspired Makeup Look

My inspiration comes from many sources. The other day as I was thumbing through a pile of junk mail, I came across an Ann Taylor catalog.  I noticed Kate Hudson, but it wasn't the clothes that made me take a second glance, it was her makeup. This celeb is known for frequently doing her own makeup at photo shoots and is the face of Almay Cosmetics. What I loved about this look, is that although she is wearing a hot pink lipstick, it still looks office appropriate. The dewy look of her cheeks makes her look youthful and vibrant.

These are the pictures that caught my eye*:

I think this is such a polished, pretty, feminine look, so I decided to recreate it. Unlike my summer makeup look post where I paired a hot pink lip with navy liner, this is more subdued and elegant, but still equally as fun to wear.

 While the look is not identical, I do think I captured the spirit of the look. On eyes, I used Urban Decay Asphalt from the Smoked palette on outer corners.  Up close the eyes appeared to have some shimmer on them, so I used 3 Urban Decay Stardust shadows.  The color Bobby Dazzle was used on the inner part of the eye, and along the brow bone, with Diamond Dog & Moon spoon on the outer parts of the lid. I used Urban Decay 24/7 liner in Perversion along the lash line.  To make this look more appropriate for a corporate office, you could substitute the Stardust eyeshadow for Kinky from the Urban Decay Smoked palette for your inner corner and brow bone highlight.  Kinky is a matte ivory shade, that is very appropriate for daytime.  You could still use the Asphalt eyeshadow on the outer corner, as the color is muted enough, and though shimmery, does not contain any chunky glitter.

 On the lips, I used a hot pink lipstick, Stila lip liner in Obsessed and topped it with just a dab of ELF shimmer gloss in Ruby Red.  For the face, I used a full coverage liquid foundation, and powdered only the outer parts of the face, leaving the cheeks with a natural glow.

 To get the dewy look on the cheeks, I used Nars Illuminator in Copacabana.

 I used a light pink blush on the cheeks for a light, natural looking flush.

And that's the look! I hope you enjoy it. Any questions, please comment below!

*Kate Hudson photos from www.anntaylor.com