Comments on: Budget Makeup Brushes: Elf Mineral Brushes Launch

By: Sarah

Sarah — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 11:46:33 +0000

Makeup brushes are commonly made from squirrel, mink, sable, horse (sometimes called “pony” or “camel”), or goat hair. Mink and sable brushes are products of the cruel fur industry. Every year, millions of animals are trapped, drowned, and beaten to death in the wild and strangled, electrocuted, or beaten and skinned alive on fur farms. Horse hair is commonly obtained from horses who are slaughtered for their flesh. Squirrels are hunted or trapped, and goats are shorn like sheep. Workers are often paid by volume, so they shear the goats quickly, which can result in serious injuries.
Many makeup brushes are manufactured in developing countries where there are few or no animal welfare regulations.

By: Sarah

Sarah — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 11:39:24 +0000

Personally I don’t wear leather or wool, eat meat, milk etc and believe that animals are not ours to wear, use, eat, experiment on etc. But killing animals for make up brushes seems the most futile of all. Make up brushes for god’s sake!!! The animals are usually killed for their hair to be used, and if they aren’t you may be sure a lot of pain is involved in removing the hair. It is a lot different to wool which is sheared off – I do have difficulties with this industry also however. We really don’t need to use natural brushes – there are plenty of cruelty free alternatives available.
The next time you use your natural make up brush spare a thought for the little life that was taken just so you could apply foundation with it’s hair.

By: LuLuBabe

LuLuBabe — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 11:12:37 +0000

What gives us the right to use an animal’s skin for something so trivial as footwear? Or animal meat or milk for food? I don’t really see how using animal hair for makeup brushes is all *that* different.

SJP, thanks for that tip. I have a few of the pans and didn’t ever try Mac shadows in them. Excellent plan.

By: karen21

karen21 — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 23:56:20 +0000

I’ll probably give these a go at some point because i’m a big fan of the studio line brushes. They might not be the best in the world but they are good enough that I definitely could not hand over €30 for MAC ones!

By: Fee

Fee — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 22:49:34 +0000

SJP’s – thanks for the tip, and on the HD powder as well, funny I saw a recommendation for that somewhere else today. Gonna order that tomorrow if the promo they’re doing for the Facebook likes is good or the next time they do free delivery.

By: SJP's Missing Mole

SJP's Missing Mole — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 22:38:17 +0000

By the way ladies, if ye are ordering these brushes, take a goo at the empty 4-pan compact (it’s under the “elements” tab on the site). It famously fits MAC eyeshadows. But unlike the MAC 4-pan, it’s got a mirror. Oh and did I mention – IT’S ONLY €1.70!!!

By: MiamiMortimer

MiamiMortimer — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 22:28:12 +0000

I’d highly recommend Bare Escentuals’ feather light face brush as a duplicate for MAC’s duo fibre 187 brush – well, I haven’t got a 187 brush, but as far as I’ve heard it gives a light, airbrushed finish.

The B.E. brush definitely does that! I just received mine from eBay, where it cost me £5, and it’s great!

By: Fee

Fee — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 21:50:44 +0000

I have the Bamboo Flat Eyeliner brush (not 100% but could be the first brush on left in the set on the right in the top image) and am really liking it. I use it with gel eyeliner for tightlining and it works really well. It’s nice and stiff but not at all scratchy. http://www.eyeslipsface.co.uk/product~prodID~221.htm

I do like that I can buy a brush which is ethically produced but I have to admit I have plenty in my collection whose origins I am totally ignorant of and definitely some with natural hair. Does using animal hair for brushes necessarily involve cruelty? We shear sheep, like. That can’t be natural but it doesn’t seem to do them any harm!

By: miffyonline

miffyonline — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 20:03:07 +0000

Will definitely check these out.

I agree with the flat headed pweder brush – the biz. I have two, bought the second as a backup but I think the first will outlive me.

By: SJP's Missing Mole

SJP's Missing Mole — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 19:11:27 +0000

Actually, I just had a look at the facebook page – looks like there may be a code tomorrow!