Go Green!
It’s been over a year since I’ve left the blog here at makeupag.com. Well, I’M BACK! I have been using makeupag.com for it’s original purpose as of lately - hosting my portfolio as a freelance makeup artist. The name of the site includes the initials to my first and last name - thou I don’t use my last name for freelancing as a makeup artist. I prefer angela rafaela or angie rafaela. I am looking into registering [angie rafaela] or [angela rafaela] with my state so I can do business under that name and have sort of a copywright over it. I have been using the username angierafaela on the internet for years. It’s me. Angela Rafaela is my full first and middle name. My father chose the first name [thank God!] and my mother chose my middle name. Growing up I felt like Angela was much too rough of a name for a young girl so I started asking people to call me Angie - and it stuck. The only place I’m refered to as Angela is at work - and even then Angie is used every so often. Rafaela, my middle name, was something I hated evers since the first time I heard it. In portugal, where I’m originally from, they tend to go by middle names - no one there know’s who Angela is - I’m refered to only as Rafaela. My family might not make the connection because of language/culture barriers but I always thought of the ninja turtle - Rafael when called by my middle name. My mother swears I was named after an Italian singer from her time [Rafaela Carra] but I couldn’t shake the thought of those ass-kicking turtles so I avoided and hid my middle name for years. I still prefer to be called Angela, Angie (or my new favorite name) G, I now embrace the name Rafaela and I like the way Angela Rafaela flows. ANYWAYS, enough with the name calling, lol.
With all the talk about “going green” we are all (hopefully) more aware about the environment. I came across these brushes while browsing the makeup isle at the drugstore recently and I was impressed. I purchashed this set you see to the left [1206 BAMBOO 6 Piece Brush Set] and I’ve since traded both my MAC and Sephora powder brushes for EcoTools 1200 BAMBOO powder brush. The powder brushes’ brsitles are synthetic taklon and super soft. I feel that with some powder brushes, the bristles are packed too tightly and can move your foundation around when you buff the powder on your face [I'm referring specifically too MAC's #182 brush; the tappered shape of the brush may be the culprit]. This might just be my imagination but I prefer very soft powder brushes for this reason. You can purchase EcoTools brushes in sets or individually. I loved the powder brush so much, I bought a second one. The 1205 BAMBOO Lash & Brow Groomer brush is pretty much like any other brow/lash grooming brush; nothing fancy and gets the job done. The 1204 BAMBOO Angeled Eyeliner brush is similar to MAC’s 263 brush. It serves it’s purpose - lining the upper or lower lash lines. The same goes for the the concelar brush. The only brush I didn’t like was the 1203 BAMBOO Eye Shading Brush. The brushes bristles were too soft and the synthetic taklon bristles weren’t very good at picking up a lot of eyeshadow. I also had a lot of fallout with this brush. I find it inconvenient to hold a tissue/nakin directly under my eye while doing an eyeshadow look so a brush that allows for minimal fallout is a must-have for me. I would reach for this brush if I wanted to do a single wash of color on those days where I’m in too much of a rush to do a full eye make-up look, if all my other eye brushes were dirty. Overall it’s a nice set if you’re looking for brushes on a budget. I paid less than $10 for the set [that's about $2/brush] which is a total steal. The brushes are also all cruelty free and come in a natural cotton & hemp brush roll which is convenient for when you’re on the go and want to keep your brushes clean. You can easily wash the brushes with baby shampoo, dish detergent, etc. and they don’t have a foul smell after they’ve been washed - which is the case with some brushes. The brushroll is also washable. It’s a light cream color so it tends to get dirty easily but you can throw it in the washing machine with your whites and it’s as good as new. I’ve had the brushes for a month or so now and haven’t experienced any shedding. You can purchase any of the above mentioned brushes here.
Tags: brushes, budget, cruelty free, eco-friendly, site