Sparkled Beauty

Another passion of mine in the makeup world: brushes. I can't seem to haul enough brushes to save my life. I know a good set of brushes (or two) is all I need but my heart skips a beat whenever I see pretty brushes.

And THESE sure are pretty! The title kinda gives it away, but these green beauties are from bdellium tools, a brand I kinda raved about a little too much last year.

You might recall my IMATS LA haul where I ohhh and ahhh'ed over their anti-bacterial brushes with the signature yellow handles. I still love them dearly, and today I'm bringing you the Mineral 5-pc brush set from their latest eco-friendly Green Bambu line.

Arrived in this cute recyclable plastic tube with tightly closed cap, the brushes just took my breath away. How pretty are the 2 shades of green on them? I don't own any brushes this colour, they would stand out for sure. The moment I saw the sneek peek picture from bdellium, I have been dreaming of them, I'm serious!

Check out the label: pretty flower pattern printed on recycled paper. Lovely!

The Green Bambu brushes themselves are 100% cruelty-free, with sustainable bamboo handles, vegan synthetic bristles and anodized aluminum ferrules.

Out of the tube but still wrapped in plastic sleeves, the 5 brushes, from R-L:
- 959 Powder blending brush
- 942 Slanted contour brush
- 778 Large shadow brush
- 787 Dual Fiber Large tapered blending brush, and
- 934 Precision concealer brush.

Put aside the pretty green handles and aqua/ white bristles, the brushes are of good size to me (I have small hands). They are a little longer than the travel sized yellow brushes I bought before, but are perfectly travel-friendly as they fit perfectly inside the tube.

To stick with the eco-friendly theme, the Green Bambu brushes are not antibacterial treated. Antibacterial treatment is non-toxic and safe for the environment, however, it is still a chemical coating process and bdellium decided to leave it out for this line. The synthetic bristles don't absorb water much, hence provide a less desirable environment for bacteria to grow. I trust that those of you vegans out there would appreciate this.

Now tell me you fall in love with the colours on the bristles already! It took me half a day before I put the brushes to use, as I couldn't bring myself to getting them dirty lol.

And they aren't just for looks, as they feel very soft, despite being synthetic. I know natural hair bristles would have better grab with powder texture but I have no problem using these brushes for both powder and cream products.

The handles are lightweight but provide a good grip. I have nothing bad to say except maybe the brush names (not just numbers) should be printed on the handles, just so people could have an idea of what the brushes are originally meant for.

This is to show you the density of the bristles. I have a small face (well, proportionate with my body, lol) so the brushes work great for me. I'll get to each brush individually below.

I found different uses for the brushes so that I could use them all in one makeup routine. The 3 smaller brushes dry quickly, so I can wash them the night before and use them again the next morning.

Talking about washing the brushes (which I have done at least 3 times so far), these didn't shed at all, and no bleeding/ discolouration that I noticed.

Now let's talk about each brush.

959 Powder blending brush:

The brush head is tapered and dome-shaped at the top, would work best with finishing powder or for targeted part of the face. I don't use powder foundation at the moment, but if I do, I wouldn't use this brush with it as it might take some time to cover the whole face due to the brush head size. A flat top powder brush would work better for that purpose.

With my translucent powder, it sets my liquid foundation nicely. I don't swipe but stipple to press the powder on my face. The brush is soft and gentle, so it won't irritate your skin.

942 Slanted contour brush:

This brush screams cream blushes, doesn't it? I use it for that exact purpose. The cut makes it fit so well on my cheekbones toward my temple. Again, I just dab the cream blush on my face with it, then set with powder blush for longer wear. You might use this brush to contour your face, but I prefer a fluffier brush for that, so that I don't have to blend as much.

I'm very familiar to this brush, as I already own 2 of them from the antibacterial line. A popular brush that is part of 3 brush sets, we are talking a "celebrity" here lol.

778 Large shadow brush:

I was worried about the size of this brush at first, as it seemed quite big for my eyelids. I was sold after the first use with my newly found love - Shiseido Hydro-powder eyeshadow - as a base for my eyeshadows. It grabs the product so well and doesn't take long to cover my eyelids. Save me some time to get ready in the morning, every minute counts.
I did try it with a powder eyeshadow, it does not work as well but still gets the job done with a sheer finish. I'm not complaining.

787 Dual Fiber Large tapered blending brush:

If I absolutely have to pick a favorite within the set, this brush would be it. It blends everything I want it to blend, cream or powder, and it does that very well with very little effort. The bristles are a bit longer than my regular blending brush, which means it would blend a little more gently I assume. Makes my life easier, as I still find blending eyeshadow isn't the simplest task in the world.

934 Precision concealer brush:

The name suggests spot concealment purposes, so I use this brush to dab the concealer on my acne scars and dark spots. I found the bristles a little soft and didn't give enough pressure to blend out the concealer. I wouldn't suggest using it with a under eye concealer, as it would take too long to blend it all out. I used the brush with cream eyeshadows too, for the inner corners or on the lower lash lines, but again it would do a better job if it weren't a little too soft.

To summarize, I would totally recommend this brush set. A good combo of brushes and 4 out of 5 do a great job helping me getting my makeup done fast and easy. The brushes were kindly sent to me by the company but that won't affect my opinions on them.

bdellium tools brushes are only available on amazon.com (you can click on the "Shop" tab on their website). The Green Bambu line will be up on there at the end of the month, the set I review here will be $45.

I would suggest to grab their brushes at the trade shows they participate though (the Makeup Show LA, IMATS LA, Premier Orlando, etc.) for big discounts. I got 35% off for the 2 sets from IMATS LA last year, and was told the Green Bambu would be 40 - 50% off this year. Unfortunately, the brand won't be at IMATS Toronto, it is still expanding.

I'm already planning my next purchase at IMATS: the Foundation 4-pc brush set in the picture, despite the fact that I already own 3 of the 4 brushes from the antibacterial line. Just can't turn down the greens, even when yellow is my favorite colour. And bamboo? It means home to me, as there were a lot of bamboo growing around my grandmothers' houses. Feeling a little nostalgic.