5 eco-friendly makeup accessories

Use these brushes and tools to get pretty — with a lower impact.

Wed, Sep 12 2012 at 4:30 PM

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Natural Beauty

Photo: re_/Flickr

You wouldn’t use a rake to fix your car engine, nor would you paint your house with a set of bath towels, but yet most women apply makeup with incorrect or nonexistent tools. A good set of the five beauty tools below will make your application more precise and more attractive, with the added bonus that you will use less of your makeup.

A great makeup bag keeps everything clean and away from the rest of the things in a larger bag. It should be easily identifiable (I like prints, like this one), and made from a sustainable material, like this one in organic cotton. Ideally, you’ll carry your makeup tools in another small bag away from the makeup itself.

A big blusher brush will distribute powder, bronzer and blush more evenly and naturally. They are also much easier to regularly clean than the sponge that typically comes in a compact, which can help you avoid breakouts. This Ecotools version made from bamboo is my personal favorite.

e.l.f.’s eye liner brush will turn any eyeshadow into a liner. Use dry to get a smudgier look, or add a touch of water to get a concise line. And it's made from vegan bristles, recycled ferrules and bamboo handles.

To get your eyelashes looking perfect and clump-free, and to keep eyebrows tidy, it’s good to have a combo eyelash/eyebrow brush. Once you start using one of these, you’ll never go back.

A hand mirror is worth keeping in your makeup bag; often the mirrors on compacts are covered in powder and pretty unuseful if you need to actually see any detail on your face. These by GRAIN are made in various different patterns in the Pacific Northwest (USA) out of mirrored glass, bamboo, wool felt, and hemp twine. GRAIN supports ethical design and is also a member of 1% For The Planet.

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