Reddit reviews EcoTools Sheer Finish Kabuki Brush (Pack of 2)
We found 23 Reddit comments about EcoTools Sheer Finish Kabuki Brush (Pack of 2). Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
The light bristles will give you a soft finish when applying your favorite powder, bronzer or finishing powder. The ergonomic bamboo handle gives you an easy grip for a flawless look that will last you all day and night. Great for mineral foundations.The versatile brush can be used for foundations, bronzers & highlighters. A great tool to have in your arsenal, the flat bottom means it stands on its own: no more brush stands cluttering your vanity. Compare to Matto Kabuki Brush or your favorite kabuki.Giving a new purpose to old things, our products are made from recycled aluminum and plastic; packaging made of 100% Tree-Free paper, with 20% cotton and 80% bamboo fibers; the handles on our products are made of bamboo, one of the fastest growing plantsIn 2017, we’re celebrating EcoTools’ tenth anniversary by introducing a fresh new look, brushes that feel even better in your hands and packaging with detailed tutorials that will make it easier than ever for you to create a beautiful look from hair to toeAt EcoTools, we want you to embrace your own individual meaning of beauty & share it with the world, whether it's makeup tutorials, an inspirational story, or giving back to the community, when you feel truly beautiful, you'll make the world feel beautifulHandle made from highly sustainable BambooSynthetic Taklon britles are 100% cruelty freeSleek ferrule is made from recycled aluminum
Here are some good brush possibilities, in ascending order by price:
The Ecotools Bamboo Finishing Kabuki brush, which makes a terrific shaving brush; you can pick it up for $7.50 in the cosmetics section of (e.g.) Walgreens.
In the $8-$14 range, any of the Omega boar brushes would do a good job, and those are available from many sources. I prefer the brushes without the dyed band---the plain white brushes---but both work well. Read this beginner's guide to boar brushes on proper use. These are soaked before each use: just wet well with hot water and leave it sitting while you shower. I really like the Pro 48 (10048); it's large, but I still find it comfortable for face lathering.
The Omega 11047 boar/badger brush, which you soak for boar content, but then acts like a badger---and makes a good travel brush as well as an everyday brush. $17 plus shipping, but you can buy something in addition for little or no extra shipping charge.
One of the HJM black synthetic brushes from ConnaughtShaving.com for $25, including shipping. (US residents do not pay VAT.) This is a supeb brush, as gentle as any silvertip and quite efficient at lather creation.
The Whipped Dog silvertip badger: $26 including shipping with your choice of resin handle. The 22mm size is the best all-round size.
Read this pretty long post about DE shaving. The "HERE" link inside that post has good information as well.
Some comments about the products you have chosen:
> So I've been looking into buying a DE starter kit and looked at all the suggestions and I've sorted out this much so far.
Razor: DE86bl
Blades: Sampler
Pre-Shave Soap: Glycerine
Alum: Alum
Styptic: Clubman Pinaud
The Edwin Jagger is a very good razor.
The sampler comes only with 2 blades per brand, which could be enough but in my opinion 5 blades per brand would be better. Blade samplers in amazon are somewhat expensive.
Clearly natural is a pre-shave soap which is not necessary, but some people do find them helpful. You use it to wash your face before you lather your shaving cream/soap. You are missing the shaving cream/soap from your list.
Alum again not necessary, but some users like it.
Styptic pencil, do you bleed a lot? I ask because I hardly ever bleed, my blood coagulates really fast. So I have never seen a use for a styptic pencil.
> So for brushes it sounds like boar or badger, which I believe is preferred, hair is the way to go, but then the recommendation for the $75 level is bamboo and at the $100 one of the 2 recommended is synthetic.
The Ecotools bamboo brush is a women's makeup brush. Using it for shaving seems rather extreme. However I'm not sure how its making process differs from a shaving brush, do they use different glue or what. But I have seen threads posted where people say that the brush has died on them. If you are on a very tight budget and want a very soft brush that you can also find locally, then I think the Ecotools is a good option. That being said you can get Omega boar brush for about $10 from various online stores.
> I was looking through some of the threads and somewhere I found someone recommend this set which seemed nice, has a badger brush a little cup for lathering and a thing to hang the brush on to dry and comes with little starter shaving soap (although I have no idea if the soap is any good). So thoughts on that set and any inputs on brushes would be appreciated.
I don't think that recommendation had many upvotes. The brush is a pure badger brush and it's also prone to excessive shedding. The soap is nothing special. A brush stand isn't necessary. After you are done shaving thoroughly rinse the brush with running water from the tap, shake out the excess water, and use a towel to dry the tips of the brush, leave the brush standing on its base in a open space to air dry. The apothecary mug is not necessary either. It's mainly intended to hold the soap puck. However most shaving soaps will come in their own containers. The mug can also be quite small so when you are loading your brush you end up banging your fingers against the sides. I wouldn't recommend this set.
> And then lastly, how important are aftershaves? Are they just to smell nice or does it help you skin take a breather after threateningly rubbing sharp stuff all over it? My main mental picture of aftershave never having used it before is the scene from Home Alone, so feel free to educate me.
There are many different kinds of aftershave products; alum block, afershave splash, aftershave balm, moisturizing cream, moisturizing oil like jojoba oil, unrefined shea butter, and witch hazel. You pretty much have to try which works for you, but I'd start with a cheap aftershave balm like the Nivea sensitive aftershave balm (if you get satisfactory results with it you don't have to explore the other options unless you want to).
In the Home Alone he used aftershave splash. I'm not really a fan of these, the alcohol can be too drying for your skin and they are often more heavily scented which can irritate your skin. Some users do love them though, but I'd say they are for normal to oily skin. I like to use the other type of products, such as the aftershave balm, it soothes/heals and moisturizes your skin.
Since /r/ladyshavers is a bit dead, i'll throw in my 2c here as a ladyshaver of a few years now.
Razor: You want to start her off with a long-handled, knurled razor, as both are more ideal for shaving limbs and other places in a shower or bath environment (read: wet, soapy hands). My go-to suggestion for new women DE users is the Merkur 23C, or something like it. As I mentioned elsewhere in the thread, the Parker 96R is also a commonly mentioned razor among women shavers, and their QC seems to have improved recently.
Shaving soaps/creams/sticks: I loved the hard soaps I was getting from Alphy and Becs (small UK-based shop) via their ebay shop, then I got my hubby into DE shaving and tried some of his Taylor's Sandalwood... man, you really can't go wrong with it, can you? It's a luxurious scent/lather experience, even in the shower, so I suggest you choose a scent she'd like from them, choose a scent she'd like from YOUR favorite soap or cream brand, and give her both. Bodyshaving goes through a lot of shaving cream in a shorter period of time, resulting in a much higher cost per shave than face shavers incur, so I mainly use hard soaps to keep costs down, but it's hard to go back to them after the ease and joy of a nice cream like Taylor's.
Shaving sticks are fantastic in the shower as well, though I haven't tried a large variety of them and wouldn't feel right recommending specific ones. Can't hurt to thrown a stick of Arko or EU Palmolive into the kit you're building for her, though. If she likes them but not the stick application, she (or you) can always grate them into a nice bowl, which also further customizes her experience, and might make the bathroom counters look nicer too--which will hopefully make her willing to get even more soaps! The more personal it feels to her, the more she'll be invested in DE shaving, and the more it will become something the both of you share as opposed to something she kind of sort of also does because you do it.
I'm assuming you're US-based, in which case I'd also recommend 2 small soap shops, Chagrin Valley (great people and soaps, but only 2 scents for shaving soaps. Worth giving their normal soaps a browse too, their products are top notch.) and Eva Nestorova's Etsy shop. (The specific soap I linked is supposedly almost identical to the much beloved Klar Kabinette.) Eva also has a soap sampler pack that's a great value, and your wife will almost certainly love at least one of the scents.
Bonus: any soap she doesn't like, you get! And you get to try out some of her new things as well, if she lets you. :D
Blades: Definitely get her a proper sampler pack, don't just buy a couple kinds that you think she'll like. Why? Because the experience and novelty of going through the pack herself over time to figure out what does and doesn't work for her is a part of the gift, and with it you're saying "this is a long-term commitment to this style of shaving, take your time and figure out what's perfect for you" and it will encourage her to shop around a bit before settling on a blade. And she may find that different blades work better or worse depending on how much hair growth she has. For instance, I hate Astras if I haven't shaved in a couple weeks, whereas they're fine when I just ask them to clean up leg stubble. And cleaning up leg stubble is a waste of my feathers blades, etc.
(Also, if she really gets into it, you might want to have her consider a separate razor--or at least blade--for shaving her ladybits, if she chooses to. I'm to the point where once my latest order arrives, I'll be using 2 different razor and blade combos-- 1 mild combo for shaving legs, arms (yes), and stubbly armpits, and 2nd, more aggressive setup for my land down under and seriously overgrown armpits. Both because my particular ladybits laugh at mild razors, and because it means my blades in the first setup last about 5x longer if they don't have to deal with coarser pubic hair as well. That might not be something all women are interested in investing in, but this is a hobby for me like many of the men in this sub, so I don't mind. :) )
Alum: If she's prone to razor burn, this is a must. If she's shaving her ladybits, this is a must. If she has sensitive skin.. you get the picture.
Styptic: I just rub my alum block on the nick until the bleeding stops and don't bother with a pencil, but she may prefer a styptic pencil as it's more aggressive in stopping the bleeding right away.
Brush: Silvertip's extra softness is not beneficial for body shaving, don't waste money on it. Regular badger is fine, boar is fine, and overall I personally think brushes with slightly more backbone are better for body shaving. If she wants a synthetic, I've heard that the Ecotools Bamboo brush, available in many cosmetic shops and drugstores, is absolutely fantastic. I've just ordered a Spanish horsehair brush myself, I'm excited to see how it works out. Ultimately, since we're not using them on skin nearly as sensitive as our faces, brushes (blasphemy!) are much less of a factor for ladyshavers. I suggest buying a decent mid-range non-silvertip brush from wheverever you're getting most of her other kit supplies from.
Other possible accessories: A razor and brush holder, or a double model, a gorgeous wood lather bowl, or frilly antique scuttle, a more practical scuttle, etc (Note: These links are from my wishlist and ladyshaver friends of mine. I haven't tried them out yet myself. But hopefully they're a good starting point.)
Bonus points: Some great lotion to slather over herself after the shave, and clean and crisply scented candles because women love candles. I don't know why, but we do. Well, I love candles because my husband is a fart-machine, but YMMV. Suggestion: A candle that's both candle and massage cream.
TLDR: Merkur 23c, Taylor's Sandalwood/Coconut/Rose, any decent boar or badger brush, alum, razor holder, pretty lather bowl/scuttle in a style she'd like. Sampler pack. Candles and lotion are bonus points for creating a total-package spa-at-home gift experience.
I'm confused, I just added up these items new, including shipping and it totaled $77.28
Razor $38
2 Kabuki Brushes $11.08
2 Arko sticks $4.79
2 Alum blocks $11.62
20 Blade Sampler 11.79
The brushes that are recommended are so for a reason, the VDH set contains a brush that is supposedly inferior to the ones recommended. Quotes from the two recommendations thread $75 and $100:
> HJM black synthetic brushes from ConnaughtShaving.com. (US residents do not pay VAT.)
>The Whipped Dog silvertip badger with your choice of resin handle (I like the octagonal best). The 22mm size is the best all-round size.
>Brush - $7.50 at Walgreens - The Ecotools Bamboo Finishing Kabuki brush is also available from Amazon.com, currently for $17 for two brushes. I suggest getting one locally in a drugstore. This cosmetics brush makes a truly excellent shaving brush---one that I use regularly. This brush is much better than the wretched Tweezerman and Escoli brushes. OPTION: For $19.64 including shipping the Vie-Long 11737C "Bombitoo" boar brush is an extremely good brush. While soft, it is an efficient lathermaker with excellent capacity. Wet it well before you shower, and it will be ready to go when you're done. Feels more like horsehair than boar.
Personally I'd recommend getting an Omega Boar brush which I find to offer good value for money :). I own two from the professional series and they're really good.
ShoeBox ShaveShop, Maggard razors and West coast shaving.
Oh, the lie I'd been living with cartridges.
After my initial success with the Parker 71r I picked up from Amazon (using gel), I switched blades, and was very disappointed by the second brand I tried (Sharp).
My Ecotools brush, and La Toja Shaving Stick finally came in the mail today! No more canned goo!
So I popped a fresh Shark blade into my Parker, lathered up (surprisingly easy enough to get a newbie lather), and couldn't have been happier with the results.
No razor burn. A small nick. BBS.
I dare say, it was the best shave I've ever had.
I would probably return / trash that brush and grab this $9 synthetic brush that I really like, or this inexpensive synthetic one that leisureguy really likes. (Or maybe I'm just biased because I know how many nicks / weepers I've painted over for my second / third pass and would not feel OK using someone else's old brush.) (The anthrax concerns obsolete at this point though. :))
Then consider whether you really want to learn to shave with an SE (single edge) safety razor, which has fewer blade choices and a different technique than a DE (double edge) razor.
If so, then grab some blades for use with your Gem razor (the Valet AutoStrop apparently does not take standard SE blades).
If not, then consider picking up a DE razor, which can start as low as $3 or so and a blade sampler pack, that will allow you to choose from a variety of blades as you go. (If you've got a little extra $, the Edwin Jagger is a very well regarded mild razor.)
In terms of soap, make sure it's not just a bath bar with clay added and marketed as a shaving soap, as many homemade soap companies do that, and it's usually a sub-optimal product. Look for a soap that's well thought of on the shaving forums. (You can find soaps made without animal products for shaving if you look around.)
Once you've got your full set up, then the first step is to practice making lather. A good lather is the foundation for a good shave. Practice 5-10 latherings at least, making lather on the brush or in a bowl, then lathering up your non-dominant hand for practice.
Then start shaving. Remember to use NO PRESSURE. Use a sharp blade and just let the razor do the work.
Good luck! We're here to help!
What razor blades are you using? Different people have different skin and hair types, and find that different blades work for them. If you're cutting up your face like that, maybe try a different brand of blade. I'd suggest getting a sampler pack so that you can try a bunch and figure out which ones work the best for your skin.
For example: http://www.amazon.com/FEATHER-Oclock-BLUEBIRD-Blade-Sampler/dp/B007OL72B8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422349875&sr=8-1&keywords=safety+razor+sample+pack
It took me a bit of practice and a bunch of razors to get it right, since some tugged on my skin and others were too sharp (hello nick city). My favorite is Blue Bird, they work perfectly for me. Skin prep is really important too! I use Arko shave sticks and an Ecotools brush. The shave sticks lather nicely and last forever (one stick lasted me about 4 months of shaving my legs).
http://www.amazon.com/Arko-Shaving-Stick-White-Count/dp/B000VAWZ2U/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1422349852&sr=8-2&keywords=arko+shave+stick
http://www.amazon.com/Ecotools-Bamboo-Finishing-Kabuki-Pounds/dp/B004W17O7A/ref=sr_1_21?ie=UTF8&qid=1422349923&sr=8-21&keywords=ecotools+brush
I bought them for $15. But now they are going for $12.
Link
Edit: adjusted for price range
Depends on what your looking for really. For $75 you could buy a cheap badger brush and gold plate it =p (maybe). Are you looking for a fancy nice looking brush. Or just a badger brush that people recommend?
Personally my favorite brush so far is just a synthetic one from amazon, which many people highly recommend. the Eco Tools finishing brush, which is $12 for two. its not exactly super badger, but for the price its worth a shot. Maybe some of the more experienced guys can chime in though, I havent tried very many brushes.
http://www.amazon.com/Ecotools-Bamboo-Finishing-Kabuki-Pounds/dp/B004W17O7A/ref=sr_1_21?ie=UTF8&qid=1375372441&sr=8-21&keywords=eco+tools+bamboo+brush
I have great success with a synthetic brush like the one linked below. It creates excellent lather in a very short amount of time. Never going back to animal hair.
https://www.amazon.com/Ecotools-Bamboo-Finishing-Kabuki-Pounds/dp/B004W17O7A
I've been shaving with this since 2014 and was thinking of upgrading. What do you guys think about synthetic brushes?
A good double-edge safety razor, blade sampler pack, shaving brush, and shaving soap can free the both of you from expensive cartridge razors and canned goo. It could take you a little bit to learn how to shave the "old fashioned" way, but as someone who recently took the plunge, it's worth it. Gives a much better shave for a fraction of the cost. (Replacement blades are usually $0.07 - $0.30 each)
If you have hard water, you may want to go with a shaving cream instead, or you could get a gallon of distilled water for $1 that will last you through about a month's worth of shaves.
Shameless plug for /r/wicked_edge. There are a lot of resources there to help you transition.
[edit] Here's a cheaper alternate razor - this is what I have. You can get them even cheaper if you want to wait a few weeks.
Album
I've mentioned this setup at some point here, but now with pictures! I'm sick and working from home today, so I need something to get my mind off of this grant writing.
Shave:
Probably one of the cheapest full shave kits you can buy. The single Arko stick has lasted me 2 years so far, and I anticipate it will last another 3-4 until it becomes a mushy pile. Arko works really well with the extremely hard water we get in southern california.
I only shave 2-3 times a week, and lathering straight onto the face reduces the amount of soap wasted. First thing I would upgrade is the brush, followed by a search for an aftershave after the alum.
I would highly recommend the Lord. Some people seem to have longevity issues with the aluminum handle screwing into the heavier-metal head, but as long as you don't force it you won't strip the threads. Supposed to shave like a Merkur for a fraction of the cost.
Coffee:
Not my favorite roast, but probably my favorite extraction process (I also own turkish coffee, french press, moka pot, vacuum pot/siphon). Inverted, it acts like a french press with a paper filter. Of course, it also means you have a foot-tall precarious boiling-water hazard, which has been an issue some drowsy mornings.
I can tell you what I ordered online: I basically ended up following The official under $50 post.
Sodial. But mind you, I am still waiting for it to get here (its been only 5 days) from China. Apparently its not too short of a wait.
This blade sampler pack. This is from England so, again there is a significant wait.
The Ecotools Kabushi brush. I got mine from a walgreens for $8.
Also someday I want to get the 22mm octogon resin handle silvertip from Whipped Dog. $26
I got proraso from a local buisness as my shave cream but i'll let you figure out what you want to get him. Perhaps the sampler pack from Maggard Razors.
Hope this was helpful. Perhaps you already knew most of this but I figured if I'm just saying what everyone else has already said, there is always a downvote button.
Thanks for the advice! I was looking at samplers, but the price of those Personas are appealing, so I had to ask.
This is what I was looking at for a kit:
I know this stuff probably isn't the best (I was only looking at the under $50 section for this stuff), but I wanted to try things out before I spent more money. Are there any big issues with this potential kit?
As for the aftershave, do I have to use it, or can it just be a lotion, like Aveeno? It's what I currently apply after shaving right now.
Also, I noticed some people get bowls and stands. Are they necessary? Can I just use a small glass that I wash now and then instead?
/u/LeisureGuy suggests the Ecotools Kabuki Bamboo synthetic brush - I have had it for the past year or so now, and it's served the purpose well for me.
Some folks here have reported that it sux, but not for me - I have not had any problems with it generating enough lather for a 3 pass shave (even though most of the time, I'm done by 2 passes)
Not available on prime, and comes in a pack of two, which is more than I need. I'd be willing to split it with another NYC based Redditor, though. EDIT Out of stock on prime. Still 2. Might talk my lady into taking the other.
On a related note, do you think your old brush would be a decent upgrade from my Ecotools? I've had it for 3 or 4 months now and it's fine and all but I think I am ready for an upgrade.
Hello again Leisureguy. I took a few days to respond to this because I wanted to try a few things.
I had a jug of distilled water lying around so I filled my bowl with it and microwaved it (for a little too long) until it was nice and hot (read actually boiling haha). I let it cool for a few minutes before putting my brush in it to soak while I showered.
Got out of the shower and did my pre-shave wash. Pulled my brush out of the bowl and took it immediately to my Honey Bee soap and worked the brush through the soap (varying the pressure from vigorous with the bristles splayed out to light using just the tips) until bubbles turned microscopic and then kept going for another 30 seconds or so.
Because this was an experiment I decided to attempt a bowl lather rather than a face lather because as you can see from my pictures of the lather I got with Mama Bear soap, I used a bowl for that so I wanted to use the same technique for this experiment.
After nearly 5 minutes of working the lather in the bowl, I got the exact same results that I am used to getting with my tap water. I didn't add any water while trying to work up the lather because it always seemed really wet already with lots of visible sudsy bubbles so I didn't want to add more water to that. Should I have tried adding a little water to it?
I know that I am using a sub-par brush at the moment because money is tight, but is the VDH brush really that bad or do I just suck? haha
I know you praise the Ecotools brush and I can get it locally for around $8 but looking at it, it seems to be a very small knot that isn't packed very tightly (lots of space between the bristles).
Given the information I've provided, would I have better luck trying that until I have the money to invest in a WD silvertip? Or is there something else maybe I might be doing wrong?
This was my first brush, as recommended by /u/leisureguy on /r/wicked_edge. Get it above for $7 or two for $11. Great for learning and does an awesome job at producing lather.
A not $50 alternative is the Ecotools Kabuki Brush, which you get 2 for $11. It's not advertised as a shaving brush, but that just makes it more of a sleeper hit to me.
I was turned on to it by Leisureguy's endorsement. It's also in the buying guide now if I'm not mistaken.
Edit - I think because of the shorter bristles as compared to a standard shaving brush, the kabuki brush is better suited for solid soaps rather than creams. That may be complete bs though.
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