Hello everyone! I'm leaving in about 6 hours to go on a road trip across the US. I'm going to start school in New York in a couple weeks and I live in California, so mommy dear wanted us all to go on a nice fun family vacation. But, I decided to make a little review and comparison of sorts of one of my favorite brushes. The EcoTools Retractable Kabuki brush!
This brush was one of my first brushes that I got when I started getting into makeup. I've been using it ever since. Since it's retractable, you can just toss it into your bag and not have to worry about it smearing powder everywhere or getting it's bristles bent. It works very well as a standard kabuki for powder foundations, but you can use the retractable part to adjust the size of the head too! So, you can easily use it as a much denser brush to build up coverage on smaller spots. It can also be used for blush and bronzer (basically any face powder product).
Well, that was the very short review. This brush is not new (anymore) and I'm sure you've all read plenty of reviews about this fabulous little critter. What I noticed today is that there are different versions of the brush! Yes, you heard me, different versions. I went to Target today and bought a new one because I loved it so much, and they could almost be different brushes. If you hate this brush maybe the other version will make you fall in love instead!
Here are the two kabukis that I own:
And here they are opened up:
new on left, old on right
Right off the bat you can see they are different. Even when opening them they are different!
Opening up the old one:
As you can see, the metal cover stays up as I pull off the top. So you need to push it down to get the bristles out.
And opening the new one:
The metal cover is already down as the top is pulled off. The brush is ready to use as soon as you pop off the cap!
And now to compare them in my hand:
older kabuki
newer kabuki
The older kabuki has slightly lighter colored bristles. It also keeps the shape of whatever you move it in -- in this case, I had carelessly capped it so there is a slight dent in the bristles, and it is flattened. This is probably due to its high density. The newer kabuki has darker bristles and immediately fluffs into the typical round dome shape of a kabuki brush. The bristles do not easily "stick" together and move as one because it is less dense.
The old brush is very dense and tough-feeling. The bristles are very soft but also a bit stiff. It really buffs in minerals and powders very well and gives high coverage because it is so dense. However it is not as cloud soft as other EcoTools brushes so don't overbuff if you have sensitive skin. It holds different shapes very easily when pinched, so you can angle it to chisel under your cheekbones with bronzer and apply blush very precisely, as well as reach all the nooks and crannies of your face. Unfortunately this makes the brush "bend" easily under pressure and stay that way, so buffing can feel a bit uneven. Of course you can always move the metal part up and then you have an EXTREMELY dense and tiny kabuki head. This is great for applying coverup very heavily and buffing it in for full but natural coverage.
New Kabuki
The newer brush has the famous cloud softness that EcoTools is known for. It literally feels like soft cotton and silk against your face! However it is not as dense as the older kabuki. This lack of density combined with the ultra softness means that this kabuki will not give as much coverage as its older sibling. It also easily springs right back into its domed and fluffy original shape, so it can't be pinched and manipulated as easily as the older version. This does mean that buffing feels more even and natural, like you don't have to fight with the brush. When the metal part is pulled up it again makes a nice, dense, spot kabuki. But, it is still not as dense or stiff as the older kabuki so it will give less coverage.
Here's an example of how the older brush can keep a shape you squish into it while the newer brush springs back:
After sweeping each kabuki across my knee, I didn't touch them again and took this picture.
old on left, new on right
See the difference? The older kabuki is now bent in that funny shape while the new one is still domed. You can get lots of interesting effects with the older one! But that also means the newer one is easier to use and more comfortable.
Now, you might be asking me "Well, maybe your older kabuki is just that, old! So it's age that makes it seem different." Well here I have PROOF that these two kabukis are different!
new on left, old on right
Just look at the caps!
new on left, old on right
The older one has that weird design in the cap while the newer one is completely blank! So, I'm pretty sure that there are at least two different versions of this brush. If you like a lighter, softer kabuki then look for a cap with no design. If you like a dense, full-coverage kind of brush, look for the design.
As for which brush I prefer? Well, I usually like lighter and more breathable makeup, especially for everyday. And I find the older kabuki too dense to properly apply blush and bronzer (although some people may prefer a denser brush for their blushers/bronzers). So, my vote will have to go to the newer kabuki. I would use the older one if I needed more coverage, but I already have my favorite Everyday Minerals Flat Top Kabuki for heavy-coverage purposes. I still love the older kabuki, though, and I think it's a great drugstore choice if you don't have a very dense kabuki capable of packing on a lot of coverage!
I hope this comparison helped some. It is now INCREDIBLY late and I must be getting my beauty sleep for my long trip tomorrow! We will be staying somewhere in Nevada or Arizona or thereabouts. Hope you all have wonderful end-of-summers too!
