MATERIALS
Are ABT brushes 100% Vegan?How are synthetic fibres favorable to animal hair?
Are animals whose fur is used for the manufacture of makeup brushes treated cruelly?
Are the brush handles biodegradable?
Are synthetic brushes safer for people with allergies to pet hair?
Are synthetic brushes more hygienic than animal hair brushes?
What type of animal hair is typically used in cosmetic brushes?
MAINTENANCE
With regular usage, how long will these brushes last?Is the metallic finish of the brush handles rust-resistant?
What is the best method to clean brushes?
How often do I need to clean my brushes?
APPLICATION
What's the best way to hold a makeup brush?How are brushes better than sponge-tipped applicators?
What is the difference between wedge sponges vs. brushes for foundation application?
Do I need to use a fresh brush for each eye shadow shade of product I use?
What are the guidelines about using the same brush for creamy formulations and then powders?
How many brushes do most professional Makeup Artists need to have in their kit?
I have acne scars - are there any tricks to applying foundation evenly using a brush?
How does brush shape affect the amount of product that is deposited on the skin?
What benefit do lip brushes provide in applying lipstick?
What is "blending"?
OTHER
Where can I buy ABT products?Do you make travel-sized brush kits?
Do your brushes come in any other styles?
Are these brushes sold individually as well as in gift sets?
Are ABT brushes 100% Vegan?
Yes, our brushes are 100% animal-free.
How are synthetic fibres favorable to animal hair?
Synthetic or man-made fibres are manufactured and therefore can be more controlled in terms of shape, finish, diameter, length and tensile strength than an animal hair. Each animal produces a different hair depending on its diet, environment and weather. This means there is no consistency from one animal to another, and from one season to another. This is why fur farmers sometimes mix the hair types all together to get a general level of quality for that hair bundle. Man-made fibres are consistent, so each brush manufactured is made to the very same standards as every other brush of that kind. ABT brushes uses a type of fibre that is a man-made monofilament. This is the premium fibre for making cosmetic brushes. ABT NuFibre™ resists moisture more, keeps it shape longer and resists microbes better than other fibres. It also out-performs animal fibres in testing.
Are animals whose fur is used for the manufacture of makeup brushes treated cruelly?
Unfortunately, there is no uniform standard of ethical treatment for the animals used in the fur industry and cosmetic brush industry. The worldwide demand for cosmetic brushes has been dramatically increasing, and most of the supply comes from Asia and Asia Pacific countries. The farmers who raise and harvest the animals used for cosmetic brushes don't often care much about the conditions they keep for the animals. So, there are some cases of poor treatment of animals used for fur and cosmetic brush hair. Organizations like PETA have worked for years to try and bring awareness to consumers of where there animal-derived products come from, and how the animals are treated during the process. At ABT, we take animals out of the equation all together. Now there is no need for an animal to suffer to make a superior quality cosmetic brush.
Are the brush handles biodegradable?
We used untraditional materials with our Chrome Collection brushes. We chose a thermoformed plastic resin [used in making reflective automobile components] for the handles. The filaments are made of NuFibre™. This means the handles are recyclable, but would not readily biodegrade just left on their own. Each of our brush collections incorporates materials that are recyclable.
Are synthetic brushes safer for people with allergies to pet hair?
Yes. People with allergies to animals can often find using traditional cosmetic brushes irritating. Using man-made fibres is a wonderful alternative. The American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology estimates that 10% of the general population is allergic to animal hair. That's over 30,000,000 Americans.
Are synthetic brushes more hygienic than animal hair brushes?
Yes. In general, microbes prefer organic materials on which to multiply and grow. The microbes also prefer moisture and warmth. NuFibre™ inhibits water from entering the fibre, and the surface of the fibre is less hospitable to microbes than an animal hair. You still must regularly clean and sanitize all your makeup tools including your brushes. This will help maintain a hygienic application of makeup.
What type of animal hair is typically used in cosmetic brushes?
The majority of traditional cosmetic brushes use animal hairs such as pony, goat, ox, badger, and weasel. But some companies use other animal hairs such as mink, squirrel, ferret and “sable”. A true sable is a small carnivorous animal mostly farmed in Russia. It was used traditionally in the past because of its longer hair and the fact that the hair shaft has a hollow space inside and the hair comes to a point. They are rare and only thrive in certain geographic areas and climates. Because of its great expense, sable fur is typically integrated into luxury fashion. The Kolinsky sable-hair brushes used for cosmetic brushes, watercolor and oil painting are not actually manufactured from sable hair, but from that of the Siberian weasel.
With regular usage, how long will these brushes last?
It is impossible to predict exactly how long a brush will last since there are so many variables that impact the life span of a brush. But, ABT brushes are designed to last for many years with proper care. This is one of the reasons we chose materials that are more lasting and durable than animal hairs or wood.
Is the metallic finish of the brush handles rust-resistant?
Our Liquid Chrome look brushes have a finish built into a layer of the handle, so under normal conditions it should not be affected by fingerprints, cleaning or pigments. To keep our brush handles clean and sanitized, simply use a small amount of our Foaming Brush Cleanser and the supplied microfibre cloth to wipe all surfaces of the handle.
What is the best method to clean brushes?
We recommend using our Foaming Brush Cleanser, which is alcohol-free and sanitizes the fibres. It also is formulated so that dry time is only a few minutes, unlike other brands of cleansers. Use the Foaming Brush Cleanser with the accompanying microfibre brush, and your brushes will be clean, fresh-smelling and sanitized in just minutes. For removal of really stubborn pigments or formulas, try a mild shampoo and rinse thoroughly.
How often do I need to clean my brushes?
Professional makeup artists clean their brushes after every use. If you are the only user of your brushes, you may get away with cleaning them every few days or when it is necessary to switch from one colour to another or one product formula to another. You should at least cleanse and sanitize your cosmetic brushes once a week. How often do you cleanse your own hair?
What's the best way to hold a makeup brush?
This is a good question, since most people don't even think about the angle of the brush as they use it. The angle makes a great deal of difference in the application effect. A lip brush held at a 180 degree angle to the lip can help the artist place a dot of colour or highlight. And, the same brush held at a 45 degree angle will help lipstick products lay down in a uniform layer on the lip as it is swept across the skin. So, the same brush can achieve a very different payoff depending on the angle of incidence the artist uses. For more on this subject, watch our videos on makeup application and brush techniques.
How are brushes better than sponge-tipped applicators?
Most people have been exposed to sponge or foam-tipped applicators when they buy eye shadow palettes which contain several pans of eye shadow. Foam tipped applicators can be useful for a precise deposit of colour in one location on the skin, but they are not very good at blending or depositing colour on a larger area of skin. They are mainly offered to consumers in kits because they are inexpensive to produce and fit nicely inside the compact. But they can't really compete with a great makeup brush in terms of application quality.
What is the difference between wedge sponges vs. brushes for foundation application?
Wedge sponges were the main option for makeup artist and consumers up until the past few years. It took modern thinking for companies to create a brush that performs foundation application better than a sponge. There are many different types of sponges not only in the shapes but in the material used to produce the sponges. Latex used to be the primary material used, but it has a tendency to yellow over time and some people are sensitive to latex products. So, synthetic foams were employed to take the place of the older sponges. Some synthetic foams are very soft and have a very small cell structure on the surface. Yet others are more rigid and the cell structure is larger. And some, used for special effects makeup, are patterned on the cell surface to help give texture to the application. Certain types of sponges are made with foam that is stable with formulas containing oil derivatives, and others are not. Sponges work fine for application of some formulas and are very useful when doing large areas of the body, but the most detailed textural results will likely be achieved with brushes.
Do I need to use a fresh brush for each eye shadow shade of product I use?
You can use the same brush to apply different colours of the same type of formula. For example, if you are applying 3 powder eye shadow colours to the eye, you can use the same brush for dipping into and applying the 3 powder eye shadow. Just be aware of the amount of product that remains on the brush when you decide to switch colours as this may contaminate the next colour you use. The main caution would be to avoid using the brush on one type of formula [e.g. powder eye shadow] and they using the same brush immediately in another formula type [cream eye liner]. The different formulas may conflict and gum up the brush making it less effective.
What are the guidelines about using the same brush for creamy formulations and then powders?
Creamy or emollient products have a tendency to coat the hairs or fibres of makeup brushes. If you are using a makeup brush first for an emollient formula application and then intend to use the same brush for a powder product application, you may lose the effectiveness of the fibres or hairs while they are still coated with the emollient residue. It is usually best to use different brushes for different formula applications, rather than expecting a brush to perform well with two different product formula types. ABT brushes clean easily with our Foaming Brush Cleanser, and dry more quickly than other brush cleansers. So, you may want to consider doing a quick clean between different product applications.
How many brushes do most professional Makeup Artists need to have in their kit?
As many as they like. A painter might have 30 brushes to achieve different effects on the canvas. A makeup artist has no limit as to how many brushes they wish to use. For most people who do their own makeup, a good collection of brushes might be 9-12 brushes.
I have acne scars - are there any tricks to applying foundation evenly using a brush?
Most acne scars are inverted into the skin causing a dimpled effect. To help minimize this texture you can consider using a makeup product that is less reflective than most, and use a full fibre bundle brush to create a microscopic pattern of product on the skin. A good brush can create a crosshatching texture of product which can even out the texture of the skin.
How does brush shape affect the amount of product that is deposited on the skin?
Generally, the larger the brush profile, the more product can be picked up and deposited during application. But, the softness of the fibres and the amount of fibres in the fibre bundle, and amount of pressure used when picking up product can also have an effect.
What benefit do lip brushes provide in applying lipstick?
Some people are very good at applying lipstick using a standard lipstick tube. But most people benefit from using a tool designed to help specifically with this application. A great lip brush can make professional quality lip colour application possible for most people. It helps give them more control over the product.
What is "blending"?
Blending generally means the moving around of pigment particles across and area of the skin so that the pigments blend together with other pigments, or so that the pigment application gets so thin that it becomes translucent and the skin shows clearly through the pigment layer. Blending is done by makeup artists when they want to change the dispersion pattern of the pigment to help suggest a three dimensional shape or soft edge to a pigment application.
Where can I buy ABT products?
Selling directly to you via this website helps us keep the prices lower on our brushes. Because we design and manufacture our brushes using state of the art technology, the cost might have to be higher if we didn't sell directly. But, we are also considering making some of our future brush collections available to select retail outlets.
Do you make travel-sized brush kits?
Yes, we will have a new very modern design of a short handle travel set available in a few months.
Do your brushes come in any other styles?
Each brush collection we create has a distinctive look. This special edition collection was designed to simulate a liquid chrome look exclusively. Look for other designs and collections in the upcoming months. And, each collection offers brushes that are animal-free, beautifully designed, and offer superior professional performance made possible by the use of technologically advanced materials.
Are these brushes sold individually as well as in gift sets?
At this time, our brushes are primarily sold as sets. Check our shopping pages for more details. Our sets represent the best pricing and value for our many of our customers, and we plan to offer individual brushes and extended collection options for the brush connoisseurs and collectors in the future.
- Standard Brushes set
- Face Brushes Set
- Eye and Lip Brushes Set
- Precision Brushes Set
- Foaming Brush Cleanser
