Monday, May 20, 2013

Spotlight: Kelley Quan Vegan Beauty Brushes


Purchased By Me

Kelley Quan Vegan Beauty Brushes

What if I told you that you could buy makeup brushes that are shaped by hand, never cut, with silky soft bristles that are manufactured right in New York? What if these very same brushes were so luxurious that they featured a unique fibre blend and patented brush design that you won't find anywhere else?  Not only are these brushes available, but they are also completely vegan.  Although I've mentioned Kelley Quan Vegan Beauty Brushes in other posts, I really feel that this brand deserves more attention. It's for this reason, I decided to write this post and share with you a little bit more about one of my favorite brush  brands.

I had the pleasure of communicating directly with the brand's creator, Kelley Quan, who had a lot to say about what inspired her to launch this line. Kelley is a makeup artist. Like most makeup artists I know, she loves brushes!  However, sadly the truth about the animal hair and fur harvesting needed to make most makeup brushes is just heartbreaking. While some try to claim these animals are "humanly" euthanized or the hair is collected in a non-cruel manner, it's simply not the truth. Buying animal hair brushes supports the fur trade. Yet many people who would never think of wearing a fur coat, use animal hair makeup brushes without giving it a second thought. It isn't that most people are cruel. I believe that most people truly don't know what goes into making an animal hair brush.  Knowing the truth about this cruel practice, Kelley decided to take matters into her own hands and design a line of vegan brushes with bristles that actually mimic the texture of real animal hair. 

The main complaint from makeup artists about synthetic brushes that I've heard is that synthetics don't pick up powder products well. The reason for this is the synthetic bristles of yesterday have a smooth cuticle.  If you look at animal hair brushes, they are made of many different types of fur: goat, rabbit, badger, blue squirrel, etc. These different fur types serve different purposes, and can pick up and blend product in a specific way. Understanding this notion, Kelly knew she had to make her brushes different than other synthetics on the market. She set out to create actual faux blends of these specific animal hair types so that her brushes would function in the same manner as their animal hair counterparts. 

Many synthetic brushes are mass produced overseas, which can often lead to a sacrifice in quality craftsmanship. Each Kelley Quan Vegan Beauty Brush is created with a brush head that is hand crafted, shaped, never cut so that the integrity of each and every bristle is maintained. These brushes keep all of the positives about an animal hair brush (pick up and blend product well), while removing all of the negative components (cruelty, allergy, unsanitary) making them a truly superior brush.

These are three of the Kelley Quan eye brushes that I own and love. These PETA certified brushes were purchased by me last year and have been a staple in my kit ever since.

Here is a look at the brushes I own from Kelley Quan New York:

Synthetic Black Mink Oval Flat #11 - This brush can be used for eyeshadow, concealer or lips. I use it as my primary flat shader brush to pack eyeshadow onto the lid. Because of it's flat tapered edge, it can easily work to place eyeshadow on the lower lash line as well.  I find it to be a perfect size for most lids, neither too large nor to small. 





 This brush is about 6.25 inches in length.


Synthetic Black Mink Fluff #9 - This is a really great eyeshadow blending brush. I love this for crease work, and just overall blending out color. This should be a staple in every makeup artist's kit. It's very versatile as it can also be used for applying concealer or setting powder to the under eye area.

 Each smooth black handle is marked with Kelley Quan's signature pink logo and numbered.


 Brush #9 is approximately 6.75 inches in length


Synthetic Red Sable Patented Wave Brush # 17 - This is my favorite of the three brushes, and a favorite among my entire brush collection. This unique brush is my holy grail brow brush. The Wave Brush is designed specifically for the eyebrow area and can be used with waxes, powder, mousses and gels. The special wave design helps mimic brow hairs creating the most natural look possible.


 Brush #17 is approximately 6 inches in length.

Here is a closer look at all three brushes together:

 Each brush you purchase comes housed in Kelley's signature pink and white box. Although I've had my brushes for sometime now, I can't bring myself to throw away the boxes because they are so pretty!
Though I probably don't need any more brushes in my collection, I fully intend to buy more brushes from this brand because of their quality and craftsmanship. If you are a makeup artist, or just a makeup lover who is looking for a luxurious, high performance brush, Kelley Quan New York is a brand that shouldn't be missed. 

These brushes and other vegan beauty brushes are available for purchase at Kelley Quan New York.

I hope you enjoyed this peek at my brushes!  Feel free to drop me a comment below. 
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*The brushes in this post were purchased by me. I do not get paid to write reviews. I do not get any commission if you purchase any of these brushes. I simply write reviews in hopes of helping my readers make informed purchasing decisions. 

4 comments:

  1. Realy so nice post! I gIad to read this post great idea show thought including with pictures. Thank you so much. am ready to drop some cash on high quality vegan brushes to replace all the animal hair ones I am currently using. I’ve had some of my animal hair ones for quite a few years now and I had purchased/was given them before I came to the decision to go cruelty-free with my cosmetic collection.

    vegan makeup brushes

    ReplyDelete
  2. I am ready to drop some cash on high quality vegan brushes to replace all the animal hair ones I am currently using. I’ve had some of my animal hair ones for quite a few years now and I had purchased/was given them before I came to the decision to go cruelty-free with my cosmetic collection.
    vegan makeup brushes

    ReplyDelete
  3. I am ready to drop some cash on high quality vegan brushes to replace all the animal hair ones I am currently using. I’ve had some of my animal hair ones for quite a few years now and I had purchased/was given them before I came to the decision to go cruelty-free with my cosmetic collection.
    vegan makeup brands





    ReplyDelete

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