best bets

Best Bet: EcoTools Brushes

In our rapidly multiplying makeup stash, the most essential products are often the most grossly overlooked: the brushes. EcoTools’s improved line of green-minded brushes lands in stores next week, offering a much-needed update to your beauty arsenal. All the handles are made with sustainable bamboo and recycled aluminum, and the soft taklon bristles are cruelty-free. Three are standouts: the smudge eyeliner brush, which includes a fine tip for achieving smoky eyes on one end and a sharpener for your liner pencil on the other; the silky kabuki brush for blending blush or powder; and the super-handy retractable foundation brush, which is protected from the other grime floating around in your makeup bag. They’re also considerably more affordable than their brand-name counterparts at Sephora — one more reason to replace your worn-out bristles.

$3.99 to $6.99 at Walgreens and Ulta.com.

Best Bet: EcoTools Brushes