New year, new make-up

I don't know if I have ever told you this, but I'm an idiot. When an idiot gets drunk, terrible things happen, and in the the past this has led to public face-plants, countless lost and damaged phones and, recently, my thinking I'd lost my make-up bag.
I do believe I jinxed myself, having mere days before totted up the worth of said sack and realised with horror that I should probably name it on my contents insurance. Nevertheless, I apparently took little care of it at the work Christmas party and awoke the next morning (Christmas eve, I hasten to add) and couldn't find it in any of the bags I'd been drunkedly toting on the long journey home from Mayfair to Stoke Newington. In a mad dash to catch a train up north, I had to leave without all my essential beauty items, and rely, for the next few days, on the thankfully overstuffed  stash of my glamorous mother.
Now, ever the optimist, I saw this as an opportunity to try a few more 'drugstore' products and I have been terribly impressed.

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I was most upset about the loss of my make-up brushes - I don't own a whole lot but those I did lose -- foundation, slanted blusher and eye shadow blender, were from Benefit. Goodbye £60. So I spent some time perusing what Boots had on offer and made the ethical choice (for once) of Ecotools.
The beauty tools are made with synthetic 'cruelty-free' bristles, sustainable bamboo handles and recycled aluminium.
I plumped for the eye shader, powder and foundation brushes, and they are all fabulously easy to use. The powder brush is especially great for bronzer. The finish is exceptionally blended in seconds and it applies in subtle thin layers -- almost foolproof for building colour gradually. I picked mine up for £9.
The foundation brush is also great for building coverage. It's more absorbent than Benefit's synthetic bristles, which means the finish is much more seamless, and half the price at around £7.
The brushes also wash fantastically, with absolutely no bristle loss.
These are the best mid-price brushes I've ever used.

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The twist to this tale is upon returning to London, sober and not hungover, I found my make-up bag in the flat. Oh well, I now have a glut of new products to tell you about!