So at last I've jumped on the Ecotools bandwagon, and I can't believe it took me this long to see what all the hype was about. This line of brushes is, simply put, FAB-U-LOUS! As soon as I got it home and opened the pouch, I felt the brush top – omg – sooo soft, and feels very well made. I've had this brush for about a month now and washed it 3x so far, and there's been no change whatsoever. No shedding, no warping of the brush head. It's sturdy, looks attractive in my brush bag, and (most importantly) applies powder beautifully. Really quite exceptional for under $10. (In fact I paid $8.) Plus, inside the pouch was a $0.50 coupon for any Ecotools product. Bonus :)

UPDATE (2 Mar. 2011): I subtracted from my original '5' rating because after owning this brush for a couple of yrs (and consequently having washed it countless times by now) I find that it does not maintain its original form as well as it used to. Over time, this brush definitely shows 'wear and tear' beyond my higher end brushes (some of which I've owned for more than a decade and still look brand new). The bristles, particularly in the very center region of the brush head, have begun to warp and become unruly. I use brush guards for storing all my brushes, and none of my other ones have done this. As a result, I can no longer really use this (effectively) for applying my setting powder because the powder just collects in the middle and doesn't distribute well on my face at all. So now I use this as a sort of 'finishing' brush and – like for fixing the random accidental blush-happy moment – I'll sweep it all over my cheeks (w/no product on the brush) to 'clean' it up. But even for that, the bristles aren't quite dense enough to do a good job, so I often just use a tissue instead. Also, the wooden handle came detached from the ferrule some months ago, which I subsequently super-glued back together w/out incident.

I bought a full set in a really cute linen wrap at Walgreens. I really couldn't afford to go to Merle Norman or Lancome where I puchased my old brushes again. So I grabbed these not expecting much. I LOVE THEM. They pick up just the right amount of product, blend well, and they are so soft. My old brushes were sable hair so I was very surprised at the softness! Grab these today.

I first discovered ECO TOOLS at Ulta and cannot believe how long it took me to find a good brush. I started out w/ the blush brush and had to go back and pick up a couple of eye shadow brushes. The bristles NEVER fall out and they're super soft no matter how much you use them or how long you've had them. GREAT BUY!

This brush is soooooo soft and fluffy. I could rub it all over my face all day just for the feel of it haha. It is good for loose powders but not so much pressed. I tried to pick up my bronzer with it and it really didn't transfer much at all. Good as just a general, simple powder brush though.
The reason I think some people say it looks flat or oval is because of the packaging it comes in (it kind of squishes/flattens it down). I squeezed the bristles in the opposite direction after I opened it and it's been round and fluffy ever since. Maybe it depends how long it's been sitting around in its packaging?

This brush is extremely soft and I haven't experienced any shedding thus far. I love using it to apply my MAC mineral skinfinish natural for days when i don't want to wear liquid foundation.

I gave this a crap review at first but I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed when it comes to caring for brushes(but MUA definitely helped :)) I found this brush to be too flat for finishing powder when I first bought it but once I washed it it was round and fluffy, it just got flat from being in the packaging for a while. Yeah, felt pretty dumb, but I got over it when I brushed this across my face a couple times and reveled in the softness. It disperses loose powder evenly and does so well with providing even coverage that I use this as for a light dusting of mineral foundation as well. I find its just the right size for setting undereye concealer lightly and in one sweep rather than a couple of flimsy tries with a smaller brush and pack on too much powder in the process. I love how light a layer of powder it can disperse because I feel more control over how much coverage I want. All in all a great powder brush, although the base did come a bit loose when I was being negligent and washed the brush with the bristles up, but I don't blame the brush for that. It was 8.99 at Target and as superb and soft as the rest of the Ecotools line.

I absolutely love the ecotools line. I was blown away by the powder brush's reasonable price, given the quality of the bristles (they're very soft); it's lovely to use. While I agree that its shape is more oval than round, I don't feel that this has affected its performance at all. I was thrilled to find a product like this at Wal-Mart, and was inspired by my satisfaction with the powder brush to buy every brush they stocked in this line. This product is one among few that shows that low price does not necessarily mean low quality.

I've had this for a few years and it just isn't full and fluffy enough. If you were to cut a cross-section of the ferrule, it would be in the shape of an oval, not round, so the brush itself is kind of flat. As large as the handle and as long as the hairs are, I'd expect this to be appropriate for applying powder, but because it isn't very full, it's better suited for applying blush. I've been using this everyday and making it work, but when I have more funds and time to research, I'll be investing in a better brush.

theres something about this brush i really wanted to like. its natural, the brush feels really soft, and its just.. pretty! idk. but the shape is not good. its too flat and flexible. i personally like a rounder brush, like the shape of a kabuki brush. a brush you have more control with. i love the ecotools retractable kabuki brush!! it is awesome and very muli-purpose.. I use it for powder, bronzer, blush everything. ecotools is a good company

I love this brush! It's incredibly soft and available at drugstores. I believe I paid around $10 for this brush.