A love of makeup generally comes hand in hand with a love of makeup brushes. A good brush can make a bargain bin powder go on more smoothly and look more polished, and a bad brush can suck the joy out of the most finely-milled, high-end shadows. But price is no indicator of quality, and some of the best brushes I’ve owned have been the kind that are part of limited-edition sets, were picked up on a whim at an arts and crafts store, or even found their way into my makeup bag through a random drugstore encounter only to be dusted on my eyelids until their poor little bristles fell out.

One brush missing from my arsenal for years was a good, multi-purpose Kabuki brush. I knew the Kabuki brush was an indispensable tool with many applications (finishing powder! mineral base! blush!), but it seemed that most were far out of my price range. (This did not stop me from wistfully stroking their exotic bristles every time I came upon one.) It was with much trepidation and excitement that I anticipated receiving the Ecotools Recycled Retractable Kabuki Brush from Amazon after finding it at the irresistible price of $7.19. Pictures suggested a full-bristled, soft and sturdy tool, but experience suggested similarly priced Kabukis often fell short.

I’ve had a chance to use the Ecotools Recycled Retractable Kabuki for about two straight months now, and it seriously outperformed even my stringent needs for a heavy-use Kabuki. Bristles are soft, but the brush is full enough that they provide a sturdy base for application- holding up to heavier-coverage uses, like full-face mineral powder foundation.

While “retractable” wasn’t even on my original Kabuki checklist, the sleek metal tube into which this puffy brush disappears means it comes with me everywhere for touchups. And when it’s un-retracted, it poofs back up to its full-size, unaffected by travel time. The Ecotools Recycled Retractable Kabuki also has the soft feel of far, far spendier brushes, and there has been no measurable shedding despite my near constant use of it.

Overall, the Ecotools Recycled Retractable Kabuki is a fantastic tool. At this price? Totally worth stocking up.