Real Techniques Brushes

I have heard so many great things about the Real Techniques brushes, so i decided to go out and grab as much of the collection as possible (at least what they carry in my store) and do a review of them to see if they were really worth all of the hype. I washed and used each brush multiple times so that I could really get a feel for each one and how they perform. Keep reading if you’d like to find out what I think

The first of the two sets I purchased is the “Starter Set.”

This kit comes with five brushes:

1. Base Shadow Brush
2. Deluxe Crease Brush
3. Accent Brush
4. Pixel-Point Eyeliner Brush
5. Brow Brush

For the most part this collection out of all of the ones I bought probably was my least favorite. The base shadow brush applies eyeshadow and cream shadows smoothly. Its especially good for those times when you are applying all over color onto the moving part of the lid. Also  because of its size  it is also good for just a wash of color all over the eye area from lashes to brow. That being said also because of its size I almost never use it for that purpose. Usually I use it as my under eye concealer brush or general concealing brush. Its the perfect size for the under eye area and great for any blemishes you may have around the face because you can stipple the concealer on the blemish and blend in the color at that same time.

The deluxe crease brush is soft and works well for the purpose its named after but again I rarely use this brush for that purpose.  I like this brush better for applying my cream shadows versus using it to apply and blend color in the crease.

The accent brush is just that- for accents. The bristles are short and a little bit stiffer so its perfect for smudging your pencil liner you’ve just applied or with eyeshadow to apply as a liner. I also really like it for applying a pop of color onto the inner corner of my eye by the tear duct for that wide eyed look.

The pixel-point eyeliner brush is my least favorite. The bristles are very uneven almost to the point of patchy. I pretty much never use this brush. Its too thick for eyeliner in my opinion unless you want very thick liner, I don’t recommend this brush. Plus for its name “pixel-point” I feel like it should be a more precise tool.

The brow brush has thick stiff bristles which are good for defining your brows. I tend to use my MAC 266 for my brows rather than this brush. So while it is a pretty good brow brush because it is thicker I don’t usually reach for it because I like a more defined brow.

Here is the blush brush. This one is definitely not my favorite blush brush. Its just too big and it doesn’t seem to pick up the color very well. I would have to swipe the brush over my cheek color over and over again just so that I would get enough product for one cheek. Instead I use it as a powder brush generally. When I use loose powders I will use this brush because since it doesn’t pick up a lot of product I can lightly apply my powder without worrying about applying too much.

The dual-fiber stippling brush brush, works great for applying foundation and getting that more airbrushed finish to your makeup. My one gripe about this one is that it is very small and while I have used it to apply my foundation on numerous occasions its another one of those brushes that I like for a different purpose. Because of its small size and dual-fiber bristles I find it much better to use for applying my cream blush. I can stipple and/or blend my cream blushes precisely and easily with this brush.

The powder brush evenly applies powders so it is great for its stated purpose. Also because of its large size, most of the time I use it as a finishing brush. After I have applied all of my makeup and powder (possibly using the blush brush) I use this brush to sweep any excess powder/makeup off of my face for a polished look.

The last set I bought set I bought is the “Core Collection” and includes four brushes.

1. Detailer Brush:
2. Pointed Foundation Brush
3. Buffing Brush
4. Contour Brush

Out of the two sets I bought this one is my favorite. The detailer brush is a lot like the accent brush in the previous set and can be used in the same way. However because this brush is thinner and the bristles slightly longer I like to use it for eyeliner instead of the eyeliner brush in the previous set. It also works well as a lip brush.

The pointed foundation brush is just too small. It simply is a large concealer brush. It takes forever using this brush to put foundation all over the face. I mostly use it as a concealer brush or for highlighting the face with powder or cream.

The buffing brush is one of my favorites. I use it for both foundation and powder. It applies smoothly and evenly.

The contour brush is the perfect brush for exactly what its named and is also another one of my favorites. The small domed brush allows you to really get into the hallows and contours of your face. It picks up color and applies it smoothly so you don’t look patchy. I also really love it for blush, especially since the blush brush is so large.

All of the brushes are synthetic as you can see, which I like because it makes them very versatile. They also have what I would consider to be “medium” length aluminum handles, so they aren’t heavy. All in all I really like my brushes. A couple of them are a miss for me so I don’t find myself reaching for them very often but they do in a pinch! I say go pick up a few and make your own decision. I’m definitely glad I’ve added them to my collection and love to take them with me when I am traveling. Especially since they are so reasonably priced, I wont be too heart broken if I loose one.

Have any of you tried the Real Techniques brushes? What do you think? Which are your favs?

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