They say a bad workman blames his tools, and very often this is true. However, when applying makeup, even the best of products won’t live up to their full potential if the tools you use to apply them aren’t up to the job. thebeautyobsession strongly recommends investing in a good brush set if you haven’t already. Trust us, you’ll be amazed at what a difference it will make. You might even find you start enjoying using products you haven’t touched for ages, because of the different looks you can create with a decent brush.
We are massive fans of Samantha & Nicola Chapman of Pixiwoo fame. (If you haven’t watched their videos yet you really, really must!) So when we were looking to purchase some new brushes, we didn’t hesitate to make a beeline to Real Techniques, the brush line created by Sam Chapman herself.
There were a few reasons for the attraction, firstly the price. Compared to other professional brushes, the Real Techniques brushes come in at around a third of the cost. Secondly, Sam Chapman has done video tutorials on how to use every single one of the brushes, and we found these invaluable. Finally, all the brushes are designed to be easy to use, with aluminium ferrules making them light and easy to control, and the brush names engraved on the handles.
The bristles themselves are made from super soft taklon, and because they’re synthetic they can be used for both liquid and powders which is really useful for those of us who switch between products regularly. They’re also easy to clean, and we’ve not had any shedding from any of them so far, which is quite an achievement.
We purchased the Core Collection and the Eye Starter set, as both contain brushes we’ll use every day and the price is more affordable than buying them separately. We also like that both sets come with handy cases that you can use to protect the brushes if you’re putting them in your bag, or you can fold them down and use as a display case so that they’re always to hand. As there is additional space in each of the cases, we’re able to put our other brushes in alongside them.
The Core Collection is priced at £20.99 and contains the following:
- Contour Brush – We use this for blusher or bronzer/highlighter. It is domed which makes application and blending really easy, you can put a bit on the apples of your cheeks and blend up the cheekbone for a really natural effect.
- Foundation Brush – This is a flat, pointed brush designed for foundation application. We found it a bit small to use on our whole face but we love using it for concealing under our eyes and around the nose as it helps blend foundation and concealer with ease.
- Detailer Brush – This is a very small brush which we use for covering little blemishes. It means you can avoid getting the halo effect that you often get when using bigger brushes, as you can pinpoint the exact area you want to cover.
- Buffing Brush – This is our favourite brush in the set as we use it for a number of things. We love it for applying our liquid foundation as it leaves no tell tale lines, and gives an airbrushed effect. We also use it to buff in our contouring powder/bronzer and highlighter, as it removes any harsh edges for a really natural effect. Finally we use it to apply our mineral setting powder. We really wouldn’t be without this brush!
Helpfully, there is a Real Techniques video with how to get the most out of all the brushes in the core collection, which we would really recommend you watch:
Real Techniques – Core Collection Tutorial
The Eye Starter Set is priced at £20.99 and contains five brushes:
- Base Shadow Brush – This is the first brush we use to apply an all over base colour to the lids. The brush is really soft but holds enough product to cover the whole lid, and it also clings to the product well to avoid unnecessary fall out.
- Crease Brush – We love this brush! We use it to apply a darker shade to the crease of our lids, and because of the size and shape of it, it instantly gives a soft blended effect with no harsh lines.
- Accent Brush: This little brush is for detailing, we particularly like it for applying the “V” shape in the outside corner of the eye or smudging our liner in for a natural or smoky eye.
- Eyeliner Brush – This brush makes it easy to use a shadow as a liner, or we use it with a gel liner for a more dramatic effect.
- Brow Brush – We don’t leave the house without filling in our brows, and the shape of this one makes it really easy to use and it’s hard enough to give smooth lines, without looking harsh.
There’s also a hand video for the Eye Starter Set too. Take a look here:
Real Techniques – Eye Starter Set Tutorial
We can’t recommend Real Techniques enough. The quality is excellent, the tutorials ensure you really get the most out of them and the prices are really affordable. The brushes you get within the core kit are a bit smaller than if you buy the individual ones, but we’ve got a purpose for all of them.
We’re hoping to get our hands on the Expert Face Brush, Blush Brush and Powder Brush singles soon and we’ll be able to tell you whether they’re of the same standard.
You can buy Real Techniques from Boots, Superdrug, Amazon and other stockists and you can watch all of the tutorials here.
Have you tried the different brushes? What did you think? How do they compare to other brushes you use?
tbo
xxx
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