Beauty Product Reviews
Great stiff domed brush!
This works great for its original purpose of blending Urban Decay’s 24/7 Shadow Pencils, but I also find this stiff domed brush perfect for precisely placing color in my crease or smudging liner/shadow along the lash lines. Even though its stiff, the bristles are still very soft. The size and shape are perfect for all these tasks. It cleans up nicely and dries quickly. It hasn't been stained by continued use of colored products. It has never shed on me.
I would recommend this brush to anyone!
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Brilliantly designed stippling brush
The design of this brush is great- so many duo-fiber brushes have extra-long white fibers that will bend or fold over as you do the stippling motion into your pan of product or all over the face. This means you get more surface area coated with product, which means you get a more dense application of product, thus defeating the purpose of using the stippling brush in the first place! RT's Stippling Brush's white fibers are just a little longer than the black ones, meaning they have more support and don't fold or bend over while stippling. The size of this brush is great, too- small enough to get around the eyes and nose, but big enough so its not a tedious task to stipple the whole face.
I spray this brush with MAC Fix+ or ELF Makeup Mist & Set then stipple it over my entire face. This process accomplishes several things: it evenly applies the setting spray over the face, it does a final blend over the face so there are no harsh lines of demarcation, and it picks up any excess makeup that doesn't need to be there.
All Real Techniques brushes are very easy to clean and dry quickly. None of the Real Techniques brushes I have have ever shed on me, nor are any of them stained from continued use of colored products.
I have 2 downsides to Real Techniques brushes:
1) If you use alcohol or an alcohol-based cleaner to spot-clean clean your synthetic brushes, be sure to keep it away from the rubbery/soft coating on the black handle- it will melt the coating off. It doesn't ruin the brush, but you will be left with a black, shiny plastic handle with sharpish edges (this happened to my Expert Face Brush).
2) The aluminum ferrule will dent relatively easily compared to steel ferrules of other brushes. Do NOT knock the brush on the side of your sink to shake the excess water out after you've washed any of your Real Techniques brushes- it will dent the crap out of it. Don't ask me how I know. ~sigh~
Overall Real Techniques brushes are high quality, ultra-soft brushes at a great price point. I would recommend them to anyone.
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Great basic shadow brush and/or blending brush!
This is perfect for basic shadow application. The size is great for getting product just on the lid or just in the crease or just wherever you want it. Its dense enough to pack on the color, but is fluffier than a lot of basic shadow brushes so it can also blend the shadow you put down without having to grab a separate blending brush- just wipe it off on a tissue or towel and blend away!
All Real Techniques brushes are very easy to clean and dry quickly. None of the Real Techniques brushes I have have ever shed on me, nor are any of them stained from continued use of colored products.
I have 2 downsides to Real Techniques brushes:
1) If you use alcohol or an alcohol-based cleaner to spot-clean clean your synthetic brushes, be sure to keep it away from the rubbery/soft coating on the black handle- it will melt the coating off. It doesn't ruin the brush, but you will be left with a black, shiny plastic handle with sharpish edges (this happened to my Expert Face Brush).
2) The aluminum ferrule will dent relatively easily compared to steel ferrules of other brushes. Do NOT knock the brush on the side of your sink to shake the excess water out after you've washed any of your Real Techniques brushes- it will dent the crap out of it. Don't ask me how I know. ~sigh~
Overall Real Techniques brushes are high quality, ultra-soft brushes at a great price point. I would recommend them to anyone.
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Luxurious-feeling fluffy powder brush
The Powder Brush is HUGE and extra fluffy. It works great to dust a light amount of finishing or setting powder all over the face. Its so big though, that I can't use it to dust away any fall-out that may have occurred while doing my eye makeup. It just won't fit under there!
All Real Techniques brushes are very easy to clean and dry quickly. None of the Real Techniques brushes I have have ever shed on me, nor are any of them stained from continued use of colored products.
I have 2 downsides to Real Techniques brushes:
1) If you use alcohol or an alcohol-based cleaner to spot-clean clean your synthetic brushes, be sure to keep it away from the rubbery/soft coating on the black handle- it will melt the coating off. It doesn't ruin the brush, but you will be left with a black, shiny plastic handle with sharpish edges (this happened to my Expert Face Brush).
2) The aluminum ferrule will dent relatively easily compared to steel ferrules of other brushes. Do NOT knock the brush on the side of your sink to shake the excess water out after you've washed any of your Real Techniques brushes- it will dent the crap out of it. Don't ask me how I know. ~sigh~
Overall Real Techniques brushes are high quality, ultra-soft brushes at a great price point. I would recommend them to anyone.
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Great quality at a great price! SOOOO soft!
The Panoramic case makes it easy to store all my face brushes and it is excellent for hanging my brushes upside down to dry after I've deep-cleaned them.
I use eye shadows as contour colors so the size of the Contour Brush is perfect to dip into the small pans. The shape is designed well too- get the product on the tip of the brush then start blending it on the face. The longer bristles will place the color, the shorter bristles blend it out. Contouring is now effortless.
The Detailer Brush is heavily pinched at the ferrule so it is very flat. The bristles are cut to a filbert shape. The size and shape are conducive to blending eye liner along the lash line. You could also use it as a lip brush, but the long handle and lack of a cap make it less than purse-friendly. I use the Detailer Brush as an eye brush when I do glittery looks. I prefer to have the glitter on just the mobile lid and this brush works great to precisely apply a glitter base and then pack on glitter and/or loose pigments.
The buffing brush is round, flat-topped with a very slightly taper at the edges. When used with a powder foundation, it gives more coverage than the large, loose Powder Brush does, but less coverage than the smaller, more dense Expert Face Brush. I have also used this with less pigmented blushes and it does alright, but I would not recommend using it with ultra-pigmented ones like Nars Orgasm, unless you like the clown look.
I do not use flat foundation brushes so I gave the Pointed Foundation Brush to my friend.
All Real Techniques brushes are very easy to clean and dry quickly. None of the Real Techniques brushes I have have ever shed on me, nor are any of them stained from continued use of colored products.
I have 3 downsides to Real Techniques brushes:
1) If you use alcohol or an alcohol-based cleaner to spot-clean clean your synthetic brushes, be sure to keep it away from the rubbery/soft coating on the black handle- it will melt the coating off. It doesn't ruin the brush, but you will be left with a black, shiny plastic handle with sharpish edges (this happened to my Expert Face Brush).
2) The aluminum ferrule will dent relatively easily compared to steel ferrules of other brushes. Do NOT knock the brush on the side of your sink to shake the excess water out after you've washed any of your Real Techniques brushes- it will dent the crap out of it. Don't ask me how I know. ~sigh~
3). The brushes that come in sets are NOT also sold separately. So for example if you want the Contour Brush, you have to buy the Core Collection to get it. This is the only reason the set gets 4 stars instead of 5.
Overall Real Techniques brushes are high quality, ultra-soft brushes at a great price point. I would recommend them to anyone.
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Great multi-tasking brushes in this set!
The Panoramic case makes it easy to store all my eye brushes and it is excellent for hanging my brushes upside down to dry after I've deep-cleaned them.
As the name implies, the Multi Task Brush will work for a variety of jobs- dusting finishing or setting powder all over, bronzing the perimeter of the face- but I use this for applying and blending blush. It is slightly pinched at the ferrule making it more of an oval shape instead of completely round, which helps it to fit the contours of your face better. The bristles are also slightly cut at a taper so you can put product on the very end of the brush and the shorter bristles will blend it for you.
Leesha (AKA xSparkage) calls the MAC 227 brush the 'Magic Brush' because when you use it to put a highlight color on your brow bone, it will simultaneously blend down any crease color that may have gotten too high for your liking. It just easily and quickly fixes any problems you had with your makeup application. The Real Techniques Domed Shadow Brush is very close in size and shape to the 227, does the same magical things as the 227 (maybe does them a bit better), but is infinitely softer, easier to clean, and is less expensive. Now THAT's magical!
I do not use flat foundation brushes so I gave the Essential Foundation Brush to my friend.
All Real Techniques brushes are very easy to clean and dry quickly. None of the Real Techniques brushes I have have ever shed on me, nor are any of them stained from continued use of colored products.
I have 3 downsides to Real Techniques brushes:
1) If you use alcohol or an alcohol-based cleaner to spot-clean clean your synthetic brushes, be sure to keep it away from the rubbery/soft coating on the black handle- it will melt the coating off. It doesn't ruin the brush, but you will be left with a black, shiny plastic handle with sharpish edges (this happened to my Expert Face Brush).
2) The aluminum ferrule will dent relatively easily compared to steel ferrules of other brushes. Do NOT knock the brush on the side of your sink to shake the excess water out after you've washed any of your Real Techniques brushes- it will dent the crap out of it. Don't ask me how I know. ~sigh~
3). The brushes that come in sets are NOT also sold separately. So for example if you want the Domed Shadow Brush, you have to buy the Travel Essentials Set to get it. This is the only reason the set gets 4 stars instead of 5.
Overall Real Techniques brushes are high quality, ultra-soft brushes at a great price point. I would recommend them to anyone.
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Great set, great value!
The stars of this set are the Panoramic Brush Case, the Deluxe Crease Brush, and the Base Shadow Brush.
The Panoramic case makes it easy to store all my eye brushes and it is excellent for hanging my brushes upside down to dry after I've deep-cleaned them.
Though the Deluxe Crease Brush is sold in this eye kit, Sam (the woman behind Real Techniques) often uses this to blend concealer under her eyes and around her nose in her videos. I completely understand why- the size is perfect for those tight contours on the face, and the shape of the brush perfectly blends the product into the skin, whether you're using your foundation (liquid or powder) as concealer or an actual concealer. Again, its super soft so it won't irritate sensitive skin like Rosacea or acne/blemishes.
The Base Shadow Brush is the best crease brush I've ever used! Its somewhat pinched at the ferrule making it flatter instead of round, and the bristles are cut to a pointed at the end. With this design you can pick up product with just the tip of the brush and place it in the socket/crease of your eye. As you rock the brush back and forth, the longer bristles place the color as the shorter bristles blend the color out. Because the brush is pretty fluffly, you can also use it to put a light wash of color all over the lid. As with all the Real Techniques brushes, the synthetic bristles are unbelievably soft on that delicate eye skin.
The detailer brush is the perfect size to highlight the tear duct or blend out eye liner. The angled brush is good for placing powder in the eye brows or for lining with gels/creams and eye shadows. I would have kept the detailer and angle brush if I didn't already have the Revlon Double-Ended Smokey Eye Brush, which is basically those two Real Techniques brushes stuck together, so I gave those to my friend.
I prefer smaller, bent eye liner brushes so I gave the eye liner brush in this kit to my friend as well.
All Real Techniques brushes are very easy to clean and dry quickly. None of the Real Techniques brushes I have have ever shed on me, nor are any of them stained from continued use of colored products.
I have 3 downsides to Real Techniques brushes:
1) If you use alcohol or an alcohol-based cleaner to spot-clean clean your synthetic brushes, be sure to keep it away from the rubbery/soft coating on the black handle- it will melt the coating off. It doesn't ruin the brush, but you will be left with a black, shiny plastic handle with harsh edges (this happened to my Expert Face Brush).
2) The aluminum ferrule will dent relatively easily compared to steel ferrules of other brushes. Do NOT knock the brush on the side of your sink to shake the excess water out after you've washed any of your Real Techniques brushes- it will dent the crap out of it. Don't ask me how I know. ~sigh~
3). The brushes that come in sets are NOT also sold separately. So for example if you want the Deluxe Crease Brush, you have to buy the Starter Set to get it. This is the only reason the set gets 4 stars instead of 5.
Overall Real Techniques brushes are high quality, ultra-soft brushes at a great price point. They make up the majority of my makeup brush collection and I would recommend them to anyone.
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Best foundation brush evar!
This is the best foundation brush I have ever used. It gives a beautiful finish to liquid foundations like Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Full Coverage Foundation as well as mineral foundations like Everyday Minerals Semi-Matte Base. Its super-dense so it picks up a ton of product, but the product doesn't get trapped within the bristles. You can get more coverage (regardless of the product you use) by using a stippling motion to place the product and then blending it all out with circular motions, or you can get a lighter coverage by skipping the stippling.
Like all of the Real Techniques brushes, this is incredibly soft so it does not irritate the Rosacea on my cheeks as I blend foundation into/over it.
It is very easy to clean and dries quickly. None of the Real Techniques brushes I have have ever shed on me, nor are any of them stained from continued use of colored products.
The only 2 downsides I have to this are if you use alcohol to spot-clean clean your synthetic brushes, be sure to keep it away from the rubbery/soft coating on the black handle- it will melt the coating off and leave you with a shiny handle.
Also, do NOT knock the brush on the side of your sink to shake the excess water out after you've washed any of your Real Techniques brushes- it will dent the crap out of the aluminum ferrule. Don't ask me how I know. ~sigh~
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The best part of the Urban Decay Naked 1 Palette!
This came with the Naked 1 Palette and while I absolutely love the palette, I’d have to say I love the brush even more! The quality of this brush astonished me when I first used it and continues to impress me after a few years of use. The only sign of wear is that the writing on the handle has completely rubbed off, otherwise it looks exactly the same as the day I got it.
This brush wide and flat, very stiff, but also soft so it picks up and packs on color or glitter extremely well. If I’m in a pinch for time, I’ll often use just this one brush for my whole eye look because it can pack, it can blend, and it can even line (smudgily, but still flattering).
My Makeup brushes: <a href='http://thedragonsvanity.blogspot.com/2013/07/my-makeup-brush-collection.html' rel='nofollow' target='_blank'>http://thedragonsvanity.blogspot.co...</a>
Ultra creamy & pigmented shadows
I only have 2 of these shadows so my knowledge base is somewhat limited. These 2 colors are both exceptionally smooth and creamy while being very pigmented. I always use an eyeshadow primer so I don't notice these fading or creasing at all.
While the packging is a moot point for me because I depot my shadows and stick them in my ZPalette, Origins went in an odd direction with these. Instead of a clear window so you can see the color through the lid, they did a solid lid with a mirror inside. I don't know anyone who would use such a tiny mirror to apply their eye makeup. They include a sponge-tip applicator that, while great at getting a solid, dense application of color, isn't much good at anything else. The pan is the same size as a standard MAC eyeshadow.
I have attached a photo of my ZPalette- Glistening Granite is #18, Blue Moon is #25.
Glistening Granite is a deep shimmery gray color, great for helping to blend out smokey eyes or giving a little depth to more natural looks.
Blue Moon reminds me very much of a baby blue version of MAC - Trax (#23 in my ZPalette photo) in that it has that same kind of gold shimmer shot through it. Its a very unique color and I have found nothing like it.
The price point is comparable to MAC, and I sometimes see these at my local Cosmetics Company Outlet. If these 2 shadows are a good representation of the rest of the line then I would certainly recommend them to anyone!
What's in my ZPalette? <a href='http://thedragonsvanity.blogspot.com/2013/07/whats-in-my-zpalette.html' rel='nofollow' target='_blank'>http://thedragonsvanity.blogspot.co...</a>