Real Techniques Starter Set

I really do adore the Real Techniques Core Collection that I bought early last year so when I decided I needed some new eye brushes this purchase was a complete no brainer for me. You get 5 brushes for £21.99 which I personally think is fantastic value (mine were purchased from Boots). They come in a handy travel case which folds to create a stand and has extra space for additional brushes. I’ve travelled with the case that came with my Core Collection several times and it really is brilliant for setting up a little makeup station in hotel rooms.

I love that the handles are purple and they feel very light weight. Ordinarily I might worry that they would be flimsy and that the rubberised ends would peel but I know from experience that it isn’t the case. The core collection brushes I have are lasting brilliantly with no visible damage to the rubber ends despite a year of heavy use. I love that fact that these are synthetic and yet they perform equally as well in powder products as they do with creams. They wash well, retain their shape and I have not experiences any shedding. Oh and they as soft and can be. Love. Are you bored of me saying love yet?

On to the brushes themselves. From left to right you have...

The Brow Brush. An angled brush which at first appears alarmingly large and thick. I honestly thought I wouldn’t be able to use this as I am used to a much smaller brush for my brows. It’s certainly too big to double as an eyeliner brush unless you want a really huge line. I was surprised to discover that actually I bloody love this for my brows. It is firm enough to retain its shape but soft enough that it gives a very soft, natural application of brow powder. And the size means I can do my brows in mere seconds with just a couple of swipes. It is now my go to brow brush!

Again I thought the Liner Brush looked too big. It is a little unwieldy and it I’m doing a winged liner look I tend to use a different brush but I actually really like this to just line close to the upper lashline without winging it out. I’ve also used it to conceal tiny little spots with great success.

The Accent Brush is a teeny tiny wee detailer brush that again has a variety of uses. It’s the perfect size and shape for inner corner highlighting and it’s handy for smudging colour on the top and bottom lashlines. Again it can also double as a pin point concealer brush.

Ironically I don’t really like using the Base Shadow brush for laying down shadow on the lid. It’s a little too fluffy for that for my tastes. However its soft fluffy shape and tapered tip make it just perfect for highlighting the brow bone and blending out the crease.

And finally the brush I was most looking forward to. The Deluxe Crease Brush. It seems like the Pixiwoo girls use this in every video to blend out under eye concealer and this is certainly where this brush performs best. It is incredibly dense, almost like a tiny dense kabuki. I actually find it a little too dense for blending out the crease, it just blends powder shadows away to nothingness in a couple of swipes (though it is handy for stubborn matte shades that just refuse to blend out with weaker brushes). For under eye concealer it is a dream! It is so much softer and gentler on the eye than using a finger and it gives a flawlessly smooth finish.

I’m finding myself lusting after the Blush Brush and the Expert Face Brush next. Any brush recommendations folks?