REAL TECHNIQUES BRUSHES REVIEW

T to B: Expert face brush, powder brush, stippling brush

I can only imagine how unpopular and unusual my opinions will be throughout this blogpost, because I must say I do not like these brushes. I know, I know, I'm crazy. I only ask that you don't storm my house with torches and pitchforks or cart me off to an asylum. If you must try the latter, at least make it a nice one. If you must try the former, please don't burn my books. Now we've got that out of the way, let's get onto the review.

Note: I've had these brushes for about two years. 

The Expert Face brush retails for $22.99AUD, the powder brush for $27.99, and the stippling brush for $24.99. The two formers are from the 'Your Base Flawless' range, and the latter is from the 'Your Finish Perfected' range. I'm sure, if you don't own these brushes, your initial reaction would be something along the lines of, "hot damn, they are overpriced!". They are indeed. For what they are, they're incredibly overpriced. I suppose we have to attribute that to the ridiculous costs of anything imported in Australia, but still.

I'll begin with the Expert Face brush, a brush beloved by many for the beautiful, natural finish it helps to create with foundation. Unfortunately, for me, there was no beautiful, natural finish. On application, it itched my face like no other brush I've tried (not that I've tried many). It smooshed foundation around my face, itching and scratching as I tried to make myself look presentable. As a result, I got a noticeably cake-y look that I could have avoided if I'd simply used my fingers with my foundation. Not impressed! This brush is also ridiculously dense, so whenever I wash it (I've stopped using it, but I still wash it to keep it clean) I spend ages by my bowl of water trying in vain to remove the product from the bristles. All in all, I genuinely don't understand what people see in this brush. 

Next, we have the powder brush, which is slightly better than the Expert Face brush. The head is a little bit smaller than my average sized palms, which makes for a very quick application. Great if you're in a hurry! Unfortunately, the bristles are still quite harsh on my skin. The word 'pokey' comes to mind as I'm prone to wincing when I use it. (If you, like me, have skin sensitive to brushes, avoid the eye area!) It also tends to pick up a lot of the base makeup I already have on my face, which probably wouldn't happen if the bristles were softer and more 'feather-like'. I do use it, though, whenever I put on makeup because it's the only powder brush I have big enough to make application quick and easy (the other being a small one from essence, which is fab for under my eyes and around my nose). 

Lastly, we have the stippling brush. I'm not sure what to say about this one because I don't necessarily hate it, it just simply rests in my brush pot, neglected. I've tried it with foundation, and it did no remarkable job. The final look seems to be slightly better than what I'd achieve with the Expert Face brush, though. I've tried it with cream blush, and I do like the result I get. However, this brush seems to absorb a lot of product, which is hella annoying. Ultimately, I guess you'd say I'm indifferent to it. I do use it, though, which is the main point. It just isn't great. 

Now, onto the packaging and design of these brushes. They come in a weird pouch thing that can be stood up if you want to display your brushes or travel with them. I find that pointless (I've already lost it, so I can't show you), but I know some people will appreciate it. The handles are a nice length, proportionate to their widths and head sizes (dirty...hehe), but I often find myself thinking that they're a little bulky–especially when I'm in a rush. Slimmer handles tend to be better for me, but that's a personal preference. I also don't like the flat bases they have. I know they were designed with travel and convenience on the go in mind, but they're very impractical for storing amongst other brushes. They simply take up too much room. 

I know people adore these brushes and their creators, but I simply can't get on the Real Techniques bandwagon. I am curious to try their eye brushes, though. Let me know down in the comments what your opinions are of the RT brushes. Do you think they're worth the hype?

Happy Blogmas, everyone!