What up homie? How goes it?.. Hows goes with me? Well, I’m glad you asked! Let me tell you that shiz, I recently bought three of the Real Techniques’ new line of makeup brushes, The bold Metals Collection. And, i basically thought i was buying Jesus Christ because there was so much hype about these brushes. “But ARE these brushes the equivalent of the second coming of Christ?” I hear you ask. Well, you’re just gona have to keep reading to find out!
OK, lets be real, I LOVED these brushes when I first got them.. (and then i started using them). I mean, who wouldn’t be initially enamoured? They look like the Beyoncè of the makeup brush world. I mean they look just perfect. Yes, when I pick’em up they are weighted to feel like there’s a tiny company of ballet dancers pirouetting on the ferrule. And YES, they are shinny and sparkly and incredibly distracting, in a ‘THIS IS WHAT A REAL LIVE FRICKIN’ UNICORN HORN LOOKS LIKE!’- kinda way. “Then whats the problem?!!” I hear you cry! Girl, come closer, snuggle down and let me tell you what that problem is.
It’s just that they are not everything they are hyped up to be.. The handles are plastic (or something thats equally cheap) and considering the name, I thought they would be metal.. or even just feel more expensive. Now, the ferrule and bristles do feel expensive and look it too. So I may be being super superficial and picky but it simply, is just not what I was expecting, yo!
So let’s get into the nitty gritty. I’m going to start with my least favourite and work up to my most favourite so we can end the blog feeling warm, fuzzy and safe.
OK, first up is ‘The Pointed Crease Brush’ AKA The ‘201’
What Real Techniques claims about this brush.- “Densely packed, tapered bristles apply eyeshadow for smokey effect.”
What I claim about this brush.- “Why? Just why, Real Techniques?”
It is £15 and available in Boots.
Where do I even start with this henchman of satan! I mean this brush actually offends me. Ugh, I just don’t understand! The bristles are so densely packed that it looses its softness (i mean, I’m pretty sure i could play darts with this baby!) and blend-abilty, which defeats its purpose!
So I watched the tutorial for it to try and help me use it and in it Nic (one half of pixiwoo and one of the creators of the brush line) says, “just put the eyeshadow on the tip of brush and blend in the crease and let it do all the work for you.” So I was like, “OK Nic, you angel. I will do that!” so I did. And did I get a perfect blown out smokey eye? No, no I didn’t. What I was left with was a blotchy, red in places, sore eye from all the friction. I mean, I’m pretty sure i have skin tags! If you don’t know what skin tags are, go home… or google that shiz. So this brush is, no. Just no.
(If anyone has this brush and know a better way to use it, please impart your wisdom in the comments below. Cheers!)
Next is ‘The Arched Powder’ brush AKA The ‘100’
What RT claims about this brush.- “The domed cut sweeps perfectly across the face for flawless application of pressed or loose powders.”
What I claim about this brush.- “Its ok, I guess.”
It is £25 and available from Boots.
This brush, for me is too floppy or not packed with enough bristles. A brush that is bristley-challenged, so to speak. This means it is difficult to blend your bronzer with, so you’re going to have to have another brush for that purpose, but it’s great if you’re going for a dewy skin look because it only lets you pick up a little bit of product. I also find that it is best used tapped onto the skin on the flat sides to set your foundation, or it moves it around your face a lot more than other brushes do.
Now for the price, I would have liked this brush to be a bit more versatile and for that reason, i just wasn’t overly fussed, although it does not completely offend me like the 201 does.
Next is The ‘Angled Liner’ AKA the ‘202’
What RT claims about this brush.- “The firm slanted head fits close to the lash line for smooth, even application of eyeliner.”
I’m not doing a “what i claim” because i like to keep you on you toes and stuff.
It is £10 and available from Boots.
I was pretty impressed with this wee one. Although, It definitely isn’t firm like they say, its very soft. Which makes it crap to do eyebrows with because it gives a very soft, defused look to the stroke marks, but I guess if you like that sort of look then, yay! However, I did find it really enjoyable to do eyeliner with. I tried it with both powder and liquid and it was, to put it lightly, rather delightful! It’s just so cruel that the cheapest, in this case, was the best for me.
All in all, I was disappointed with these brushes, (or rather the brushes I bought) I was expecting a lot more from them for how expensive they are. Don’t get me wrong though, I don’t mind paying a little bit extra if I know that shiz is worth it, and for brushes its kind of a little easier to pay extra because they are going to last you a long time if you look after them, so you get your moneys worth. But if I pay £25 for a makeup brush I expect that brush to make me look like Kate Moss, ya know?
I will say that they got a lot of unwarranted negativity for how expensive they are, but when you compare them to another brand, lets say Mac, then they are pretty reasonable, but I would say Mac’s brushes beat these hands down. So I suppose that makes what I just said invalid, opps!
Anyway thats me done. Thanks for reading!
Lynsey. x
twononblondes 