First off, Real Techniques brushes are WAYYYYYYYY cheaper in the US than in the UK (especially when you get free shipping), which confuses the hell out of me and the Samantha Chapman is based in the UK (then shouldn't they be cheaper in the UK?????).
I've been wanting to purchase these brushes for quite a long time, but never really figured out which ones I want (obviously you get more bang for the buck with the sets, but there's always half of the brushes that I do not like). This time, I patched in my order with Vanessa and we exchanged parts of the sets that we don't want with each other, now everybody's happy.
This is my portion of the brushes.
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| Top to bottom: Deluxe crease brush, Contour brush, Buffing brush, Expert face brush |
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| Expert face brush |
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| Expert face brush |
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| Deluxe Crease Brush |
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| Deluxe Crease Brush |
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| Buffing Brush |
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| Buffing Brush |
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| Contour Brush |
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| Contour Brush |
I actually only got the Core Collection set and the expert face brush and I exchanged 2 of the brushes from the core collection with Vanessa for the Deluxe crease brush (form the starter collection).
The Core collection comes four brushes, the buffing brush (for powder foundations and the like), the contour brush (self explanatory), the pointed foundation brush (traditional foundation brush, but smaller thinner and more tapered) and the detailer brush (small precision brush for concealer and other cream products). I absolutely hate traditional foundation brushes, I find them too flat and gives a streaky appearance when applying foundation that I have to eradicate with a sponge (then whats the point for using a brush in the first place???). And I simply have no use for the concealer brush, I prefer using something similar to the Deluxe crease brush or the E40 Tapered Blending brush for concealer as again I do not like flimsy lanky brushes, all they do is flip and flop and streak (for me). Vanessa finds the pointed foundation brush perfect for applying concealer as the actual brush is really simply too small to do any foundation work with out spending a whole millenium on your face.
The Expert face brush is a delightful little brush (smaller than what I had imagined to be) with dense bristles. I've only used it once and I think it does apply foundation pleasantly. I usually use more foundation if I am applying with a brush (compared to when applying with fingers) and it turns out you don't need to use more than when using fingers when using this brush. It does not leave a streaky finish and gives seamless coverage. I like to follow with concealer using the Deluxe crease brush, this too is a chubby little dense brush for the eyes. But I do think that it is was too big for the eye, probably could only work as a blending brush for the finishing touch, but I think it is far better as a concealer brush than a eye shadow brush. It blends concealer perfectly into the foundation without losing too much of the coverage (as can sometimes happen with fingers).
These brushes are also super soft. When compared to the Sigma brushes, I find that the Real Techniques brushes are a tiny bit less smooth (BUT just as soft). Their aluminium handle also make these brushes super light. The best bit was that they are about the same length as the sigma travel brushes (perhaps just a pinch longer). I have always favored shorter brushes over the full sized ones, who needs such a long handle anyway? The important part is the bristles, the handle just need to be long enough for a reasonable grip. I have to admit I really wanted to saw off some length from some of my full sized brushes back when I still had access to my school's DT lab (no, I did not get banned from the place, I simply graduated).
I got the brushes off the Real Techniques website with free shipping (I must have stumbled across a promotion). The Core Collection is USD$18 (includes a brush roll/stand) and the Expert face brush was USD$9, which is fantastic price for their quality.
