Hello World!
So a few weeks ago, I ordered the new limited edition Brush Crush Collection from Real Techniques, and I've finally gotten around to using it. The collection has 8 brushes, a sponge, and a silicon applicator. The design of the whole collection is very cute with pink, purple and glitter! But do they work? I tried everything from the collection and here are my thoughts.
301 Foundation Brush - $12.99
This was the first thing I tried from the collection, and I was very disappointed. Real Techniques makes one of my favorite foundation brushes, so I was very excited to try this one. It appears to be very full, dense, and rounded, which would make for easy blending. But the brush hair is very rough and not as densely packed as it appears. It also feels like it's tapered, which makes blending difficult, and leaves streaks. I would definitely recommend you pass on this brush and instead go for the
Expert Face Brush.
This is a perfect powder brush. It's super soft and very full. The arched cut allows you to lightly sweep powder on all areas of your face for a flawless powder application. I would definitely recommend this brush!
I was surprised by how much I liked this brush. When I first saw it, I didn't think it was a blush brush because of it's shaped. It has a slightly tapered triangle tip to concentrate the blush on the apples of your cheeks, which I thought would apply too much product in one area. But the brush is soft and fluffy, so product just washes over your cheeks and blends effortlessly.
I like to use contour brushes shaped like this for contouring my nose, more than the rest of my face. But most brushes like this are very thin, so you can apply the contour exactly and then blend it out. But this brush is very thick, which I didn't think would work for my nose. But surprise, surprise... it did! It has a flat edge for applying contour with precision, but because it is so thick and soft, it's like you're blending as you apply. So it works beautifully for both the nose and the face.
I would like to preface this by saying I am not a fan of fan brushes. I much prefer teardrop brushes for highlighting, but fan brushes are meant to apply a soft sweep of product. But that was not the case for this brush. This brush picks up a lot of product. It makes application very easy, but it's definitely not a soft sweep and definitely not a subtle highlight.
This is your basic standard eyeshadow blending brush. It's very soft and it has a tapered end, which is great for blending. Besides how it looks, there is nothing special about this brush. But it is a good brush.
This is easily my favorite thing from the entire collection. First off, this brush is just super cute, but it also performs perfectly. This brush is huge, round, and super soft, which makes it perfect for applying powders including bronzers and highlighters all over the face and body. I LOVE this brush!
This is another item that is super cute but also very functional. This sponge is very soft and gentle on the skin, but firm enough that it keeps it's shape as you press it against your face. The shape of this sponge is perfect for blending in those hard to reach areas of your face. The pointed tip is great for under the eye and around the nose. The flat top is great for all over the face.
This is a nice brush. It's very similar to the 302 Blush Brush, but it's slightly smaller and less tapered. But it's super soft and applies powders nicely.
Real Techniques described this as a "smooth, flexible surface helps to hygienically transfer product to your skin." And that's pretty accurate. This is nice way to apply liquid product to face without having to use your fingers or using too much product, but you will still need a brush or sponge, because you can't blend with this. It works fine, but it seems unnecessary to me.
Overall, I really like this collection. I think it's super cute and pretty affordable. You can also save some money you buy one of the two sets offered by Real Techniques. The Luminous Glow set comes with the 304 Fan Brush, the 302 Blush Brush, the 303 Contour Brush, the Diamond Foundation Applicator, and the Diamond Sponge. It retails for $29.99. The
Shimmer + Shine set comes with the 300 Powder Brush, the 305 Shadow Brush, the 307 Finishing Brush, and a cute makeup bag. It also retails for $29.99. The only brush I would not recommend is the 301 Foundation Brush, and if you're only going to get one thing from this collection it should be either the 306 Kabuki Brush or the Diamond Sponge.
Happy Makeup Monday!
~Kerin
P.S. - Follow me on Instagram (@kerinskorner) to see all my makeup looks!
