Real Techniques Core Collection Brush Set

I bought this brush set as I watch the pixiwoo sisters on YouTube (both of which are professional makeup activists). One of the sisters is Samantha Chapman who created these real techniques brushes, not just this set; she created all of the real techniques brush range. I just wanted the buffing brush out of this set but you cannot buy it separately but after receiving this set I am very glad that I bought it.

- Product description (from boots.com) and about the product

"The Real Techniques Core Collection kit by Samantha Chapman includes 4 coverage essentials: detailer brush, pointed foundation brush, buffing brush and contour brush. All of these tools are held in a professional case & stand."

The product is a brush set and it contains four brushes, I initially just wanted the buffing brush but you cannot buy it on its own, you have to buy it in this set. This is the core collection (I also have the starter set which is a collection of eye shadow brushes) and it contains four brushes for face products such as foundation, powder, blush, bronzer, contour, concealer, lipstick.

- Brushes in the set:

"Create a perfect canvas with my core collection of coverage essentials: look pixel perfect even in harsh light, ultra smooth taklon bristles." There are four brushes in this set and they all have gold handles, which I am not keen on as I think it makes them look a bit cheap and they all have black bristles at the base of the brushes and white at the tip (like the mac duo fibre brushes). The brushes will be examined individually as follows:

- Detailer Brush

"Precision cut effortlessly conceal problem areas; or, use with lipstick for long-lasting shape and definition."

This brush is stated to be used with concealer or lipstick. I have only used this brush as a lip brush, as it is the perfect shape for a lip brush. Also the taklon synthetic bristles of this brush make applying lipstick or lip gloss really easily as the bristles are incredibly smooth and they apply lipstick in an even streak free layer which is great. The brush is also taped, so it is wider at the base of the bristles and narrower at the tip of the brush so you can apply lipstick to the edges of the lips really quite precisely with this brush. Although I find that as the bristles are quite flexible, especially at the tip of the brush, that it can sometimes be too flexible and move the lipstick over the edges of the lips (obviously not a good look). I think that this brush would be great for concealer, but I also have a fantastic concealer brush (the real techniques deluxe crease brush in the starter set, previously reviewed) so I just keep this one for lipstick/gloss/stains. Overall, I really like this brush for lipstick and if I didn't have any other concealer brush I think that it would be a great concealer brush. I will rate this product 4/5.

- Pointed foundation brush

"Use with liquid foundation to build custom coverage."

I did not think that I would really use this brush as I use my cosmopolitan sponge to apply my foundation and the sponge is just fantastic at applying and blending foundation into my dry/sensitive skin. But I have found myself reaching for this brush to apply my foundation over my sponge, for convenience and also because my skin is nowhere near as dry/flaky as it was I find that I can use foundation brushes more - as previously face brushes made my skins dryness/flakiness a lot more obvious. This brush is really quite useful and I have been using it quite a lot. The other foundation brushes I have include the MAC 190 foundation brush and a couple of cheaper ones from gift sets, but this is a bit different. For example, this foundation brush is a lot smaller than the mac version; it is roughly half the size of the MAC 190 and this brush is more tapered/pointed that the other foundation brushes I own. As this brush is more tapered/pointed it means that it is fantastic for applying foundation to smaller areas of the face such as around the nose, around the mouth and underneath the eyes. I really like this brush for apply and blending foundation, especially around my nose, mouth and under my eyes. Although for larger areas of the face, the jaw, cheeks and forehead, this brush is not big enough really but it is great it is have a bit more time to spend applying your foundation. This brush, to me, is just a larger version of the detailer brush as they have the same shape, they are both tapered/pointed and the bristles are both brushes are incredibly smooth.

- Buffing Brush

"Ideal for full coverage application of powder and mineral foundation."

I initially bought this set for this brush in particular but I have not really been using this brush as much as I thought that I would. I have used this brush with bronzer, powder and to buff over my foundation after application to make sure there are not streaks - from the pointed foundation brush. This brush is really quite dense, it has a lot of bristles and they are quite tightly packed together at the base of the brush but they disperse well at the top of this brush - making this brush fantastic for blending/buffing products, such as powder, onto the skin. I find that this brush, for me, is not great for apply and blending foundation on its own as it can make my foundation have a lighter/sheerer coverage which is not what I personally want. Although, I find that this brush and the pointed foundation brush work really well together. For example, I will apply my foundation with the pointed foundation brush in streaks across my face with more foundation where I need it and less where I don't. I will then take this brush and buffing over the foundation to blend it into my skin and it works really well this way as I find that this brush is not good for applying foundation, in my opinion. I have also used this brush to apply my rimmel pressed powder over my foundation and this brush is just fantastic for applying powder to the skin, especially as the bristles are incredibly soft - this softness of the real techniques brushes blow the MAC brushes out of the water! I will not buying another MAC or high end brush as long as real techniques/Samantha Chapman keeps making these fantastic brushes. I also think that this brush would be great for blush as it is incredibly soft and smooth and the skin and it is fantastic with powder and cream products. Overall, I really like this brush, even though I have not been using it as much as I thought I would. I find that the quality of this brush far surpasses my mac, eco tools and Clinique brushes! I will rate this product 4/5!

- Contour Brush

"Delicately applies highlighter to contour or create sheer soft-focus finish."

Out of all of the brushes in this set, this is the one I have been using almost constantly and it is my favourite brush in the set, which is a bit surprising as I didn't really think too much about this brush when I bought the set. I have been using this brush to apply my Benefit hula bronzer as my contour almost every single day since I bought this set. I use Benefits hula bronzer as it is a fantastic contour shade for my pale skin and it makes my cheek bones look more defined and more prominent. The bristles of this brush as like the buffing brush - incredibly soft, smooth and gentle on the skin which is fantastic and it shows the high quality of the real techniques brushes and how well the brushes are made. I love this brush for applying for benefit hula bronzer, as a contour, as the brush is tapered the tip of the bristles apply the product in a streak then the bristles around blend the product to make it appear really quite seamless and natural on the skin, which is what I want in a contour. I also think that this brush would be great for applying and blending highlighter to the top of the cheek bones and I think this brush be great for apply pressed/loose face powder to specific small areas of the face. Overall I think is brush is fantastic and incredibly soft on the skin and as it is really soft it does not pull my skin. I will rate this product 5/5!

- Panoramic case/stand

"Dual carrier and stand keeps brushes organized on your counter or on the go."

As with the starter set, previously reviewed (on ciao) you get a case/stand with the brush set. This one has four elasticated slot for the four brushes and it is the same size as the case/stand for the starter set. I find that I do not really use this product as a stand for this brush, but I do for the eye brushes in the starter set. I find that the brushes are a bit too big in this set to use as a stand really, for me anyway. I use this as a case to store the brushes in so that they are protected and they do not get dust on them. The case is great but I have found one little problem with it, which only applies to these brush as they are bigger than the starter set brushes. I find that the toggle attached to this case to make it into a stand presses into the brush nearest the middle of the case and bends the bristles so I keep the two smaller brush - the detailer brush and the pointed foundation brush neatest the middle of the case to protect the two larger brushes. Overall, I think that this product works fantastically as a brush case and I will definitely be using this case when I go on holiday in the summer. I will rate this product 4/5!

- Overall positives

The overall positives of this product in my opinion are as follows: none of the brushes pull/tug the skin, especially the contour brush and buffing brush, as they are so incredibly smooth and soft. All of the brushes are fantastic and work really well and there are only really minor negatives for a couple of the brushes. The case is fantastic for storing to brushes and I think the case will be fantastic for traveling with this brushes. The brushes are all really easy to wash/clean and they dry fairly quickly too. The price for the set is also great as it works out to be about £5.49 per brush which I think is amazing value as the brushes work really well and they are made to a really high standard.

- Overall negatives

The overall negatives of this product in my opinion are as follows: the buffing brush is not very good at applying foundation so I just use the pointed foundation brush to apply my foundation and then I use the buffing brush to blend my foundation. The toggle on the case/stand can bend the bristles of the brush nearest to the middle of the case.

- Price and availability

I bought this brush set along with the starter brush set from boots.com a few months ago now and I have been using both sets almost constantly, so they are definitely worth the money, in my opinion. This set is priced at £21.99 on the boots website and it can also be purchased in stores. Overall I think that the real techniques brushes are fantastic and I now have my eye on the new real techniques expert face brush which is supposed to be fantastic for foundation application. I highly recommend this set and the real techniques brushes overall!

Conclusions

Positives

*Really easy to use and these brushes, as with the ones from the starter set, are really easy to clean
*The bristles are incredibly soft, smooth and gentle on the skin - especially the buffing brush and the contour brush
*The brushes work really well for a number of different products/purposes
*A great value set, in my opinion
*Brushes are made to a really high standard and the bristles are synthetic taklon fibres - so they are cruelty free
*The case is fantastic for storing and protecting the brushes - and it would be great for traveling in my opinion

Negatives

*The toggle bends the bristles
*The buffing brush is not very good for applying foundation - but it is great for blending foundation

Thank you for reading my review - this review is posted on ciao under my username labellavita1992