Ok…. Going to set the tone early on in this post… I FRICKIN LOVE THESE BRUSHES!!!! I’m like paddy last to join this party, but my god they were worth the wait! I’m in love! I got a little set of brushes a few months ago in the RDS, but really wasn’t keen on them, and I was eager to get new ones as my Kirkland ones are a few years old. I heard about Real Techniques from so many friends and had read so much about them online, I HAD to get them being the beauty junkie I am! I’ve also listed a code at the bottom of this post for money off 
Designed with pro makeup artist Samantha Chapman – who is known as Pixiwoo on Youtube, Real Techniques brushes combine high-tech materials with innovative design to make creating a pixel-perfect look easier than ever.
Here’s some useful product information:
- Taklon bristles are ultra plush and smoother than the hair you’ll find in other brushes. Since taklon is synthetic, it’s 100% cruelty-free. The soft fibers help create a flawless, high-definition finish in any type of light – from sunlight to harsh indoor lighting.
- The color-coded system corresponds to the key steps of makeup application so you can create a flawless base (gold), enhanced eyes (purple), and the perfect finish (pink) like a pro.
- Each brush head is hand-cut to the perfect shape, allowing for precise application from dense coverage to a soft, delicate finish.
- The collection is suitable for a wide range of products and every makeup need – from powders, creams, and liquids to mineral makeup, highlighter, and shimmer.
- Here’s some more handy hints about the brushes:
- Ultra-plush taklon bristles for high-definition results
- Extended aluminum ferrules for light, easy use
- Brush names for quick reference
- Self-standing bases* for countertop display
- Panoramic brush cases included with sets for travel or display
I ordered 6 items in total – the Starter Kit, Travel Essentials Kit, Blush Brush, Expert Face Brush, Setting Brush & Kabuki Brush.
First off, I’ll go with the one I was most looking forward to – the Expert Face Brush. I’m a huge fan of really contoured make up looks like what Kim K would wear. I just love that type of definition! So, this brush just really excited me as the hairs were short and tightly packed which I find great for applying my Smashbox product, they’re nice and soft too so it blends the product really well.
Next up is the Setting Brush – I was dying to try this one out for under eye concealer, and for highlighting my cheekbones & cupids bow. So far I’ve used it for highlighting and I love it! The perfect amount of product is applied and the size of the brush makes it perfect for working on all areas of your face, I find bigger brushes not to be great when working with highlighter products. I currently use Mac Cool Liquid Powder as my highlight. I’m planning on purchasing a second one of these to use for concealer as they give such a gorgeous airbrushed effect.
The Starter Kit also had me super excited, I lllllllove eyeshadow brushes, and I like having a lot of them! This set is perfect for me. First of all, I always always always highlight my brow bone and inner corner of my eye, so the accent brush was perfect when I used it. I also always fill in my brows, the brow brush here is nice and thick so fits a good amount of product on in one go which is great! I used the eyeliner brush as kind of a detailer brush for applying shadow below my lash line, I just thought it was the perfect size and it didn’t have any product fall out. The crease brush is amazing! Perfect for adding dept into your eye make up look! I usually go for an Inglot shadow trio, with a rich coppery colour as my crease colour. I used the base shadow brush to apply a darker brown to the outer part of my lid, and actually used the domed shadow brush from the Travel Essentials kit as my base shadow brush. Verdict: Amazing eyes every time!
This blush brush looked so gorgeous to me, pink and fluffy, ’nuff said! Seriously though, amaze! The brush is a lot bigger than any other blush brushes I’ve had, but, the domed/tapered shape meant that the product didn’t just go on in one big blob, it was really easy to control and blend the blush on my cheeks. It looked so natural, I was really impressed. I currently use a Fuschia blush palette.
I’ve never used a Kabuki Brush before, so I was really looking forward to trying this out for setting my powder. I love love loved it! I was actually surprised at how good it was! I much prefer it to a normal powder brush I have to say. It’s so easy to press powder onto your face when topping up/getting rid of any shine. It’s even great without putting more product on, I found it great when I just dabbed it on my skin to mattify it slightly. This brush is smal and compact so it’s perfect to fit in your handbag if your out and about! I just slotted it into the extra space in my starter kit. I use Iglot as my holy grail pressed powder!
I opted for the travel essentials pack rather than the core collection. Three brushes are included in the pack – a Foundation Brush, a Multi Task Brush, and a Domed Shadow Brush. I didn’t feel I needed the core collection as I had ordered single brushes for contouring etc, and I wanted the extra eye shadow brush! hehe.. This set I love! I used the domed shadow brush to apply my shadow base – which is usually a matte or slightly shimmery cream/ivory colour. The foundation brush is smaller than my old one, but I actually like it because it gets into all the places on your face like corners of eyes, round your nose etc, and I found it easier to avoid getting foundation into your hairline with this brush. I always use flat foundation brushes with my Mac Studio Fix fluid foundation, I find it lasts all day/night! I usually only wear this foundation going out, but I’ve started a new job as cabin crew, so flawless foundation is a must! I do like to stipple for a more natural day time look, so that’s going to be my next purchase from this range. The multi task brush is super handy, I’m using it as a bronzer brush – I dont wear it every day, but when I do, I love having a big brush to apply it with, so I found this one perfect!
Real Techniques website currently only ships to the USA, but there a loads of options for other sites and shops! If you can’t bare to wait, then these brushes are available to buy from Boots , but be warned, they’re more expensive there.
Here’s a list of price comparisons:
Expert Face Brush $8.99 / €6.71
Setting Brush $7.99 / €5.97
Starter Set $17.99 / €13.44
Blush Brush $8.99 / €6.71
Kabuki Brush $9.99 / €7.46
Travel Essentials Kit $17.99 / €13.44
Expert Face Brush €11.99
Setting Brush €8.50
Starter Set €24.99
Blush Brush €11.99
Kabuki Brush €13.50
Travel Essentials Kit €24.99
Expert Face Brush £9.99 / €11.79
Setting Brush £8.99 / €10.99
Starter Set £21.99 / €25.99
Blush Brush £9.99 / €11.79
Kabuki Brush £11.99 / €14.14
Travel Essentials Kit – n/a
*note – Boots.ie do not list ROI prices, but I did check in store, and there’s an extra €2/3 added to most products on this line! So really, iHerb retail them at half the price of Irish and UK stores. Still, the shop prices are pretty reasonable for such an amazing collection of brushes, I’ll probably get my extra setting brush from the store, but if your going to get a full set, I’d recommend ordering online!
As a gift to all my readers, this code will give you $10 off your first purchase with iHerb – NKF294 ($10 off orders over $40, or $5 off orders under $40). You will also receive an extra 5% off orders over $60. I opted for the DHL Express delivery which cost $12, but I got it free really after my discounts. All in all, it took 5 days to be shipped from the US (3 working days), so if you ordered on a Monday, you’d probably have it on Thursday. You get an email with your tracking number which links you to the DHL site and you can see every location your parcel has been/is at. I’d definitely recommend this method of shipping! There is a cheaper option for DHL standard post for just $4, but there’s no tracking/refund on this, and it takes longer.
So guys, that’s it for the review. I hope you’re all as mad to buy these brushes as I was!
Until next time,
Stay styley,
Maeve xx
Great post! Can’t wait to get paid and use the voucher to order my sets! I already have the stippling brush and kabuki brush and now I want the lot! <3