First of all, I'd like to apologise for the state of my brushes in this post. I promise that I do wash them weekly - I'm pretty religious when it comes to that - but unfortunately, I always forget to photograph them after they'd been washed. So after months of forgetting, I decided to photograph them in their dirty state while I remembered.
I personally don't know how I lived my life before the Real Techniques brushes hit the scene. The line - by YouTuber Samantha Chapman - is very extensive, pretty and highly doted on in the blogosphere. Before the Real Techniques invention, I used to rely on my trusty Body Shop Foundation Brush. It was one of those bog standard, flat brushes and don't get me wrong, it was good and it did the job but I'm definitely a stippling and buffing girl these days. There are three main foundation brushes in the Real Techniques line and one question I always get asked at work is; "which one is the best?" So I thought I'd compile a mini guide to help you all in your decision making.
I should have photographed these the opposite way round and saved the best until last but unfortunately, I wasn't clever enough to think about that. So like I said, this is without a doubt my favourite face brush and surprisingly, it's the cheapest out of the lot! You can stipple and buff with this foundation brush and essentially, it does the job of the Stippling and Buffing brush in one. It allows products to be applied to the fullest of coverage and it's great for not only foundation but concealer, blush and bronzer too. If you like this brush then I'd highly recommend getting a few to save you on washing.
Best for: full coverage foundation, buffing, stippling, cream blush, bronzer, concealer
Real Techniques Stippling Brush - £11.99
This was the first Real Techniques brush that I purchased and at the time, I was in love with it. After years of using my trusty Body Shop Foundation Brush, I was a complete convert. I loved the stippling motion and to me, it was completely new and covered the majority of my imperfections. Don't get me wrong, this is still a great brush - it's very well made, dries quickly and does the job - but I do prefer my Expert Face Brush for the majority of my face needs. I tend to use this on nights out when I want a flawless finish for my concealer - the stippling motion means that you get the fullest coverage out of your concealer - and for cream brush as it helps to apply a lovely flush of colour.
Best for: low coverage foundation, stippling, concealer, cream blush
Real Techniques Buffing Brush* - £21.99
This is the brush that I hear an awful lot about and when I managed to get my hands on the Core Collection, I was extremely excited. But for me, I'm not the biggest fan of the Buffing Brush and it's my least favourite out of the three. I'm definitely a full coverage girl and although this does a great job at applying foundation flawlessly and streak-free, the Expert Face Brush gives me the most coverage a product can give. I tend to use this after I've applied my foundation, concealer and powder to blend all of the products together and give me a steak-free finish. Don't get me wrong, it's a great brush and I'd definitely recommend buying the Core Collection purely for the Contour Brush.
Best for: medium coverage foundation, buffing, blending
I don't believe that you need all three and if I was to go for just one it'd have to be the Expert Face Brush - as far as brushes go, it's perfection. I do use all three of them on a daily basis though but if I was going away and was forced to pack light, the Expert Face Brush would be the one to go on my travels with me. Which Real Techniques face brush is your favourite? Do you own all three?
xxx
*PR Sample
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