*REVIEW* Real Techniques Core Collection Brushes

Hi!

 

After I went to pick up my GCSE results last Thursday (which I was very happy with!) I decided to celebrate by treating myself to a spot of online shopping...

 

And then this happened.

 

 

I told myself I wasn't going to get this after seeing it in Boots the other day for around £20..I told myself that I had enough makeup brushes and that I didn't need them.

Then I saw them on Amazon for £4 cheaper and I caved because I'm lacking in any sort of robust moral fibre. :)

 

 

Unfortunately I don't have a picture of everything as it came because in my childish, eager excitement I ripped open the box as soon as I saw what it was.

 

This is the "your base/flawless core collection" which promises "high definition results."

 

It comes with four brushes and a case which doubles as a display stand too.

 

 

On the back there is information about the brushes and also suggests how to use each brush.

 

 

The little case/stand is actually quite cute and has 7 little slots for makeup brushes but you could easily fit two brushes in certain slots. I'd definitely might end up taking this with me next time I travel to keep my brushes clean and organised.

I'm not really sure how it works as a stand but I don't really need to use it as one anyway!

 

So here's a run down of the brushes!

 

 

 

Buffing Brush:

 

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

 

I find that I wouldn't just use this for powder foundation but also for buffing in liquid foundation too!

I love the way this buffs product in to the skin and it makes it look flawless. The bristles are soft, and dense and the brush is just the right size.

This is probably my favourite brush!

 

 

 

Contour Brush:

 

" Delicately applies highlighter to contour or creates sheer, soft-focus finish"

 

I really like the softness again of this brush and I used it today to apply bronzer. I don't usually wear bronzer because it looks harsh on my pale skin but this really blended it out well and I'm very happy with the results!

I can also see myself using this for applying highlighter and blush too.

 

 

Pointed Foundation Brush:

 

"Use with liquid foundation to build custom coverage"

 

I feel that this brush is a little small for foundation and although it's great for getting in all the nooks and crannies I'd like it to be just a touch bigger. I also prefer using something to buff in my liquid foundation as I find these types of brushes blend them in but don't completely work the product into the skin.

In saying that it's still a great brush and I actually used it to apply liquid concealer underneath my eyes and because it was so small it worked great for that.

 

 

Detailer Brush:

 

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

 

although I like this brush and it does apply concealer well, I'm not sure it's anything particularly unique as I have several other brushes that do the same thing. I used this to apply concealer earlier and it did work well, it just wasn't anything special. I haven't tried this to apply lipstick as I don't wear it that often.

It's a good brush, just not anything unique.

 

So all in all I'm really pleased I got these brushes and so happy with them!

They are a little pricy but when you add up the cost of each brush individually it is actually not a bad deal for four brushes plus the case to use for travel.

 

Which are your favourite Real Techniques brushes?

Thanks so much for reading!

 Libby x

 

Also...just thought I'd share a photo with you...We've taken our puppy for walks in some really pretty places recently and I feel so grateful that I live in such a beautiful part of the world.

 

 

 

My Holiday Makeup Essentials!

Hi!

 

As I'm going away with friends for a few days soon I thought I'd do a post on the makeup I'm taking - in short, the makeup I consider to be my absolute essentials!

 

I may also do a post on things like face & hair products too :)

 

I'm going camping so I'm not going to be taking a tonne of makeup because I simply won't be using it, but I am going to be taking things that can cover all bases just in case I get there and suddenly realise I can't live without something I thought I could!

 

So lets start with the face products first!

 

 

1)

 For a primer if I need one I'll be taking my 17 Photo Flawless face primer - nice and small packaging and smooths out the skin & makes makeup last longer. This also needs using up so I thought I'd take it along.

 

2)

E.L.F Tinted Moisturiser - I won't be taking any foundation of any sort so I prefer something light like a tinted moisturiser and so I'll be using this if I feel my skin tone just needs evening out.

 

3)

 In case I need any powder I'll be taking my Miss Sporty So Clear Pressed Powder as it's inexpensive and it comes with a powder puff which will do for a few days instead of a powder brush which would take up lots of space!

 

4)

 MAC Studio Finish Concealer - this is just an emergency product in case I get any spots or anything that really bothers me!

 

5)

 I'm just taking my trusty Vaseline just for my lips as I don't tend to use many products on my lips.

This should keep them hydrated!

 

6)

 I'm bringing my favourite Rimmel London Match Perfection concealer to cover up any dark circles! :)

 

Now onto the eyes!

 

 

7)

Instead of an eye primer I'm taking my NYX Eyeshadow Base in White just to give shadow something to cling to. I doubt I'll be wearing eyeshadow at all but I may if we go out for a meal.

 

8)

 To save space I'm bringing this very useful Accessorize Baked Eyeshadow Duo in Thalia as a neutral colours go with everything and I've got a light shade there too for highlighting!

 

9)

 Stila Waterproof Smudge Stick Eyeliner in Peacock - one of my favourite eyeliners ever! I've talked about this at length before and it's so great and long lasting!

 

10)

 Soap & Glory Supercat Liquid Liner - I need to use this up so I thought I'd take this along as just a basic black eyeliner.

 

11)

 The Borjois Paris Khol & Contour Eyeliner is my favourite eyeliner for the waterlines so I thought I'd bring this too because it's so useful for an everyday look.

 

12) 

 For my mascara I'm taking my Stila Fibre Optics mascara as I'm trying to use it up and I'm very fond of this mascara!

 

 

I'm trying to keep the brushes to a minimum so I've just got 3!

 

 

All of these are from Fraulein so I've got the foundation brush and two eye shadow brushes, one for a darker colour and one for a lighter colour.

 

So that's it! I don't usually wear a lot of makeup on holiday so I thought I'd just stick to the essentials and also a few things that aren't totally necessary like different eye liners, but its nice to have different choices!

 

What are your holiday makeup essentials?

Thanks for reading!

Libby x

*REVIEW* Real Techniques Stippling Brush

Hi!

 

I don't normally focus on reviews for makeup brushes much (yet...my obsession with makeup brushes is slowly building) but I thought I'd buck that trend today and review a brush that I was so excited to pick up the other day in my recent haul...

 

After having had a few opportunities to try it out I was so excited to give you a review!

 

 

I got this for £10.99 in Superdrug...initially I was a bit wary of buying just one brush for that much but I've heard such great things about these brushes that I just had to give it a go!

 

On the packaging it says:

 

"look pixel perfect even in harsh light"

"high definition results"

Ultra plush taklon bristles"

 

 

I just LOVE the bright pink handle of this and the shape of this brush just fits perfectly in my hand..it also feels good quality even when you're holding it...(a must for me if you're paying nearly a tenner for one brush!)

 

 

One thing I love about this brush is that the bristles are dense and closely packed which I find really great.

I do wish this brush was just a smidge bigger as it takes a while to cover the whole face with foundation and tends to make my arm ache a bit...but I cant complain about that too much! And the small size makes this brush good for getting in all the nooks and crannies :)

 

So how did this brush work out in the end?

I really loved the look this gave my skin when I used it for foundation...

I found that I could either use stippling movements to get the foundation in or use the brush to buff in the product and either way it produced great results. I now use a combination of the two and it gives a really great "HD" look to the skin...my foundation just looks so beautifully blended!

 

 

So although this is a little pricey for just one brush I totally feel that this is worth it for the results it gives and I definitely plan to buy some more Real Techniques brushes...(I've got my eye on the core collection kit...)

 

If you're interested in brushes I have a post here on my top 3 favourite eye brushes if you're interested :)

 

 

Have you tried any of the Real Techniques brushes yet?

Thanks for reading!

Libby x

 

My Top 3 Eye Brushes! :)

Hello :)

Today I decided to do a post based on my favourite brushes...today I'm doing eye brushes, but at some point I'll do face brushes too! :)

I'll go through them in for you! These aren't in any order :)

1) Urban Decay Good Karma Shadow Brush

This is the most expensive of all my brushes....at $26 and £14.50 in the UK....luckily I got mine the the Naked palette! :) I think these are still sold with the Naked palette now as well.
Basically this is a very firm, stiff brush which is SO good for packing on colour. Because it's stiff, you have very precise control over where your eyeshadow goes, and and the brush just keeps its shape so well!
I love the way it feels so good quality and its totally vegan! The handle is metal and looks really pretty too!
While this is a VERY expensive brush...I'm so glad I got it in the Naked palette so I didn't have to try and justify it to myself buying it for that price! This is the most expensive brush I have in my collection (I don't have any MAC brushes) but I really love it!
I also love that the bristles stay the same colour even after using some bright colours so it hasn't stained yet :)

2) Cosmopolitan Smokey Eyes Base Brush

I bought this a while ago in a Smokey Eyes Brush Kit, and I seem to remember it was around £7. The set included a smudge brush (which I never really use as it tugs on my lids a bit too much), an angled liner brush (which is really precise and I use a lot) and this brush.
Compared to the Urban Decay brush this has much softer bristles, and I trust it a lot more near my tear duct! It's nice and soft but is somehow still great for getting colour on the lids.
I love this mainly for its multifunctional nature! I can use is as a base brush for packing on colour, a blending brush, or even if I turn it on it's side it works great in the crease of the eye. It gets colour in the crease and is really precise, but then you can use it for blending into the crease as well...
This brush is always sitting in my "to-wash" brush pile because I use it so much, and being a lot cheaper than the UD brush I feel I could justify buying a backup.... :P

 

3) Fraulein 38 Pencil Brush

I bought this as part of a 32 piece brush set from Fraulein a while back...I believe it was around the £20 mark and from somewhere like Amazon...
The brush set has loads of brushes that I use on a daily basis, but this is definitely one of the ones I love the most!
Like the cosmopolitan brush this is very soft, and so I don't feel worried about using it near my eye. I have a bit of a fixation with these type of pencil/crease brushes...This one is perfect for either laying colour into the crease, or just blending out the crease. I love the way it makes it so effortless to create a blended out crease with this brush, and I can use it buff out the shadow, creating a really pretty smokey effect. This doesn't stay clean for long after I wash it because I'm always so keen to use it!

There you go, there are my favourite eye brushes! I will soon do my favourite face brushes too :)
What are yours?  Let me know in the comments below :)

Thanks for reading!
Libby x