Real Techniques Starter Set

I don't know about all of you, but I have a ridiculous number of brushes to go with the ridiculous amount of makeup that I own. The sad thing is that I keep buying more. Part of the reason is because I hate washing brushes, so the more I have, the longer I can go without washing them. I also keep wanting to try new brushes to see if they might work better for me.

I got the Real Techniques starter set because the Pixiwoo sisters always use the deluxe crease brush from the set for blending out concealer under the eyes, and I wanted to try it for myself. I put off getting it because the set costs $17.99 at Ulta, but I finally caved, and I'm glad I did.

The set of five brushes comes in a nice case. There's an elastic slot for each brush and two larger slots on the opposite side for adding extra brushes. There is also a string and toggle on the case that allows it to fold and stand up as shown in the picture above. I personally have not used the case since I got the set because I take too many brushes with me when I travel. It just isn't convenient. For those who do a much better job packing, this might be ideal. 

The brushes from left to right are the deluxe crease brush, base shadow brush, accent brush, pixel-point eyeliner brush, and brow brush.

The deluxe crease brush has become my everyday brush for applying my Silk Naturals Sleep in a Jar. I should be getting a second set of these brushes soon, and I want to try using it to blend out cream products under the eye. In the picture above, the brushes from top to bottom are an Everyday Minerals Eye Kabuki brush, Real Techniques Deluxe Crease brush, and Everyday Minerals Eye Kabuki Jr. brush. As you can see, the Real Techniques is between the two in both diameter and bristle length.

 I haven't actually tried the base shadow brush for laying down a lid color. The slightly rounded shape and the domed top made me want to try it as a crease brush, and I really like using it for that purpose. I took a picture of it next to an EcoTools shadow brush for size comparison.

The accent brush is a great little brush for adding an inner corner highlight or for a small bit of shimmer to the browbone. I can see a lot of people liking this brush for smudging shadow underneath the eye as well. I took a picture of it next to the same EcoTools shadow brush for size comparison.

The eyeliner brush is the one that I have used the least out of the set. It isn't a bad brush, but I favor gel/cream liners that are firmer in texture, and I find angled liner brushes that I can swipe over the product work better for that. This eyeliner brush is quite a bit thicker than the other pointed liner brushes in my collection, which might be off-putting for some people. In the comparison picture above, I have the Real Techniques brush pictured with a bent liner brush that I got from Coastal Scents a few years ago and an ELF bent liner brush.

The brow brush is a nice angled brush that is thicker than the other angled brushes I have in my collection. I don't use brow products, so I use this for liner. The extra thickness of the brush gives a bold line, so I wouldn't grab for it every day, but I do like it. When I have used it, I go for a softer liner color instead of a black, so the look becomes more wearable for a normal day. For comparison, the brushes pictured from bottom to top and left to right above are the Real Techniques Brow Brush, an EcoTools liner brush, and an Everyday Minerals liner brush.

One minor issue that I want to point out about these brushes is that the textured part at the bottom of the handles can start to peel away. LisaSz09 on youtube has noted the same problem in her reviews of Real Techniques brushes. Just like her, it doesn't really bother me too much, but I know it might bother some people. So far, I have only had one brush start to do this, and I have eight Real Techniques brushes in all.

Overall, I really like these brushes. The quality is really nice, and the price is reasonable, especially if you can get them on sale. 

Have you tried any Real Techniques brushes yet? What do you think about them?