Review: Real Techniques Blush Brush

Before Purchase: Real Techniques is a line of brushes by Samantha Chapman, one half of Pixiwoo on YouTube. Having said that, word of the line spread quite quickly, because of her internet presence.

Sam is also a professional makeup artist with quite a nice resume in her toolkit, which adds to the credibility of the line. Real Techniques is sold exclusively at Ulta in the US, and at Love Make Up and Victoria Health internationally.

Price: Ulta sells this brush for $8.99 USD regular price, but I have seen the Real Techniques brushes on sale for buy one, get one half price. (Tip: if they are on sale on the Ulta website, they are probably on sale at stores as well, if you’d rather go pick it up yourself!)

Packaging: The brush comes in a little folded plastic box, and is held in place by a slot in the inner card (versus wire ties and such). It is the same whether you buy it in a store or order it from Ulta’s website, which is how I purchased mine.

Materials: The entire Real Techniques line is cruelty free; brush fibers are 100% Taklon, a synthetic fiber, and the handles are aluminum.

The Product: This is actually my first blush brush, as I am just finally getting past my blush fear. Having said that, I was surprised at how soft the brush is for being synthetic. I think the fact that it’s a duo fiber type, with the white finer fibers reaching out past the black, heavier ones, has something to do with that.

I use this brush with loose mineral blush. I have seen some comments about having a hard time keeping product on the brush or even picking it up, but I don’t apply the blush directly to my face; I get some on the brush, tap off a little of the excess, and swirl it in the jar lid. I’ve had no problems with lack of product on the brush, with the blush not showing up on my face, or anything of that sort. I wonder if the negative comments I have seen were made by people attempting to use the brush with pressed blush, which I could see possibly needing a slightly firmer brush for.

On a general note, this line, while not perfect (the eyeliner brush is huge, for example) is quite innovative and worth checking out. The brushes are light due to the aluminum handles, but they don’t feal cheap, and are color-coordinated; gold for “core” brushes (foundation, concealer), purple for eye brushes, and pink for finishing brushes. The handles also happen to be the ferrules, meaning that these brushes completely lack the problem of glue coming loose and the ferrules coming off the handles. The bigger face brushes all have flat, slightly-flared bottoms so that you can stand them up, which is super handy for everyday storage because face brushes take up a lot of room in brush cups.

One of the nicest things about the line? The brush name is printed right on the handle! No decoding abbreviated words, no memorizing numbers (I’m looking at you, MAC).

Lastly, I have good news: this brush has not shed on me AT ALL! I wash it, I use it, I wash it, and I use it, and I haven’t noticed a single fiber come out. I shake the brush, I run my finger over it to force out loose fibers, and nothing!

Final Thoughts:

• Was I happy with my purchase? Yes.
• Would I purchase the Real Techniques blush brush again? Yes, if I wear mine out!
• Rating? 5 out of 5 stars.